So I just bought my first bike it's a 1999 night train and it's started getting a tapping noise that seems to be coming from the engine. My friends recommend I drain and refill the oil. Can anyone help me out I've been searching for hours and can't find anything about it due to lack of knowledge of bikes.

 

That could be sooo many things. Here are a few I've dealt with.
A shaky brake pedal, my Gremlin bell, a rattling passenger foot board, a loose coil cover or it could be just be a ticky lifter. I have that on my '93 when it's cold. An oil change or a switch to heavier oil might help that. Also, windshields are notorious for amplifying mechanical sounds so if you're running a windshield take it off and all your Harley engine noises will go away!

 

Check for codes. Get good earplugs. Ride the crap out of it.

 

Make a video of your bike running and post it here. Someone might recognize the sound.

carl

 

I second this. It's surprising how much a loose/rattling component can sound like an engine tick. It's easy and free to go around the bike checking tightness of EVERYTHING before getting too worried. Mine turned out to be a loose brake pedal.

 

If you have a 1999 Night Train, I believe it should have a Twin Cam engine in it.
A couple of other things it might be is the spring loaded cam chain tensioners are failing or possibly the compensating sprocket is coming loose along with other things mentioned.
Best of luck to you in your search.

 

Last year of the Evo...

OP probably not coming Back...

 

98hotrodfatboy,
I am getting mixed signals on whether the 1999 Night Train had the Evo or the Twin Cam.
Are ya sure about them all being Evos or could there have been a mid-year change?
I must confess I am not sure.

 

No not 100% sure But pretty sure... I know it was a transition year.. Some models had a TC and some still carried the Evo platform.. But pretty sure all softails still had the Evo.. Some Dyna's and the road King as well as Road and Electra Glide were TC's.. All softails went to TC's in 2000....