Starter clunk
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1st Gear
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 5
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From: Mississippi
Starter clunk
Evening everyone, can any of you riding partners out there with 2013 and up Harley Davidson 103 cubic inch engines with about 21000 miles and up and have started experiencing when cranking the engine and it begans to turn over engine stops turning and starter kicks out with a loud bang and then starts up normal after that, it doesn't do this all the time just some and I do hear a clunking sound sometimes when shutting down the engine which according to everything i have read what I might be experiencing is the compensator device inside of the primary case. Is what i have describe normal for these year bikes as in some place Ive read this is ok because of the design and in other places it says im going to have to have the compensator looked at. Will this device come apart or anything and do damage ? Is it ok to keep riding the bike and if anyone know how much money can this device cost if need to be addressed. Have to admit I know what the compensator does as it absorbs the pulses from the v-twin but do know much else about it. Sure would thank anyone for some good advice that knows about this. Thanks
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,712
Likes: 410
From: Puyallup, WA
Several things can cause the symptoms you're describing; a weak battery, incorrect tune/timing, an not holding the starter button down until the motor is fully firing on its own, or a bad compensator. Could also be ACR's not working properly. Not sure if you have ACR's.
Make sure your battery is good. You didn't say if you have a tuner, but if so make sure you have the right map/tune. When you start the bike, hold the starter down until the motor is running.
A quick comp test is as follows: Start the bike, drop into 1st gear, hold front brake, give a little throttle, and let the clutch out a bit. Do you hear metal scraping/banging noise? If so, probably your compensator going out. Also, drain your primary oil, and check the drain plug for metal debris. A fine grey paste is normal, metal shavings/fragment are not.
Make sure your battery is good. You didn't say if you have a tuner, but if so make sure you have the right map/tune. When you start the bike, hold the starter down until the motor is running.
A quick comp test is as follows: Start the bike, drop into 1st gear, hold front brake, give a little throttle, and let the clutch out a bit. Do you hear metal scraping/banging noise? If so, probably your compensator going out. Also, drain your primary oil, and check the drain plug for metal debris. A fine grey paste is normal, metal shavings/fragment are not.
Last edited by bad tappets; Dec 11, 2016 at 01:56 PM.
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1st Gear
Joined: Dec 2016
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From: Mississippi
Hello Mr. Tappets, First of all Thank you very much for all your input ! You dont know how much I appreciate it.
First I think My Battery is in Good shape, I do run a trickle charger and Ive noticed when I plug it in it will flash green for a few minutes and then go solid green which should indicate that the charger is really not having to charge it.
My 103 is factory stock with factory tune but it doesnt start as easy as I think It should but this might be just me, The bike I came off of was a 08 96 C.i. Fuel injected Softail and a click of the starter was all it ever need to start even with 22000 miles on it. This engine will not start like that and every now and then like I said the starter will drop out and clunk. I rode about three hours today stop and starting and running in traffic shutting it down and restarting all much as possible and I dont remember hearing the knock maybe about one time during all of this, also tested some of the things ive read from others post about being Hard to find Neutral, easy as it can be, no jerking at slow speeds and If i run the rpms up to around 2100 sitting still in neutral the only real rattling i think I hear is the the durn shifter where it is a little loose in its cross shaft bushing and transmission shifts like a dream, Also did the other test you recommended by dropping if first hold brake and releasing clutch till the shocks start too compress with no noise.
You have made me feel a little more comfortable but I will still have it looked at when it goes to service shop real soon and let them pull cover and take a look and see, It might still be on the way to failing but right now I dont think its very bad yet. We will see and again Thank you Very very much.
Jeff Myers
First I think My Battery is in Good shape, I do run a trickle charger and Ive noticed when I plug it in it will flash green for a few minutes and then go solid green which should indicate that the charger is really not having to charge it.
My 103 is factory stock with factory tune but it doesnt start as easy as I think It should but this might be just me, The bike I came off of was a 08 96 C.i. Fuel injected Softail and a click of the starter was all it ever need to start even with 22000 miles on it. This engine will not start like that and every now and then like I said the starter will drop out and clunk. I rode about three hours today stop and starting and running in traffic shutting it down and restarting all much as possible and I dont remember hearing the knock maybe about one time during all of this, also tested some of the things ive read from others post about being Hard to find Neutral, easy as it can be, no jerking at slow speeds and If i run the rpms up to around 2100 sitting still in neutral the only real rattling i think I hear is the the durn shifter where it is a little loose in its cross shaft bushing and transmission shifts like a dream, Also did the other test you recommended by dropping if first hold brake and releasing clutch till the shocks start too compress with no noise.
You have made me feel a little more comfortable but I will still have it looked at when it goes to service shop real soon and let them pull cover and take a look and see, It might still be on the way to failing but right now I dont think its very bad yet. We will see and again Thank you Very very much.
Jeff Myers
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1st Gear
Joined: Dec 2016
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From: Mississippi
Hello Dcccycleworks, Thank you for your reply and Yes thats what it turned out to be, Bad Compensator as you said. Since i posted this a weeks ago the bike has been to a Great shop not a Dealer but a better and Greater shop and bike has had a complete 25000 mile check up and a Evolution industries compensator eliminator sprocket replace into the primary drive line so no more compensator problems for me im told and Wow can you tell the difference, Starts right up, Engine so quite and quicker response at the throttle. I highly recommend if your having this problem then eliminate the problem and get on to more riding. Lol
Thanks for you men leading me in the right direction, it was much appreicated.
Thanks for you men leading me in the right direction, it was much appreicated.
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Joined: Aug 2016
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From: Oregon
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 718
Likes: 152
From: Ozarks
Mine will clunk once in roughly 50 starts. It's an 07 I'm a little on the fence about running it with out a compensator but for the price if it gets worse I may have to try it out.
Iv'e heard the SE compensator is junk so that's out.
Iv'e heard the SE compensator is junk so that's out.
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Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Niagara, Ontario, Canada
Have the same noise in my 10 Ultra, had the primary taken off and had comp checked, it was ok, so until something fails, just have to chalk it up to a Harley noise ???
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