When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
...and the engine loves the 100 octane! Better throttle response, cooler running, and all round happier running bike with a pleasant sniff of race fuel.
Bob
Haven't noticed any noises under hard acceleration, but I have noticed an inconsistent sound in the primary area, when idling that sounds like a marble or steel ball jumping around. It's not bad or loud or regular or constant. Barely noticeable if you are not listening. Service writer at dealer says "oh yea, I can hear it" and goes and gets one of the main mechs. He says it's the primary chain tensioner and not to worry about it. Don't hear it above an idle. I have had several Harleys over the years and know that Harleys each have unique noises and understand that. This one is different. Thoughts anyone?
2017 RG Ultra 1200 miles.
I had the same issue on my 17 Road King. I was stressing over it. I only heard it at idle. I leaned down to listen while using the floor board as a handle. Noise went away. I felt really stupid that I was obsessing over my floorboard rattling.
I might have mentioned this before. THe shell station near the house is now offering 93 no corn gas.
Since starting to use that, pings have decreased. Im considering carrying octane boost for the times when I cant get the "good stuff".
Also back just back from Arkansas. Strange clanking after the bike sits over night .. during first start of the day.
and the electronics are hosed again .. might have gotten wet during the trip riding thorough heavy rain.
BOOM acting weird and the oil light is intermittently on again.
I really think people are hearing valve train noise, not pinging. A lot of people trying non scientific "remedies" which are subject to psychological bias.
Has anyone put a power vision on it and monitored for knock events?
That will give you a difinitive answer, no guessing or speculation
i get my premium top tier 93 octane in containers after i purge the hose in my pickup. read articles that said only a qt in a one hose system but i pump a gallon first before getting fuel for my bikes!!
over 12 K miles and never heard mine ping once that I can recall..pretty much 91 and 92 octane..have a really good Stage 1 tune and have had a few trips of 100 degree temps and high elevations..couldn't be happier with the way it runs
I did experience some pinging with my 17 Road Glide put 6000 miles on her and traded it back for a Electra Glide ultra Classic. No problems with the Ultra Classic it's actually much quieter and tranny is so much smoother. Plus i was losing tranny fluid to the primary on the Road Glide sor far not the case with my Ultra Classic.
Mine will ping if I grab a massive hand full of throttle at low RPM. Does it more on cheap gas.
There is something to be said about using higher octane gas; use it for max performance. The cheaper stuff will make the pistons go up and down, but the higher octane really makes the M8 sing...
I proved this to myself on my last trip. Took the Beartooth and Chief Joseph hwy running 89 octane and the bike was pretty boggy without power. Took the same route with 91 two days later... big difference. Who knew.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.