I'm new to bikes in general and today was my first ride on my new '74 FLH. A shop did $4k worth of work on it, including top end rebuild, wiring, hoses, brakes, carb work, you name it. ,and I'm wondering if you can tell me what is normal and what is not about my first ride observations today:





The bike generally wants it to be getting some gas at all times when I'm at slower engine speeds in each gear. Even if I am doing 20mph in second or 3rd gear, it has been dying if I come off the throttle for two long. Maybe I should definitely be in second and not third and it is lugging? I have the stock hidden internal cables from the factory, and I'm told that they never return the throttle to zero themselves. The bike also won't sit and idle without that throttle being turned a bit to keep feeding fuel to the carb when it is sitting in neutral in a driveway. Seems unusual to me.

I seemed to get more pops after an hour ride, and again, the bike stalled on me at low speed. Maybe I was in third gear - Would it stall because I should have been in second gear at that low speed? It seems to happen when I am approaching a stop or a turn most, but I swear that i have the clutch in, I'm gearing down, and why would I be giving gas at that point, unless this engine also needs some gas to it. If it was a usual issue of not using the clutch well in first gear like anyone new to driving something with a manual trans, I'd understand that sort of stalling for sure. But this??

Also - Is the tail light to light up fully when using the front brake? Mine doesn't. Only works when using the back brake. After another stall, the guy passing me in his truck at the stop sign also enjoyed telling me my tail light never came on at all. That was embarrassing. Any other bike I have had had an almost useless front brake, and this bike is the totally opposite. IS that normal? I have new pads and new GMC caliper in the front.

Thanks for any help. It wasn't a pleasant ride, overall, and I hope to feel better about the thing. Hopefully these are just 'getting used to a 50 year old machine' issues.

Cheers,

Gribbs

 

Soon you'll get expert advice, but right off the bat, is your idle speed way too low?

As far as the brake light, yes it should come on with either brake. IDK if your bike has a miniature switch on the brake handle, or a pressure switch in the line, but it's a simple electrical circuit. Power to the switch, it closes the circuit, power to the light and ground (that is good if the light goes on with the back brake). Can you operate a volt meter (no offense, we get all levels of skill here)?

Nice old bike, it'll be better as you get the little things worked out.

 

Gribbs,

I recommend you create a signature that gives more detail about your 74 FLH. What carb you have, any other modifications? As your bike just got out of the shop why not take it back to them and have them address the issues?

Best of luck!

 

Start by checking idle speed with a tachometer. Slowing down the idle speed way below recommended was/is very common on shovels because it "sounds cool"

 

Good idea on the signature. I think the bike is pretty stock mechanically. Thanks for your time guys. It was 4pm on our holiday weekend and I had just stalled the bike and barely rolled it into my driveway, with traffic on my *** (live on a four lane street). So I wasn't going back out at rush hour to the shop. Really, I don't want to say something is wrong, when I have know idea if it is just poor riding, possibly, on the first day I get the bike. I had 2000s triumphs in the past and never had these issues, though, with idle and riding and shifting. The guys at the shop have been great, so I'm sure they will fix whatever might be wrong without more charges, but i wanna be sure it is wrong, first. IF I can fix it myself, even better.

I can't see why idle speed would be too low when they just gave me the bike and said they were riding it a bunch themselves, but I can try some turns on the idle speed when I learn whichscrew is idle speed and which is mixture. I've played with carbs before just a bit. I assume the carb is stock for the bike, but who knows. The bike is numbers matching and sat for a long time before it was worked on. Everything I had that was old (cars/trucks and a bike before this) had carb tuning needs, but I guess that's par for the course. I've always paid for work done, but want to learn more and stop that as much as possible.

I'll get pics of the carb on Sunday. You guys are giving me more confidence, so cheers to that. Ya, I can use a volt meter, but barely. I've used a volt meter twice. I don't usually know which setting to have the dial on to start, though.

 

With all the electrics inside the sitch boxes and the handle bars, it could be tricky to work out the light issue, but I can try before I get the shop to just fix that outright. At least you have told me it is Wrong now - That's what I really needed.

 

Classic bad intake leak symptom and maybe the mechanical advance is suspect. I'd also take that add on gas filter out out and run direct to the carb, you have a filter on the petcock already. And as has been mentioned may set the idle up just a hair so when you twist the throttle off it doesn't kill it.

Front brake light switches in those early controls were known for going out and are a bit touchy when you replace them. Be careful if you do to not overheat things when soldering the wires, that's what weakens the plastic.

 

I think I have a small electric tach from when i had a CB750 that I made into a cafe back in 2008. Would that work, or do I need a cable driven one??

Gotta admit, I only bought this bike because of the nacelle, and it was close to home, and cheap. Now the learning begins. Backwards from how I'd usually do it...

 

I love aftermarket handlebars and that was the plan, but they talked me into keeping these. Obviously it is a nice and clean look to have everything hidden, but I'm not adverse to changing up the bars, grips...the old switches I like, but not if they are causing electrical issues. All signals currently work, and the other functions all work.

 

the shop you went to must help with the issues you have - a low idle is a very simple fix for a shop guy just ride it over and have him show you how - and contrary to what was said about a low idle sound cool it will also not give you enough oil pressure at a stop light - proper idle speed will be the right thing

the poping is sort of normal thing for some of the older carbs - but twist is right the intake seals are suspect and the ignition advance unit is also suspect with any running issues

have that guy tell you it they have been changed