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So I bought this HD from a friend almost as a favor to him and ended up with a few problems bike. As I mentioned in my intro, I've been riding since 16, went through about 7 bikes but took a 15 year break (school/family etc) so I consider myself a somewhat seasoned rider and an average to amateur mechanic.
First thing first - there's 2 leaks very visible and they persist even after the bike has been seating for days.
There are other issues, that may not exactly be issues but basically differences from my last bike (Honda CBR 600 crotch rocket):
Clutch - very hard to squeeze - it's practically a pull on the lever than a squeeze - normal?
There's this weird shake when I first shift to 2nd, 3rd etc gears - there's a clear shake and hesitation, not coughing/hiccuping more like struggling - no difference if hot or cold.
Randomly, hot or cold, regardless of gear the engine misfires - roughly every 10 minutes or so if I'm cruising.
I'd appreciate any general thoughts or if anyone can point me to relevant forums.
Last edited by npn; Nov 30, 2022 at 12:39 PM.
Reason: clear up comments
Perhaps one of your leaks is from the gear shift shaft where it protrudes from the primary case: faulty seal. My '05 had a stiff clutch pull, so I installed an ez-pull kit. (can't recall the exact name). Speaking of stiff clutches, ever ride a British bike from the 60's or 70's? Those were stiff clutches! On the shaking issue you give conflicting symptoms on whether or not the engine is misfiring. If the bike older, a carb cleaning may be a good idea.
I was going to suggest checking the rubber motor mounts, but based on your 4 screw derby cover I think you have a solid mounted motor. What year is your bike?
i was going to suggest checking the rubber motor mounts, but based on your 4 screw derby cover i think you have a solid mounted motor. What year is your bike?
Okay, so a rigid mounted motor. Still, check for any loose/missing bolts. Does the bike shake while accelerating, decelerating, or between gear changes?
Your Sportster is now nineteen years old, how many times the engine covers have been disturbed through the years is anyone's guess.
Have you traced where the leaking oil is coming from? If they've occurred when the bike was over that cardboard, I'd say that it could be either the inner or outer primary case gaskets that are leaking.
As for the vibration, your Sportster is the last year of the rigidly mounted Sportsters, with the motor mounted directly to the frame, they do tend to shake a lot. You could try rerouting your clutch cable to give it a smoother run, that might make it feel lighter, it will never be as light as a Japanese clutch. I have owned Triumph T140 Bonneville's and a Laverda 1200, they had really heavy clutch action, I used to have a spare clutch cable zip tied to the one that I was using so that I was prepared for the cable to snap the top nipple off. I used to keep a spare throttle cable in the tail section of the Laverda because it snapped with regularity too.
As for the miss fire, you might be better cleaning out the carb, installing new spark plugs and checking out the ignition coil.
Have you traced where the leaking oil is coming from? If they've occurred when the bike was over that cardboard, I'd say that it could be either the inner or outer primary case gaskets that are leaking.
Before my friend got rid of the bike he was planning to repair it all and he had a mechanic diagnosing the leaks. This is what I was told:
- Stator Plug leak
- Oil Pressure Sensor leak
- Oil Drain Hose leak
- Shift Shaft Seal leak (this one is clearly visible)
I don't know how accurate that all is.
Originally Posted by Rob Roy's Revenge
As for the miss fire, you might be better cleaning out the carb, installing new spark plugs and checking out the ignition coil.
Spark plugs were allegedly replaced just a few months ago. I'll put this aside for now...
So question -- if I take more detailed pictures, would you guys be able to tell me more about the leaks?
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Leaks and Other Problems
