I bought a 2010 XL1200N in July. Gorgeous bike - love it! And I'd love it a lot more if I could actually ride it. In 1500 miles it's been in and out of the shop numberous times for a few different issues (the very first issue occurred at 120 miles). I've brought it back 3 times now for this latest issue and everybody at the dealership is stumped (it's been stuck there now for 2 weeks and they still have no idea).

After a cold start (and ONLY after a cold start) the bike misses when it idles. It'll be idling along just fine and then it just goes completely silent for a second and kicks back on. It doesn't stutter or stumble in any other way and the RPM otherwise stays consistent. The check engine light does not come on and the mechanic (who is the shop foreman) says it doesn't throw ANY codes.

Once the bike warms up after a minute or two, it runs, rides and idles perfectly. The bike is and has always been stock. My thousand mile check up was done at 995 (this problem started around 500 miles or so and I rode very VERY carefully during the break-in).

I'm not a mechanic, but here are my thoughts so far: Faulty engine temp. sensor? Faulty air temp sensor (does it have one?)? Or maybe an ECU glitch/bad factory programming. Keep in mind this seems to be a temperature sensitive issue and the bike runs great once it's warm.

So far the mechanic has checked the plugs and the grounds, and downloaded the lastest updates for the ECU - whatever that means. He's also replaced the fuel pump for an unrelated issue (fuel light kept coming on 2 miles after filling up).

When the foreman called the Harley tech line they told him that air cooled bikes have to run really really lean to get past the EPA. I call bulls**t. Maybe they do run lean, but being air cooled has NOTHING to do with it. They also said this type of runabilty issue is news to them. I don't have the tools or the skills to work on an EFI bike but it just drives me crazy to watch theses guys shrug their shoulders at me every weekend and feed me lines that they know aren't true. I think they're just hoping I'll get tired of waiting and go away.

Any ideas? ANY help at this point is appreciated - thanks!

 

My 48 has done the exact same thing it stops for one second and then resumes idle Like nothing happened. It has done this twice, I have almost 700 miles on mine but it hasn't done it in awhile now. My 48 however has a Ness airkit, Vance and Hines slipons and a fuel pack. I re entered all the settings and recalibrated the throttle position setting and so far so good.

 

For heaven's sake, I'm surprised the dealer did not tell you this is normal during warm-up, because it is. The choke is electronic and and while warming up, it is normal for that "hiccup". The colder is is, the more pronounced it is. I do notice that since installing my Thundermax w/autotune, thoough, it is not as pronounced. I'll know for sure tomorrow am as it will be about 30 degrees out.

 

100% right. It comes from inadequate warm-up. According to my mechanic, you absolutely must allow a stock EFI HD to warm up for at least five minutes prior to riding away. I don't go that long, but I start it, then put on my jacket, bucket, gloves, settle in, then back out to ride away. I figure it's been three minutes or more by that time, and I never had trouble with it once I started doing that. As mentioned, if you put a richer tuner on it, that will eliminate the problem as well.

 

sounds like the TPS is a little off.

 

It is, and has always been a cold-blooded engine. It sounds to me like there is no problem with your bike. My Nightster sometimes stalls after a minute or 2 after a cold start up, just gotta restart it and let it warm up a bit more. A stage 1 with a fuel management system might help some but will not elimenate the stalling or stuttering because the engine is still cold either way. The colder it is, the longer it takes to warm up. I would just ride it and don't worry about it.

 

If you don't mind me asking, what did you change exactly about the TPS? The 48 is a one wicked bike! I ALMOST bought one of those instead. Thanks for your help!

 

The OP says that it is stuttering right after a cold start at IDLE. He did not say it was occurring during riding. So the idea that it has to do with "inadequate warm-up" seems to have no bearing here. It sounds like it's doing it DURING warm-up.

Also, it can't be "normal" or the shop wouldn't be trying to figure out how to fix it. Also, I have on '07 Sporty and have never had anything like this happen. So if it was normal, then I should have noticed it myself. My bike fires up and idles smoothly (for a Harley) right off, no matter the temp.

 

I read the OP too quickly. My '07 FXD and '10 XL1200N both did it at idle or when riding until I put Stage 1 on them. The stealership insisted that it was just something EFI HD's do. I'm not a mechanic, so I'm just repeating what I was told.

 

Mine has had the "hickup" since new, never stalls but seems to miss one beat about two minutes after starting then continues just fine, many on here have experienced it and some have spent a lot of time at the dealer trying to sort it out with little luck.
With mine it comes and goes but has done it a lot less since I put the PCV on this spring.
Some have suggested that it's when the FI system goes from open loop to closed loop during warm up.
There have been many posts on this, try searching for hickup or stumble during warm up.