Hi all

So today while going to school, and coming back. my Harley died, both times.
There is a stretch of freeway, and I was going 100+ each time it died. and what happened was it sputtered as I gave it some throttle, and then died.
Both times it sputtered intermittently before it died too. as if it was all leading up to turning off.

I put the 4 ways on but both times, but before I was fully stopped I managed to get it started again. the second time it took a few more tries to get it to start.

The first time it happened, I checked the oil when I got to school, and it was filled with micro bubbles. I dont know if this has anything to do with anything.

I'm very new to working on my harley, as its my first bike ever. I have read a whole bunch already on this, and it seems like it could be anything from a dirty carb, to jets not being tuned properly, to bad fuel, to battery cables. If there are any other potential reasons, please let me know!

It is a recent problem, and I always put premium in it, but this past time i didnt go to the same gas station as normal, So I already filled it up with a new tank of what I normally use.

Is it possible to check how dirty the carb is without taking it off/apart?

How about tuning the jets? How difficult would that be?
I tentatively plan to take the carb apart this winter, I am very weary of the whole process, as i dont want to screw anything up. I am pretty technically minded though, and like to take things apart. So i dont know if that would make it a breeze or not.

 

You are in Canada, so 100 plus means something around 60-65mph....It could be a lot of things.

First, make sure that your electrical connections are good to go. Check the connections at the battery, ground, plugs, and coils. Make sure they are clean, tight, and free from oxidization.

Once you rule that out, I would replace your fuel filter (its ten years old now) and see if that fixes the issue.

If not, I would look at the carb...carbs are a real science all their own, so you will either need to *really* learn how to rebuild a carb, or have a good shop rebuild yours for you.

 

Okay sounds good.
What if there is no fuel filter in the fuel system? It looks to go straight into the carb.

 

There is always a fuel filter somewhere....its possible that it could be IN the tank...I'm not to up to date on the carbed sporties.

First thigns first: Get a service manual for your bike. Its going to take about 80% of the guesswork out of all of this.

 

I do have the service manual actually, but I don't know where to begin with it all.
It does show me a Gasoline strainer.. would this be the closest thing to a fuel filter?

 

I just had the same problem I was told to simply switch it to reserve it worked had no problem for about 200 miles worth of driving. I am waiting for a new high flow petcock. I cleaned out my old one and it didn't fix the problem but ti still worked on reserve.
HTH
Barry In MO.

 

Yes, the screen on your petcock is the only fuel filter you have on your bike, unless the previous owner installed an inline filter. In order to clean that screen, you'll need to drain the tank and then remove the petcock. As you and Parabellum stated, you'll need to start with the small stuff and start ruling things out-i.e.-electrical connections, vacuum leaks, etc.

 

I doubt its your carb, but it never hurts to clean it out. I dont believe there is any way to check if they are dirty (other than performance issues) without taking the carb off. The jets are basically small screws with holes that go into the bowl of the carb. You have to pull em out and hold them up to a light to see how dirty they are. Trust me, its not all that difficult to do. I actually just cleaned mine yesterday using the service manual and youtube videos. Just keep track of where everything goes and what setting your fuel mixture screw was on (how many turns from being seated).

Great video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exa467_eoXw

 

Right on, Thanks for the advice! That is a great video! it really eases my disposition about doing it.

How would I got about checking for vacuum leaks?
Would there be something in the service manual?

I'm going to take a look at all the electrical tonight
Would there maybe be anything else I might want to look at other than what was mentioned in the first reply?
(Check the connections at the battery, ground, plugs, and coils.)
Any hints or tips for checking these? the only thing I'm familiar with the battery connections and ground. I've looked at the spark plugs, last year when I got it.. should I check them again? and then just look on the inside of the spark plug cable? and follow it back to the coils?

 

Yeah i would definitely pull the plugs and probably replace them for good measure. They are pretty inexpensive and can make a world of difference in how your bike runs. I dont know much about electrical issues as i havent delved into that part of the service manual yet. When you pull the carb to clean it, also clean the air filter and adjust your throttle/idle cable. If that doesnt do the trick, then I have no idea. Best of luck, feel free to PM me if you have any questions when/if you clean the carb