Coming back from Leesburg Bikefest yesterday my 2003 road king classic started making a wierd noise. It's hard to describe but it's a rapid light tapping that is more like a flutterring sound. Itoccurs at higher RPMs, like after 75mph in 5th gear but I can do it in any gear as long as the RPMs are up there. (Dont have a tach so I can't tell you how high)

I put synthetic in a couple of weeks ago with the 5 micron Harley Filter, not sure it's related to that at all. I'm also at my 10,000 mile tune up after buying the bike used a couple of months ago, so I'm not sure of the previous history of the bike.

Any ideas guys, not that confident that my dealer will figure it out?

 

prolly a heat sheild banging away. I had one and it drove me nuts. Take a small block of wood with you, find a nice open area like a deserted parking lot, and drive around at the engine speed that makes the most noise and press the wood on all the heat sheilds. If the noise goes away, you found the right one.

Tim

 

Cowracer I hope it's that simple. But it sounds like it's coming from the engine, like a valve or something.

 

Twincam 88s are noisey valve train motors. Did you put 4 qts of oil in when you changed it?

 

I had a tapping in my 05 RK over the winter, pulled the rocker covers off and found a rocker support plate broken, swapped it out for 130.00 and 1 hour of labor. good as new.

 

FYI, my heatsheild problem sounded exactly like a broken wrist pin at certain RPM's. Scared the Bejezzus out of me as I was about 570 miles from home.

MyTC88 still sounds like I put gravel in the oil. Runs strong, but way more clatter than I think should be. But it sounds exactly like the three other twinkies I have driven (07 EG Classic, 06 Sloptail Heratige and another 06 RK).

I guess a 1400+ CC pushrod, air cooled v-twin is just a noisy contraption by nature.

Tim

 

I know this has been said about a bazillion times on this forum, but if you ride with a windshield every noise the bikemakes sounds like its coming from the engine. Take the shield off and cruise it around a parking lot like Cowracer suggested. It might make pinpointing the noise a little easier.

 

The 88's definitely make a ot of noise. One of my heat shileds came loose too and I found the higher the RPM the more noise. Where around Leesburg are you? I am in Purcellville, maybe we can meet and I can tell you if it is the same as mine.

Buzz

 

Get a mechanics stethoscope and probe around the engine with it.
Will help determine the location.
But it does sound like a faulty valve.
Could be simple or not.
Bad lifter, pushrods, valve springs etc.

 

Well?? any update? did you find out what it was?