Scary engine noise

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Oct 30, 2019 | 01:09 PM

Mikey 1450

Thread Starter

Road Master

Joined: Oct 2006

Posts: 1,165

Likes: 33

From: Acworth

Scary engine noise

Greeting all, This is embarrassing for me but I wanted to share anyway. I have an carbureted 2004 Roadking showing just over 60k on the clock. It has geardrive cams, 2/1 exhaust , & different bars. Its stock beyond that. For the last 3 k miles I have been hearing a noise in all gears, only at a certain rpm that sounded like a deep engine problem. I changed oil, tried thicker oil, no change. The engine runs great, uses no oil and I never see any serious metal when I drain my oil... .So, I rode it to Octoberfest (1200 miles round trip for me) and had no problems, but this noise continued. I started thinking well, maybe its time to tear it down, check the crank and rod bearings. We ran into a little rain coming home so the bike got dirty so after I arrived home I washed it. I always use my leaf blower to blow off the excess water and then always run it to remove and water around the engine and that's when I discovered the source of the noise. As I said in the beginning, embarrassing- the noise was cause by...…. my windshield bag vibrating against the windshield. This windshield bag has been on the bikes its entire life and has just now started this. I'm so grateful to find this as the problem. So, if you have an old Roadking that starts making a slight knocking noise, check that windshield bag.

Oct 30, 2019 | 01:20 PM

Pix

Road Master

Joined: Sep 2012

Posts: 974

Likes: 328

From: Midwest

Ha, an old bag behind the windshield you say!

Oct 30, 2019 | 01:29 PM

RK_Classic

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Dec 2005

Posts: 6,123

Likes: 6,611

From: Stafford VA

This is funny as mine did the same thing, while your poking around look at your front motor mount, that could be the culprit for the extra vibration.

rk classic.

Oct 31, 2019 | 12:19 AM

JKeeping1

Intermediate

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 34

Likes: 3

From: Vancouver Washington

I had an experience like this... After a fuel stop I got back on the Highway and I suddenly developed a very loud Humming Vibration on my Ultra in the center of my windshield where it meets the fairing , It sounded like a Thousand Bees all trying to get out of the fairing at the same time . As we were cruising down the road I could not figure out what it was , Until my girlfriend asked me to get her " Box of Tic Tacs " out of the center windshield bag that she had bought at the Gas station ! No more Noise after that . Sheeesh !

Oct 31, 2019 | 08:15 AM

MegaJohn

Cruiser

Joined: May 2018

Posts: 161

Likes: 30

From: NW Georgia

I've experienced something similar on my 2009 Electra Glide UC... I have a garage door opener attached to the fairing with velcro-tape just below the windshield on the right side. For a few weeks last year I heard some sort of clicking/rattling noise... feared it was the engine, but turned out the plastic housing of the opener was vibrating against the inside of the fairing. Relieved.

Ride Safely!
John.