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I have a 2004 Road King (EFI)Shriners edition. that I bought in July ‘21 w/ 30k miles.
I had a previous post that my bike was hesitating and almost stalling in first gear only, upon take off.
The more I think about it, I believe a previous owner put in new cams. This bike sounds incredible and runs like a raped ape. But, this exhaust looks stock and the air cleaner does not look like stage 2. I’m wondering if this bad combination of performance cams w/ stock exhaust/air cleaner is the root of my anguish.
I can not tell by the photo, but what I would do is take vin number to the dealer and see what work may have been done, hopefully, if he changed out the cam he also did upgrade to cam plate, oil pump, and cam tensioner with 30k on it I would not hesitate to have this done NOW !!
Ill agree, with 30k on the clock those tensioners could well be shot. Pull the cam cover and put eyes on the cams. Its not difficult and youll know for sure what youve got.
Looks like a stock exhaust , how about a pic of the air cleaner ? If it has an enclosed hard shell case , then I'm guessing it's stock as well , some stage 2 backing plates can accommodate the stock " football " , but will be open in the backside .
Did you try cleaning your iac , could also be your fuel filter , 25 - 30 k , it's time to change it . Usually , when changing the fuel filter , always a good idea to change the fuel hoses and fuel pressure regulator as well .
First thing is clean that IAC. It’s very easy to do and not all that involved. Next check for cracked hoses as mentioned. That exhaust looks stock - but it’s tough to tell really from the pictures.
Next up, inspect those cam chain tensioners. Pull that cover and you’ll be able to tell immediately about the condition of at least the outer tensioner. If they are worn - it’s the next project before anything else.
Just my take but either way, please keep us posted. Good luck 🍀.
If you had cams installed, and he kept the stock exhaust and intake, if he had it tuned properly it will still run well, maybe a tad better than OEM. However, he would be leaving power on the table, and the cams won't perform their best...
For a bike that when purchased, " sounds incredible and runs like a raped ape" but has suddenly developed a problem, "bike was hesitating and almost stalling in first gear only, upon take off", I suspect it's not a tune or cam issue, but one of the several suggestions you have been given...
As also suggested, at 30K miles plus 18 years of service, you are overdo to inspect and/or update the cam tensioners. if they haven't already been done... If one of those cam tensioners breaks up, you could be in for a complete tear down, including splitting the cases, to make the engine right again... This is certainly a case of it's not as much the odds of them breaking up (but at 30K you are pushing those odds) but rather what's at stake if they do break up...
Good luck with the diagnosis, repair, the cam tensioner inspection, and enjoy the new ride....!!
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