Trust in your ride??
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 978
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RE: Trust in your ride??
Look at your fuel filter(s).....most overlooked and easily addressed issue on any scoot with miles on it!
Bad gas can be a cause too (I picked up "slop gas" (part diesel because of some SOB tanker driver dumping his crap) and had to do a roadside fix (washed the float bowl with coca cola and water and got gas from a passing RV who stopped).
Fuel filter issue or bad gas....think about that before going to nutso on the deal.
Prolly "ain't no thang", Brudduhman!
Bad gas can be a cause too (I picked up "slop gas" (part diesel because of some SOB tanker driver dumping his crap) and had to do a roadside fix (washed the float bowl with coca cola and water and got gas from a passing RV who stopped).
Fuel filter issue or bad gas....think about that before going to nutso on the deal.
Prolly "ain't no thang", Brudduhman!
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,801
Likes: 13
RE: Trust in your ride??
Fogot about one..last week...all four fairing brackets were broke!!
Actually liked it better with broke brackets. Mirrors didnt vibrate at all, and I had no buffetting issues!! With the vertical brackets broken, the fairing was tilted back maybe 1/4 inch, so the airflow was changed slightly.. I may go in the fairing, and put some rubber washers between the bracket and the fairing to absorb some of the road vibrations
Actually liked it better with broke brackets. Mirrors didnt vibrate at all, and I had no buffetting issues!! With the vertical brackets broken, the fairing was tilted back maybe 1/4 inch, so the airflow was changed slightly.. I may go in the fairing, and put some rubber washers between the bracket and the fairing to absorb some of the road vibrations
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 503
Likes: 1
From: AZ
RE: Trust in your ride??
Copy your message over to the tech forum and get in touch with Shovelhead Bob.
BTW, I have an 04 Impala and think it's the best car I've ever had at 90K on the clock.
My 99 Ultra I bought used and have put over 28,000 miles on it myself after 5K on a new overhaul, I just did 3,450 miles to Sturgis and back, have made several trips to California from Phoenix and when we do a day ride it is almost never shorter than 450 miles. I have an issue with it burning up the start relay every 10k miles or so, it's under the fairing and I can change that thing out on the side of the rode now in about 15 minutes tops
, now I just change it every 10K because. Anyway, I trust it anywhere.Knock on wood 
I do think you and I should probably have the 50K maintance thing done though at this point.
You may want to check/replace your relays, they are a known problem, they mimic the same symptons you mention. They can act like a circuit breaker, get hot and quit, no power at all, cool off and everything is fine. It took me awhile to find that, but in doing so I did find several loose grounds which will also exhibit the same issues/symtons you mention.
Regards, Mike
BTW, I have an 04 Impala and think it's the best car I've ever had at 90K on the clock.
My 99 Ultra I bought used and have put over 28,000 miles on it myself after 5K on a new overhaul, I just did 3,450 miles to Sturgis and back, have made several trips to California from Phoenix and when we do a day ride it is almost never shorter than 450 miles. I have an issue with it burning up the start relay every 10k miles or so, it's under the fairing and I can change that thing out on the side of the rode now in about 15 minutes tops
, now I just change it every 10K because. Anyway, I trust it anywhere.Knock on wood I do think you and I should probably have the 50K maintance thing done though at this point. You may want to check/replace your relays, they are a known problem, they mimic the same symptons you mention. They can act like a circuit breaker, get hot and quit, no power at all, cool off and everything is fine. It took me awhile to find that, but in doing so I did find several loose grounds which will also exhibit the same issues/symtons you mention.
Regards, Mike
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 319
Likes: 0
RE: Trust in your ride??
thats an idea, anybody off hand know how many relays to replace and about how much?
Oh, and the crack about 99-01 being problem children, thats uncalled for I've got 15,000 unmollested miles. Only problem has been a fuel line breaking last month, towed to indie for fix.
Now my VW Passat should be painted yellow with a stem out the top. Cost 25,000 new in 1999, it'sa cost me 12,000 to keep it running... I knoiw, but the women likes it, what the women likes, she gets...
Oh, and the crack about 99-01 being problem children, thats uncalled for
I've got 15,000 unmollested miles. Only problem has been a fuel line breaking last month, towed to indie for fix.Now my VW Passat should be painted yellow with a stem out the top. Cost 25,000 new in 1999, it'sa cost me 12,000 to keep it running... I knoiw, but the women likes it, what the women likes, she gets...
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 503
Likes: 1
From: AZ
RE: Trust in your ride??
Trust me when I tell you my bike acted just like yours and it was relays. Your ECM in most cases either works or it does not. It is solid state, nothing in there that can be intermitant. There are other issues that can cause your problem though as mentioned above, a loose ground will drive you nutsand a few others.
There are 4 large relays under the seat, on my model there is also one under the fairing on the left side by the speaker. On the newer bikes there are 3 or 4 smaller relays behind the side cover I believe on the left side. They cost about$9 a piece from Harley, about half that at aparts store. I replaced everyone of them, but really you probably only need to do the start relay, all power goes there first. If you want, you can swap them around with the tail light and blinker relays, they are exactly the same. Try that first, it's free. The start relay is the first one to the left.
On some models the hot wire to the ignition circuit from the relay needed to be replaced.
There are 4 large relays under the seat, on my model there is also one under the fairing on the left side by the speaker. On the newer bikes there are 3 or 4 smaller relays behind the side cover I believe on the left side. They cost about$9 a piece from Harley, about half that at aparts store. I replaced everyone of them, but really you probably only need to do the start relay, all power goes there first. If you want, you can swap them around with the tail light and blinker relays, they are exactly the same. Try that first, it's free. The start relay is the first one to the left.
On some models the hot wire to the ignition circuit from the relay needed to be replaced.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 238
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RE: Trust in your ride??
Ive often wondered the same thing. This is my first Harley, and Ive heard so many stories like" you better carry tools etc"..... Mine had 17,000 when I bought it, and I have put 6000 more on it, however I had the camshaft bearing failure, and the low oil pressure issue, both of which have been fixed. It does have a bit of decel popping and occasionally when I blip the throttle, it hiccups (didnt think an EFI would do that), and I must admit, Im a little leary of traveling with it. I am making a 300 mile one way trip this weekend, and Im crossing my fingers.You can get a lemon with anything I know, but it does aggravate me to think, this is my "fun thing" and it might give me trouble...
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 9,335
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From: MA
RE: Trust in your ride??
I have 100% trust in my ride. I ride my bike 130 miles roundtrip to work everyday and never worry that it will let me down. I do 200-300 mile rides on the weekends and never worry that it will let me down. 