Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Ping when accelerating

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 3, 2025 | 12:07 PM
  #1  
cromagnon's Avatar
cromagnon
Thread Starter
|
Grand HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,067
Likes: 60
From: Chesterfield, VA
Default Ping when accelerating

My 2021 Road glide Limited had a distinct ping when accelerating in hot weather. This is not due to lugging as it occurred in the high RPM ranges. After taking it in the shop multiple times, they told me they had found a crack in the plastic intake. I had them swap it with an S&S metallic intake and that “seemed” to fix problem. It still did it in extreme heat.
Now it appears to do it again at any temperature and even in the lower gears, especially when two up. I thought about pulling the intake off and checking it but I do have the ESP on it so I think they ought to fix it.
Anybody seen this issue?
 
Reply
Old Mar 3, 2025 | 12:31 PM
  #2  
hattitude's Avatar
hattitude
Seasoned HDF Member
15 Year Member
Community Builder
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 10
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,253
Likes: 11,374
From: San Diego, CA
Default

Originally Posted by cromagnon

My 2021 Road glide Limited had a distinct ping when accelerating in hot weather. This is not due to lugging as it occurred in the high RPM ranges. After taking it in the shop multiple times, they told me they had found a crack in the plastic intake. I had them swap it with an S&S metallic intake and that “seemed” to fix problem. It still did it in extreme heat.

Now it appears to do it again at any temperature and even in the lower gears, especially when two up. I thought about pulling the intake off and checking it but I do have the ESP on it so I think they ought to fix it.

Anybody seen this issue?

Engines can be overloaded at higher rpms, as well as lower rpms... heat will increase the tendency of an engine to ping.

Lugging has the reputation of being a slow speed event. The truth is, that engines will ping when "overloaded". That is based on the sum of the conditions it is being operated in, not just rpm dependent. For example; uphill, 2-up, hot weather, loaded for a trip, will require much more frequent downshifting and at higher rpms, than if riding solo, cool weather, very little gear, on flat, curvy roads...

Based on your description, it sounds like you need to downshift more when accelerating.....

As for another intake leak... that is easy enough to check, but I doubt that is causing your issue, well the main cause anyways...
 
Reply
Old Mar 3, 2025 | 01:05 PM
  #3  
Hoyt 1911A1's Avatar
Hoyt 1911A1
Grand HDF Member
5 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 3,935
Likes: 1,050
From: Southern Virginia
Default

Hey Cro does it seem like spark knock? If so as a test maybe try some octane booster. If that helps then maybe dialing back your timing advance in the RPM and throttle range you hear it in may help.

I had to go round and round with a similar situation after I got the SE 447 cam installed in my 23 Ultra Limited. In my case it was usually between 2000 and 3000 rpm, so maybe it ain't timing related on your bike, but I thought I'd pass this info along just in case.
 
Reply
Old Mar 3, 2025 | 02:31 PM
  #4  
Scrmnvtwins's Avatar
Scrmnvtwins
Stellar HDF Member
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,664
Likes: 184
From: Indiana, USA
Default

Assuming you are not running a tuner having ignition timing advanced too much, Ping is specifically pre ignition of the air fuel mixture before the ignition spark event. Reasons include lean air fuel ratio, high compression ratio with low octane fuel or simply low octane fuel or high intake temperature resulting in high fuel temperature pre igniting during the compression stroke. If you don't have a tuner on it.... maybe adding some fuel will compensate for the lean AFR and resulting pre ignition.
 
Reply
Old Mar 3, 2025 | 03:18 PM
  #5  
MRFREEZE57's Avatar
MRFREEZE57
Seasoned HDF Member
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 5,495
Likes: 6,387
From: pacific northwest
Default

My 21 RGL will ping if I go hard on the throttle in the higher gears, you just have to shift down in those conditions.
 
Reply
Old Mar 3, 2025 | 03:38 PM
  #6  
TriGeezer's Avatar
TriGeezer
Seasoned HDF Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 32,934
Likes: 36,033
From: Carlsbad, CA
Default

Make sure you are using at least 91 octane. More is better.
 
Reply
Old Mar 3, 2025 | 09:07 PM
  #7  
cobra23's Avatar
cobra23
Road Master
10 Year Member
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,058
Likes: 953
From: Sarasota Florida
Default

I always use 93 Shell and ride hard. I have never had pinging in any gear. Possible causes:

Low octane gas
Poor tune
 
Reply
Old Mar 3, 2025 | 09:28 PM
  #8  
gonemad's Avatar
gonemad
Seasoned HDF Member
5 Year Member
Top Answer: 3
Top Answer: 5
Top Answer: 10
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 8,211
Likes: 9,662
From: central NC
Default

I’ve owned three M-8’s. 45,000 between the three. Not a ton, but enough to be familiar.

I consider it be a characteristic, only if ever so briefly.
 
Reply
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

10 Most Awkward-Looking Motorcycles Ever Built

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-8

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Mar 4, 2025 | 05:55 AM
  #9  
jake24lt's Avatar
jake24lt
Stellar HDF Member
5 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,703
Likes: 2,103
From: Massachusetts
Default

Do you ride it like a little ole lady? Not to be funny ,but a carboned up motor will have this issue as well. Taking it out on the highway and wringing it out once an while helps with that.
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2025 | 06:51 AM
  #10  
Sethc1020's Avatar
Sethc1020
Tourer
5 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 437
Likes: 107
From: Indiana
Default

I have a 2012 Road Glide Ultra with the 103 and have delt with the same thing for years and still cant find an answer. I've used different tunes, always use 93 octane with no ethanol ect. It only does it after the motor has warmed up and getting a good throttle pull, does it in all RPM ranges as well. I've learned to live with it and be a little less aggressive on the throttle.
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:24 PM.

story-0
10 Most Awkward-Looking Motorcycles Ever Built

Slideshow: Not every motorcycle can be a design icon, and these machines prove that bold styling doesn't always age gracefully.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-18 10:29:31


VIEW MORE
story-1
Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-10 17:18:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 18:28:05


VIEW MORE
story-3
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

Slideshow: From military-inspired singles to scooters and three-wheel utility vehicles, these Harleys took the company far outside its comfort zone.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-02 18:34:10


VIEW MORE
story-4
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-5
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-8
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-9
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE