I'm gonna tell you what Harley's spces are right now. Open your owners manual to page 169.
Read the four paragraphs under the title "hydraulic lifters"
Post back and let me know what you think of that bullshit!

 

Yeah, the main thing i've learned about my Harley ownership experience is based on any issue i've had. "That is normal", or "turn up the radio".

I could ride in with smoke billowing out the back and parts falling off and the tech would say, "no worry, that is normal".




My bike had the normal mild clicks here and there, almost a valve train buzz. But now after a cam/pushrod and PCV upgrade it has a noticeable click/clack at 2000-2400 rpm, that peaks at those rpms but also ticks in between, completely gone 50 rpm under 2000 not noticeable over 2500. People riding next to me are like, "is your bike alright?" I have checked and readjusted the push rods three times. The hundreds of car engines i've built were quiet as can be.

Can't be "normal".


I'll try the Black ops lifters and see if that cures it, then post back here with results.

 

I just purchased a 2012 EGUC on Monday and just came from the dealer after taking it for them to diagnose the same issue, a noticable "ticking" around 2500 rpm. The bike has 220 miles on it and it has been broke in to this point perfectly in line with factory specifications - nothing above 3500 rpm and not staying at any one rpm for extended periods of time. The tech at the dealership with over 25 years of experience told me it was just fine and to ride it. Nothing to worry about.

Me being a first time Harley owner and previously owning metric bikes that make little if any noise, I was/am slightly concerned. I'd like to know if it's "normal" but at this point all I can do is take the mechanics word for it. By the sounds of it after reading this thread it's valve train noise. Has anyone else with a 2012 model experienced it? I noticed most of the posters so far have 2 or 3 year old machines. Just wondering.

 

Would be glad to hear follow up on this as I too just got 103 Road King and at about 200 miles started real bad lifter noise...Dealer is also saying thats normal...only this is sixth new Harley and none made that loud of noise its only one making noise..dealer finally going to make repair once they find source..

 

You are sitting on the engine. Most metrics have shrouding to mask engine noises.

 

If it ticks like a Singer sewing machine in action, it's just fine. If it clatters off cadence it may be a lifter going bad.
I had a lifter fail in my 09 Ultra about 400K'S after a cam set install and it was clattering noisely. Only 1 was failing but I changed all four to Woods Directionals installed as per Woods instructions set to 0.125.

Pricey, but now sounds like a running sewing machine again.

EDIT: That lifter failure was 4,000 k's after cam set install, not 400.

 

My Indy did my 5K service and I had mobil1 20-50 Vtwin in it, he changed oil and filter and used Amsoil vtwin 20-50.
I have 4,800 miles on my RK now, and today noticed lifter noise at 62-65 not at 60 though in 5th and in 6th at 72 not 70, I think maybe the Amsoil does not quiet the same as M1 does, and I do have the SE255 cams. I never heard the bike factory with stock cams, and pipes- rolled out from the dealer with pipes and cams installed.
Despite the lifter noise, the RK runs well and seems to enjoy 80 in 6th LOL

Cheers, ride safe.

 

No matter what anyone thinks if the lifters are banging on the pushrods because they are not pumping up then there is a problem.

I have listened to other 103 motors and that doesn't happen.

I have a 2012 Heritage Softail and have complained about it since I first bought it. Two letters are now in the service department's hands on this issue. Going out and purchasing loud exhaust so that you don't here is a cop out.

I purchased the very same bike I demoed and it did not have the noise with the hyrdaulics banging in the lower end. It is not in the valve train it is in the lower end right where they sit.

To top that off the master cylinder is being replaced and when I took it in for that to be repaired the rear brakes completely went out while backing down my drive way.

I am sorry but for $18K I expect a better response for dealing with this problem than trying to convince me that it is no problem. If the hydraulic lifters do not function properly you may not have problems now but I can assure you it isn't doing the motor any favors.

So if there is a problem with the motor after the 2 year warranty I can assure you it is documented that it was and issue that was ignored.

All of you document you problems!

I don't expect any HD motorcycle to be perfect but for Gods sake if it isn't right it should be fixed. The customer should not be treated like were idiots when asking it to be fixed. Any other automotive industry backs up warranties and makes things right Harley Davidson should not be any different.

Just saying!
Mike

 

Does it sound like it comes from one valve line (e.g. rear exhaust) or all of them? I've known some that make quite a bit of noise, some that are remarkably quiet, and lots in between. I think this is just the course of manufacturing tolerances. Mine is one of those quiet ones, I think, as even with the 255 cams I rarely hear any valve-train noise at all. A friend with a 95" EGC with mild Black Widow cams rattles like a sack of marbles, but he's had no top-end problems in 70k miles. It was noisy before his cam upgrade, too.

I've heard other reports of increased noise after a 103 upgrade, but I'll be damned if I can figure out a reason for that to happen with everything else being constant.

 

I read once on these forums a few years ago that a potential cure for the valve train noise on twin cams was to shim the rocker shafts with Shovelhead rocker shims. The advice was to go to the low end of the tolerances with the shims and that seemed to solve top end noise. Where you hear it from outside the engine is not always indicative of where the noise source is from as sound travels through pushrods or other parts.