When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I want to check the compression on my bike, and I'm looking for the proper procedure to do this.
I'm guessing with an EFI bike, I should disconnect the fuel pump fuse, remove both plugs and ground them out, put the compression gauge into a sparkplug hole, and crank the motor over 4-5 times. Then repeat on the other cylinder.
Sounds dead on to me. Pull the fuse or take off the seat and unplug the fuel pump (that's what my manual says to do for my bike, YMMV), whichever is easiest for you.
Touching metal. Just make sure they are up against the heads, fins not against the black krinkle finish. I grounded my plugs out and cranked the motor over till i had oil pressure before firing up the motor on my recent cam swap. Wanted to make sure the new lifters were pumped up.
What I did to make this all easier was I made a cord with a push button on one end and a clamp and starter plug on the other. Put the clamp on the hot nut on top of the starter and the white plug into the starter solinoid socket. Now I spin the motor over with the power to the bike turned off. Plugs don't have to be grounded, fuel pump is not running, and headlight is not burning. Made it for less than 10.00. Just used it on a buddy's bike the other day while he was changing cams. Spun the motor over with the outer cam chain off to make sure the oil pump was pulling oil before he assembled the whole thing back up and find out later it's not. Been there done that.
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.
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.
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.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
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.