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.
How many times when you start your car or truck do you turn the key on and wait for the fuel pump to prime? I'm guessing never. Never made sense why folks are taught to do this on their bikes.
Literally every time I start my vehicles. It's just a built in practice. As things age, fuel pressure bleeds down.
Many, if not all, vehicles now prime the pump before even turning the ignition on. Had an 01 VW that ran the pump when you opened the drivers door, we have an 11 Explorer that does it as soon as the key touches the cylinder.
Well this is good to know. my bike i have no idea how old the battery is since i bought it used and it also has issues starting when hot. It doesnt backfire though, if you hit the start button say if i stop for gas ill hear a "Clunk" followed by nothing, then a cough from the engine and no start. Try it again and it starts up (but never as smooth as when its cold) the battery has problems holding a charge so thats a good idea ill try changing the battery. I just figured its the way harleys are sometimes.
I occasionally get the same thing with my 08 Road King. Many people have this happen and the easy work around is to NOT wait for the fuel pump to stop before hitting the starter, turn the switch, hit the starter. About 95% of the time I get a clean start dong that, every now and then, it acts the same way as waiting for the pump to stop. I pulled my air cleaner to look inside the intake after the pump ran and I see just a bit of fuel vapor. I suspect a slightly "weepy" fuel injector, but not bad enough to replace for the time being. This is for the hot start only since the cold starts are normal.
^^^THIS^^^^ This issue was magnified once I added cams. Now, no issue. Period. What is funny is sometimes I am so used to the bike starting in a second, I habitually release the starter switch too soon and it just fails to start. Then.... drum roll please.... I may get a minor backfire. This starting technique works when cold or hot.
I had this same issue on my 2008 SG for a while. Once I got a new battery never had this issue again... I thought to myself that it can't be the battery as I always have it on the tender. Wasn't until I replaced the battery I realized it was low on the cranks.
How many times when you start your car or truck do you turn the key on and wait for the fuel pump to prime? I'm guessing never. Never made sense why folks are taught to do this on their bikes.
My fat bob purchase (from the dealer) I was told to wait til you stop hearing the pump then fire it up, was told the same thing from the seller of my current bike. Clearly the moco has some kind of injector fired motor testing that had them come to this conclusion.......but as for the hot start, I fire it right up .
I have a 2009 Electra Glide with a similar problem, It kicks back when starting after a short stop for fuel or at the border crossing. My starter one-way clutch eventually got stripped.
Replaced starter one-way clutch with AllBalls clutch, tey claim it's 20% more torque capacity.
I had replaced original compensator with a SE compensator probably in 2012-2013 (cant remember for sure when) when i did a primary oil change and find metal shavings.
Few years back IN 2014 replaced the battery and that cured the problem for about 2-3 years. I keep the battery on the trickle charger during the winter, but noticed last year the kick-back problem came back.
I found that there are 1.6kW hi-torque starter available, just wondering if anyone have tried them?
There's a fix available from HD dealers where they will add compression release, but this is about 2500$, found a guy that does it for 300$ without taking the heads off. But still wondering
1. can i get a higher crancking amps battery
2. will a hi-torque starter cure the problem
I'm from the old days I use the ignition switch to shut down the bike, the dealers tell you to use the run/stop switch to shut down the engine, but have they told you to shut off the ignition to save your battery, if you don't, your headlight/s stay on. If you ever kill an AGM battery it's service life is severely degraded. a new battery may be in the works for you. Clean the connections real good when you install the new battery.
Called the place where i bought the battery last time, they gave me the part number, its YIX30L-BS.
This battery has 230 CCA.
I found i can get different batteries with 380, 400 or 500 CCA.
I think ill get a higher CCA battery and will see how that works.
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.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.