44K on my 07 Road King. Bone stock. Still hums along all day and all night. Some days she sounds quiet, some days she sounds like there is a sewing machine in there. Sometimes at no particular RPM there is a loud valve tapping, change the RPM and it goes away.
Used to drive me crazy, I don't even notice it anymore, I just ride in amazement at the reliability, while my friends BMW's are in and out of the shop!

 

As i was riding to work this morning i was listening,, and i will be damned... i have some valve noise, even with adjustable pushrods... Oh well... ride on... It's lasted 76000 miles now so i will keep riding. It's the least of my worries. If i wanted a quiet bike i would've bought a Goldwing.

 

I think it's more of a personnal choice than "Snake oil". I use it but i buy the less expensive Auto style oil... The temps are shown to be a bit better tolorable than Dino so i think it's not really a waste...The flip side is if you change your oil at regular intervals, even Dino (which comes in the bike new {except for CVO}) protects the engine just fine.
****... di di just actually hack this damn threadinto a freaking oil thread or was that you Mark5 ? LMAO

 

I think it was both of us.....no more oil talk!! Just ride. I love my EG and will ride it even if I had to buy a new engine down the road, I don't care. I like riding it and so does my wife. It will never be sold just like I will never sell the 1982 Goldwing Aspencade that was bought new way back after my USMC discharge. My gift to me for making it through the whole tour. The pushrod change did help a great deal. I recommend it and I recommend the SE255 cam but no, lets not hijack this into cam-land!!

 

IMO - They all make some noises. i own 2 harleys so find myself getting used to 1 then riding the other and thinking it has a strage noise. Doesn't matter which 1 I rode last the other sounds like it has a noise when i frist get on it. Both are batwing E glides so they tend to amplify anything. i have purchased several new over the last 30 years and not 1 has ever had a premature motor failure.

My advise, just enjoy the ride and the fact you have a warranty if something does go wrong.

 

There you have it. Manufacturing tolerances vary as previously stated. No two pushrods are the exact same length which is why if they are not marked and replaced in the same location when changing cams, all other factors being equal, a motor that was quiet before the change becomes noise after the change, unless one of Mr. Woods cams was installed.

As for the lifters, manufacturing tolerances come into play again. If the tolerances are not tight, the OEM lifters will bleed down faster than they should, particularly in a motor with high lift cams and/or heavier valve springs. Aftermarket lifters like the Woods Directional, HQ Black Ops, Gaterman and the new S&S lifters are manufactured to much tighter tolerances that the OEM lifters which have been manufactured in Mexico since 2010.

 

This is something that some people feel is 'noise' and others feel is just the Harley valve-train.

As I see it, there's going to be some motor noise, no matter what. The question is, how much and what's normal?
My Harleys have all had valve train noise at ~ 2800 RPM, but if you adjust the RPMs/speed, it goes away and smoothes out.
If you're just hearing your motor and are worried, relax and ride... if it's a real issue, you would know it - most likely.

This is not directed at the OP, personally, but I have known far too many "Bikers" who go out and buy a NEW Harley, then ride it about 1500-2000 miles a year, to HOG meetings and Saturday cafe hopping. Then make comments/complaints about the noise of the motor and it not being silent. You might hear people say that this motor/that build/these cams are running quiet, etc., so some might expect a 'silent' running motor. These types don't realize they're sitting directly over this large motor with moving parts... and sometimes that might make noise. If you want a quiet motor, there are plenty of options... but sometimes a Harley motor will give you some light valve train noise. It's the nature of the beast. My build is quiet and smooth, but at times, I can hear the valve train... and I run an open A/C, so I'm hearing the valves as I idle at stoplights, etc. None of this is somethig that concerns me.

Don't worry... ride it through break-in, change the oil, ride it some more and learn exactly what your ride sounds and feels like.
You'll learn what noises she likes to make.... <insert sexual inuendos here>

Congrats on the new bike!!! Ride it 'til the wheels come off... and don't worry about the little things.

 

ED Zachary! Just ride.

 

I for one would Change Out the pushrods FROM the stock one size fits all HD pushrods, to SE adjustable, slender tapers... IF ONLY to have control of the lifter adjustment.

The newer bikes use a New lifter (old "B"s were best HD ever used to date) Now called "C" lifters are showing an early DEATH. Noise is there form new and not the same as the Quieter "B" lifters.

The thing about MY using the SE adjustable pushrods is to Quiet a noisy lifter, finding a little new spot inside the hydraulic lifter that it will work better than the stock position it made noise at.

I have done many lifter-pushrod conversions, using SE slender taper adjustable style... Many lifters were tried and Short Lived and ONLY the HD "B" were long lived like in my 09 of today.

Time and $money$ trying to find that Better Lifter and finding it was right there in Plain View, the "B"

The thing I found out is to set the lifters (my bike) to a first out the door install of 4T on a the SE p-rod from "0" lash. YES it is at .166 IN and leaving room from about Measured .210 from being Bottomed Out.

IT does work safely and I like what I do and use.
YOU Don't have to use MY suggested setting OR Parts but I have found SUCCESS in How I Do them...


I have used 3.5 on pre-load, and it worked okay, But 4T proved great and QUIET on long term miles put on my bikes.

Presently using 4.0T on SE255 cams and they are starting to get a little noisy like many would say """I hear valve noise"""

The Noise right now IS STILL "Even" sounding, Not Tapping unevenly. Still like a fine tuned sewing machine, but I can tell it is time for a Lifter "change out".

Todays noisy in my valves IS from: Mostly Listening as Many ask about Noisy valves. I get a phobia trying to hear what is going on with MY lifters and No fun is had about worrying IF they are OK this time out or were the Less noisy the last time out....

Good advice was given here Earlier saying "RIDE THE BIKE", quit worrying about it. IT Will KLANK when it gets BAD... Not just Tap.

I have 60,000 miles on my 09 96" King and will do a motor top end rebuild change today (not needed mechanically), going BIGGER to 103 and using a New set of SE255's along with a set of (hard to find/Buy) HD "B" lifters. I do have a New set of Gatermans in a BOX,said to be the same as the fine "B" lifter but I'll will wait off time to install them at another time IF needed or bike...

The HD "B" lifters are the BEST. Maybe that is why HD changed them out to the "C" lifters.

signed....REDHEAD