Due to his opinion differing from mine in many ways, I have edited some things to suit my way of thinking.
All the information contained in this article does not just pertain to Harley Davidson Motorcycles, it can be presumed that it applies to all motorcycles, where not specifically implied.
Keep your bike in good repair: motorcycle boots are not comfortable for walking.
~Author Unknown
16. Question:
I was told the best tire is the tire that came with the bike. True?
Answer:
The tire that comes with your Harley-Davidson is likely a Dunlop tire. They are good tires, made in USA and they are okay. Fitment is key as not all brands make tires for Harley-Davidson. Even if the tire sizes stamped on the tire are the same, one may still not fit and hit the belt drive, fender, frame, swing arm, etc. So make sure you buy a tire that is designed to fit your bike, not just the rim. Some tires out there will give you better handling, braking, acceleration and twice the tire life at less cost than what you use now.
Tires are a personal choice most times, but many still just get the Harley Davidson Dunlop tires. If you decide on another brand be aware of the dimensions of the tire. Wanting a specific tire & being able to put it on your bike may not work out. Older bikes may take a 140 wide rear, but not a 150 because of chain/belt clearance. Newer bikes will take wider tires. Also, be aware of the height of the tires as they are not all the same. Some tires have a harder compound which will give better mileage but lack in high speed handling, while others are softer, which makes them sticker, but get less mileage due to faster wear. If you want to change your tires and/or wheel sizes, do you homework and make sure you have adequate room to install them correctly.
ALWAYS match the front & rear tires. The tire company spend a lot of time to design the tires to work the best they can. The tread design on any brand is made to work together. The front tire is designed to clear the way for the back tire, so that it has better traction, especially in rain. ALWAYS maintain the correct air pressure.
http://www.motorcycle.com/rider-safety/motorcycle-tires-101-91339.html
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/tire-tyre-guide/Tire-TyreTech.htm
17. Question:
How wide a rear tire should I go with my Harley?
Answer:
The general rule for H-D bikes is not to exceed 180mm wide because that is as wide as H-D makes on its Twin-Cam bikes. On other brands of bikes 200mm is the maximum as a general rule. But this does not mean you can go buy a 180mm tire and install it on your rim and put that wheel/tire on your bike for it may hit and rub on frame components. Best bet is to go talk to your local dealer and figure out the correct size tire that can be installed on your bike. As a good rule of thumb for an example if you have a 180mm tire that came stock on your bike you could increase the width by 10mm and all should be okay, but do not go more than that. Even then, you still must check tire/frame/belt/fender clearance.
Installing fat tires on your bike could require changing the swing arm for more width, and/or offsetting the primary to bring the chain/belt out to meet the rear sprocket/belt pulley. Or changing to a right hand drive. All which are very expensive. But, again it is personal preference. Make sure you know what you are getting into before attempting these modifications.
18. Question:
What advice can you give on buying exhaust pipes?
Answer:
Examine the location of the pipes so they do not block access to removing the rear axle or you will pay an extra labor charge on each tire change to remove the pipes to gain access to the rear axle. With new law enforcement on the horizon related to loud pipes consider buying Supertrapp brand pipes that have removable and tune-abled baffle plates. Not only are these pipes superior in performance and fine tuning they look good, sound nice and put out awesome power. Some pipe manufacturers advertise a choice of baffles, but do not be fooled by these guys, they give you a baffle that is still way too loud so it will do you no good if you get a fix it ticket. With Supertrapp removable baffle plates you can tone down the sound to meet legal repair and inspection without having to throw away your expensive pipes and they cost less than other brands despite they are made of high-grade stainless steel.
There are many good brands of pipes out there. Best way to figure out what you want is to check what others are using. Actually listening to pipes on a running bike can prevent major disappointment when you put them on & they don't give you the sound that you want. Also, the design of the pipes as well as the baffling system have a major impact on performance. Loudness does not increase power, just noise. A well designed system will give you the sound & power that will make you happy. As with all other aspects, do your research.
19. Question:
What oil filter do you feel is best?
Answer:
The best oil filter you can buy is the filter that comes with your bike. Why? Because if your bike is still under warranty protection and that oil filter fails to deliver oil for any reason the bike manufacturer will void the warranty for that event leaving you to go after the oil filter company for repair bill compensation. Has it happened? Yes, it has. K&N makes a "wrench-off" oil filter with a very thin and weak stamped metal nut on the end of the filter that they advertise for a quick oil filter removal, but don't be fooled, that nut is not always a dependable way to loosen the filter. On some bikes like Harley's the oil filter is in tight spots and to get that ruined and stuck oil filter off you have to drive screwdrivers through it with a hammer and you got to be extremely careful not to penetrate past the filter and hit your engine case. You will also have limited room to rotate a screwdriver to unscrew the oil filter. What a horrible mess! These filters do not even have a backup system with a traditional oil filter wrench notch pattern so you can't resort to a filter wrench. A strap wrench will not work as there is no room to rotate the strap wrench.
There are good filters out there, just make sure that you get the one that is suited for your engine. Check the micron rating and make sure it has a by-pass if your model requires it.
20. Question:
Will ethanol in fuel ruin my Harley-Davidson?
Answer:
Depends on the percentage being delivered at the gasoline pump. Late model Harley's will run on 10% with little problem as long as you do not store the gasoline without treatment over the winter or if the bike is going to sit for a couple weeks time or more. If so, use a ethanol fuel treatment such as Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment, Sta-Bil Ethanol Fuel Stabilizer or Lucas Ethanol Fuel Conditioner With Stabilizers. The problem with ethanol it absorbs moisture and forms a thick sludge in the fuel that can clog fuel injectors. It can even cause build up of dirt and rust and move it into the fuel pump and injectors for ethanol is corrosive. If a fuel pump put out 15% ethanol the sludge forming problem gets worse and even detonation can occur which can blow a hole in your pistons. It is wise to treat the fuel when the bike is being stored, but also use some treatment in your normal daily riding, say at least once a week or two, just to stay ahead of any ethanol-related sludge that may be forming in your gas tank and fuel lines without your knowing about it. This stuff is sneaky as one day you will ride and the next day the bike will stall out from a clogged fuel system leaving you stranded. Good fuel treatment use will keep this problem at bay.
Ethanol absorbs water & will cause the gas to deteriorate if left sitting for an extended length of time. It also has approximately 34% less energy than gas, so you will get less mileage and less power. It also causes corrosion which could harm your engine.
21. Question:
Can I use regular gas in my Harley?
Answer:
Harley-Davidson say's no, but you can use regular grade fuel if you ride a stock engine in higher elevation of 3,000 feet or more. Or, see if you can ride the bike where you live and not hear any pinging noises when operating the throttle. If you hear pinging you can purchase fuel octane booster additive to increase the octane to stop the pinging. The amount you need to use may vary so you need to experiment to find what formula works for you. Octane boost is expensive, but if you buy it in larger container sizes the cost comes way down and you can save money instead of buying premium fuel. And for those riders using single hose blender pumps you are getting less octane due to the purge of the hose pumping low grade fuel as much a quart or more watering down your gas tank. Octane boost will restore the octane. Blender pumps should be outlawed as they cheat the customer in weights and measures... you are not getting what you pay for. The scale is crookedly rigged right from the start. The oil companies and gas station owners have found a way to rob people and our government turns a blind eye. Not even a supermarket would dare jilt their scales! You are buying a quart of fuel on each fill up, but paying premium price for regular grade gas.
Older low compression engines can run regular without much problem, & I have seen people run regular in the newer bikes. As long as it doesn't ping & you are not bothered by the loss of performance, then I guess it doesn't matter.
22. Question:
How does the flywheel slip out of alignment on Harley-Davidson TC's?
Answer:
It just happens to slip for no specific reason and when it does the crankshaft flywheels runs out of balance causing severe engine shaking and vibration. The flywheels should be welded to the crank pin and this would never happen. It is an engine defect H-D has refused to fix to stop this ongoing nonsense.
An aggressive launch from a light, a backfire, dieseling, kickback when starting, etc. All these could cause the crank to slip.
23. Question:
What is an INS bearing?
Answer:
It is a company name that makes a needle bearing for the Twin-Cam camshafts. These bearings are weak and fail and should be replaced with a upgraded Torrington needle roller inner cam bearing.
24. Question:
I need advice on installing taller handlebars.
Answer:
Generally, you got to find some bars that are ergonomically correct. James Russell bought a new Victory motorcycle designed by Arlen Ness Company and the handlebar angles were killing his wrists badly with horrific pain even when just riding and were even more painful when operating the clutch and brake levers or turning the bike at slow speed. Just plain horrid design. Beware of good looking products that do not function. After finding bars you will like. If they are Harley-Davidson bars they will likely be a perfect fit and comfortable, but not always. Depending on the height of your choice, you may need to replace cables, electric wires and brake lines with longer lengths to reach the higher bars. There are kits you can buy for this at H-D dealership and aftermarket. Sometimes just installing 3" pull-back risers is all you may need and by rerouting cables and wires you may not need to replace anything. If not, then get ready to spend some cash for new cables, brake hose and wire. You can do this job yourself if you have the time to spare. Ape hangers that are taller than your shoulder will give you that extreme outlaw look, but hanging so far out in the wind your arms will suffer on long rides.
You will find that any bars that are above shoulder height are consider unsafe, & therefore illegal in most provinces.
25. Question:
What is a Cruiser? Is it a Bagger? A Touring bike?
Answer:
A Touring bike can be a bagger. It all started out that way. Take any V-Twin engine bike put large saddlebags and a windshield and it becomes a bagger. Is the German BMW a bagger? Is a Japanese Honda Gold Wing a bagger? Not! They will always be Touring bikes. It is the V-Twin engine that makes a bagger a bagger, at least in the American sense. Is a Jap bike with bags and windshield a bagger if it has a V-Twin engine? It can, but is it really a bagger? The bagger is a Harley-Davidson related thing so I would say it's really got to be a Harley to be a bagger. But what about Victory V-Twins? I think they too are permitted access to the bagger club simply because it is an American made bike. Some will take exception to the above as it is all murky water to wade through.
26. Question:
The Quad Ring on my H-D derby cover keeps falling off. How do I install it?
Answer:
If the o-ring is used it likely has been deformed from heat and will not fit back into the primary cover groove. Make sure you always use a new o-ring. Even then, the o-ring can keep falling out of the shallow groove when installing the derby cover. You can put a thin smear of clear Silicone gasket sealer on the o-ring to hold it into position. Some mechanics use a tiny speck of Superglue to keep the o-ring in position. Can you smear a lot of Silicone sealant over the o-ring? Use as much as you need, it won't hurt a thing.
I disagree with that statement. Excess silicone in the wrong places can cause a lot of problems. Some places can use silicone, but I prefer to use white grease as it won't be a bother if it gets where it don't belong.
27. Question:
There is a rattle noise inside my primary case especially at idle in neutral. What could it be?
Answer:
It is likely a loose primary chain needing adjustment. If you have a new H-D with an automatic adjuster it may need to be forced to make an adjustment. You do this by accelerating the bike hard then back off the throttle abruptly a few times and the adjuster should take up the chain slack. If not, the thing is broken or it could be the compensator sprocket is outright loose or the spring has failed or has weakened.
Chains & chain adjuster need to be checked every time you change your oil.
28. Question:
I had the transmission seal replaced twice and it still leaks oil. Now what?
Answer:
The rubber shaft seal may have been installed incorrectly or even put in backwards. But if the shaft is scratched, dirty, scored or bent every new seal will leak oil. Make sure the pulley retainer nut is tight or oil will seep on by.
29. Question:
Where can I purchase a back support for my aching back?
Answer:
Back-A-Line sells them for around $50 and a good quality product too.
http://www.backaline.com/pages/retail-products.html
You can also buy seats with removable back rests or a removable rest that will work with the stock seat.
30. Question:
Who makes safety running lights for Harley's?
Answer:
Badlands Motorcycle Products makes very bright LED stop and turn signal lights. The lights have proven to be trustworthy and reliable. Cars will see you if you install their lighting products. Kuryakyn has a fine selection also.
http://www.namzcustomcycleproducts.com/badlands_about_us.html
http://www.kuryakyn.com/category/7/lighting
30. Question:
Did Harley move the primary case drain plug?
Answer:
Most oil drain nuts or screws are under the primary case under the derby cover on all Harley engines. Some may be located on the front side of the primary case under or to the left of the derby cover. Some may be disguised as a screw for the outer primary. It can be anywhere as Harley-Davidson is constantly making little changes like these year-over-year.
Well, that's it for this session.....
Stay Tuned for Part Three....
Happy Trails.....
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