Engine noise: What is normal and what isnt?

[LightningStrike1999]

Just a curiosity here, are the Sportster Evo engines just loud? How tough are the Thunderstorm twins? I ride mine pretty hard, but I've been diligent about oil/trans fluid changes. Thing still seems to have a lot of valvetrain noise. Also, sometimes after riding it down the interstate, i'll start it, and it makes a LOUD lifter tapping sound for a few seconds, then quiets down...like it goes away once the oil pressure builds up? Causing the sound to go away? No oil pressure warning light or check engine light, just a god awful sound for a very short time, then nothing. Ride it home, fire it up the next day, and no sound from a cold start? Is this possibly the possibly the oil I'm using(synthetic vs. HD dinosaur oil)? Thanks for any help guys, it's always appreciated.
-jesse

 

[Kal3idosc0pe]

I've actually been wondering about this as well. Mine doesn't do what you're describing, but I am getting noise from the lifters/valves. I'm not sure that anything is actually wrong because I have no baseline for this kind of thing. It would be nice to get a veteran's opinion on it.

 

[christianmb]

I have the same and it has been that way since new. I asked the harley guys about it, and they said something to the effect of "it is a pushrod twin, it will be noisy." I would keep an ear out and if it gets worse, definitely get it looked at. Otherwise, the hydraulic lifters will need to pump up on startup, and just pay attention to qhen it does it. That will give you a bit of an ideaof what or where to look for things.