Problems with bike durring tail of the dragon trip.

[rshepler217]

about half way down through kentucky on the highway my bike started to skip/missfire about every 10 seconds unless i was on the throttle. this only happened at cruising throttle position about 3,500. after a while we got off the highway and took other roads where i was on and off the throttle more often which caused the skipping to almost stop but still happened every once and a while. then after about an hour of this happening another problem occured. when i was sitting at a light it stalled on me and became hard to start. it seems like when the engine is hot (not over heating, no problems there) it barely starts. then i started to hear a knocking coming from but the timing cover/lifter area. i checked the oil and it was full but seemed thin. i thought the oil might not have enough viscosity to fully push the hydrolic lifters up? i added some lucas oil stabilizer to it before going any farther and it still knocked. after riding the tail we made the trip home and did make it back, but with the bike still skipping above 3,500 rps's. as of now im not going to trust the seller that told me it just had its 10k service done because he didnt have the papers to prove it. does anyone have any ideas as to what these problems could be?

 

[rshepler217]

i already changed the oil and was going to change the plugs today. have not rode it sense i got home yesterday from the trip.

 

[Mark XB12r]

I have had similar problems before, but before i start into mine i just want to let you know something that I noticed about myself, and a few of my buds.

When something is going wrong, all the little tink, tink, tink's seem louder to you. But they were always there.

Ok now for my experience with this same type of problem. For me it was not rpm specific, so it may not be excactly what is wrong with yours, but its a cheap way to eliminate something.

The 12v relays would get hot and temp cut out. giving me a skipping surging type of fault. A few times it brought me down from highway speeds to nothing.

Sometimes it would skip and surge for a bit, then I would pull over and switch mine around and be fine till I could get to a parts store and replace it.

Anyway's good luck

 

[rshepler217]

thanks. ill look into that later tonight but as for the sound. its certianly one that was never there before. it is very noticable when engine is warm. never had any noises, especially one this loud on the bike before.

 

[Mark XB12r]

Well I just wanted you to be aware of it... It happens to me so I thought I would share.

Since you said its deff noticable, then its probly not the relays then, may be more an ignition problem from under that rivited cover

 

[rshepler217]

Im pretty sure that the two problems are completly seperate. im going to tear it appart tonight so ill look into your idea as well but i was checking to see if any one had the same problem with the knocking. i know these motors make noise but this is not a normal noise.

 

[Hammer]

Check plug wires, they do have a tendency to run through. Any little bit will **** up your day.

 

[rshepler217]

Im going to change the plugs tonight so i will just check them at that point. Should i just get the harley plugs for it or should i get the ngk iridum? ive heard some good things on those. opinions or personal prefferances?