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[Gatornapper]

Hey guys (and gals?) -

Long time Harley guy, but new to both Twin-Cam and CVO 110" but lovin' every bit of it.  Old Evo guy here....and old classic Triumphs (3).

Not familiar with the sound of the Twin-Cam or 110", but seems to me I'm hearing an awful lot of rattle in the top end, right about 2,200 and 2,800 RPM.

Just got the bike with 22k mis. on it.

Really buggin' me.  Took to shop, had their top guy ride it, and he said it's perfectly normal due to the high-lift cams, etc.

Just wondering if you guys have had the same experience, and what the thoughts of the great CVO brain-trust are.....

"Enquiring minds want to know......."

Thanks in Advance!

[mjb765]

As weird as it sounds, that top end noise seems to be normal. Some people have had luck in getting it a little quieter switching to Amsoil or Redline oil 20/50 or 20/60. It has even been suggested to try stright 50 weight, althought I haven't done that myselft yet. My dealer suggested switching from synthetic back to regular oil, but I haven't done that either. Maybe next oil change.

[Gatornapper]

MJB -

Glad to hear that.  I've been using full synthetics in all my engines since 1977, and I am an Amsoil dealer......as the HD dealer from whom I purchased this sweet
machine just changed all the fluids, I've been waiting to get 3 - 4k mis. on it before I put my Amsoil in.  I'm a dealer not to make money, but simply to provide the
best oil to all my bikin' buddies at my cost........

In every bike I've put Amsoil in, valve train noise gets quieter - so I'm fully expecting that here as well as you mentioned.  Quieter has got to mean better
protection against wear, so I may go ahead and do it sooner rather than later.

Thanks for the feedback......

[mjb765]

MJB -

Glad to hear that.  I've been using full synthetics in all my engines since 1977, and I am an Amsoil dealer......as the HD dealer from whom I purchased this sweet
machine just changed all the fluids, I've been waiting to get 3 - 4k mis. on it before I put my Amsoil in.  I'm a dealer not to make money, but simply to provide the
best oil to all my bikin' buddies at my cost........

In every bike I've put Amsoil in, valve train noise gets quieter - so I'm fully expecting that here as well as you mentioned.  Quieter has got to mean better
protection against wear, so I may go ahead and do it sooner rather than later.

Thanks for the feedback......

Don't expect miracles...it gets a LITTLE better....But my 110" is much noiser than any 88" I have owned in the past and noiser than my wife's 96". I am waiting for someone to come up with what needs to be replaced to make this motor sound better. Unitl then just turn up the radio and put a set of pipes on it...

[Big Dog]

On my 09 SERG, I had the rattle noise on the left side at those same rpms. I changed the stock compensator to the SE compensator and the rattling disappeared and that was at 12000 miles. Maybe worth a look, it cured mine.

[willyB]

As weird as it sounds, that top end noise seems to be normal. Some people have had luck in getting it a little quieter switching to Amsoil or Redline oil 20/50 or 20/60. It has even been suggested to try stright 50 weight, althought I haven't done that myselft yet. My dealer suggested switching from synthetic back to regular oil, but I haven't done that either. Maybe next oil change.

NORMAL being normal for Harley Davidson? I've owned a lot of engines (Car, Motorcycle, Boat, Lawnmower, Etc..) and I've never had to complain about NORMAL top end noise.

[mjb765]

NORMAL being normal for Harley Davidson? I've owned a lot of engines (Car, Motorcycle, Boat, Lawnmower, Etc..) and I've never had to complain about NORMAL top end noise.

I don't like the noise either....but every HD person who I have grabbed to listen to my bike says the 110's make that noise. Even the indie shop I use says they do that.  If my old Mopar ever makes that noise I'd have the heads off and pistons out looking for broken stuff.  

[willyB]

Maybe we, the CVO OWNERS GROUP, needs to send HD a message about these concerns under one signature.

[hotroadking]

If you have adjustable pushrods you might find some slight adjustments will quiet it down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mount'nman]

My 2011 had new cylinders and piston kits at 4000 mi due to piston slap...  sounded like top end noise to me but it was getting louder...  the new parts eliminated most of the noise but I still could hear the top end noise at the same rpm range... it seemed worse when air temps were in the 90s so tried some octane boost and that has quited the motor a lot.

[Gecko]

It's "normal" because they don't want to spend the money to fix their bad engines.  If it is so normal and just the way the 110 is, something in the design - why don't they all do it?  I'd like to sell mine, but there's no way anybody who knows anything about an engine would buy it; I wouldn't if I heard it.  Perhaps we've discovered why the dealers don't allow test rides?

[grc]

That brings up a point I try to make quite often.  There are things that truly are "normal" due to design or other factors, but that doesn't mean they are "acceptable".  For just one example, consider all the issues that Harley claimed were "normal" like the starting problems, primary noise, etc. that somehow magically got fixed if you spent several hundred dollars on the SE compensator.  Those problems were in fact normal when using a part that wasn't up to the task.  But they were not acceptable to the vast majority of customers.

Until the typical Harley customer makes their displeasure widely known all the way from the dealer to the CEO of the MoCo, the folks in Milwaukee will just keep sitting back cheapening the products and counting the cash they rake in.  When, and only when, that pile of cash gets smaller will they possibly look around long enough to realize they are killing the goose that laid the golden egg when they piss off so many people.  But, as long as the typical Harley rider keeps giving them a free pass, and keeps on spending large sums of money with them, I don't think those customers can reasonably expect things to get better anytime soon.

If you go to a particular greasy spoon for breakfast every day, and you come down with food poisoning several times, would you continue to blindly go there or would you eventually see the light and find a new greasy spoon?


Jerry

[Robmay]

I had the same issue with my 2011. The parts manager rode it and was going to change out the lifters as he said it was a little too loud as well. However, once they dynoed the bike, the noise went away. It is sooooooooo much more pleasant to ride now.

[panhead1]

I have had 2 06 seuc and redid the complete motor on one thinking it had piston slap.  And still between about 2600-3000 have a weird noise.  Got another one and the same thing.  I just learned to ignore it. 

[fatboybern]

yeah same noise in mine to i have 10000 kms on the motor and noise hasnt changed although on my last trip i used 2l of oil in 3000 kms this winter i am pulling the motor down to attempt to find these mysteries i do not feel this noise is normal and do feel its valve train related its almost if the lifters are bleeding down because of the added spring tension of the 110s or even the pushrods not exactly the right length there is also another noise than the valve train noise it occurs just under 3000 rpm and is a much lower frequency rattle but quickly goes away with some throttle or rpm increasing this I feel is piston slap the 110 has a very very short skirt i cant wait to get her apart and have a peak