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[rheiner]

Every winter I like to do some preventative maintenance by replacing parts on my bikes even though there's not an apparent problem. For example, I've never been stranded anywhere with a dead battery and don't ever want to so I replace it every three years. I also change wheel bearings every 25-30k miles even though they seem to be fine. I change spark plug wires every few years, which leads to my question. Ignition coils are not that expensive and mine is over 5 years old on a CVO UC with 63k miles. Is this an item that should be replaced every so often for peace of mind or is it way down on the list of possible failures? Any other particular items you like to replace for preventative protection?

[cahdbiker]

rheiner, I used to keep a back up ignition coil in my 95 Heritage, and sure enough I was on a pass road and my engine just quit. I had enough tools to check for spark, I had plenty of fuel, so I swapped out the coil and I was down the road. I haven't thought about it on my 09, but it might be a good idea. It is also good to have a Crank Position Sensor as a backup in your bike. They can go out without any warning. I haven't checked how hard or even where the coil and crank positions sensor would be to replace, but if it is a side of the road fix it couldn't hurt to have a spare. I know a lot of us have AAA or some towing service, but  if you breakdown and cannot get a cell phone signal you could be in a bind.CAHDBIKER

[RayG]

Maybe we should start a new thread on what we should carry for spare parts & tools depending on the year, mileage & destination.  Just as rheiner had mentioned I do a lot of preventative maintenance every winter.  This year I hit 80,000 miles and will be installing my 6th compensator.  While it was apart I started to strip the bike, actually I may have gone just a bit to far.  I found a really nasty looking stator.  I removed the front sprocket and the mainshaft bearing and noticed some play on the transmission mainshaft.  I don't know what is acceptable so I will be doing some checking while it is apart.  I noticed the belt needed to be replaced and while I removed the swingarm on one side I noticed that the year old bushing was getting chewed up.  Wednesday I sent a photo to Glide Pro and they promptly sent me reply along with a tracking number for the shipped replacement.  I will need to install tires this winter and will install new wheel bearings at the same time.  The problem I'm having is that I don't have enough experience to know what is acceptable wear and when it needs to be replaced.  I thought the sprocket was worn enough to be replaced but the Indy mechanic said I would be wasting my money.  So far I have been having good luck and sure hope it continues.   Maybe we can't do some items on the side of the road but if we are far away from home having the tools, parts & a place to work might just make sense in some cases.   

[cahdbiker]

RayG, a friend of mine got 180K miles out of his original belt and sprockets. He replaced them when his engine went out. It was on a 2001 Heritage. I don't agree with waiting that long, and his luck was probably a fluke, but I would think that at 80K a new belt would be a good idea. Also, I would get an HD Belt, reason being is that when I had a Heritage I put an aftermarket belt on it of which brand I don't remember and it just broke in half after about 10K miles. CAHDBIKER P.S. I was racing a Camaro at the time.

Maybe we should start a new thread on what we should carry for spare parts & tools depending on the year, mileage & destination.  Just as rheiner had mentioned I do a lot of preventative maintenance every winter.  This year I hit 80,000 miles and will be installing my 6th compensator.  While it was apart I started to strip the bike, actually I may have gone just a bit to far.  I found a really nasty looking stator.  I removed the front sprocket and the mainshaft bearing and noticed some play on the transmission mainshaft.  I don't know what is acceptable so I will be doing some checking while it is apart.  I noticed the belt needed to be replaced and while I removed the swingarm on one side I noticed that the year old bushing was getting chewed up.  Wednesday I sent a photo to Glide Pro and they promptly sent me reply along with a tracking number for the shipped replacement.  I will need to install tires this winter and will install new wheel bearings at the same time.  The problem I'm having is that I don't have enough experience to know what is acceptable wear and when it needs to be replaced.  I thought the sprocket was worn enough to be replaced but the Indy mechanic said I would be wasting my money.  So far I have been having good luck and sure hope it continues.   Maybe we can't do some items on the side of the road but if we are far away from home having the tools, parts & a place to work might just make sense in some cases.   

[Ed Ramberger - One_Screamin_Eagle]

Every winter I like to do some preventative maintenance by replacing parts on my bikes even though there's not an apparent problem. For example, I've never been stranded anywhere with a dead battery and don't ever want to so I replace it every three years. I also change wheel bearings every 25-30k miles even though they seem to be fine. I change spark plug wires every few years, which leads to my question. Ignition coils are not that expensive and mine is over 5 years old on a CVO UC with 63k miles. Is this an item that should be replaced every so often for peace of mind or is it way down on the list of possible failures? Any other particular items you like to replace for preventative protection?

It is EXTREMELY rare for the coils to fail.

[grc]

It is EXTREMELY rare for the coils to fail.

 

I sometimes think people forget that we are no longer in the 50's and 60's.  Todays ignition systems are extremely reliable, especially when compared to the stuff from fifty years ago.  I wouldn't waste the money or space carrying around an extra coil, and I wouldn't waste the time and money changing one out as a supposed preventative measure.  If someone wants something to do during the off season, I'd suggest spending that time and money on things that historically do have reliability issues.  There are enough known issues to keep people busy, it's not necessary to mess with the "one in a million" items.

JMHO - Jerry

[ltank]

I had a coil to rear plug stop firing. Strange day before the Bike ran fine. Next morning it cranked but running on only the front coil. Front coil was 3.5 ohms and the rear coil was open. 48,000 miles

[grc]

I had a coil to rear plug stop firing. Strange day before the Bike ran fine. Next morning it cranked but running on only the front coil. Front coil was 3.5 ohms and the rear coil was open. 48,000 miles

I assume that was on an older bike, right?  Coil failures on late model bikes are extremely rare, as previously noted.  We can all cite rare occurrences of failures of otherwise highly reliable components, since nothing made by man is perfect.  But one failure in a hundred thousand or a million wouldn't compel me to start carrying around an extra part for every item that has ever been known to fail.  You would find yourself needing a trailer to carry all the spares.

Jerry

[sadunbar]

I've only run across one bad coil on a later model bike.  And it wasn't really the coils fault.  What I found a loose fitting plug wire not well attached to the coil, and arcing over time damaged the connector. 

I had a coil fail on a 1997 softail once - it took a while to diagnose it as it was an intermittent problem.  But as Jerry said, actual coil failures on later model bikes are extremely rare...

[Twolanerider]

I've only run across one bad coil on a later model bike.  And it wasn't really the coils fault.  What I found a loose fitting plug wire not well attached to the coil, and arcing over time damaged the connector. 

I had a coil fail on a 1997 softail once - it took a while to diagnose it as it was an intermittent problem.  But as Jerry said, actual coil failures on later model bikes are extremely rare...

Even in the automotive world over many years of hobbyist or professional interest (many years ago) it was far more common to see the big fancy red or yellow oh-look-at-how-big-I-am aftermarket coils fail than it was the stock pieces.  Of course the diagnostic on a failed stock coil from cars of that era was often simpler.  Wasn't always the case that this worked but sometimes you just grabbed them to see if they'd knock you stiff .

(We weren't always very smart as young men.)

[sadunbar]

Even in the automotive world over many years of hobbyist or professional interest (many years ago) it was far more common to see the big fancy red or yellow oh-look-at-how-big-I-am aftermarket coils fail than it was the stock pieces.  Of course the diagnostic on a failed stock coil from cars of that era was often simpler. Wasn't always the case that this worked but sometimes you just grabbed them to see if they'd knock you stiff .

(We weren't always very smart as young men.)

Can't say I ever did this trick, but I can say I watched a good friend do it once.  Probably 40 years ago or so - but he's still a good friend and still around, so I can't name him without expecting payback of some sort.  However, I can still chuckle about it...   

[Fired00d]

Can't say I ever did this trick, but I can say I watched a good friend do it once.  Probably 40 years ago or so - but he's still a good friend and still around, so I can't name him without expecting payback of some sort.  However, I can still chuckle about it...   

Sometimes those are the best... I remember when I.... in front of a bunch of my friends... they remember and remind me on occasion and that is good enough. BTW... they probably have some unmentionables about you as I have about the same friends that saw my...

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Twolanerider]

Can't say I ever did this trick, but I can say I watched a good friend do it once.  Probably 40 years ago or so - but he's still a good friend and still around, so I can't name him without expecting payback of some sort.  However, I can still chuckle about it...   

I sure as hell did!

Still vividly remember the first time I did too.  I was eleven and it was the first summer I was working at my dad's Texaco station.  Duties were keeping the place clean, stocking shelves, gas island and oil changes and lubes on the grease rack.  Summer of 1972.

Go out to the gas island to deal with a nice old lady named Damm.  She was called Old Lady Damm and I always thought I was sneaking in a swear word.  Mrs. Damm drove a 1966 Impala with a small block.  I've got my milk crate up to the car on the driver's side so I can reach far enough across to wash the windows.  She says the car isn't running right and dad walks out. 

She describes the ways its acting and dad says to me "what do you think it is?"  I know enough to say ignition based on what she'd said.   Couldn't narrow it down anymore though.  Dad says "spit on your and touch that" while pointing at the coil.  So I do (spit) and I do (really grab).  Next thing I remember for sure is a bloody scalp where I conked it on the hood and sitting on the gas island.  But Old Lady Damm certainly had a bad coil .

After that I learned that a lighter and more tender touch worked best......

[sadunbar]

I sure as hell did!

Still vividly remember the first time I did too.  I was eleven and it was the first summer I was working at my dad's Texaco station.  Duties were keeping the place clean, stocking shelves, gas island and oil changes and lubes on the grease rack.  Summer of 1972.

Go out to the gas island to deal with a nice old lady named Damm.  She was called Old Lady Damm and I always thought I was sneaking in a swear word.  Mrs. Damm drove a 1966 Impala with a small block.  I've got my milk crate up to the car on the driver's side so I can reach far enough across to wash the windows.  She says the car isn't running right and dad walks out. 

She describes the ways its acting and dad says to me "what do you think it is?"  I know enough to say ignition based on what she'd said.   Couldn't narrow it down anymore though.  Dad says "spit on your and touch that" while pointing at the coil.  So I do (spit) and I do (really grab).  Next thing I remember for sure is a bloody scalp where I conked it on the hood and sitting on the gas island. But Old Lady Damm certainly had a bad coil .

After that I learned that a lighter and more tender touch worked best......

Made me laugh...    

Very much like my friend.  The engine would start and run as long as the starter button was pushed, but release the starter button and the engine would stop running.  The car was on stands so he was standing on a stool in front of the car and leaning over the engine. Huge blue spark flash when he grabbed the coil.  He landed on the floor on his back and the stool landed on him.  I don't think he had any idea how he got there for a few moments.  I remember saying "we'll I guess we can eliminate that..." while laughing my ass off...

[Twolanerider]

Made me laugh...    

Very much like my friend.  The engine would start and run as long as the starter button was pushed, but release the starter button and the engine would stop running.  The car was on stands so he was standing on a stool in front of the car and leaning over the engine. Huge blue spark flash when he grabbed the coil.  He landed on the floor on his back and the stool landed on him.  I don't think he had any idea how he got there for a few moments.  I remember saying "we'll I guess we can eliminate that..." while laughing my ass off...

Pretty sure I remember much the same laugh.  There on the gas island bleeding and dad leaning against the fender laughing his ass off.  I should have picked up my milk crate and went home!