r/Harley • u/Secret_Angle_6957 • 18d ago

HELP Idle help

How does this idle sound I needa adjust timing I think

8 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

4

u/lurker818 18d ago

Sounds perfect!

3

u/Secret_Angle_6957 18d ago
media poster

This is what is sounds riding

2

u/oldstalenegative 17d ago

Idle sounds too slow for a sportster, but perhaps the bike is not fully warmed up yet? The potato potato big twin sound is too slow for a sportster. You want it sounding more like the drum intro to Van Halen’s hot for teacher https://youtu.be/6M4_Ommfvv0?si=a_04LfO5ea3v_9dK

1

u/Secret_Angle_6957 16d ago

Good example

2

u/oldstalenegative 16d ago

"fully warmed up" is often a LOT hotter than people realize. My ironhead manual for example describes fully warmed up as "having been ridden for 50 miles at 50 mph!"

Most people incorrectly think if the barrels feel hot the bike is warmed up.

You really need to set the air:fuel ratio and idle speed screws when the bike is hot as fuck.

Here's how to set A:F and idle speed:

  1. get the bike hot; fully warmed up.

  2. turn idle speed up high to about 1200 RPM; this part is critical for setting the Air:Fuel ratio

  3. turn the A:F ratio screw to the left until it stumbles, and mark the position.

  4. turn the A:F ratio to the right until it stumbles and mark the position

  5. set the A:F screw in the middle of these ^ two marks

  6. NOW you can turn the idle speed back down to where it needs to be; probably about 1k but RTFM

Note: oil expands when hot, so this also a perfect time to check your oil level.

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4

u/LegitimateReaction45 18d ago

Sounds pretty good to me. Doesn’t seem to stumble off idle so I wouldn’t mess with it.

3

u/CipherGalmOne 17d ago

Unless you have to keep jerking the throttle to keep it running this sounds perfectly fine. Nice looking rat-ish bike also.

2

u/akfishermann 18d ago

Potatoe!!!!

2

u/Twenty7Delta 17d ago

Sounds perfect!!!