1. After 20+ years it's time to pass the torch. If you are interested in acquiring this forum please contact support@cv-performance.com for details. Any spam will be reported and blocked.
  2. Welcome to Bike Talk, a forum for all bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts. If you are new to Bike Talk, be sure to register for free and join the conversation.

    There's always someone around willing to help out with questions or give a friendly wave back. All Harley and metric riders are welcome.

I'm out of ideas, need some input

Discussion in 'Motorcycle Tech Talk' started by plumbertom, Sep 22, 2010.

  1. plumbertom

    plumbertom Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2009
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Atascadero Ca.
    A couple of weeks ago while returning to L.A. from N. Ca. along Hwy. 1, I noticed a change in the sound of my exhaust tone. I was just cruising along at about 70 MPH. there was nothing else that seemed to different at that moment. But when I stopped to look at things to see if I could spot a problem, nothing was visible, and restarted the bike the idle seemed to wander a little.
    Then I noticed the acceleration while still quite good seemed to be not what it was. It's possible that could be an imaginary difference because of my anxiety.
    But when I blip the throttle it doesn't respond as quick as it used to and it still seems lacking just a little power than what I have been used to.
    Now, I've checked the fuel mileage and it's consistent with what I've been getting, right at 40-41 MPG. I've had the A/C off and pt my finger over the idle air port to check for a intake leak and the engine dies immediately when it's blocked.
    I've done the full engine service on the bike also. Oil filter, oil, plugs, washed the air filter, even replaced the in tank fuel filter.
    I've hooked the Thundermax up to the computer and checked the sensor log and the fuel maps and it all reads fine.
    I ran a compression test and both front and rear cyls pump up to 150 PSI, while cranking the rear cyl. test it did seem to pump up a little slower but not much.
    Yet I still feel something is not right. The bike just feels and sounds different to me.
    This is a stock '09 TC96 with 40,000 miles, the only mods being SE A/C, slip on Samson mufflers and a Thundermax Autotune.
    Even with everything I've done, I wonder if I could have burned a valve.
    I don't have the equipment to do a leak-down test. Should this be my next test? I'll have to research how to do it and buy the tools needed.
    Any Ideas as to what it might be and how to test for it would be greatly appreciated.
    Like I said the bike still runs very well doesn't miss that I've noticed, seems to have a lot of power and gets as good of mileage as it has in the past.
    since I came back from N. Ca. I've put around 800 miles on it and it still seems different than what it was.
  2. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2004
    Messages:
    13,682
    Likes Received:
    584
    Location:
    Mouseville USA
    you could swap out the tmax for the stock ECM and see if it runs better or the problem goes away,
  3. plumbertom

    plumbertom Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2009
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Atascadero Ca.
    That crossed my mind and I may try that if all else fails but everything the Tmax does can be read on my laptop. If everything is showing correct I suspect it is correct.
  4. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2004
    Messages:
    13,682
    Likes Received:
    584
    Location:
    Mouseville USA
    possible, still it would be worth checking before
    pulling everything else
    150 sounds low but I"m used to high compression engines.
    both being 150 is good...

    Try new plugs, check plug wires, check battery voltage, charging, check cables and connections especially grounds....
  5. plumbertom

    plumbertom Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2009
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Atascadero Ca.
    Harley manual says anything above 125 and 10% between cyls. is good.
    I've done the other stuff you suggest except swapping the ECM.
    What I'm thinking now is maybe I need to pull the mufflers and check out the baffles to make sure they haven't burned out. I've been running a pretty rich AFR, at least compared to the stock mix, through them for about 20K miles. If it still had catalytic converters that would have been my first thought but the '09s had the converters in the mufflers not the header like the '10 and now the '11 models.
  6. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2004
    Messages:
    13,682
    Likes Received:
    584
    Location:
    Mouseville USA
    could be stuffed up mufflers,
    a good set of Khrome Werks slip ons would be good.

    Put the stockers in the garage for checkups!
  7. Lucifer

    Lucifer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2008
    Messages:
    3,861
    Likes Received:
    102
    Location:
    Cape Breton NS,Canada
    I agree with HRK...the baffles might need to be repacked, the fiberglass in them will either burn up or get blown out the tail pipe a little at a time.
  8. plumbertom

    plumbertom Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2009
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Atascadero Ca.
    "Samson mufflers do not come with baffle wrap, they are all steel construction."
    That's a direct quote from JR at Samson.
  9. cowboy

    cowboy Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2006
    Messages:
    9,926
    Likes Received:
    50
    Location:
    Alvin TX
    he's right , I've never seen a set of samsons with wrap in them , but the mettel does have a lot of small holes some might have gotten a clog ,I have a set of there ovels do it took them off & used a led light , pourd a littl gas in there rolled it around & lit them up them ran the water hose in the end & put it out cleaned it up
    there where off the bike

Share This Page