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103ci hot and noisey

Bottom line is that MoCo dosnt make a quiet, air cooled, push rod motor. I am not saying that there are not problems with some of them, but thats the nature of the beast. It is sad to spend that kind of money on a bike and to support an american company and end up on the couch while everyone elese gets to ride, trust me I am on the couch with a broke 103. I could have bought three 07 goldwings for the price of my 07 roadking, but I wanted another harley and wanted to say I support America. I do belive that the twin cam strokers are louder and hotter but you are sitting right on top of it, if you rode a hair dryer it would be the same. I have the 07 RK with 103 & 6-speed with less than 4,000 miles and have to put new head gaskets on it, and I havent even put 400 miles on it- ITS A BIG BUMMER, but I will fix the pig and will put some miles on it. Hopefully this will be the last of the kinks because my pockets are not deep enuf to keep dishing it out to these greedy dealers, now that would be a great topic for a thread "HOW HARLEY NEEDS TO GET A GRIP ON HOW THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE TREATED BY THE DEALERS". people say they cant do any thing about it but I know for a fact that the dealers have to get a licence through harley and have rules to follow, need some better rule that would benifit the rider/customer!!!!!!!!! :bigsmiley12:
 
[This is pretty major and scary. I had an HD oil cooler installed on my new RKC 96cu when I bought it (not much difference between the 103). To think it is ruining my engine sends chills up my spine. Does anyone know if this is true fact or a dealer shootin' it to a customer. Really, that's a major serious problem.]

None of this makes much sense... I rode my brand new 1996 FXSTC all over Houston and East Texas - 20,000 plus mile with no heat, ping problem at all. However, before I picked up the brand new bike, Mancuso HD put in a cam, S&S carb, Screamin Eagle mufflers and ignition module on it. I wonder how it would have run in complete stock form?
 
May be Harley has the 103 lined out now I have removed the cats and put on a full system and had it dyno tuned and I have experienced no heat issues at all but the lifters do sound a little noisier that my TC96 but not as noisy as a 110 CVO I drove at bikes ands blues last year the motor noise was louder than the exhaust on that thing
 
Dont have a 103, my bike is a 96" and don't know how you define "hot" or "noisey" but can tell you most people feel HD's run hot from the factory. Looks like you have a decatted Stage 1 so, as long as your fluids are good, I'd say your running as cool as your gonna get without putting in cams. Take some temperature readings if you can and get back with us. (you'll note the new HD oil temp gauges read up to 350*).

As far as noisey, it's a v-twin, they make noise, especially compared to water cooled metric bikes. Can you be a little more specific??
I can't say re: the 103, I have a 96CI as well. The 96CI is very cool in comparison to my old Kawy Voyager (liquid cooled). It was very hot on the right side.
 
i have a 2012 street glide engine is far noiser than my 09 96 cubic inch engine a lot of excessive top end noise and lifter rattle in the morning oncold start up tec at harley shop said they are having a lot of lifter problems with the 2012 they will change them out for me but wait see if the motor company comes out with a fix or replacments
I have a 2012 sg mine just started getting noise in it end of last yr.took it in to get cam upgrade found cam,lifters and oil pump shot.now I do have 80,700 on it so no complaints here.
 
Most horror stories with any Harleys when modified from stock relates to how well job was done and what the root cause of failure is. If you ride them like you stole them stock or modified, then you are bound to have problems at some point.
As to noise if there was none it must not be running, and when just like the older Harleys, if they were not leaking oil then they were out of oil. Its all in the character of Harley...
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All much ado about nothing. The only differences between a 103" motor and a 95" motor is 8". Get rid of the catalytic converters, upgrade the OEM lifters, install a good fuel management system and get a proper tune and the 103" motor can be as cool and as quiet as a 95" motor. A compensator upgrade might be required as well. I don't know if the later six speeds have quieted down the 5th gear noise but believe that was finally addressed as well. Should one have to make those changes to cool and quiet the motor down? I don't think so; however, it is what it is until the MoCo, and they will, come up with a suitable replacement or modifications to the 45*, air cooled, pushrod vtwin. The wet head motors was the first step but there will be more to come. Some will like take to the future changes and some will noto_O. Meanwhile I continue to modify and ride the wheels of my '02 FLHT and '05 FXSTD and may never buy a new Harley.:rolleyes: I did breakdown and buy a BMW R9T last year. Don't let anybody tell you that the horizontally opposed twin doesn't throw off major heat and that it is sewing machine quiet but it will carve up the twisties!;)
 
It's not just Harleys that make noise. I had a Yamaha stratolliner with 113 cubic inch engine and it made top end noise too. So much so that there were many post in the forums about it. You are sitting right on top of an engine and if you could sit on your car engine, it would make noise too.
 
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