I have an '03 Wide Glide with a 120R motor, 12 to 1 CR, S&S 640 Easy Start gear drive cams. You would think with the compression release feature of these cams that the bike would start without a hitch, but it doesn't. Here's the problem:
cold start- engine will not pull through compression with the first push of the start button, sometimes not the second either. But will most always start on the third push of the button.
Hot start- better luck but it's about 50/50, on first or second push.
Please don't tell me it's the battery. I have had 3 new batteries in 3 years.
Other than this small irritation, I Love the bike. 140hp/140lbs torque.
Carb or FI ?
mikuni HSR 48.
I wont tell you its the battery, but have you checked and cleaned the battery cables? Keep it on a battery tender ? Possibly a old weak starter ?
My 120" will have similar issues if I don't keep it on the battery tender. New heavy duty battery cables and a new starter helped me, my starter was the original in a 01roadking, so maybe 16 years old when I replaced it.
Have you tried a compression test ?
It would be worth seeing how much the Cams bleed off.
I have manual electric CR's on my 120-Mik48 setup (around 200 ccp), and with both engaged it spins over really fast.
Having said that, it doesn't like to fire unless I only use one CR .
One is powered from the starter, one via the horn switch !
Like I said, I've had three new batteries in three years so it's hard to believe that I've left terminals loose three times in a row. I do keep it on a battery tender and the starter is a Rivera Primo with aftermarket heavy duty cables. ignition-twin tech. Also during this problem I switched from chain drive cams to gear drive cams, both S&S 640 "easy-starts". None of this has made any change.
not sure but at 12.1 not sure that easy start will be enough, could be wrong , also lifter bleed down , I run 11.3 with manual release and still have to hold the rear open with finger to get beast to start , might want to add some manual releases . sucks , Vulcan these are the best I've found
https://secure.vulcanworks.net/store/10mm-Compression-Release-Sets.html
might not be issue but after that many batteries , and it still cranks slow
Sounds like manual releases would be a cure.
Quote from: majorbob on June 19, 2019, 06:27:38 AM
Like I said, I've had three new batteries in three years so it's hard to believe that I've left terminals loose three times in a row. I do keep it on a battery tender and the starter is a Rivera Primo with aftermarket heavy duty cables. ignition-twin tech. Also during this problem I switched from chain drive cams to gear drive cams, both S&S 640 "easy-starts". None of this has made any change.
Compression test it while hot, see what the cranking pressure is with the Easy starts. Let the forum know.
I have had two extremes of starting in my last two motors.
In 2004 I built an "Underground Head" 95" motor which where all the rage back then. Wood TW6-HG cams/10.5 & manual comp releases. I used a Wood 44mm carb & DTT ignition. It ran GREAT, but that POS was so hard to start I ended up not riding it at times. I put in a brand new battery, 2 gauge battery cables, an AllBalls 1.7 KW starter, used manual comp releases every single time & even with all that it kicked back constantly, ripped up compensators etc.etc.etc.
By the time I got rid of it, I had given up on trying to cure the problem.
Now, I am running an FI high comp 124 with S&S 640 EZ start cams. With heavy battery cables, a lithium battery & stock starter it starts so fast I can barely get my thumb off the button. What a difference, this motor is a pure pleasure to start compared to that F***** 95" beast LOL.
~John