Harley Davidson Mechanic Return To Cm Acfter Working In The States For Years

[Semper]

Can he fix Honda Waves also? I have some issues with mine?

Over 6,000 posts and nothing positive to say. Why not ride the Wave and forget about bigger bikes. Absolute dribble and know nothing about a subject like this.

Just noticed your avatar. And it seems that you know a lot about HD bikes, but somehow you need a specialist to do the maintenance on them. Why is this? Please enlighten me about Harley Davidson bikes and why they are so special from other bikes.

For your information, I've built, rebuilt and modified engines from this:

To this:

Edited January 16, 2013 by Semper

[DaamNaam]

Can he fix Honda Waves also? I have some issues with mine?

Over 6,000 posts and nothing positive to say. Why not ride the Wave and forget about bigger bikes. Absolute dribble and know nothing about a subject like this.

Just noticed your avatar. And it seems that you know a lot about HD bikes, but somehow you need a specialist to do the maintenance on them. Why is this? Please enlighten me about Harley Davidson bikes and why they are so special from other bikes.

For your information, I've built, rebuilt and modified engines from this:

To this:

No you haven't, or else you wouldn't ask the question.

Harley's are a specialist bike, unlike most rice burners available here. Would you take your Bose stereo to Samsung to fix it?

Or are you just trolling? Your question has already been answered more than once.

[Semper]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

[NeverSure]

I think a point that's missed is that a lot of guys want their Harleys personalized. There is a huge combination of things that can be done to change the torque curve, the HP curve, the sound and other things. When you just do what's called a stage one mod to the engine, you still need a download to the computer or a rejetting of the carb to richen the mixture. Harley started using EFI on some bikes in the later 90's and increased rapidly after that. There is no way to tune one without owning the right electronic equipment including a full set of software downloads.

Just like our hot rod cars of days gone by for me now, the selection of cams alone dictates a lot of other things that need to match such as compression ratio, carb model and or settings and CFM, and the list goes on and on.

Modifying a Harley to personalize it is just part of what guys choose to do. That's without getting into bling.

Suffice to say that a freer flowing exhaust will lean out the mixture as will a freer flowing intake or a "bigger" pair of cams. So will bigger valves. Most of these items are aftermarket and the choices so broad that no one knows what the computer needs when it's finished without and exhaust probe at the very least and then the equipment to alter the EFI computer settings. Too lean and it runs too hot which is the biggest danger and will happen to any engine. The incoming fuel does a lot of cooling as it vaporizes. I've seen a Chevy 350 V8 burned up from being too lean.

So, lighten up guys. It's part of the Harley hobby and experience - personalizing.

The fit and finish and paint jobs on Harleys are second to none regardless of whether someone prefers a lower RPM high torque engine like a Harley, or a high RPM horsepower priority engine like many Japanese bikes. They are all good bikes. It's common to see a Harley engine go far beyond 100,000 miles with no major repairs and not unheard of for one to go 200,000.

Owning a Harley is like owning a 69 Camaro with a built up engine. Yes by today's standards it's old technology but it still works well and if you want to know how popular that is just try to buy a really nice Camaro like that and see what it's worth.

When someone has a couple of hundred thousand miles in the seat of a Harley, has owned them for decades and has cruised the freeways and backroads and been to Sturgis a few times, he'll understand what it's about.

Sturgis? Maybe after all it's still about nekkid wemmen, LOL.

[rookball]

had a humble cheapest of line 883 back home for years. only had the dreaded cam chain rattling issues, other than that, its pretty fine. i guess the reason with harley being unreliable is due to modification. one of my mates rear frame developed cracks, probably due to his diy hardtail conversion. the engine itself are pretty dam_n bulletproof, just the usual cam chain and carb issues with the older models like mine. been out of the scene for a long time, but i suppose the newer models still as reliable or even more than the older ones

[NeverSure]

had a humble cheapest of line 883 back home for years. only had the dreaded cam chain rattling issues, other than that, its pretty fine. i guess the reason with harley being unreliable is due to modification. one of my mates rear frame developed cracks, probably due to his diy hardtail conversion. the engine itself are pretty dam_n bulletproof, just the usual cam chain and carb issues with the older models like mine. been out of the scene for a long time, but i suppose the newer models still as reliable or even more than the older ones

I don't know what year model you had. Harley Davidson has a checkered past. Sometime, about the late 70's, Harley sold out to AMF, the bowling pin company. They danged near ruined the company. In fact they actually did, and sometime in the early 80's some members of the Davidson family bought it back. In 1984 they introduced the now famous EVO (Evolution) engine and over the next decade made small improvements to that. Well, I guess the electric starter in about 1985 could be called more than small.

If you can find a late EVO with low miles and clean, you'll have a winner. I have a 1996 Wide Glide that you couldn't run fast enough to take away from me. Then in the late 90's the Twin Cam began to enter the various model lines and it's a winner.

So maybe you had an AMF shovelhead? They can now be rebuilt with quality machining and parts and be just fine, but otherwise they are still considered by many to be lemons.

I have a 1986 Heritage Classic which was the first year of the Heritage, the third year of the EVO, and the second year of electric starters. I have replaced the cam with a roller and some other parts like roller bearings but the originals hadn't failed. The best improvement was a Mikuni carb. The 96 doesn't need an aftermarket carb because of evolving improvements.

The roughness at idle which gives Harley its sound is due to a single pin crank. Harley has a copyright on that sound. Yamaha copied it in the late 90's for a short while but Harley sued and Yamaha had to stop. Once the engine gets up to speed it smooths out and the gobs of torque and relatively low RPM's make it a nice highway cruiser, especially with two up and on hills. In some countries, make that real mountains.

[ajahnlau]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

[kennedy]

I'd make a Harley comment, but it would be like insulting their wife.

[VETO72]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

Semper is always trolling around the edges of the pond and always moves away from the original post...by the number of posts he has up his sleeve ... my guess is he is very bored and has nothing to do but sit in a small, smelly dark apartment, [possibly with a few roaches running around eating leftovers] .... posting irrelivent s---t and thinking about the good old days and the man he used to be.....thats only my thoughts but.

[FLHR]

I try to refrain but feel the need to pipe in here. I've been riding HD's since 1981. I've tried many other sport & sport touring bikes but can't part from the ergonomics and torque of a Harley. Thousands of miles across the US (and here) on Shovels, Evo's & Twin Cams. Never broke down on the road & with the dozens of riding buddies only had rare issues that could be resolved on the spot (or at least good enough to get to a garage or home). They're reliable bikes and they're far from rocket science. With some mechanical aptitude, the right tools & service manuals you can maintain & upgrade everything yourself. I see a lot more issues here because manuals & proper tools aren't used in many cases. Hell, the last bike I bought here had the rear motor mounts in upside down & some wire splicing with an array of colors in it.

I think it's great to have another wrench in town & wish AJ all the best! I look forward to swinging by his shop in the near future & you all ride safe out there!!!

[mic6ard]

I'm not mechanically incline, so I tend to get lost in all this mess.

But where exactly is his place? Can someone put a map on here, or something.

Edited January 17, 2013 by mic6ard

[mic6ard]

I try to refrain but feel the need to pipe in here. I've been riding HD's since 1981. I've tried many other sport & sport touring bikes but can't part from the ergonomics and torque of a Harley. Thousands of miles across the US (and here) on Shovels, Evo's & Twin Cams. Never broke down on the road & with the dozens of riding buddies only had rare issues that could be resolved on the spot (or at least good enough to get to a garage or home). They're reliable bikes and they're far from rocket science. With some mechanical aptitude, the right tools & service manuals you can maintain & upgrade everything yourself. I see a lot more issues here because manuals & proper tools aren't used in many cases. Hell, the last bike I bought here had the rear motor mounts in upside down & some wire splicing with an array of colors in it.

I think it's great to have another wrench in town & wish AJ all the best! I look forward to swinging by his shop in the near future & you all ride safe out there!!!

The trouble I have here is that, I went to a supposedly big bike garage to get my pipes swap (simple, right?) from an ear drum bursting pipe to the OEM HD pipe. Guess what they managed to mess it up by not properly aligning the gaskets. Now my pipe is leaking exhausts, and waiting for some time to get it done right. Should have gone to my regular shop, but this place was just down the road and it's a simple(!!!) job.

Edited January 17, 2013 by mic6ard

[VETO72]

I'm not mechanically incline, so I tend to get lost in all this mess.

But where exactly is his place? Can someone put a map on here, or something.

its easy to get there...get on the 118 and head the doisaket way...go though the 3rd ringroad [the 121] staying on the 118 and you will come to a PTT gas station on your left go a little further [200 mtrs] and do the u turn come back towards the city about 50 mtrs he is located right beside a LPG station..should see a harley or two parked out front

[WinnieTheKhwai]

much needed a reliable professional factory trained mechanic to add to already existing Harley repair shops

being a Harley theres always a lot of broken down bikes that need the work of professional factory trained mechanic..that said they do make a nice noise for the immature biker who likes to frighten old ladies as he rides past

Not necessarily. The really loud ones have been modded by the owner to make them more noisy.

So you could blame the individual highfalutin owner for that.

Edited January 17, 2013 by WinnieTheKhwai

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Semper does know his engine stuff, I've been repeatedly impressed with how much sense he makes when the topic is car / engine stuff. (especially when compared to everything else he posts. )

However looking at this work of art I totally get not giving this to any local dude in an oily workshop who fixes Honda Dreams and Kubota farm equipment.

As much as I dislike big bike owners adopting the whole gang attitude and modding the exhaust to insane levels, jealous rants by Dream/Click/Fino riders are worse.

Edited January 17, 2013 by WinnieTheKhwai

[ajahnlau]

much needed a reliable professional factory trained mechanic to add to already existing Harley repair shops

being a Harley theres always a lot of broken down bikes that need the work of professional factory trained mechanic..that said they do make a nice noise for the immature biker who likes to frighten old ladies as he rides past

Not necessarily. The really loud ones have been modded by the owner to make them more noisy.

So you could blame the individual highfalutin owner for that.

Modded? Isn't that "ill eagle"?

[mamborobert]

much needed a reliable professional factory trained mechanic to add to already existing Harley repair shops

being a Harley theres always a lot of broken down bikes that need the work of professional factory trained mechanic..that said they do make a nice noise for the immature biker who likes to frighten old ladies as he rides past

Not necessarily. The really loud ones have been modded by the owner to make them more noisy.

So you could blame the individual highfalutin owner for that.

But it does stop wifey talking on the phone when riding pillion....

[rookball]

had a humble cheapest of line 883 back home for years. only had the dreaded cam chain rattling issues, other than that, its pretty fine. i guess the reason with harley being unreliable is due to modification. one of my mates rear frame developed cracks, probably due to his diy hardtail conversion. the engine itself are pretty dam_n bulletproof, just the usual cam chain and carb issues with the older models like mine. been out of the scene for a long time, but i suppose the newer models still as reliable or even more than the older ones

I don't know what year model you had. Harley Davidson has a checkered past. Sometime, about the late 70's, Harley sold out to AMF, the bowling pin company. They danged near ruined the company. In fact they actually did, and sometime in the early 80's some members of the Davidson family bought it back. In 1984 they introduced the now famous EVO (Evolution) engine and over the next decade made small improvements to that. Well, I guess the electric starter in about 1985 could be called more than small.

If you can find a late EVO with low miles and clean, you'll have a winner. I have a 1996 Wide Glide that you couldn't run fast enough to take away from me. Then in the late 90's the Twin Cam began to enter the various model lines and it's a winner.

So maybe you had an AMF shovelhead? They can now be rebuilt with quality machining and parts and be just fine, but otherwise they are still considered by many to be lemons.

I have a 1986 Heritage Classic which was the first year of the Heritage, the third year of the EVO, and the second year of electric starters. I have replaced the cam with a roller and some other parts like roller bearings but the originals hadn't failed. The best improvement was a Mikuni carb. The 96 doesn't need an aftermarket carb because of evolving improvements.

The roughness at idle which gives Harley its sound is due to a single pin crank. Harley has a copyright on that sound. Yamaha copied it in the late 90's for a short while but Harley sued and Yamaha had to stop. Once the engine gets up to speed it smooths out and the gobs of torque and relatively low RPM's make it a nice highway cruiser, especially with two up and on hills. In some countries, make that real mountains.

i guess i probably exagerrated the "for years" parts but bought mine during 02

not like the big boys but well this is mine

well, quite beaten up but its a workhouse that never failed me

Edited January 17, 2013 by rookball

[DaamNaam]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

His interest is winding people up (trolling). That's clear as day.

Anyway, I hope AJ does very well at his new "specialist" Harley shop. I'm sure he will.

[Rancid]

Can he fix Honda Waves also? I have some issues with mine?

Over 6,000 posts and nothing positive to say. Why not ride the Wave and forget about bigger bikes. Absolute dribble and know nothing about a subject like this.

Just noticed your avatar. And it seems that you know a lot about HD bikes, but somehow you need a specialist to do the maintenance on them. Why is this? Please enlighten me about Harley Davidson bikes and why they are so special from other bikes.

For your information, I've built, rebuilt and modified engines from this:

To this:

So is the lower picture that you modified from the upper one what in your Wave now? How's the fuel economy?

[mic6ard]

had a humble cheapest of line 883 back home for years. only had the dreaded cam chain rattling issues, other than that, its pretty fine. i guess the reason with harley being unreliable is due to modification. one of my mates rear frame developed cracks, probably due to his diy hardtail conversion. the engine itself are pretty dam_n bulletproof, just the usual cam chain and carb issues with the older models like mine. been out of the scene for a long time, but i suppose the newer models still as reliable or even more than the older ones

They're not burning through motor oil as much as gasoline, if that's what you mean. I but do still get it dripping if pushed hard. I totally agree that most of the problem comes when we mod the engine. Change on thing, you ended up changing many more things to make it balance again.

I changed the pipe (used to be F*** loud, but now waiting for a quiet pipe to arrive), that lead to changing air filter, then the tuner box and the list goes on and on.

Unless you know what part you're putting into the engine, you'll get lost trying to match everything up. That's where specialists comes in.

[Semper]

As for basic maintenance, I would suggest, doing some of it yourself. You can order the official factory service manuals, quite cheap, for most Harley models, online. You might surprise yourself and actually enjoy, wrenching your own bike.

Now, at least one member get my point.

[Semper]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

My interest/point was why HD owners all around the world, think that these very "special" bikes needs the attention of a very qualified mechanic to do normal maintenace on their bikes. Don't you get it, 2 cylinders, 2 pistons, a gear box. What does this make the so special from other bikes?

[ajahnlau]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

My interest/point was why HD owners all around the world, think that these very "special" bikes needs the attention of a very qualified mechanic to do normal maintenace on their bikes. Don't you get it, 2 cylinders, 2 pistons, a gear box. What does this make the so special from other bikes?

Give you a hint, what holds all these things together? Here it's metric. Duh

[DaamNaam]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

My interest/point was why HD owners all around the world, think that these very "special" bikes needs the attention of a very qualified mechanic to do normal maintenace on their bikes. Don't you get it, 2 cylinders, 2 pistons, a gear box. What does this make the so special from other bikes?

Still out fishing. You don't give in do you.

Sad indeed.

You never answered my question (many moons ago now) about the stereo analogy. So...would you take your Bose / Bang and Ollufsun stereo to a AJ / Aconatic repair man?

Thought not.

[mascarakatze]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

My interest/point was why HD owners all around the world, think that these very "special" bikes needs the attention of a very qualified mechanic to do normal maintenace on their bikes. Don't you get it, 2 cylinders, 2 pistons, a gear box. What does this make the so special from other bikes?

Now I know why you are so vacant in your responses. That is your actual photo..are you wearing a Harley t-shirt under your dress shirt with bow tie

[mascarakatze]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

My interest/point was why HD owners all around the world, think that these very "special" bikes needs the attention of a very qualified mechanic to do normal maintenace on their bikes. Don't you get it, 2 cylinders, 2 pistons, a gear box. What does this make the so special from other bikes?

Give you a hint, what holds all these things together? Here it's metric. Duh

This is what makes us so special

[DaamNaam]

Is that the guy from the village people?

Could have had Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top on it for a better example.

[Semper]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

My interest/point was why HD owners all around the world, think that these very "special" bikes needs the attention of a very qualified mechanic to do normal maintenace on their bikes. Don't you get it, 2 cylinders, 2 pistons, a gear box. What does this make the so special from other bikes?

Give you a hint, what holds all these things together? Here it's metric. Duh

Yes, but it wouldn't cost you a fortune to invest in a set of inch tools. To be more serious, DaamNaam gave you the answer in post #58, if you get the hint.

[funcat]

@ DaamNaam

I'm certainly not trolling, what would be the point of that? "Harley's are a specialist bike", can you please elaborate on this statement?

The topic is supposed to be information about a new shop in CM that spec. in HD service. Your interest is what?

My interest/point was why HD owners all around the world, think that these very "special" bikes needs the attention of a very qualified mechanic to do normal maintenace on their bikes. Don't you get it, 2 cylinders, 2 pistons, a gear box. What does this make the so special from other bikes?

Still out fishing. You don't give in do you.

Sad indeed.

You never answered my question (many moons ago now) about the stereo analogy. So...would you take your Bose / Bang and Ollufsun stereo to a AJ / Aconatic repair man?

Thought not.

Harley may have some 'bang'....but it's not a Bose...or Bang&Olufsen... ....I still want one,the V-Rod...but hey,it's more like a Porsche