How to Start a Harley Ultra Classic

As the largest member of the Harley-Davidson family, an Ultra Classic can be an imposing machine to a new motorcycle rider. Starting an Ultra Classic and waking its motor is a fairly simple task, despite its collection of switches and buttons. Although there are a few differences between the fuel-injected and carbureted models, the differences in the starting procedure take very little time.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. • 1

     Sit on your Ultra Classic, and lift if off of its kick stand. Unlock the ignition switch on the handlebars, using the ignition key, then turn the switch to the right to activate the motorcycle's electrical system.

   • 2

     Reach under the left side of the fuel tank, and turn the fuel valve to the "On" position if your Ultra Classic is carbureted.

   • 3

     Look at your Ultra Classic's dashboard, and check that the green neutral indicator is illuminated. If it is not illuminated, press down on the shift lever repeatedly until the neutral indicator illuminates.

   • 4

     Flip the kill switch on the right handlebar into the "Run" position, using your right thumb. Wait for the fuel pump to prime (fuel-injected models only), indicated by a slight hum.

   • 5

     Pull in the clutch lever with your left hand, and press the starter button on the right handlebar with your thumb.

   • 6

     Release the clutch lever slowly once the motor has started.

How to Remove the Baffles From a Harley Exhaust

Baffles muffle the sound in the exhaust pipes.

Harley's exhaust system has gotten quieter throughout its evolution. If you are looking for a way to add more sound, an easy way to do it is to remove the baffles. The baffles are located in the pipes of the exhaust system of your Harley and can be removed without damaging the bike. You can take your bike to an authorized Harley Davidson shop to have this done, but the cost will be much higher than doing it yourself using tools that you likely have on hand.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Electric drill
• Vise grips
• 1 3/4-inch bi-metal hole saw
• WD-40 or cutting oil

1. • 1

     Remove the bit from your drill and attach the hole saw. An electric drill works well for this purpose.

   • 2

     Coat the exhaust pipes with WD-40 or cutting oil, taking care to coat the pipe fully where the baffles are. Keep the pipes coated with oil while cutting to reduce the risk of accidents, and to keep the drill and saw blade from overheating.

   • 3

     Cut just above the chrome ring on the end of the exhaust pipes one at a time. Continue cutting until you have gone through the first and second layers of the pipe.

   • 4

     Clamp the vice grips onto the baffles and twist the baffles one at a time to remove them from the inside of your exhaust pipes. The baffle is the metal piece inside the pipes.

   • 5

     Put the exhaust pipes back on the bike if you removed them for the drilling process.

Tips & Warnings

• You may wish to remove both exhaust pipes from your Harley before removing the baffles to make the job easier.

• Keep the exhaust pipes covered with oil while cutting them to reduce the possibility of accident or injury.

How to Change Oil on a Sportster 1200

A Harley-Davidson motorcycle is an American icon, and the Sportster 1200 is one of its many models. Like all other vehicles, the Sportster 1200 uses oil to lubricate critical engine components. If the engine is not properly lubricated, then it can overheat and the engine can seize. If that happens, you must overhaul the entire motor. To keep your Sportster 1200 running smooth, change the oil every 3,000 to 4,000 miles.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver Oil catch pan 3 quarts of fresh oil New oil filter Rag

1. • 1

     Start your Sportster 1200 engine and allow it to warm up.

   • 2

     Turn off the engine after it has reached normal operating temperature.

   • 3

     Loosen the retaining screw on the hose clamp holding the oil drain hose to the frame of the bike. This is the only hose on the Sportster with a hose clamp.

   • 4

     Slide the hose clamp out of the way and pull the drain hose off the frame and allow the oil to drain into the oil catch pan.

   • 5

     Remove the oil filter by turning it counterclockwise.

   • 6

     Reconnect the oil drain hose and tighten the hose clamp over it.

   • 7

     Install a new oil filter. Tighten the oil filter hand-tight only. Do not apply excessive torque on the oil filter. It needs to be on just tight enough so that oil does not leak out from around the edges of the filter.

   • 8

     Open the engine oil filler cap on the top of the engine and pour in three quarts of oil.

   • 9

     Clean up any oil that has spilled on the engine during the draining process with a clean rag.

How to Fix Oil in a Harley Air Filter

Harleys are a popular motorcycle.

The oil on a Harley Davidson motorcycle air filter is a thick, sticky oil that grabs and holds dirt and debris that pass through the air intake box. Harley owners often apply too much air filter oil to the air filter. This can damage the air intake and cause a big mess. The process for correcting this problem is simple and usually takes only about 10 minutes.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 5-gallon bucket
• Petrol

1. • 1

     Remove the seat from the Harley and locate the air filter. Remove the air filter from the air intake box by unscrewing the butterfly nut and pulling the air filter out of the air intake box.

   • 2

     Place the 5-gallon bucket on a flat concrete surface away from grass and plants. Pour 1 gallon of the petrol into the bucket.

   • 3

     Place the air filter in the bucket and allow the air filter to soak for five minutes. Remove the air filter from the bucket and allow the petrol to evaporate until the air filter is completely dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Petrol will remove the oil and it won't hurt the air filter.

How to Make Harley Pipes Louder

Making your Harley pipes louder can be done in three ways.

Making your Harley pipes louder doesn't necessarily mean that you have to spend a lot of money. What's key, however, is understanding the various options one has as well as understanding what your exhaust system does. Three ways of making your Harley pipes louder are re-tuning the engine, removing the baffles or by swapping out baffles on certain models of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

• 1

  Retune the engine to make Harley pipes louder while improving performance. Out of the factory the Harley Davidson is tuned to meet requirements for noise reduction and emissions standards. To do so, the electronic control unit (ECU) optimizes the air and fuel intakes into the motor for these purposes. By retuning the bike to peak performance with the addition of an computer control unit, you can both make the biker louder and deliver more power. Control units that change the fuel and air flow through the engine are available at dealerships and can be found online.

• 2

  Remove the baffles or drill holes in them to increase air flow through the pipes. By doing so, the motorcycle's pipes will be very loud. However, while drilling out the baffles or drilling holes in them will make the Harley louder, it will not improve performance. In fact, over time the performance of the Harley will drop off.

• 3

  Attach slip on mufflers. There are a number of aftermarket slip on mufflers--some with removable baffles that can be swapped out. Slip on mufflers go on the end of the Harley-header pipes. They are a less expensive alternative to completely installing new pipes. Upon doing so, the engine will need to be retuned to adjust for the new airflow through the fuel and exhaust systems. Slips-on mufflers make your Harley pipes louder and improve performance with out swapping out the entire exhaust system

Harley Davidson Springer FXST Information

Harley Davidson is one of the most recognizable names in the world of motorcycles. The Harley Davidson FXST Springer is a cruiser-style motorcycle that is known for its classic Harley Davidson looks. The Springer got its name due to the fact that it had a "springer" front end which used exposed springs as opposed to a telescopic fork.

1. Engine Specifications

   • The 2005 Harley Davidson Springer FXST has a 1,449 cc V-twin engine with a bore and stroke of 3.8 by 4.0 inches.

   Performance Specifications

   • The 2005 FXSTs engine is capable of producing 78.2 foot-pounds of torque at 3,200 rpm. The compression ratio is 8.8-to-1 and the induction system utilizes a carburetor.

   Dimensions

   • The 2005 FXST is 95 inches long and has a wheelbase of 66.7 inches. This motorcycle clears the ground by 5.4 inches. The dry weight of the bike is 672.4 lbs.

Tech Tips for a Harley-Davidson Exhaust

1. • The right pipes will add to the performance of a Harley.

     Most people are well-acquainted with the unique sound of a Harley-Davidson exhaust system, but sound levels do not mean power. The design and size of exhaust pipes affect overall performance by helping control airflow and gas emissions throughout the engine. Whether using stock or specialty exhaust pipes on your Harley, always choose systems made for performance before flash and noise. The right choice will improve the operation and value of the motorcycle.

   Slip-Fit Mufflers

   • Slip-fit mufflers are installed over the original exhaust pipes.

     Slip-fit mufflers are a good idea from both an economic and installation standpoint, according to Harley-Performance.com. In addition to being able to keep the original stock exhaust pipes, the cost of a set of slip-fit mufflers is much less than a new set of Harley pipes. This type of pipe extension will improve a motorcycle's sound and performance through better air flow.

   Two-into-One Exhaust System

   • Two separate pipes join to form one exhaust pipe in this 2-into-1 system.

     A two-into-one exhaust system is just what it sounds like: two exhaust pipes that blend into one larger pipe. This system does best on a stock Harley-Davidson engine. Although earlier models tended to sacrifice sound for performance, newer designs incorporate an updated removable disc technology. These discs can be easily added or removed to control both the sound and exhaust flow of the system.

   Long Straight Pipes

   • The right exhaust pipes can enhance a motorcycle's performance.

     Aesthetics aside, running longer-than-stock Harley exhaust pipes can add to both performance and sound, as long as the diameter of the head pipes don't exceed 1 3/4 inches. Anything larger will begin to drastically reduce performance. Nightrider.com recommends considering average engine RPMs, gas speed and exhaust temperature before choosing longer pipes. Most riders have no need for complicated drag pipe designs on an average street bike, and there are several straight pipe designs pre-tuned for a standard exhaust Harley-Davidson.

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