What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
-
- Member
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2016 1:08 am
- Bikes: 1981 Harley-Davidson FLT
- Location: Nanaimo,BC, Canada
- Been thanked: 3 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
i want you to be my mechanic!!
cheers, evert.
cheers, evert.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 5327
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:00 pm
- Bikes: 1950 Panhead, Resto-Mod
1968 90", 5 Speed Shovelhead,
1984 Home Built Custom Evo 100" Bagger - Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Has thanked: 2801 times
- Been thanked: 2159 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
OIL FILTER..... AIR FILTER....
and, YOU should be your own mechanic. there is no one else who will stick by you forever, and be responsible for the work done on that bike, no one....
....RooDog....
and, YOU should be your own mechanic. there is no one else who will stick by you forever, and be responsible for the work done on that bike, no one....
....RooDog....
-
- Member
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2017 8:49 am
- Bikes: 1965 Panhead
1992 Jammer frame
43" Custom Springer
1991 Std Case
STD dual-plugged heads - Location: Bellingham wa
- Has thanked: 9 times
- Been thanked: 21 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
Battery tender. Gl4 gear oil. Straight weight oil - 50wt in winter 60wt in summer.
-
- Member
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:04 pm
- Bikes: 1963 Harley FLH; 1974 BMW R90S
- Location: Pennsylvania
- Has thanked: 6 times
- Been thanked: 7 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
Learn how to do an intake manifold leak test.
-
- Member
- Posts: 344
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 3:13 am
- Bikes: 1964 FL
- Location: Missouri
- Has thanked: 75 times
- Been thanked: 28 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
Agree with previous posts. I think the biggest tip for me is to use the bike and not let it sit months into seasons into years........which lately for me has been hard to do.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2096
- Joined: Fri May 24, 2002 1:00 am
- Bikes: 64FL 99FLHR 01FXSTD
- Location: Mpls. MN.
- Has thanked: 71 times
- Been thanked: 148 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
Man, it took me a while to realize this is a really old post, I'll have to be more observant....My main tip about Panheads is this, if you are not mechanically inclined, don't buy a Panhead.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1433
- Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 5:46 pm
- Bikes: Rigid Panhead bobber, 68 Shovelhead, 2000 Road King Police bike, 2000 Dyna Wide Glide
- Location: Rhode Island
- Has thanked: 997 times
- Been thanked: 711 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
Yeah. Or you could build one and become mechanically inclined (a slow process that can be expensive, but worthwhile to a certain type of person). A lot of good suggestions here, but I'll go with RIDE IT! Don't let it sit. I know directly what that can do. Also, clean it often and have a set of wrenches at hand when you do. Don't go nuts cleaning unless that's your thing, but examine the area you're cleaning closely - it's a good way to make sure fasteners are all tight, find leaks, and just keep a close tab on the bike's health in general. Pick one area and be thorough. You might be surprised at what you find. Come back and do another area later when you feel like it.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1408
- Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:25 am
- Bikes: 1950 panhead, 1999 FLHTCI, 1987 FLHTC custom
- Location: Daytona Beach
- Has thanked: 447 times
- Been thanked: 651 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
High quality hardware and OEM parts keeps my Pan happy!
Andygears
Andygears
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 5327
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:00 pm
- Bikes: 1950 Panhead, Resto-Mod
1968 90", 5 Speed Shovelhead,
1984 Home Built Custom Evo 100" Bagger - Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Has thanked: 2801 times
- Been thanked: 2159 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
Emphasis by ....RooDog....58flh wrote: ↑Tue Mar 08, 2016 5:09 pm For me it was always drilled in my head from a youngster /Frequent oil-changes & always go over the bike BEFORE you leave to go anywhere!/Have Points/cond./bailingwire/ductape/& a masterlink on the keyring.Then the basic tools to adj. primary & rear chains when gone for a few days.But the BEST ADVICE was getting my hands dirty & learning how to do everything yourself!/That came to me as a basket case at 16-yrs. old from my Dad./It was a 69 shortster.Also you cannot rule out PREVENTIVE MAINTAINANCE.-----Respectfully----Richie
If you have to ask about the masterlink,......
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 614
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 12:32 am
- Bikes: 1961 fl 1976 fxe
- Location: macon georgia
- Has thanked: 83 times
- Been thanked: 196 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
as many state on here buy a shop manuel for the years covering your motorcycle, bored and raining or cold and snowing , READ understand it practice it ,and yes if you can find someone with years of experience, listen,learn ask ,bench racing at the bar in the dead of winter learn the tricks that may help you on the road one day to get home, and on a fall sunny Saturday ride to local dealership when having an event, and watch the new people point at it and say where is electric starter? if its not a 65 model, and be nice put old rag under drip and they say thats a bad oil leak yes it was made to do that
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 614
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 12:32 am
- Bikes: 1961 fl 1976 fxe
- Location: macon georgia
- Has thanked: 83 times
- Been thanked: 196 times
-
- Member
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2018 4:22 pm
- Bikes: 1948 panhead
- Location: Simsbury, ct.
- Been thanked: 2 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
I have a 48 pan with a m74b carb. I’m no expert by any means. I inherited the bike which had the engine rebuilt and in a rolling frame. Took me about a year to get it on the road, and another year of not being able to get consistent cold starts. All systems were good as far as I knew. What I learned from the experts here was this bike loves gas, the linkert uses compression to draw gas into the cylinders. one day I was looking at the air filter without the cover and I saw the choke flap was not completely closed tight. The lever was all the way down, but the choke was not fully closed. Adjusted it so it closed tight. All of a sudden my starting routine worked every time. Choke flap not tight, not enough fuel draws into engine. My routine for cold starts is mostly what I’ve learned here.
1- gas on/ high test only
2- full choke/ make sure it closes tight
3- fully retard spark / I clean the plugs after a few rides
4- hold throttle full open
5- 4 full compression stroke kicks
6- relax for a few seconds/ give that fuel a chance to vaporize a bit
7- half choke
8- bring kicker to compression stroke
10- turn ignition key on
11- hold throttle about half open
12- 1 kick and it fires up/ return to full advance/open choke
1- gas on/ high test only
2- full choke/ make sure it closes tight
3- fully retard spark / I clean the plugs after a few rides
4- hold throttle full open
5- 4 full compression stroke kicks
6- relax for a few seconds/ give that fuel a chance to vaporize a bit
7- half choke
8- bring kicker to compression stroke
10- turn ignition key on
11- hold throttle about half open
12- 1 kick and it fires up/ return to full advance/open choke
-
- Moderator
- Senior Member
- Posts: 8407
- Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 4:09 am
- Bikes: Multiple H-D, Ducati, BMW, Triumph, BSA,...
- Has thanked: 482 times
- Been thanked: 2957 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
I wish I had a shop Manuel, I have to do everything on my own....
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1433
- Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 5:46 pm
- Bikes: Rigid Panhead bobber, 68 Shovelhead, 2000 Road King Police bike, 2000 Dyna Wide Glide
- Location: Rhode Island
- Has thanked: 997 times
- Been thanked: 711 times
Re: What are your top tips for keeping your panhead happy
So would you call him Manny?
That's a very common Portuguese name. Where I live there are a lot of Portuguese Americans. One day I was sitting outside a bar with a few guys and a parade went by. It was a Portuguese feast day. One of the guys I was with called out to his uncle Manny. I swear half of the parade turned to look over.