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Off Idle stutter or miss

The Bad Man's Angel

The Bad Man's Angel

Active Member
I husband says if I'm gonna ride my own bike I have to learn to fix it as well.
My bike is a completely stock 2006 XL883L - Custom. With 1100 miles. Dealer serviced at 1000. I'm the 2nd owner, Bike had 600 miles when I got it last month.
The only complaint I have with it is a slight miss or stutter just off idle. Dealer told me that "they all do it and I should just learn to live with it."
I'm not a mechanical Wisard but I do no how everything works. Seams to me that the carb is to lean.
Any help?
 
The carbs are lean from the factory and the dealer is partially correct in this case, otherwise they lie like a rug .

A bit of rejetting in the carb will help out here. Usually upping the low speed jet to a 45/46 will cure the problem. Sometimes just the removal of the plug covering the idle mixture screw and an adjustment there will solve that problem too.
 
my '06 sporty 883 does this "miss" thing as well. Only when heated up to operating temp and rarely. Every now and again when I am just starting to pull out I will get the miss... and only one pop... it doesn't keep it up.

It does bug me but I learned to live with it... if it was more frequent I'd get all worked up... yep.

glider--- "lie like a rug"... ahahaha

when I bought my bike (used... 4,400 miles) the salesman told me that the bike was fully serviced when they got it in their store (new oil\filter\air filter\plugs\etc). I asked him specifically if all that was all good. I get the bike home and decide to maintain everything... to help me sleep at night. Turned out the oil was jet black and the air filter looked like it was growing a ZZtop beard! nice

When I bought my previous bike... Suzuki Savage 650... I asked the salesman how many horses it had. With a confused look he unconvincingly said.."50~60"... wrong... try 30.

Lie like a rug... yep... or just plain uneducated about their products.
 
Or just trying to make a quick sale. The sales people that tell you that are worse than the service dept. that tells you "they all do that".
I would have taken the oil back to them to show them and if they didn't give you the replacement oil for free, it would have no doubt leaked on the floor as I left perhaps:D

But that's just me!:s
 
The Bad Man's Angel said:
I husband says if I'm gonna ride my own bike I have to learn to fix it as well.
My bike is a completely stock 2006 XL883L - Custom. With 1100 miles. Dealer serviced at 1000. I'm the 2nd owner, Bike had 600 miles when I got it last month.
The only complaint I have with it is a slight miss or stutter just off idle. Dealer told me that "they all do it and I should just learn to live with it."
I'm not a mechanical Wisard but I do no how everything works. Seams to me that the carb is to lean.
Any help?
Click to expand...

I beleive there was a service bulliten sent out to the dealers in 05 on the ignitions for the 883....you might want to check this out at your dealer....or a dealer that cares
 
glider said:
The carbs are lean from the factory and the dealer is partially correct in this case, otherwise they lie like a rug .

A bit of rejetting in the carb will help out here. Usually upping the low speed jet to a 45/46 will cure the problem. Sometimes just the removal of the plug covering the idle mixture screw and an adjustment there will solve that problem too.
Click to expand...

Is this something I can do myself? I really would like to if it can be done with common hand tools.
Instructions and or drictions?
Thank you for your help!
 
The Bad Man's Angel said:
The only complaint I have with it is a slight miss or stutter just off idle. Dealer told me that "they all do it and I should just learn to live with it."
Click to expand...

Yes indeed they all do that.That's a bull(edit) answer however.I'd follow Gliders advice on upping to a 45 pilot jet.However I'd purchase it at another dealer/shop and after completed roll by the first dealer,show him it's fixed and politely inform him you'll be shopping elsewhere.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
glider said:
Not knowing your mechanical capabilities, I would say that many have done it themselves. There are posts in the self help forum that will help you do it yourself in this section.

Fuel and Carb Related Issues - Harley Davidson Community
Click to expand...

Thanks bunches!! I read all the CV tuning in the self help and had no problem curring the stutter / miss. I removed the Idle plug, turned the mixture screw in till it seated 3/4 turn and then backed it out 2 turns (where the Idle was smoothest) and all is well.
Rode in a poker run sponsored by the dealer where I bought the bike today. Bike ran great so I ask the wrench monkey (the one that told me "they all do that and you'll have to get used to it") "what's wrong with my bike it doesn't miss anymore"? He said make an appointment next week and he'd check it out to see what was wrong!!!
I told him he had the wrong job, that he needed to work at McDonald's testing the coffee to see if it was to hot!!!!!
Thanks again!! This web site rocks and you are all very helpful!!
 
Glad it worked out for you. Between you and Joy here, I'll not be needed soon:D

Glad you mentioned it to the wrench but it looks like it went right over his head. I like the coffee thing! :D
 
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