6 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Problems [With Fixes]

Harley’s Ultra Classic has been one of the most popular, powerful, and well-received motorcycles in the market for a couple of years.

Its magnificent performance, superb power, and appealing aesthetics contribute to its success and help in providing a decent road presence of the Ultra.

All thanks to its 1690cc, four-stroke, V-Twin, two-cylinder, and air-cooled engine. This beast generates over 75 HP in power, 100 ft-lb in torque figures, and magnificent 40 MPG fuel economy to surpass a tank range of over 200 miles with its 6 gallon tank.

But there are several Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Problems and some of them can’t be neglected as ignoring them would make things worse and it will later cost you a lot more. Let’s take a look at all of them along with proper fixes in this detailed guide.

6 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Problems

As the Harley Ultra Classic passed the road tests, these problems rose into power to give it a tough time.

The most notable ones are CAM tension wearing out, clogged fuel lines, leaking fuel tanks, transmission problems, problems while upshifting and downshifting, overeating, bad regulators, ABS failure, bearings wear and tear, and throttle body connector problems.

1. CAM Tensioner Wear and Tear

Harley Davidson Ultra Classic has been around for many years but problems start to rise after its first generation. The early models before 2007 are known to have CAM tensioner issues.

The 1999 to 2007 models were most affected and sadly there was not any kind of recall on this problem. In the early days of the problem, most people had no clue about this problem and they used to worry with no idea on what should be done.

This problem leads to sudden engine failure and people confuse it with stalling, although it’s never been a significant problem in the Harley Davidson Ultra Classic. This machine has very few complaints regarding stalling problems.

The actual problem lines in the cam tensioner and it’s related to wear and tear. Now, the cam tensioner is an important transmission part used in motorcycles to prevent any kind of gear from slipping or skipping.

The camshaft is well-timed and syncs with the motorcycle chain and ensures proper tension between the crank gear and the last cam gear of the transmission system. 2000 to 2003 Ultra Classic used 5 speed transmission and they had less vibration with a great compression ratio.

However, these models used to have a plastic piece in the joint of the cam arm follower which occasionally breaks due to excessive wear and tear between metallic components. Both the metal and plastic grinds and chips fall into the oil pump.

These plastic grinds and metal shavings then block the oil pump and get inside of the oil lines later leading to blockage of these lines. As a result, the engine is cut down and never starts. Sadly, there was not a proper solution until Harley came up with a hydraulic CAM gear kit.

Over time, the issue was resolved and was not a big deal. If you are planning to get 2007 and early models, make sure to check its cam tensioner system so you won’t later mess up with it. Otherwise, it will cost you a lot more, and sometimes it’s hard to find the parts or gear kit.

These hydraulic kits can also fail as there are still a few plastic tensioners, but they need to be checked every 15,000 miles. If you could take notes of these things and look at them after the given millage, you are less likely to get these problems.

2. Clogged Fuel and Oil Lines

In the Harley Davidson Ultra Classic models between 1999 to 2007 models, the clogged lines were a major trouble. The main reason was the failure of the cam tensioner and the metal shavings falling into the oil pump.

These shavings later block the oil lines and deteriorate them leading to leakages. As far as the lines leakage, the best solution is to upgrade them to stainless steel lines and remove existing rubber lines.

Then, refresh the oil in the oil pump and reservoir by adding fresh, new, and high quality oil. Also, make sure to clean both its reservoir and oil pump to eliminate any kind of metal shavings or plastic chips.

Oil leakage has been a common problem in Harley motorcycles. Not due to their quality, but since there are more seals, more rings, and more gaskets installed in the Harley motorcycle than other brands. The presence of more such things causes more and more leaks.

But Harley installs more of them due to some reasons and they know their job pretty well. Still, the 2017 Ultra Classic was recalled due to an oil leak and Harley changed all of them for free.

Compared to Cam tensioner issues, this is not a big or more technical problem, and fixing them is not a big deal. Even a new Harley owner can do it himself without much of a problem.

However, to keep things going, you need to regularly check them and change them instantly if anything seems phishing or leaking. There are many areas to check for the leaks. Owners had issues related to gasket failure. These gaskets can leak but they are fixable too.

3. Transmission Problems

Another most important but frustrating series of problems exists in its transmission and it mainly relates to the 2006 and later models. The early models of Harley Davidson Ultra Classic used to have 5 speed transmission and Harley has been trying to improve things since day one.

After all, the 2006 and later models adopted a 6-speed transmission and they were far superior to the 5 speed transmission.

The latest addition allowed users to glide on roads both at high and low speed and the motorcycle was very well controlled in the low RPMs too. There was no or any kind of lack of control in heavy traffic or a windy day. Everything used to be under control.

However, as time passes, a whining noise starts to take place and dominates the machine with this issue. It was in 5th gear when the rider engaged the bike in 5th gear to increase speed. It was not a technical issue in actuality but a design flaw. Yes, a design flaw, in the Harley!

The whining noise in the fifth gear had a technical reason related to the shape of the gears. The Harley uses a Spur gear design in the transmission and gearbox because they are easy to manufacture. Due to a series of dynamic loads in the gear teeth, the gear used to make serious noise.

To eliminate this issue, there are 3 or 4 ways to do it. First, just ignore it (although it’s not ignorable due to massive noise). Second, it would be better if Harley would install a helical gear. A helical gear would be the best as there are more teeth in this gear and they are not cut straight.

Of course, it can’t be done now. Another similar thing you can do is to increase the overlapping ratio of teeth and it will provide a large impact area to eliminate the noise a little bit. Again, this is related to gear machining and it’s not DIY.

So, the only solution which is left is to use high grade synthetic lubricant or transmission gear oil like Spectro 75/140 Platinum. Such oils are pretty useful in V Twin engines and big transmissions to provide smoothness but eliminate noise and heat issues by controlling friction.

4. Overheating Problem and Bad Regulator

The four most important and problematic issues in this motorcycle are related to overheating.

The Harley Davidson Ultra Classic is prone to overheat while it’s running in slow traffic, on a pretty hot summer day, when you are standing at traffic signals, or enjoying your city tours at low speed.

And, we all know, overheating is a pretty big risk and dangerous for the engine’s health. Not just for the engine, it also roasts your leg like you are putting it on a grill for cooking.

To eliminate overheating, you can try several things and one of them must work. First is to use heat shields around the entire motorcycle or at least wrap its exhaust pipes. However, the second thing to do, The first is to clean radiator fins as they can clog with time.

When they are clogged, the fresh air shall not pass through it and the radiator won’t work effectively to cool it. Also, make sure that the radiator fan is working fine and it’s not warming up.

Make sure the wiring is doing great because electrical wiring can also contribute to overheating. The first example is the bad regulator, especially in the 2012 models which notices a recall on masses.

The regulator is installed to regulate the voltage from the power output and protect your motorcycle’s battery from overcharging. Otherwise, it will blow too. If the regulator is bad, the lights will be dim and the motorcycle will start draining the battery until you replace it.

5. ABS and Bearings Failure

The Ultra Classic comes equipped with ABS. ABS should be an important part of a rider’s life as it helps make things impressive. Ultra Classic has one of the best ABS in Harley’s league, but it still used to catch some issues with time.

The 2008 models were recalled due to faults in the ABS. It used to have several issues with its wiring, wheel speed sensor, failure of ABS warning light, and loss of effectiveness of ABS braking.

These all things used to fail at some moment, ruining the reputation of Harley, but most importantly, risking the life of a rider sitting on it.

First, you need to try getting an Ultra Classic motorcycle from 2009 and later models so you won’t be affected by this failure. However, if you found a good deal of the 2008 model, make sure to check if it’s been recalled already. Else, you had to do it at your expense.

However, there are not a whole lot of things to be done here in this regard. But, only in this case, if you have got a nice pair of ABS in your machine.

First of all, you need to change the brake fluid at least once in 18 months so the ABS pump won’t fall. If you do it with care and properly, there won’t be any problem again and you will be able to ride and stop this motorcycle effectively.

Other than its ABS failures, there are different sets of bearings at several spots in this machine. These bearings are prone to fail. Most of these bearings are located in the main shaft, primary case, steering neck, and wheel bearings.

They all fail at some moment. The cam bearing also fails and promotes cam tensioner fault, but it typically happens less compared to failures of other bearings. For the wheel bearings, replace them each time you change your tires or at least check them every 20 to 25k miles.

Also, adjust them if they are fine. Otherwise, replace them and you are all good to go. The main shaft and primary bearings can fail and they produce noise as a symptom of failure. They also must be checked every 40000 miles.

6. Throttle Body Connectors and Valve Body Issues

Last but not least, another notable and sometimes frustrating problem that occurs in the Harley Davidson Ultra Classic is in the throttle body and valves. The valve body is used to develop issues when it’s not well-maintained or serviceable in the long run.

The valve bodies are pretty helpful and important in providing smooth transmission. It can fail and one of the reasons for its failures is due to wear and tear, and oil leaks.

It develops a poor oil pressure and valves do not operate at such pressure leading to leaks and damage. However, it’s fixable but it will need a proper rebuild as the only solution.

Otherwise, replacement is always an option for integral components. The same for the throttle body connectors, they fail because water gets into them if you ride commonly or mostly in rain. But it is also fixable and it is generally less technical to fix.