1981 Wide Glide Bike is missing and backfiring

Hi, Mike and the usual suspects are:
1. Throttle cables not properly adjusted.
2. Idle screw adjusted too low.
3. Air-fuel mixture screws not properly adjusted.
4. Pilot jet clogged.
5. Pilot jets too small.
6. Clogged air filter.
7. Faulty choke.
8. Multi carburetors not in sync.
9. Carburetor float needle valve stuck.
10. Fuel not getting to the carburetor.
11. Slide stuck in the carburetor.
For more information about your issue and valuable "FREE" downloads that you will need for viewing or printing please click on the blue links below and for more specific information or questions at no charge please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Good luck and have a wonderful day.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-glide-models/1129387-2011-wide-glide-is-dying-at-idle.html
http://www.mediafire.com/file/g3h2vn0nvw3b5wb/2001_Harley_Dyna_Service_Manual.pdf/file
https://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.com/ronnies/showmodel.asp?make=hdmc
http://mybikemanuals.com/harley-davidson/harley-davidson-dyna-glide-owners-manuals/
https://www.6ya.com/how-6ya-works to speak to me personally.

Hi, Peter, it should be noted that the reasons your check engine light or CEL stays on constantly or flashes and your bike will or will not start and may turnover or not, these conditions will vary from bike to bike depending on the year, make, and model and you should always refer to your owners/service manual for proper diagnostic procedures. It should also be noted that any type of prior work done to the bike or an abnormal event occurrence IE: adding accessories, electrical curiosity or adventures, laying the bike down or crashes, rainstorms or bike washings just before CEL light issues started can be significant hints or aids into tracking down the gremlin, also for 2003 and older models carry the appropriate jumper wire to access fault codes and reduce the risk of being stranded or towed also keep in mind that your CEL comes to life if anything, and I do mean anything isn't 100% with the ECM like parameter spikes. This means that you could be staring at a major repair, or your speedometer sensor is contaminated and needs to be cleaned.
And the usual suspects are:
1. Severely discharged or a damaged battery, check the terminals for damage or corrosion, check the battery cables at "BOTH" ends for loose, corroded, or broken connectors, "INSIDE" and outside the cable harness, perform connector wiggle test and check cables with an ohmmeter if necessary, you should have 12.5 volts or more and be able to pass a proper "LOAD" test if necessary, you may have a preliminary reading of 12.5 volts or more but little or zero amperage the battery is faulty and must be replaced, AGM batteries fail in this scenario more so than lead-acid batteries.
2. Faulty charging system.
3. Faulty system sensor some models have up to 40 sensors
4. Faulty safety switches: run/off, ignition, clutch lever, neutral, side stand, tip over, fuel, and or their connections.
5. The engine got wet where it didn't like to get wet.
6. Faulty ignition circuit spark plugs, coils, cables, etc.
7. Broken wire or worn insulation exposing wire to a ground situation especially inside wire harness at tight bends around fairing brackets, under dash panels, under fuel tanks over cylinder heads etc. Many harnesses are open on the ends that will allow water to enter and accumulate at v-bends.
Dielectric grease and contact cleaner are your best friends for wire/cable/harness connectors, look for corroded, broken, or loose pins/sockets. Run speedometer diagnostics and check for generated fault codes.
For more information about your issue and valuable "FREE" downloads that you will need for viewing or printing please click on the blue links below and for more specific information or questions at no charge please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Good luck and have a wonderful day.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-glide-models/1025422-engine-light-and-speedometer-needle-issues.html
http://www.mediafire.com/file/jl8r784mf99v62w/2007+Harley+Dyna+Service+Manual.pdf
https://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.com/ronnies/showmodel.asp?make=hdmc
https://ownersmanuals2.com/harley-davidson/wide-glide-2007-owners-manual-66493
https://www.6ya.com/

get it serviced

Could be contaminated fuel, or bad spark plugs.

Hi, Anonymous if your carburetor or exhaust is:
COUGHING is usually caused by an air leak in the intake system and will generally have the same telltale signs, a wet or damp build-up of oil/gas seepage at the intake manifold to the cylinder head or carburetor to intake manifold connection and in rare instances a worn throttle plate shaft and or seals.
POPPING on deceleration is usually caused by a lean fuel condition or an air leak in the exhaust system and is generally located where black carbon soot is seen as a flashing build-up from any joint connection. This condition can easily be remedied by removing and cleaning both joint pieces and reassembling with high temp silicone and torquing the exhaust clamp to the proper spec.
SPITTING is usually caused by a faulty accelerator pump and or nozzle, or the float bowl needle and seat leaking and overflowing through the main jet mixing well nozzle, or the air-fuel mixture screw is adjusted too lean.
BACKFIRING is usually caused by a sticky/tight intake valve or a timing issue, 180 degrees out or cam chain off 1or 2 teeth.
For more information about your issue and valuable "FREE" downloads that you will need for viewing or printing please click on the blue links below and for more specific information or questions at no charge please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Good luck and have a wonderful day.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-glide-models/658865-bike-sputters-backfires-dies-help-07-sb.html
http://www.mediafire.com/file/l8mk1291i3fiprh/2000_Harley_FXD_Servive_Manual.pdf/file
https://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.com/ronnies/showmodel.asp?make=hdmc
https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com/sip/service/document/6300
https://www.6ya.com/ to speak to me personally

PJ;

You failed to tell me what kind of carb you have on your bike. It came with an early Keihen Butterfly type carb but most people threw these things away shortly after getting the bike and changed to either a S&S Super "B" or "E" carb.

Now, it is not unusual for a bike to "Heat Soak" once they are turned off. Whent the bike stops moving and no air is flowing across the cylinders and heads, the heat of the engine tends to rise for a short while before starting to fall back down again. This is typical of a carburated bike because the carb jetting is critical of the heat factor. When the engine is cold, the engine likes a richer mixture. When it's hot, it likes a lean mixture. Since you cannot change the mixture readily you have to shoot for a compromise which make the engine just a bit lean when cold and rich when hot. That's why the automotive and motorcycle industry have been moving towards computer controlled fuel injection systems for years. Now, if it's really bad, there may be another problem. Let me know what type of carb you have and maybe there can be something done to where it's not so bad. Good Luck, Steve

check timing, could have been driven without your knowledge 

carby diaphrams do it!
they pulse & when worn or torn get out of sync!

If you have used Dyno jet kit I have had a kit come through with smaller main jets than the stock ones causing it to run way to lean.