For those of you who have had problems with the compensator failing, I would encourage you to report this to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If enough people report these problems, maybe HD will issue a safety recall and fix the problem.

My compensator failed, and could have caused serious injury or death. In my case, I was only going 5 mph, but when the bolt fell out, it sounded like the bike was going to blow up! Thankfully, no one was behind me. As it is, the warranty will be covering the replacement of this and many other internal components that were damaged, including the primary cover. By the way, my bike is only 2 months old, with approximately 5,600 miles.

The website to file any complaints is: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

Please report your safety concerns if you've had a compensator failure! The life you save could be your own!

 

Wow! That's scary as hell. Any clue as to why it failed with so few miles? Are there many failures like this one? Thanks for the post.

 

I wouldnt be easy on the dealer, he would know exactly where Im comming from

 

No clue yet as to why it failed... there are other threads here where people have similar problems, but their's seem to be a slower problem that gets worse over time, not like mine. Some seem to indicate the Harley doesn't properly affix the bolt with loctite (or similar), but they all agree that the stock components are junk (that's why the 2011's have changed over to the Screaming Eagle components).

I'll update when I get the bike back from the stealer with more info. Dealer knows my frustration...

 

Yes, this is pathetic. That compensator slips and sheers teeth off the starter and most of us just continue to pay HD for repairs and new parts.

I'm glad you're okay brgtr3

 

I bought a new 2010 Ultra Limited and had about 400 miles on it when I started to hear an unusual knock in the primary case. I was leaving on a rode trip the next day so I took it to the Harley store where I purchased the bike a few days prior and asked the mechanic if he could take a look at the bike. Well he told me that he was just tooo busy, make an appointment he says. I asked him if he`d at least listen to it to make sure it was nothing serious and he said NOOO. So I left on my trip and 286 miles later the compensator nut comes loose. Lost a day of my trip and could have been seriously injured if that nut had indeed come off.
NEVER again will that HD shop work or even look at my bike. You pay that much money for a Limited, or any bike, and they should at least address your concerns.

 

Amazing stories, guys. I just had the SE comp put on my 09 King...sure hope the nut is tight. By the way, so far, the difference is staggering (a huge improvement in starting and shifting/torque). Glad you and the bike are ok...

 

Pardon my ignorance, but just what is a compensator, where is it, and what does it do? I've seen the term used in H-D advertising and was under the impression it was some sort of cushioning mechanism in the rear wheel hub. Sounds like y'all are referring to something quite different here.

Enlightenment would be appreciated.

 

Compensator is the drive gear coming off the crank in the primary. It is used to take the torque load off the crank. Here are pics of the old and new comp.

 

The part number you show for the new compensator... is that part of the SE Compensator kit? I thought the SE Comp was part 40274-08?