A little frustrated: I've put 13K miles on my stock '06 FXD since I got it in April '12. It now is approaching 17K miles. I like everything about the bike - looks, ride, handling - everything except the things that seem to come with '06 Dynas:

- IPB failure in which the race spun on the shaft just enough to score the shaft so that apparently the seal that comes with the Baker sealed bearing won't hardly seal it - I'm on my second seal from Baker in less than 1000 miles, still seeping oil.
- primary chain tensioner seems to give some so that the primary chain has rubbed the case under the compensator
- two-piece rotor time-bomb (is this causing the ball-bearings-rolling-around-in-the-primary-case sound that I occasionally hear now?)

What else do I have to look forward to? Cam chain tensioners, crankshaft run-out?

Again, I love the bike, I just hate the Corporate Machine. I enjoy turning wrenches, but not fixing problems that shouldn't exist on a 17K mile bike. I'd rather be upgrading exhaust...but then there's the FI and computer tunes that go with that...

...so if I'm going to turn wrenches, I'd rather do so on something cool, like a Shovelhead, or from reading on this site and others and talking with others, maybe trading for around a '98 Evo for dependability.

Thanks to the members on this site, I'm learning to get over being intimidated by working on the bike and doing it myself, so I'm saving money but still spending more than I should be on repairs. I don't understand how people can afford a late-model TC when it runs out of warranty, especially when they add cams/exhaust/tunes. However, I know there are a lot of good, dependable late-model H-Ds out there, proven by kid moe's thread about his '08 FXD hitting 100K miles - that is awesome.

Man, I just want something straightup reliable and simple. I've always had better luck with old carb'd trucks and cars, so I'm thinking that may need to be the direction that I should go.

My question to you all - is there a long-term disadvantage to going to late '90's Evo or even a '70's Shovelhead w/4-speed that's completely rebuilt?...or should I just keep the '06 and shut up and ride? I just want to get a bike like I want it - simple and close to stock with handling and brake upgrades, then ride it without worrying about something tearing up that's going to cost several hundred dollars to fix. Thanks.

 

Sounds like you got a lemon, brother. I have an '06 DWG and yeah, the first 20k were kinda interesting. Crankshaft going out, inner primary exploding(no money or trailer, I left metal shavings for two states getting home), handlebars coming off doing 60 on a mountain road(funny story behind that one), injector foulups, fuel pressure regulator going out repeatedly, and a few others. But, since, except for keeping tires on it it has been great. Approaching 100K miles.

I have also thought about going backwards in relation to the whole fuel injected vs carb. 6 speed vs 5 or even 4. Still making up my mind.

I wrench when I can but most of this new fangled stuff I just don't get. Luckily I have a few buds that are liscenced mechs. Give'em a six pack and get out of the way.

If that's the bike of your dreams, keep her and keep wrenching. Eventually it will line out or decide to quit testing you. Or start looking for another and trade. Good luck.