A few years ago, when I was hard up for cash, my compensator sprocket started jumping bad because of wear. I didn't have the money at the time to buy a new one so I welded mine solid. I just kinda forgot about it since I haven't had any problems out of it. Just wondering what everyone's feelings are about leaving it as is and waiting till the primary need a new chain to replace it. 1978 1200 shovel running ATF in the primary. Teeth on the sprocket were in great shape at the time and still are along with the chain when I replaced the clutch plates last year. Do I need to fix it if it ain't broke?

 

The compensator is there to "compensate" for torque when shifting. Throttle back, shift, throttle up. There is a little bit of a twist there. It takes up some of the engine pulses created by the big V-Twin motors. You shouldn't have any problems if you are treating your bike nice, meaning you aren't bang shifting, high rpm shifting and so forth. If you stroke it up to and beyond 90", you are probably going to flaunt it. That being said, you really need to replace it with a working compensator, or get rid of it all together. The compensator is a big weight hanging off the end of your crankshaft and at high rpm shifting your motor has a hard time slowing that weight and then you are back in the throttle. A lot of stresses there. I have twisted that end of the crank at 6500 rpm shifts, even without a compensator.

 

I pretty much ride like an old man (cause I am). It's an old bike and I treat it very well. Rarely hit 4000rpms. Engine is all stock and I don't hot rod it. My favorite ride is hitting the back roads and cruising around 45 to 50 mph.

 

Yup spun the output shaft in my flywheels once hitting second doing a hellacious smoking burn out while she was redlined on a healthy 88" running a belt primary.

 

At a drag strip in central Texas, I accidentally double tapped my shifter button when I hit a bump in the track. It went from 1st to 3d at 6400 rpm. It twisted and broke the crank, the primary chain wrapped up inside of the primary. Before it was all over with, which took a split second, I lost the clutch basket, mainshaft, primary chain case and crankshaft. Parts for the junk box.

 

I think you guys are a little harder on your engines than I am. Mine has never seen 5500 rpm's in it's lifetime. Well, not in the 25 years I have owned it. I will probably replace it, but the way I ride, it sounds like I don't need to be in a big hurry about it. Thanks for the replies. Sounds like ya'll have broke more stuff in fractions of a second than I have in years-Haha!

 

Hey it's a shovel so you treat it like a bad step child, beat on it

 

I ride my street bike like you. This was not my street bike. It was a drag strip queen. I built it to win or blow up. And did the latter on more than one occasion. Like a lot of racers, I had a wood box in the corner for broken cylinders, twisted rods, heads that were beat well beyond repair and cracked cases. But out of all of the fun, I found out who made the best parts. That translated into better parts for the average street rider looking for good replacement parts at somewhat reasonable prices. Say what you want, but S&S, STD, Delkron, Crane, Baker and many others make excellent quality stuff for our rides, whether you ride a flatty or a V-Rod. Anyway.

 

I welded mine on a 1978 80in. Do you have any pics of how you welded it? If you reply to this I'll show my welded sprocket. I'm trying.to decide if I need to replace it with an aftermarket comp. sprocket or aftermarket solid sprocket.