(... not that anybody cares and I know some mean-spirited people will have some negative comments to make but ....)

I am a second generation Harley rider, age 67. My dad rode in the 1940s and I started in my teens. I am now retired and living on a pension. Two years ago I bought an '02 FXD. Despite some opinions to the contrary, I have always trusted Harley Davidsons as a solid reliable bike, even if they do shake a bit and leak a little oil. I have been happily riding the Dyna for the past two years and only recently found out about the cam chain tensioner issue and HD's ignoring/denying there is any problem.

The fact that I have been merrily riding along with a potentially engine-destroying problem while Mother Harley is silent about it, I FEEL BETRAYED!

I am probably naive in expecting Harley to "do the right thing" and I know I am too trusting but I expected better things from Harley Davidson. To find out that they have become just like any other profit-oriented company for doesn't give a shyte about their customers has REALLY diminished my opinion of HD!

Nothing expected from this post - just expressing my extreme disappointment.

 

Frustrating, yes. Betrayed? Maybe.
Not a big deal to check and fix.
How many miles on it?

 

44,000 miles. Going to pull the cover off later today and see where I stand.

 

You need them, I'll be very surprised that the inner one has anything left on it. Too many miles

 

Betrayed might be a little strong IMO. Very disappointed...yeah.

But HD is hardly alone in making engineering decisions that turn out to be not very good in the long run. Example....early in the 1970s, the American public wanted more economical cars. Ford and GM responded with the Pinto and Vega. We all know that THAT worked out.

For most TC owners, I think the issue has merely become a maintenance item. A bike gets about the mileage yours has, and it's time to get it serviced. A few change to something different such as the hydralic tensioner system or gear drives. For me, taking a peak every 10,000 miles isn't a big deal. I personally don't think it's worth the expense to switch to a different system, but then I do my own work, and changing the tensioner shoes isn't a big deal. The actual parts cost is minimal, and three or four maintenance cycles will get you to the end of the engine's life at a fraction of the cost of the alternatives.

I think you should be happy that you haven't had an issue, and go ahead with the service, then ride on and be happy sister!

 

Or you could do like I'm doing - drive it until it blows, and go S&S...

 

Right there with ya...My wife bought an '05 Dyna (in '05). They switched to the better hydraulics in '06. Had to upgrade her's at about 25,000 miles.
They had the same crap when the Evo's came out. That time, it was base gaskets and cam bearings.
Makes you wonder what flaw the new M-8 is gonna turn up.

 

Harley Davidson is a company out to make a profit by selling an image, not reliability.

 

Nothing like a reality check.

 

You do know that the Cam chain tensioner is designed to wear - https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-...t-in-time.html