Greetings

I'm sad to be making my second post is a cry for help but something bad happened to my 2012 Fat Bob last week.

I was making my daily commute through downtown Seattle, when I pulled up at a stop light. As I applied the breaks, the bike slowed and then there was an almighty clang. I stopped, looked the bike over to see what had happened but couldn't see anything. I figured that maybe a stone had somehow flung up but there was nothing to indicate anything wrong.

I got to my work, and trying to back up the bike, found it wouldn't roll back at all.

I parked front end in, got off, and called a buddy, thinking the brakes may have locked up.

After 5 minutes of head scratching, we noticed the rear license plate was folded up under the bike, and that it was wedged between the tyre and the rear of the bike.

The bike was sitting on the plate and the tyre.

I called my dealer, and they came and picked up the bike.

To clarify, nothing hit the bike, no car was behind me at the light, nothing. The almighty clang, I think, was the shock uncompressing at force.

The only scenario I can come up with is that the rear left shock got stuck, and the bike rode lower so that the license plate caught on the wheel and was dragged into it's current position.

The almighty clang would then have been the shock being uncompressed as the weight of the bike shifted forwards.

The dealership however, have told me that the "shock hasn't failed - this is road damage". I asked how it could not have failed, given the events, and how they could ascertain that - did they take the shock apart? No. This is based upon a visual inspection.

I was all set to collect the bike and begrudgingly pay for the repairs when my fiance pointed out that this isn't safe. If I ride this on I-5 and it happens, I die and she comes unglued.

I called the dealer back and asked for more investigation and asked why they felt like they could stake my life on this shock not being at fault. They said their "hands are tied" so I called HD today.

A similar conversation ensued and they're calling the dealership tomorrow.

Has anyone ever heard of a Harley failing on a residential road at 15mph (tops 20) like that? I'm honestly completely shaken by the "what ifs" of this scenario, and think the dealer should take the shock and send it for further investigation. I don't care about the Warranty aspect at this point, and am more concerned with having my confidence in my beloved Fat Bob restored. To be completely clear, this is downtown Seattle, not somewhere out in the boondocks. The road is typical asphalt, and I certainly was not riding in a reckless way. I've ridden this same route every day for 18 months on a Triumph: no problem. 8 months on my Fat Bob and this happens.

Any advice?

calski

 

My best try would be to make sure the plate was out of harm's way and sit on the bike. Then bounce my weight up and down on it and if it isn't bouncing to one side more than the other I'd have to agree there was nothing wrong with the shocks. I have 50k miles on my fatbob and the shocks are still behaving like brand new. And there are some terrible roads up here where I live. Especially in the city. Something must have gotten dragged up there to bend your plate in to the tire. Does the bike sit crooked when being held up?

 

If its not the shock then I suppose it could have been two incidents and you were only aware of the second.

Maybe when the bike was parked up it got a knock that shifted the plate back towards the tyre. Then when you were riding it you hit a small bump or the braking made the bike dive a bit and the plate hit the rear wheel, dug in and folded up with a bang.

Just guessing here.

I'd think that if a shock was gone so bad that it made the back collapse then there would be some evidence from it now. But, you know, **** does happen. If it is going to worry you then maybe a shock upgrade now might be an idea.

 

You have any pics? Is your license plate stock? I think even if the shocks collapsed, the license plate would not hit the rear tire. The plate would have to be bent in before it would hit.

 

Thanks for the replies. It's all stock (apart from my pipes). The thing is, the bike was parked up nice and safe, with no chance of something hitting it. The plate was where it always is when I left for work that day.

The thing that I don't understand, is for the bike to rise up enough for the plate to get trapped under, I'd have to have been really tanking it over a dip or rise. Or, the bike would need to have lowered enough that the plate touched the tyre for long enough as to allow it to get dragged up by the forward momentum of the wheel.

What I honestly think happened is that the bike behaved normally - the shocks compressed as I went around a bend and up a hill to the stop sign, but didn't uncompress quickly enough. This caused the plate to hit the tyre, which in turn got dragged up under the bike and then, as I braked, the shock uncompressed at force which caused the almighty clang I felt. Or.. the plate was touching the tyre as I braked (because of the shock lowering the bike) and the clang was the plate snapping under the tyre. The question then becomes: how quickly should a shock uncompress? We're talking a distance of maybe 100 feet here, at about 15 mph.

Either way, this doesn't feel like something that should happen on a bike 8 months old (or any age really). If I was jumping the bike or riding cross country on iffy roads, then I could imagine this happening, but not on the streets of a major City. It's not like I was even tanking the bike along - this happened on a Residential street, around a traffic circle and up a hill.

 

I have the same bike as you and I have noticed that when I co e to a stop at those speeds there is a similar noise if I brake heavy on the rear brake. My buddy has a 2010 Fat Bob and his does the same thing. Can't find the cause. Was just looking at my bike and there is no way the plate can come in to contact with the tire no matter what you do to the shocks. Someone may have hit your bike after you parked it.

 

Note to myself, avoid Seattle, seems to be an odd language in Seattle. Tyres, uncompressed, maybe it's the Pacific air, yea that's it. Guess you can tell I got nothing about the clanging and uncompressing. Good luck.

 

I too have the same bike and up until a couple of months ago the rear fender was stock and from memory and photos for the life of me I cannot see how the license plate can come in contact with the tire without someone hitting it.
I suppose if you had the shocks set a 1 and weigh in at far north of 275 pounds there may be a slight possibility that the suspension could bottom out, maybe. However you would need to have hit a fairly large dip in the road and have really long bolts holding the license plate in place.
Yep, went back to look at this photo
(damn iPads won't copy BB code so just touch on it)
And noticed the license plate extends out past the tire.
Bob

 

I agree with hypr I can't see how the plate could ever hit the tire since it sits farther back than the widest part of the tire.

 

Since you are not concerned with it being a warranty issue. Why not go ahead and move the plate to the axle.
that will solve the problem.
From the looks from photos I found that is some serious bottoming out to hit the tire.