I picked up my trike today and well I got a problem and this damn thing is too tight. You gotta look at the picture to understand.

Before I left the dealership the director of Customer Relations that has been very helpful and professional in the effort to correct this issue wanted to show me the parts from the swing arm, tell me what they found, and then review what was done to rectify the situation so here is what I was told

• The rubber wear seen in the area combined with the pictures causes concern in their minds so that is why they decided to replace everything - thank you everyone who participated for sending me pictures. They showed my the rubber mounts and see where they are worn but root cause: unknown
• They did not find damage bearings in the swing arm and showed me bearings. But, the rubber shavings generate concern that something is going on in there
• The darting off the road issue I reported - they were finally able to reproduce it and they said after rebuilding every thing the dart issue is no longer there. And the were firm about this, the trike will never hold a straight line on a road with a crown. It's the same as a car. It will ways drift away from the crown in the road. If it's climbing the crown then the rear end is not in alignment. A two wheeler can do a better job of dealing with a road with a crown in it. They said like car and unlike a motorcycle there is a lot of wind hitting both the airing and the fenders it going to have an effect.
• In ability to get belt deflection correct. They told me that when they set the belt deflection right after they picked up the belt did tighten further however once they replaced everything and aligned the rear end the belt deflection could be properly set

The following parts were replaced:
Pivot shaft qty: 1
Rear engine isolators qty: 2
Pivot shaft nut qty: 2
Cup washer qty: 2
Pivot bearing qty: 2
Labor N/C normal cost 3.75 hrs @ $102.00


They also told me:

• The herky jerky motion when giving the trike throttle or letting off the trottle is gone - Yes it is
• The transmission shifts should be clicks not clunks and there will be times when I shift that I think I missed a gear - Yes the shifting sound is significantly quieter
• Please go to this section of road and I will be able to drive on a flat surface at 55mph and it's on my way home. Call us when you get home and tell us your findings
• And lastly they said thank you for your calmness and polite attitude with us. It was a delicate situation and you handled with out loosing your cool and convey a stiff message in regards to your actions with out a threatening ton. Thank you for not throwing around names in regards to this and finger pointing

The last thing I did was ask them for help to make this issue more visible and they said that is up to HD but it works like this. When a customer makes it to the Customer Relations Management Team the management team is required to document the whole situation, submit any pictures they take, and turn in all parts that are replaced. All of this effort is done but the customer relations staff and a report is submitted to HD. And I was told that parts when parts fail that were designed for longevity fail the parts there is a process to record that information in the work order and flag it as requiring additional attention.

How true is all that I have no idea.

I have two other forums involved now and I need to update the threads there but be rest assured I am now in this for the for long haul.

So I got could use some help and and it's easy!

































I can't get this F'ing helmet off of my head. I chit you not, damn it. This is the third time. I had to have it cut off the last time at a dealership. I thought they were going to open up my throat with the cut off wheel. The quick release won't detach. I can't get the strap to loosen up, and the strap is so tight I can't slide it up over my chin. Fortunately, I just got a text from wife and she is on her way home. She thinks it's going to take her about an hour and half.

 

Hey guys. Can anyone tell me if the worn or deteriorated swingarm bushing/bearing has been the cause of the trikes wandering/darting? My panhard bar and rear axles have been replaced with no help with the darting issue.

 

The above pics are from my 2015 FLHTCUTG with less than 30 Miles on it.

I believe that a Harley with a Sidecar is in my future now. The deteriorating bushing seems to be a safety issue IF it affects the bike's drive-train, alignment and steering. I hope I will not have this problem with a sidecar. My 2015 Trike has less than 30 miles on it due to a botched surgery at Walter Reed Hospital. I brought my Trike home, went in for a spinal fusion and came out 100% permanent & total disabled. Thank you Uncle Sam - you putz! Anyway, I wanted the Trike because my spine would be too fragile on a two-wheeler. I gave my FXDS to a Marine who had PTSD and needed some open air time. He went up North and came back without a bike. It is his loss and I know he misses that sweet ride everyday. Will my Trike kill me in time? Only God knows. But I will ride it until I can afford something that works for me 100% of the time. I got out of Vietnam twice (Infantry) without any big holes in my hide. (John Kerry should know that in the Army...cuts and scratches do not get Purple Hearts) Seems that the Army had to give me one last "Green Weenie" by destroying my spine with their "Erector Set" methods of repair. I will get back on the road, since that is when I've felt closest to my Lord and Savior. Ever imagine riding along with God as your Road Captain...AWESOME! I know, this was TMI, right?

 

Well, to start off, there is nothing wrong with your bushings. And nothing wrong with the rubber mounting. The hole in that rubber mounting is off center when new. Also some flaking of the rubber is normal.. Excess flaking can show up as a wear problem, but not enough in yours to even be concerned with.
Be careful everything you read doesn't create problems you don't have !
Put the cover back on the hole and ride !

 

The trike see’s side loads that the 2 wheeler doesn’t see. When the trike corners, centrifugal force puts a sort of twisting load on the rear swing arm putting a lot of load on the bushing. Trikes should have urethane bushings. Wonder if they are available aftermarket.

 

You wouldn't want urethane bushings there. I don't think you would like that sever of a suspension .And the harshness on all the parts (frame and swing arm) would brake parts in short order.