Nightmare noise, and the HD Mechanic said this...
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6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 13
Likes: 1
From: Hanover,PA
Nightmare noise, and the HD Mechanic said this...
I have a 2018 Heritage Classic that has been making a noise, sounds like its the drive belt based on other posts I have read. I took it in last Friday waited 3 hours, and they said "okay your good to go". I drove off and less then 20 feet discovered it was way worse then it was originally. The tech said, we will need to bring back next week, and that it was "SAFE" and fine to drive till then, just annoying. So when I got home I noticed the belt was INSANELY tight, no deflection at all with no load, with myself on it I am surprised it didn't break, the bike sounded like a bark train all the way home and I had little flakes of rubber on the edge of the belt. I loosened the axel nut and only adjusted it by eye, but the noise stopped, but comes back every time within 10 miles of riding, after the belt heats up. I just dropped the bike off last night and was told by a tech that this is what Harley Davidson says to do... "put the wheel at a angle off center to allow the belt to track in the middle of the sprocket" I asked him why all the bikes sitting in the shop have the belts on the left side of the sprocket, I told him that's how its designed, he had no response to that. I am beyond furious but don't know what else to do, and I feel like they are going to do whatever it takes to make the noise stop weather its in spec or not.
Popular Reply
Jun 26, 2019, 12:17 PM
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,583
Likes: 1,029
From: East Flanders - Belgium
The best solution is .... stay away from the dealer "techs" , and almost 95% of the problems are gone 
Banned
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3,036
Likes: 1,013
From: Nunya.
The noise is the pulleys growing from heat and pulling the belt tight as well as it rubs the outer lip of the pulley by being tighter.
Just slack it off a little more at the axle ,it'll come good.
Peace.
Just slack it off a little more at the axle ,it'll come good.
Peace.
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 27
Likes: 11
From: ND SUMMER, AZ WINTER
I had the same squeaking kind of sound when I brought my Sport Glide home from the dealer. I also found the belt to be VERY tight. After adjusting, riding, readjusting to spec, the noise went away. I was going to ask the tech why they do that but probably would have been met with the same deer in the headlight look.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,851
Likes: 420
From: Santa Fe NM
The tech at the local shop first put my belt way too tight as well at the 1000 mile service. Had a grinding or rubbing noise at slow speeds while coming to a stop or just coasting but no belt flakes or damage though. I took it back and they readjusted it.
The tech and shop manager told me that they didn't see it at first but there are 2 different belt tension specs in the manual. They said that there's one spec for before the 1000 mile service and a second one for after the 1000 mile service, or something along these lines.
He stated he set it according to the first spec in the service manual at first which was way too tight then readjusted to the second spec when I took it back.
I don't have a service manual yet so I haven't verified if it's BS or not.
The tech and shop manager told me that they didn't see it at first but there are 2 different belt tension specs in the manual. They said that there's one spec for before the 1000 mile service and a second one for after the 1000 mile service, or something along these lines.
He stated he set it according to the first spec in the service manual at first which was way too tight then readjusted to the second spec when I took it back.
I don't have a service manual yet so I haven't verified if it's BS or not.
Last edited by Bowhunter8607; Jun 26, 2019 at 11:15 AM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,583
Likes: 1,029
From: East Flanders - Belgium
The best solution is .... stay away from the dealer "techs" , and almost 95% of the problems are gone
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Supporter
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 193
Likes: 21
From: Iowa City Iowa
This must be the noise that everyone is talking about. Mine got worse after my 1000 mile as well. They gave me a BS answer of it being my exhaust so I put it all back to stock and its still doing it and I called them out on it. the service manager was "shocked" and says he has a query to moco about it. I feel like that's another stall. I'd just loosen my belt myself, but I don't have the right tools.
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Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 13
Likes: 1
From: Hanover,PA
If they dont get it properly done by Friday then I will take the bike home and just do it myself, my only fear what is it mean something other than the belt like a bearing or something. I really appreciate all the responses, its just frustrating getting a new bike and dealing with all this crap.
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 33
Likes: 19
From: North Georgia
Per service manual, 3/16 - 1/2 inch deflection on new belts, 1/2 - 9/16 inch deflection with belts over 1000 miles. Check with bike at ambient temp. My belt has less deflection when checked immediately after running. Hope this helps