Throughout the years I have had a Harley there are many issues that, IMHO, deserve a class action lawsuit. The latest are early failing water pumps, compensator early failure, oil sumping issues, and the stupid design/manufacture of cam chain tensioner shoes. My latest gotcha is compensator failure at 32k.

Before I left on a 5800 mile trip I asked my dealer what to look for with compensator failure... their reply was 'noise'... a rather indefinite description.

Before I left on this trip, I didn't like the 'noise' on my bike when I went over a large hump on a typical 'speedbump' highway that are the norm today it seems. This 'noise' was strictly the result of the change in the throttle position caused by the necessary rotation of my wrist due to the rapid rise and fall of the handlebars. This 'noise' did not occur when I was using cruise control... simply because the throttle request for rpms doesn't change when you hit an abrupt bump or hole. It also did not occur over and over...

During my trip and as the bike got hot this noise became ridiculous... and so I stopped at a small dealership along the way. I asked them to check into it and they replaced the compensator, returning the 'noise' to what the bike has always had. This greatly improved my riding experience but greatly punished my wallet... especially since I could do this work myself when at home. I asked the dealer to check with HD and they said it was pointless... that they had tried to get this defective design replaced even beyond warranty to no avail. They also said that if they have replaced one they have replaced one hundred and this falls on deaf ears at HD. I appreciated their honesty. This is a design/durability issue, not a safety issue, so NTSB won't help.

Compensators compensate for the slack in the drive train (which is largely eliminated on driveshaft bikes) by adapting the tension in the primary chain to the change in engine rpm. I never had this problem with my Nightrain (a softail... less power and weight I guess) but from what I can tell, this problem exists in as new condition... due to HD's inability to properly design a compensator that they wish to add the cost for to a new bike. According to one or more articles that I have read this had been an ongoing issue with touring models for years.

I don't understand why we tolerate this crap and why there are no class action lawsuits that attempt to get Harley Davidson's attention on matters such as these. Failure of any major driveline component after 30k is way beyond stupid IMHO and points out that Harley isn't afraid of this kind of stuff because their preferred customer is someone that keeps their bike in the garage most of the time and if they get it out they transport it in a trailer until they get to their destination... thus a large reduction in cost for maintenance and warrantied repairs that HD has to absorb.

This is the last new model Harley I will ever buy... I prefer to work on them myself and get rid of the bugs for once and for all.

 

You need to understand what a compensator does. Simply dampens the uneven pulse of a V twin that does not fire exactly 180 apart. The compensator will not break or leave you stranded.

They could increase the spring till it was almost locked center even if you WOT dumped the clutch but then it would not be a compensator. It is going to clack to lock if you do that so it dampens while cruising down the road. It does not compensate for slack in drivetrain very much.

It does a little but on the big cruiser, Harley had to go cush drive in the rear drive pulley to protect drive train.

You don't need a lawyer. You need to accept what you have or get rid of it.

Think Baker has a totally machined one so the drive fingers don't fret but look at the cost. Not really that much but Harley does not do that since they are already struggling to keep prices lower and still survive with a profit.

Don't worry about a little odd noise at idle when engine hunts for it's 1000 rpm idle.. If it sounds OK at speed, all is good.

One thing that does make the drive fingers fret is lack of oil at interstate speed and cruise control. All the oil just runs in a circle to the outside. Why Harley added that side drip cup. However, then it will make noise at idle but it will not let you down.

Interesting what your comp looked like and how much that shop charged you. Labor should have not been over 2.5 hrs to put a compensator on plus parts. At 32 K, should have also included a primary chain since they wear uneven and that makes noise on the self adjuster.

 

Hmmm...don't know why V-twin unit motors have no compensators, or if they do they certainly don't have the problems HD's have, and they run very well. Perhaps now that HD has gone to cushdrive also, the compensator eliminator is the way to go.

 

V-twin "unit" motors don't have a primary chain, so a compensator is unnecessary.

 

I thought the Harley Davidson motorcycle was a compensator.

 

There are lots of attorneys. However, unless MOCO is not performing per the terms of the warranty; you would have no standing for a lawsuit. Your comp failed at 32K; outside of warranty. Don't tolerate it, by not buying Harley's.

I agree MOCO could do a much better job with a few upgraded parts.

 

Apparently "made in the U.S.A" ain't what it used to be. There is so little made in America, I have a hard time finding anything to compare Harleys to. I, on the other hand have had no problems with my '17, except for a switchpak, replaced under warranty.

 

Mechanical things break. It is part of its nature.

It appears that what hurt you the most was the money that you had to pay to replace the part. I think that you would feel different if the part had been replaced under warranty and at no cost to you.

Today's motorcycles are built much better than they were even a few years ago. If nothing was done when they leaked, dropped parts on every trip and they left you stranded, then nothing will be done now for something that was "making noises".

Go out for a ride. You will feel better when you come back.

 

So, design a better one. Patent it. Sell it to Harley. Make a million dollars.

R,
Sanjuro

 

Well, OP, since this concerns you so...you begin the class action lawsuit. Oh? Not willing to do so? Then quit whining and get your Vespa.