Your not going to believe this men. I got my cheap puller in last night when I got home. That's a whole other nightmare(missing parts and bolt wasn't long enough for my rims. But I made do and made it work). So I pressed in the new bearings. Took me hours because of the puller. Got them in perfect. Rotor side bearing is BURIED!!!! You could even see in once in.


Finally took for a test ride and for the first ten miles it was silent!!!!! Texted all my friends and everything saying it was fixed. Then going down hill to get to my house, cut the engine, stick ugly head by back tire as coasting down hill and guess what? The noise is back!!!!! WTF. I never told you guys this before either but it is EXACTLY what happened my last bearing change. When the guy gave me the rim and I went home and installed and test rode it did the exact same thing. First 10 to 15 miles is was silent. I drove around all morning happy as could be till I realized it was doing it again


So what the heck does that mean???? Install new bearing and get 10 to 20 miles of silence. Then something heats up or something like that. And my noise comes back. This is the worse problem I have ever had in my life. I have a dealership sneaking me in on Saturday to take a peek. But you know what's going to happen there. They wont fix and will just blow me off or tell me I have to make an appointment for late July(that's when they are booked till). This sucks!!!!!




P.S. Once I drive the 10 to 20 miles and the noise comes back it stays. It's not like it silent when cool and then once heated the noise is there. It only happens on the very first ride. then the noise is there forever. It just makes NO sense at all. Also the noise isn't as bad this time but still bad. Sounds the same and will probably get worse like it did the last time. I just didn't go far enough last night because it was late. Again this makes no sense at all. This is my life and luck by the way. I have none!!!!

 

That sure sucks.

As a test, why not take it for a very cautious ride with the rear brake calliper removed and strapped safely out of the way - of course you don't want to touch the rear brake by mistake while doing this.
Just a process of elimination step.

 

I hear ya and was going to do that already. But here's why I don't. When I put up on a jack I can hear the noise while spinning the tire. With the caliper off. Caliper on or off it still makes the noise. and the bracket has flex. so while spinning the wheel I flex it (real hard) towards the right and towards the left(and up and down). and the noise is still there!!!!!






And when I hit the brakes while riding the noise doesn't change. So I'm 99.9% that it isn't that. all as it does when you hit the brakes is slow down a little but the sound is still exactly as it was before I hit the brakes.




This is unbelievable!!!!! One last test before the dealer visit on Saturday. I'm going to bolt the old sprocket on. For some reason I think it's that sprocket. Even though it shouldn't be. It measures exact. And you guys don't seem to think that's a belt noise(which is what the sprocket being defective would cause). But I am so sick of taking that rim on and off!!!! I keep that thing showroom conditions and every time I wrench it she gets more and more beat up.




But I still should probably try your trick. I was going to do that days ago. But talked myself out of it. But at this point nothing makes sense so I have to try things we think are correct(just to be sure). And I'm not afraid to drive it that way. Front brake is fine for a putt. The hill I test on is real close to my house. It's a two second test ride. And at least that doesn't involve pulling the axle(again!!!!!!!)


Thanks by the way. I keep forgetting to thank everyone each time. So I mean to thank you all a million times over if I forget to say it.

 

If you can still hear it with the calliper removed when rotating the wheel on the jack, then I don't see much value in the suggested test ride.

There may be value in trying the original drive sprocket.

Still a mystery how it only manifests itself after it warms up on the first run - the wheel hub warms up from the brake rotor, and that's when you see thermal growth in the wheel hub, bearing spacer tube and bearings, and if something inhibits this growth it could over stress the bearings.

 

Hummmm, it's funny you say that Ron. I never thought of it that way. that's too scientific for me. But I do understand it 100%. I just am not smart enough to think of it that way.


With that being said here is one thing that might go with your thesis. The sprocket doesn't slide onto the rim. I have to crank down the bolt and force it on the rim. Like it's tapered or something. My original rim sprocket falls on. How about the sprocket it so tight around the flange it goes on to that it doesn't let the rim expand???? is that a possibility? The only argument against this would be that it only goes over a 1/4" flange(or somewhere around that size. Probably less than 1/4"). Think that 1/4" is enough to not allow the rim to expand???




Either way the sprocket change is definitely getting done tonight!!!!!
And it is that side the sound is coming from.

 

are these factory chrome wheels, are they new? i ask this because it could be that if they were purchased used they could be slightly tweaked from coming off a wrecked bike or they could have been re-chromed and therefore have extra material in the areas where the important bits go on.

 

Brand new straight from Harley. Maybe it's the sprocket made wrong. If this is the problem, I would hope so. Because the rims are much more that the sprocket is.




But I'm pumped. We finally have something that makes sense. Unless my old sprocket doesn't fit on the new rim loose either. Then I have big troubles. We'll see tonight. 5:00 can't come soon enough for me

 

all the sprockets on harleys website are interchangeable between the regular and cvo models so unless there is something funny going on with your particular sprocket they should both be identical except for i think the cvo is chrome.

 

Yes that is correct Jersey. Everything is the same back there except all chrome(the rotor and spacer are all exact except in Chrome also). That's why this is weird.
P.S. I have the CVO parts book. That's why I know and can cross reference every part. I checked every single part before ordering to make sure they were right.


And If anyone ever needs a part out of the CVO book let me know. I can scan in pages for you guys. That's how I did my CVO tank console. The book is very helpful.




But my old sprocket comes right on and off my old rim. The new set up is like a press fit which I think might be my problem!!!!! Now the question is(and yes I'm getting ahead of myself) is it the sprocket screwed up or is it the Rim flange screwed up. Hopefully its just the sprocket(I say "hopefully", but that stupid thing was almost $400). But I'll take a $400 hit to get this thing fixed. At this point money is no object. I just want it fixed before going to Laconia next weekend.




I will know in a few more hours.

 

Did you ever try you stock wheel back there ? Try that before taking the old sprocket off to put on the cvo rim.