front wheel bearings bad again
Thread Starter
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,257
Likes: 6
From: Leander Texas
my bike is disabled for safety issue by Harley and I wont have it back for a week.
they found the wheel was made wrong and leaves a space when put together. Harley wanted me to pay a $100 goodwill fee as they called it. I called harley and told them it was not goodwill but a defective wheel on a defective bike they sold me and it was putting my life in danger. they asked to talk to the dealer. they told the dealer they would not wave the $100 fee. My dealer then waved it to me because Harley would not. They have ordered the wheel and left me walking for a week.
It is too bad Harley wont stand behind their dealers and their products.
My next bike wont be a Harley. They did not stand behind the ignition switch catching fire and the burnt wire harness either.
they found the wheel was made wrong and leaves a space when put together. Harley wanted me to pay a $100 goodwill fee as they called it. I called harley and told them it was not goodwill but a defective wheel on a defective bike they sold me and it was putting my life in danger. they asked to talk to the dealer. they told the dealer they would not wave the $100 fee. My dealer then waved it to me because Harley would not. They have ordered the wheel and left me walking for a week.
It is too bad Harley wont stand behind their dealers and their products.
My next bike wont be a Harley. They did not stand behind the ignition switch catching fire and the burnt wire harness either.
Last edited by tk353; Mar 14, 2010 at 12:29 PM.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,109
Likes: 9
From: Connecticut
my bike is disabled for safety issue by Harley and I wont have it back for a week.
they found the wheel was made wrong and leaves a space when put together. Harley wanted me to pay a $100 goodwill fee as they called it. I called harley and told them it was not goodwill but a defective wheel on a defective bike they sold me and it was putting my life in danger. they asked to talk to the dealer. they told the dealer they would not wave the $100 fee. My dealer then waved it to me because Harley would not. They have ordered the wheel and left me walking for a week.
It is too back Harley wont stand behind their dealers and their products.
My next bike wont be a Harley. They did not stand behind the ignition switch catching fire and the burnt wire harness either.
they found the wheel was made wrong and leaves a space when put together. Harley wanted me to pay a $100 goodwill fee as they called it. I called harley and told them it was not goodwill but a defective wheel on a defective bike they sold me and it was putting my life in danger. they asked to talk to the dealer. they told the dealer they would not wave the $100 fee. My dealer then waved it to me because Harley would not. They have ordered the wheel and left me walking for a week.
It is too back Harley wont stand behind their dealers and their products.
My next bike wont be a Harley. They did not stand behind the ignition switch catching fire and the burnt wire harness either.
Intermediate
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
I have never changed bearings on a harley but I have done this type of work .In some cases the bearings come all together meaning the inside race and the outside race .if they don't knock out the outside race from the hub and they replace the bearing it you are not a complete set that is matched to the races.If the bearings come complete with the inside race and outside race together when putting pressure on your bearings to tighten them up what happens the pressure goes to the inside race then when you put more pressure on the inside race the tighter that bearing gets .I would use some front wheel drive wheel bearing grease it real black and tacky repack new bearings and while you tighten them spin your wheel to they don't get over tighten .Take the bike out and run it 5-10 miles bring it home and then go feel both sides of the hub to see if they are hot and if they aren't hot, and they go again out then the axel is not straight going thru the hub from one side to the other .
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,109
Likes: 9
From: Connecticut
One more thing is that they are a mass produced product and not hand built. There are issues at times and it seems like your bike was just one of those. It's hard when you own one but I see this kind of stuff all the time and it happens with mass production. If you want a one off then it would cost you approx $50,000 or $35,000 for a CVO and they are hand assembled. Hey no company is perfect, look at Toyota and the problems they got going right now
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,109
Likes: 9
From: Connecticut
I have never changed bearings on a harley but I have done this type of work .In some cases the bearings come all together meaning the inside race and the outside race .if they don't knock out the outside race from the hub and they replace the bearing it you are not a complete set that is matched to the races.If the bearings come complete with the inside race and outside race together when putting pressure on your bearings to tighten them up what happens the pressure goes to the inside race then when you put more pressure on the inside race the tighter that bearing gets .I would use some front wheel drive wheel bearing grease it real black and tacky repack new bearings and while you tighten them spin your wheel to they don't get over tighten .Take the bike out and run it 5-10 miles bring it home and then go feel both sides of the hub to see if they are hot and if they aren't hot, and they go again out then the axel is not straight going thru the hub from one side to the other .
Thread Starter
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,257
Likes: 6
From: Leander Texas
Not that you want to hear it but I work in a Car dealer and that is a sort of standard thing mfgs do when you have that kind of mileage and age. The fault goes back to the dealer and thats who you should be mad at as they should have found that the first time they fixed it. Your dealer should pay the $100 as they screwed up in the first place and just slamed new bearings in a bad wheel, maybe not the first time but when the second set went south they should have looked deeper. Matbe you should look at a plastic Jap Crap bike
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,109
Likes: 9
From: Connecticut
I am upset with Harley for putting me in the middle of their dispute with the dealer. yes the dealer should have been suspicious the first time and yes they should have looked further and contacted harley advance tech support to fine out why but i should not be the one to suffer. Harley was aware of both warranty claims for the bearings the first 2 times it was replaced and should have asked questions. I was going to replace them myself but on the advise of a 30 year mechanic and from where people say here the bearings should not keep going bad. I asked the dealer to order the rim before trying the repair and they said they could not with taking apart first. I think Harley should have authorized the rim also and they did not. This is the same bike that the on off switch caught fire and same issue with HD. Unlike the switch there is a paper trail for the bearing issues.
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Thread Starter
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,257
Likes: 6
From: Leander Texas
I do understand where you are comming from but I will say that most manufactures depend on the dealers right now not like years ago when you had a rep that was there once a month about tech issues, today all they are all sales people that push programs. I'm glad the dealer steped up and paid the $100 but when you have an out of warr issue all times the cust has to put up some money, just the way it is. I know it's hard to understand from your side of the fence. the ing swtich is another story and without seeing it and finding a cause thats hard to say where the problem started. Just understand the company's side as they hear hundreds of complaints every month, some valid and most aren't. I've been on both sides of that fence. Have them fix it and ride on
