I've been chasing a noise and can't identify. I have a 2010 ultra. At the end of last season I had some bearing issues so I tore it down and did the trans main bearing inner primary bearing clutch bearing and I went with to upgraded compensator. The noise I hear is only when I deceleration from 5th or 6th and it sounds kinda like the compensator (sounds like rocks in the primary) it never sounds like that upon acceleration smoothed as silk. Now I know Harley uses different cuts on the gears. Maybe it's a normal sound and I'm just listening too close. Just looking for opinions. And yes I did change to 90/140 gear lube in the trans and that seemed to help. I did pull the trans to change the main bearing it seemed to be pretty cut and dry everything came out pretty strieght forward if I only would have rememberer to remove the dip stick nothing would have gone wrong. And yes I broke the dip stick but retrieved the broken piece. Any input would be helpful. I don't here it all the time never when it's cold.

 

Any opinions? Or is it normal?

 

when fluid is thicker


its like old trick of sales trick of sawdust in a car transmission to quiet worn gears

could be actual wear or just "chatter" from parts moving around- tranny linkages and dogs may be damaged by impact tools on the tranny main

mike

 

It's hard to discribe and I'm thinking it's a normal sound I'm just paying too much attention to it now. The trans shifts fine I figure it it's something that's going to grenade I'll know at that point. Just hope I'm not on a trip when it happens but it's not going to stop me .

 

There's is a problem with the 2010 transmissions. I know first hand. Ours failed at 20k miles and they had to go back into it a two 36k. I am not hard on my bike and always on time with service.

Was told by dealer that it was the needle bearing in the main shaft. I cannot remember what the actual noise sounded like but I clearly knew I had a problem and so did everyone riding with me. The first time it trashed the shaft which the bearing rides directly on. There are intragal gears on the shaft and it all has to be replaced. Not exactly what happened the second time but both were covered under our extended warranty.

I did switch to Bell-Ray Gear Saver Oil at the dealer suggestion and had 56k miles on the bike when we traded it with no issues. I know I had a thread on this about three years ago if it comes up in the search.

 

You might be on to something I was in there last august and replaced the trans main bearing and the inner primary bearing and race and clutch main bearing I missed the needle bearing in the main shaft. The bummer is there is no way to get the main shaft out without destroying the trans main bearing. It's pretty cut and dry to take apart once you get the inner primary race off but everything has got to come off bags and exhaust starter and the whole primary

 

Did/do you have chunks of metal on the drain plug magnet? If so, you have a bearing issue. Those needle bearings are **** and do go bad, at least on the earlier ones. A 2009 I was working on had large chunks of metal on the magnet and it turned out to be one of the needle bearings on the mainshaft disintegrated.

 

I've noticed small shavings on my plug but no big chunks. Seems like the plug used to be clean at oil change but I can't remember.

 

Have you checked the primary chain tensioner?

 

I have replaced the tensioner and the compensator with the upgraded version. The noise sounds like a compensator rattle but only when I'm coming down out of 6 tho and 5 the down shifting when I go from 4th to 3 it goes away. My thinking now is as the bike slows down the output shaft slows too and the outpu shat roller bearing were the only ones I didn't change so it looks like in going back into the trans.