Compensator question- 2009 Road King Classic
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 21,078
Likes: 19,236
From: The Wasteland
Compensator question- 2009 Road King Classic
Someone had another thread going about compensators and I posted this question there but got no response. Anyone got an answer for the questions below?
I have been getting a "clunk" every now and then when I start my 09 Road King. Sometimes its hard to start after it gets hot too. Now here are a few questions...
1- Is this a symptom of the compensator going bad?
2- If so what can I expect to lay out if I take it to my indy at $60 an hour labor?
3- How big a job is it to do my self? I do my own brakes and oil changes, and some other minor stuff but I never tore into the engine
I have been getting a "clunk" every now and then when I start my 09 Road King. Sometimes its hard to start after it gets hot too. Now here are a few questions...
1- Is this a symptom of the compensator going bad?
2- If so what can I expect to lay out if I take it to my indy at $60 an hour labor?
3- How big a job is it to do my self? I do my own brakes and oil changes, and some other minor stuff but I never tore into the engine
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 294
Likes: 16
Yep, this is the way they go out. It was not instantaneous for me on my 2009 RK. I actually went in for the replacement of the shifter stem out of the transmission. You have to pull off the primary to get to it so I decided to place it all. I went to a dealer and the job was about $600. They said that the cost was for the compensator and they replaced the shifter stem for free except for the $22 part. Assuming they charge $95 an hour, as I recall, this was in the 3-4 hours labor range. You should be in the $450 range (my guess). My guess is that this is out of your pay grade in that you would be dealing with chains, tensioners, clutch, etc. Some people say it is easy but so is an appendectomy. It may be easy but I'm not doing it.
Last edited by DBlass; Mar 9, 2017 at 02:31 PM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,275
Likes: 149
From: High in the Colorado Rockies
My '09 Softail did exactly the same thing as your RK and I had to replace the Compenator (and Starter). No issues after the replacement -- starts right up and none of those hot start challenges. Ron
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 164
Likes: 1
From: Phoenix
When mine went on my 09 Ultra it sounded like a bomb went off taking the starter starter drive and clutch basket. That was my first symptom. This was a year after I bought it so the warrantee covered it but I had to pay for the S/E upgrade so it wouldn't happen again. I had to pay for the fix to a design defect.
Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 773
Likes: 124
From: Between purgatory and retirement
From another thread:
How much it will cost will depend on parts.
If you have the original comp then you have the original rotor with integral spring-pak.
Some have said those comps ( 07-10 touring) are hard to find now, so you would be looking at a new rotor with the comp.
If you have the SE comp that already replaced the original your rotor should be ok to use with a replacement.
.
One way to test out the comp that Mark at Baker once posted is to:
have your bike in first gear and while holding the front break give some gas while slowly releasing the clutch (as if you were going to do burn out). When clutch starts grabbing to the point where your ride wants to really move you might hear knocking, rattle, or other noises. If you do hear those things then the comp is on it's way out.
have your bike in first gear and while holding the front break give some gas while slowly releasing the clutch (as if you were going to do burn out). When clutch starts grabbing to the point where your ride wants to really move you might hear knocking, rattle, or other noises. If you do hear those things then the comp is on it's way out.
If you have the original comp then you have the original rotor with integral spring-pak.
Some have said those comps ( 07-10 touring) are hard to find now, so you would be looking at a new rotor with the comp.
If you have the SE comp that already replaced the original your rotor should be ok to use with a replacement.
.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 221
From: farmington michigan
I'm just a back yard mechanic and will always work on my own stuff if I think I can. Replacing a compensator isn't that bad get yourself a service manual and take your time I just did mine last fall. I believe the compensator was just under 300 and all the gaskets were about 90.00 and it took me about two hours max. If you are going to do it take a look at the chain adjuster and the inner primary bearing and race while your in there. If you take it in they will probably recommend replacing them too.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,002
Likes: 86
From: Charlotte Metro
I'm going into my '09 primary soon for shifter seal leaking and also got small leak at the stator plug going entering primary. Checkout those areas too as it's pretty common issue with age. I'll checkout my compensator but knock on wood no audible signs of issues. Along with using HD Maintenance manual here's a pretty good vid on guy going into his primary to replace the shifter seal.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,459
Likes: 2,893
From: Oklahoma
For all practical purposes, the compensator is a spring. Each time the fuel/air charge in the cylinder lights, there is a strong force aburptly applied to the crank shaft. The compensator absorbs some of the energy into its spring reducing the initial shock passed through the chain and clutch to the transmission. As the piston goes toward the bottom of its stroke, the pressure on the crankshaft is relieved and the energy absorbed by the compensator is then released into the chain going to the clutch smoothng the overall flow of power. With each compression stroke, the crankshaft will slow slightly as its inertia is used to compress the air/fuel charge in the cylinder. This retarding in crankshaft rotation is also absorbed into the compensator so the chain/clutch/transmission receive less of the crankshaft slowing, again minimizing vibration/shock felt by the rider. With the next combustion event the whole process repeats.
The stator is a set of electrical coils shaped in a circle and mounted to the engine crank case. It is surrounded by the rotor, a drum with magnets cast into the side of the drum, all the way around. The rotor is mounted on the crank shaft and rotates with the crank shaft making the magnets move past the coils. Passing a magnetic filed past a coil induces electricity into the coil. This creates AC electricity which is carried by wires out of the primary case to the voltage regulator/rectifier. Within the voltage regulator the electricity is changed to DC and regulated to about 14 volts.
The stator is a set of electrical coils shaped in a circle and mounted to the engine crank case. It is surrounded by the rotor, a drum with magnets cast into the side of the drum, all the way around. The rotor is mounted on the crank shaft and rotates with the crank shaft making the magnets move past the coils. Passing a magnetic filed past a coil induces electricity into the coil. This creates AC electricity which is carried by wires out of the primary case to the voltage regulator/rectifier. Within the voltage regulator the electricity is changed to DC and regulated to about 14 volts.
