Compensator= no choice . Now what
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,131
Likes: 51,462
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
No questions it's a torque issue , I see 30 to 50 year old bikes with the original compensators in them, why is that so different than today's issue ?
Shovels ran a 24t front and 47t on the basket with 74" & 80" engines, evos bumped it up to 25t on the front to give the motors a bit more leg at top end with that 5 speed trans.
Harley owners went apeshit chasing horsepower with the advent of the twin cam and 88" and ever bigger motors. Harley trying to be everything to everyone has been steadily bumping up that motor sprocket to give more upper end and lower vibrations that the new breed buyers complain about.
24T verses 34T and the same basket tooth count, that's about a 30% increase hell yes the part that's designed to absorb shock loads is taking a beating at that high a ratio, explains a lot of twisted cranks too. Add in these machines today weight several hundred pounds more than the old bikes and riders ain't exactly been getting smaller it addes up to all the issues with the drive trains we hear about regular.
Shovels ran a 24t front and 47t on the basket with 74" & 80" engines, evos bumped it up to 25t on the front to give the motors a bit more leg at top end with that 5 speed trans.
Harley owners went apeshit chasing horsepower with the advent of the twin cam and 88" and ever bigger motors. Harley trying to be everything to everyone has been steadily bumping up that motor sprocket to give more upper end and lower vibrations that the new breed buyers complain about.
24T verses 34T and the same basket tooth count, that's about a 30% increase hell yes the part that's designed to absorb shock loads is taking a beating at that high a ratio, explains a lot of twisted cranks too. Add in these machines today weight several hundred pounds more than the old bikes and riders ain't exactly been getting smaller it addes up to all the issues with the drive trains we hear about regular.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 654
Likes: 67
From: PacificNorthWest
No questions it's a torque issue , I see 30 to 50 year old bikes with the original compensators in them, why is that so different than today's issue ?
Shovels ran a 24t front and 47t on the basket with 74" & 80" engines, evos bumped it up to 25t on the front to give the motors a bit more leg at top end with that 5 speed trans.
Harley owners went apeshit chasing horsepower with the advent of the twin cam and 88" and ever bigger motors. Harley trying to be everything to everyone has been steadily bumping up that motor sprocket to give more upper end and lower vibrations that the new breed buyers complain about.
24T verses 34T and the same basket tooth count, that's about a 30% increase hell yes the part that's designed to absorb shock loads is taking a beating at that high a ratio, explains a lot of twisted cranks too. Add in these machines today weight several hundred pounds more than the old bikes and riders ain't exactly been getting smaller it addes up to all the issues with the drive trains we hear about regular.
Shovels ran a 24t front and 47t on the basket with 74" & 80" engines, evos bumped it up to 25t on the front to give the motors a bit more leg at top end with that 5 speed trans.
Harley owners went apeshit chasing horsepower with the advent of the twin cam and 88" and ever bigger motors. Harley trying to be everything to everyone has been steadily bumping up that motor sprocket to give more upper end and lower vibrations that the new breed buyers complain about.
24T verses 34T and the same basket tooth count, that's about a 30% increase hell yes the part that's designed to absorb shock loads is taking a beating at that high a ratio, explains a lot of twisted cranks too. Add in these machines today weight several hundred pounds more than the old bikes and riders ain't exactly been getting smaller it addes up to all the issues with the drive trains we hear about regular.
This is where I was headed..
Unless there is an alternative solution
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,131
Likes: 51,462
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
I'd have to think long and hard about the crank issue if it were mine, R&Ring the comps are a pain no questions but a scissored crank would be show stopper.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 654
Likes: 67
From: PacificNorthWest
Scissor is serious as a heart attack.
I guess all the TC owners will have to start thinking of it as a "wear item"..lol
BTW..
We've chewed some of the same dirt..
Used to live in Niles on J st..
Miss the Station, The Florence, and is JD's still there??
Haven't been back to Niles in a few...
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,131
Likes: 51,462
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Yep.. Good point
Scissor is serious as a heart attack.
I guess all the TC owners will have to start thinking of it as a "wear item"..lol
BTW..
We've chewed some of the same dirt..
Used to live in Niles on J st..
Miss the Station, The Florence, and is JD's still there??
Haven't been back to Niles in a few...
Scissor is serious as a heart attack.
I guess all the TC owners will have to start thinking of it as a "wear item"..lol
BTW..
We've chewed some of the same dirt..
Used to live in Niles on J st..
Miss the Station, The Florence, and is JD's still there??
Haven't been back to Niles in a few...
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 654
Likes: 67
From: PacificNorthWest
Honestly I don't see a viable alternative but the down side to a the solid sprocket is now the crank will be taking the direct hit on shock loading and the clutches will be getting a serious workout.
I'd have to think long and hard about the crank issue if it were mine, R&Ring the comps are a pain no questions but a scissored crank would be show stopper.
I'd have to think long and hard about the crank issue if it were mine, R&Ring the comps are a pain no questions but a scissored crank would be show stopper.
Florence is the only tavern left and its still the weekend warriors hangout, all kinda fun when the Oakland crew comes through. Downtown has turned into antique boutique central, it's been gentrified you wouldn't recognize the place. Still love this town, last bastion of an old neighborhood community left around here.
That's a shame.. The Flo was always 81 back when I lived there..88 -90.
Always was a close knit community.
Is the flea market still happening?
Used to hang around with a girl who's family owned The Papillion..
Always a good time at the market back then
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,131
Likes: 51,462
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Down side is no booze outside anymore, cops even cruise the back streets looking for it. We may have crossed paths I was running Niles pretty heavy those years, Flo & JD's in particular knew the owners. Was in Niles Station the night they shot it up.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 654
Likes: 67
From: PacificNorthWest
It's call the Niles Antique Fair now but it's business as usual for the locals, I have a corner lot with a big driveway, prime real estate Down side is no booze outside anymore, cops even cruise the back streets looking for it.
We may have crossed paths I was running Niles pretty heavy those years, Flo & JD's in particular knew the owners. Was in Niles Station the night they shot it up.
Down side is no booze outside anymore, cops even cruise the back streets looking for it.We may have crossed paths I was running Niles pretty heavy those years, Flo & JD's in particular knew the owners. Was in Niles Station the night they shot it up.
I still have about 20 drink tokens from JD's
Guess I won't be redeeming them..
Lol
I remember the shooting gallery at the Station..
Crazy times..
Shame it isn't there any more..
I saw many of my friends HS garage bands in there.
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Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 63
Likes: 1
From: East TN
Anyone do a hardness test on the failed pieces vs. those holding up?
Just recently purchased a 2011 garage queen with only 6k miles and can hear it when hot.
I might try electroless Ni plating and bake it to harden, depending on what it is stock.
Just recently purchased a 2011 garage queen with only 6k miles and can hear it when hot.
I might try electroless Ni plating and bake it to harden, depending on what it is stock.
Thread Starter
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,747
Likes: 419
From: Vermont
Especially the early failures covered under warranty are the factory ratio. When I changed mine years ago I knew the tooth count on both the compensator and the clutch basket. The memory has faded. The SE comp came about from the standard comp being unable to handle the torque from the "built engines" and frequently bottoming out. When the 96 came along, it was close enough to the previous engines in the souped up versions that the standard comp was right at the edge of being inadequate. If you were lucky, it worked for a long time, if you weren't so lucky it was too weak right from the start. I believe it is the bigger engines that needed the beefier comp, not the gear ratio of the primary. With the computer controlled engines, changing the primary ratio will cause problems with the cruise control and 6th gear light. On the newer machines, the digital gear indicator will probably not work when the ratio between engine RPM and speed no longer meets the stored ratio for each gear.