5 Harley Problems the Aftermarket Fixed Before the Factory
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- čas přidán 7. 10. 2021
- Harley-Davidson is traditional and they move slow, when they make a mistake they don't get right on fixing it or admit they made a mistake. Most Harley problems are solved by aftermarket companies long before Harley-Davidson improves their own parts. When Harley does fix the problem it's generally very quietly and rarely announced as a big improvement. Sometimes a lot of the improved parts become available in the Screamin Eagle catalog as Harley aftermarket options.
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What Harley engineering mistakes have you fixed on your bike (besides selling it lol)?
I replaced my oil pump with the upgraded oil pump on my '18 RK. To prevent sumping.
I could write a 1000 pages 😂
Rear hydraulic brake line switch failure.. caught on fire when it did. Too close to exhaust.
Shovel head rear Banana caliper 🙄
Complete garbage
Wouldn't trade ANY of my Evo's in an even exchange for anything new even if it was a top of the line CVO model and im TOTALLY serious. "RIP HD 1903-1999"
It’s a shame in this day and age that Harley-Davidson has any design quality issues.
It truly is and they are really stuck in a box with trying to make that 45 twin to modern standards.
Great video, Gixxer! However, you forgot to mention the loss of the Timken-Tapered bearing starting in 2003.
Thank you, I appreciate it! That's quite a job to add that feature back in, but if you've got the engine down it's highly recommended to do it.
Inner cam bearings! Evo and TC. For years , since the mid-50s , the factory used American-made Torrington bearings. They never failed! For some reason , they went to German-made INA bearings , with half the needle rollers of a Torrington. They failed around every 20-25 thousand miles. Hopefully most owners replaced them with a Torrington before they failed and dumped the rollers in the engine cases. Most folks changed them when they swapped out the stock cams for hi-perf bump-sticks. Most mechanics know this. The factory warranty will only replace them when they fail , and many dealerships will use another Ina bearing. The smart ones will use a Torrington. or 2 in the TC.
They went to that INA to save time and money on the assembly like, they also increased the tolerances throughout the entire motor.
Imagine buying a washing machine and waiting for the aftermarket to come up with products to make the darn thing wash clothes properly as it should. Or that same company offering you Screamin' Dove products to "enhance the power of the motor" or "make it your own". Ahhh, marketing!
100%! Harley is for sure the absolute masters of marketing!
It would at least explain why you're wearing a dirty T-Shirt (made in China) with Harley Davidson emblazoned all over it!
That has always been the problem with Harley-Davidson that they went from quality to quantity that started in the seventies. The only bike they made that was pretty much bulletproof was the Sportster. The biggest problem is they build bikes that have problems when they leave the factory and they don't stand behind them.
Quantity over quality, that's exactly it! They had quality in the Evo but they had empty show rooms, that was production problems not being executed properly though. Solution, lower quality and crank them out rather than addressing production issues.
Exactly. Sportsters run forever
Yep you can't sell If previous models last for too many years, Gotta close your eyes and pin the donkey..(parts suppliers)
Great video. I worked as a mechanic at san jose harley for over a year before I moved and you hit the nail on the head. Did tons of compensators, mainly on those years. Appreciate the content and getting the community more in touch with their machine!
Thank you, I appreciate it! That's awesome to hear, I imagine you saw all kinds of things working there in the shop.
Amen
Bought a new Sportster XLCH in '68. It had dry clutch plates that had to be replaced twice under warranty when a oil seal leaked both times. The third time the seal failed I replaced the clutches with a Barnett wet clutch kit and left the seal alone. Problem solved. I'll never forget the wiring held to the frame with friction tape from the factory.
Harley has some very interesting quality control back in those days!
what about the pressed together flywheels with all the run out issues.
That's for sure an issue, you have to dig very deep and spend some big bucks to get a new crank to fix that.
IV been looking into that myself on my bike as well.It seems to fix that issue is costly to say the least.
Can't believe that the "Motor Company" hasn't been able to design a one piece crank assembly by now! WTF???
@@kennethwise7108 i cant believe they haven't staggered the cylinders and separated the rods. for people that dont like progress this is it. its antiquated as .....
@@davidfellows6250 yeah really huh? Too bad they can't steal ideas from Indian (Polaris). I'd venture to bet the Pan-American thing doesn't have that pressed crank pin BS.
I wonder if HD runs their engines up at all to test their design, or do they take it from design to manufacturing to commercial with minimal or no testing. I own two TC 88 bikes with the cam chain tensioner problem. In the near future, I have to decide how to address this problem. I can forgive design misses, but cannot forgive a company that does not stand by the product. HD lost me as a customer because they offered no assistance for their screw-up. I am sure their accountants ran the numbers and it made financial sense to leave many customers out in the cold. Great video. Thanks for posting.
Very welcome, yeah Harley doesn't fix anything unless it's a safety issue. They often won't mechanical failures due to design, although they did quietly fix 88's back in the day with tensioner issues.
Hopefully you've got a '99-01 twin cam with Timkin bearings. Then go with S&S gear drive and upgrade cam chest, cams and inner bearings
Always love your Harley info videos. The primary on my 2009 FLHTCU has provided me the most of my attention.
A very informative review of Harley Davidson engineering as usual. I know that anything mechanical is subject to some kind of failure weather it be externally introduced or built in to the design. The problem I have with The Factory is their arrogance that people will buy their products just because of their mystic allure! In other words, yeah we know there's a problem but they'll buy it anyway and if it does go bad hopefully it will be out of warranty by then! The dealership is also part of this problem. They do not want to do any work under warranty because the factory will only pay so much for the repair where they would rather they hot you up for work and parts that you may not need.
A lot of dealers are certainly that way, and some dealers will end up eating the cost to make it right with the customer. I think you hit the nail on the head with the way Harley works, they really do live on that name.
Hi great video I've had all the problems you speak of Delt with all of these cam chain tensioners primary tensioner mine actually broke in 2 pces was rumbling around in the case fixed that. Then did the top end big bore kit so far so good 👍. At least I was one of the years with timkin barring. Only plus ➕ thanks again
Thanks for sharing, sounds like you got pretty lucky there and it didn't tear the cases up! I've seen that destroy the cases when those tensioners come apart. Even worse when the ones in the cam chest let go, it doesn't take much material to block the oil passages.
Great info, I will stick with my old faithful Evo.👍🤘😎🇦🇺
For sure keep that Evo, you don't have many issues to worry about there!
At 165.000 on my Ducati, I think I will keep it!!!!! 😀😀😀😁😁😁🏍🏍🏍🍺🍺🍺
This is the behaviour of a company that is acutely aware that their products are used in such a manner that most failures will most likely occur after the warranty period is timed out rather than the mileage being exceeded. It's not my idea of the sort of quality that a "premium" brand should deliver but I guess that "quality" and "premium" are subjective terms. Harley Davidson has educated their market very well indeed.
I agree, they know there are issues and the goal is to get past the warranty period. Harley-Davidson is ridiculously slow to change anything.
dont forget the M8 issues there are many
Yeah the M8 has a laundry list of problems, about the only true fix there seems to be a full Kevin Baxter rebuild.
On the '14 up touring bikes with hydraulic clutches, there is the transmission ---> primary oil transfer issue. It has been very common on the M8 bikes but also involved an occasional Twin Cam bike (including my 2015 Road Glide Special :( ). HD and the aftermarket tried multiple "fixes" but eventually HD came up with a breather hose "fix" to "vent" the inner primary. This apparently works for the most part? I just installed the HD vent in my '15 inner primary however the inner primary is different on the Twin Cam bikes and so my installation is a bit of an experiment as there is no baffling of oil splash. It is more than interesting that HD has gone back to cable clutches now on the new touring bikes further raising suspicion that an engineering oversight was evidenced by the transmission ----> primary oil transfer on hydraulic clutch bikes. HD will "fix" M8 bikes out of warranty as there eventually was a TSB on the M8 bikes. If you are one of the unfortunate, supposedly "rare" Twin Cam owners with this issue however, you are kind of on your own, though there was a "tech bulletin" on them for this issue.
That's quite interesting, I've heard of that but never seen it on the Twin Cam. For sure raises my suspicion as to why they went back to the cable clutch!
There's a guy who wrote a book about why the Sportster is the best Harley. The more I read about the Big Twins the better the decision to buy a Sportster gets. Now, I speak from the perspective of an owner who has put 82,000 miles on the bike.
Sportster motors don't have cam chain tensioner problems. Gear driven cams eliminate the issue.
Big Twins have a double row primary chain. Sportsters have a triple row chain. 50% stronger equals less stretch. No automatic adjustment.
I typically check and adjust mine at the end of the season.
Drive belt replacement...a major drag on a BT, a one hour job you can do at home without a motorcycle jack. My belt broke at 74,000 miles.
The biggest factory screw-up? Weak shock and fork springs. A call to Progressive Suspension turned my Roadster into a Sporty Glide.
No doubt hands down the Sportster is the most bullet proof motor of any Harley, any engine out there if you want to get down to it. They literally don't have any of the defects and cost cutting the big twins have.
Love the look of the 48 sporty but can't stomach a 5 speed. I guess you can change sprockets for lower highway rpm...too bad the moco didn't put one out with a 6 speed and quality suspension...they would have had a winner.
@@barrybarnes96 , I thought the same thing. RPM at 60 is 2800. 65 is 3000, 70 is 3250, 75 is 3500. West of the Mississippi the limits go up to 80 and while it will keep up it gets busy. Sportster was never intended to be a high-speed tourer.
I have 400,000 trouble-free miles on my 99 Harley 883. I did have to replace the stator when the bike was 20 years old and had 250,000 miles on it but other than that the engine is all original. Bike at 100000 miles plus out of a belt drive replacing it is as easy as replacing an endless chain. So easy to change the fluids and filter in the driveway in 20 minutes.
Idling them down low also puts a lot of stress on the flywheels and since Harley went to the 5 piece pressed together crank they are even more susceptible to getting out of true with a low idle. With the evo and older cranks you would just wear out the crank bearings faster when you had a low idle but now you’ll do that and run the crank out of true as well.
It never ceases to amaze me how the crankshafts in newer Harley engines are absolute steaming piles of shit, especially when they're in motors with a very long stroke on a single pin, which also produce a lot of torque. Harley should basically have diesel engine crankshafts in them. Instead they have cranks so shitty they shouldn't be in a motor half the size with 50% less power.
@@PotatoeJoe69 the other issue is that Harley engineers their engine to last…. Under one condition…being left stock. So I can see them being built as they are if that’s the thought process. My aunt and uncle have left their Harley’s completely stock and never had an issue so….. maybe there’s some merit there? Maybe?
That’s why when you have one running good it’s something to be proud of. And if it isn’t, people get it.
That's no joke! It can take some time and effort to straighten one out, even when you go at it with a plan for the known issues.
It took Harley many years to finally adress the bagger wobble starting in 2009. The issue was caused by the single engine isolator in the front and a narrow gusset plate under the oil pan. The lateral forces when in a curve under suspension loading and unloading caused the frame to flex and would warp the gusset plate upwards. There were a few companies who designed a stabilizer link to minimize the movement and flexing.
Harley in 2009 changed the frame design with a 4 link isolator engine and transmission mount for the baggers. Harley also designed a wider gusset plate between the frame rails to stiffen the new frame at the rear.
They finally got that straightened out, which according to Harley there never was a problem.
@@GixxerFoo I have the bastard year 2008 touring framed Road Glide that is triked ( Motor Trike kit ) with the old frame.
I broke the trans case ear the rear swing arm shaft goes through to hold up the back end of the transmission case. Turns out the gusset plate under the oil pan was bowed up.
I straightened it and then added a 1/4" steel plate bolted to the gusset under it.
I also added custom attaching points from the rear axle to the frame that eliminates the lateral movement of the trike axle.!!!
Great subject matter. Very informative video. Thank you
I have been a Harley-Davidson owner/rider since the AMF days and IMHO every new Harley-Davidson that you buy should come with a free manufactures service manual and a tool kit.📕🧰 Gixxer, in answer to your question; items I have fixed due to HD's excellent engineering. New pistons & jugs (missing piston pin), rear master brake cylinder (1973FX location of cylinder too close to exhaust, so brake fluid heated and applied rear brake), shifter forks, camplate with hydraulic chain tensioners, oil pump
Whoa hold on, you had a missing piston pin??? From the factory? Lol I agree, a service manual and a tool kit would be a huge benefit. Ironically the Harley factory service manual is the best manual I have ever seen, it's got the tools needed and step by step for the job.
On a side note about heating and oil and traffic. I put 15W50 Castrol Syntec car oil in my Sportster and ran it fifty miles everyday in South Florida traffic and that oil never broke down and the engine never made head noise or blew oil out the air box. Engine never missed a beat as far as lubrication goes. It sounded so smooth the Harley dealership guys would ask me what I did to get it so smooth. I told them ancient Chinese secret. Lol. Never adjusted anything. If running any engine at a lower idle multi viscosity oil is your friend. Thin oil lubricates better on a cold engine.
That's a great point! Castrol makes some dang good oil, I used to run it in my race bikes!
I’ve been running shell rotella 5w 40 synthetic diesel truck oil on my bike for years. I use it in the transmission, primary, and engine. No problems, and it seems to shift smoother with less “ clunk” when shifting. I’ve been told that I’m going to destroy the drive train in this bike but I’ve had 30,000 hard miles and no problem.
Tensioner fix I prefer feeling cam plate and oil pump, and gear drive cams. Also have use the se plate and pump with hyd tensioner. Most recent bike has 110-CVO, used the fueling OE+ plate and pump with wood TW-7H-7 chain drive. Also, on the 110 it had the se compensator and auto chain tensioner. I had a clunky noisy primary for several month after I finished the build. Open the primary and found too much slack in the chain. Took a screwdriver and hammer and whacked the tensioner wedge. This tightened the chain to the deflection normal for earlier EVO & TC's. Problem pretty much solved since then. Working on a 84 FLH now - it's a plumbers nightmare; but I feel lucky it's pretty much stock with only 8300 miles.
Damn that's a find on the 84 with low mileage like that! You've done the right thing on those twin cams upgrading the weak links there!
I don't even know if you know what you're talking about. But you sound like you do. And that's why I like watching your videos. Cause you're the only one I know of that makes videos like this
if Harley would tighten up the run off tolerances most of this wouldn't be an issue but allowing 12k on the pinion side should be criminal.
Totally agree, they would have to go back to tapered bearings and take the time to set the crank up properly again.
@@GixxerFoo All because Timken wanted too much money for their bearings and the bean counters saw it as an opportunity to do away with them. Look no further than the "INA cam bearing" as another savings initiative. They totally suck.... I don't even know why I still ride these POS bikes.
@@kennethwise7108 Why stress yourself out.... just get rid of it and get what you want
@@marvelharris9540 ive tried BMWs but they're way too expensive to maintain. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment 🤷🏻♂️
ONE PIECE FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY!!!
Great work. Bring back the shelf.
😆😂👍 put the suspense back in the videos if it will collapse or not.
You forgot about the Sportster. I recently replaced the clutch in my 2006 Sportster 1200 with aftermarket parts. It turns out the clutches (and I'm not sure what years have this problem) have what's called a "spring plate" in the clutch pack, which is basically 2 thin metal plates RIVETED together with BRASS rivets. These tend to fail around 15K miles or shortly thereafter. Not every one of them fails, but most do. And when they do, they can fill your transmission full of little bits of metal. These are commonly referred to as "grenade plates" for obvious reasons. Barnett makes a clutch plate kit that eliminates these things. Nobody seems to know what they were every there for to begin with. The other clutch problem is the release bearing. H-D used a VERY cheap bearing that tends to fail (again) after around 15K miles. I replaced mine with a German made bearing that costs about 3 times as much as the H-D oem bearing, but doesn't fail.
My 1989 EVO does not overheat in traffic, and I live in AZ, the hottest state in the country. The EVO had a better lubrication system, and ran much richer mixtures. A rich mixture is necessary to keep an air cooled engine alive. I used to be an air cooled VW fanatic, and had to run them so rich that I actually lost some power. But I never had one melt down.
Putting a chain inside an engine is a really dumb idea. I have had 4 Japanese motorcycle engines fail due to broken cam chains. Chains simply do not last as long as other internal engine parts. I don't count the H-D primary chain, because it is easily accessible, and replacing it should be considered routine maintenance. Gear drive was the way to go for the Harley cam drive, but....
Now for the elephant in the room, the really big problem that H-D never did fix. The cheap pressed together crankshaft. They actually had a design that worked for decades, then replaced it with a design that didn't work, to save a little money. The aftermarket came up with a fix for that problem too, but it required a total engine rebuild to install.
I love the way Harleys feel and sound (except for the M8) and the EVO powered models are reliable. But as a motorcycle manufacturer, H-D leaves a lot to be desired. And as for tradition, now they have even abandoned that. With the M8 engine in the bigger models, and the demise of the EVO Sportster, H-D no longer makes anything I would call a "Harley"
I've seen that happen on a few Sportsters before, those riveted clutches are serious pain. Harleys having to change with the times and unfortunately it's never going to be the same.
It's stuff like this and the other comments that are pushing me towards a Chief. Suspect Indian has some problems too but can't possibly be as SNAFU as H-D.
I like the looks of the H-D Softails over the Indian Chief but H-D's budget build engines are too ssketchy.
Thanks for all the information you give us. Love ur videos.
I have a 2004 SEEG 103 ci. I’m guessing I will have the same compensator and cam tensioner problem?
The twin cam setup wouldn't have been so bad if they used gears instead of a chain on the backside of the cam plate and had just one chain and tensioner right behind the cam cover.
I think that hybrid set up would be a lot more trouble-free than an all gear or all chain setup.
To keep the gear drive they would of had to stay with the tapered bearing lower ends and take the time to set backlash on everything. I completely agree, Harley says they got away from gears for noise reduction. Lol I don't believe that for a second, it was cost reduction for the factory while raising the price on the bikes.
@@GixxerFoo I totally agree. But as a compromise I would have been fine with just the one chain on the outside of the cam plate. It's just on the inside of the cam plate where one cam drives the other I wish they would have used gears there. I don't mind so much pulling off the cover to change a tensioner but removing pushrods and ripping out the whole cam chest and cams to get to the rear tensioner is ridiculous.
The biggest beyond bone head move was changing the crank tolerance and removing the Timken bearing. I love my Harley but I hate them for this. Cams should be gear driven. The compensator would be less of an issue once the crank runout is removed. What they need to do is follow in Jaggs foot steps and improve on the oil cooler system.
Completely agree, the motors went to pot with the non tapered roller bearings. When they did that gear drive was out of the question from the factory.
@@GixxerFoo Yet we still love our bikes. Many riders care more about chrome and colors than they do a well bullet proof built engine.
Hi Gixxer, found your channel a few weeks ago and was instantly hooked - really love your content
I've got a 2005 FXDWGI, bought it last year after too long away from the Harley scene - the bike had had S&S slashcuts and an SE aircleaner fitted but incredibly the previous owner hadn't installed anything as regards to fuel module..
Anyway I quickly got a Powercommander V installed and some 509 cams
Recently I have had the S&S 97 bigbore kit fitted - with regards to that compensator you mentioned- do you think this should be upgraded, or will the OEM part probably last the course given I don't mistreat my bikes?
Always a pleasure to look at ur videos 👍
Thank you! I appreciate the support!
Excellent video, Gixxer. You hit all the ones that the Motor Co. dropped the ball on. I would add the wierd top triple clamp on all touring bikes from 1980 to 2013. Shouldn't have taken that long to get right.
We still have air/oil cooled engines in lawn mowers too. It's time the Sportster S motor is expanded to the cruiser and touring models - that is, after the aftermarket sorts out the problems with the RevoMax motor.
That's the direction it is moving, the air cooled Sportster is done. Eventually we'll see Harley have a bike like the Indian Challenger.
Dam good video sir! I couldn't agree more, and appreciate you making me feel like I'm not crazy cause it boggles my mind why harley does what it does.
I appreciate it! You're not crazy, Harley really makes some bone head mistakes in engineering.
Thanks for another interesting and informative video
You are very welcome, I appreciate you checking it out!
Hey brother, love your show and content. Have you done any videos on the SnS 88ci and SnS super e carb circa 2002? Keep up the awesome work. Cheers from the west coast of Canada. 🙏🏼😉🇨🇦
I haven't covered the Super E specifically but I do have a video on carb swap from the CV to the Mikuni here czcams.com/video/ZTEZL8AwgHQ/video.html.
You are the man...Super all the way...Great info and teachings.
I appreciate that!
I heard somewhere that, on the M8, the oil goes through the oil cooler before going to the filter. If so, I would think the dirty oil would end up clogging the cooler after a time…it should be filtered before being cooled. But I could be wrong.
That's interesting, I'll have to look at flow diagram for the M8 and see what's going on there. Yeah I'd have to agree going through the cooler first would be a problem over time for sure.
Thanks for another great video
Thanks for watching!
I love your channel. Straight to the point and very informative. What is your opinion on the Ultra Cool oil coolers? They have the duel electric fans that turn on when the oil hits a certain temperature. I've been thinking of installing one on my 110 just to keep it running a little cooler.
Ultra Cool is one I really like, those fan assisted units are the way to go. Especially on the 110 motor, they already run pretty hot and you can't beat that fan if your sitting at a light.
@@GixxerFoo Thanks I appreciate your input. Looks like there will be an Ultra Cool in my near future.
Another good and informative video. You have become one of my most trusted sources. I have a 2011 Fatboy that I have been thinking of upgrading the compensator because of all I heard for but it sounds like Harley upgraded the compensator that year. Is it not something I should worry about now? Asking just to make sure I understand. Also is the cam chain tensioner is ok but should replace the drive chain tensioner?
The compensator on the 2011's is pretty good, compensators usually start making some noise before they go out. But by 2011 they had the compensator issues pretty well lined out. Cam chain tensioners in those years are good, I just like to check in on them about 30K. They will run till 50 supposedly but 30k to be safe. The automatic primary chain tensioner is something to consider going to a manual with, they can seriously over tighten the chain, especially if you are getting up there in miles.
@@GixxerFoo Thank you so much for the information. I am about 48k now so guess I should start looking into upgrading them both.
How about fluid transfer from the trans to the primary? I had 8 ounces in my primary until I installed the vent tube not to mention the ridiculous amount of blow by even when my oil was 3 dots below.
The M8's crankcase ventilation is awful, vented dip stick and trans cover helps a lot with that. Getting a upgraded oil pump helps a lot, either the latest Harley oil pump or even better is an aftermarket pump.
😎 1 more thing, the Stator on an 06 Dyna. It's a two piece that the screws back out and tear up the windings or the rotor. They eventually addressed it later.
They will do that, why on earth they went with a two piece setup was ridiculous.
You should have mentioned the horrendous water pump and epic failures while talking about the twin cooled models... They fail on average around 8,000 mi Harley won't recall them just like they didn't the compensator but they will sell you the kit for the new pump on the M8 and recommend that they install it for you. What a racket!
Yeah those housings like to crack and start leaking on the twin cooled bikes, if the pump doesn't outright fail. I think that was on the early bikes, the later models have seemed to do pretty well. Harley doesn't recall for mechanicals unless it is a safety hazard like the brakes when they did that recall.
@@GixxerFoo Just replace my water pump this weekend $352.?? plus tax. Tore it apart to see what failed. Found an electrical connection was not soldered well enough and when things got heated up, the contact points would come apart. Less than 7000 miles on a 2015 that I just bought last month. I read many post on this issue before I bought it. I knew what I was getting myself into. Never in all the years I've had Harley, would I thought I would say, I had to change the water pump on my motorcycle. I put the new M8 pump conversion on. Once again telling me that the MOCO knows they have a problem. They wanted $1050 to replace it at the Stealership.
Great information
Glad it was helpful!
Gixxer, once again a very well put together and informative piece. How about the noise in the 6 speed that Baker fixed almost overnight and the sleeve on the output/inner primary that likes to walk and cause leaks... Keep up the great work 👍
Thank you and excellent point! I think the walking is due to the loose tolerances and that goes back to the primary chain.
YES!
First and fifth gear!
What's up with that? It has since been fixed, right? I have an '09 FLHX.
Straight cut gears? Why?
@@williamolson3704 I don't know if Harley has fixed the problem yet, but Baker has a bearing/helical gear fix for it. Straight cut gears will supposedly give you some level of noise, but are more efficient and can withstand more HP than can helical. I have a Rivera-Primo 6sp, all straight cut, and I don't hear anything! Try some Redline Heavy Shockproof in the trans, I swear by it!
Hi Gixxer a couple of my favorites Not!
Rattling gas cap.
Speedo face fogging up
Crap shifter linkage
But I still love my Harley
All the best from NZ 🇳🇿
Fair enough! Problem with the speedo is they are actually vented too!
@@GixxerFoo lmao you wouldn't think so.
No prob on my RG but All my previous Harleys.
Thanks brother
Gixxer,here’s another one.The early latches on the tour packs are junk.They rattle themselves apart.I replaced mine with rubber pull latches I bought at Napa.
That's a good one! I've heard about those latches being a issue!
Gotta remember to LOCK them too. If left unlocked , they pop open.
Great stuff. Been there
Great spoken video
Love your stuff
Awesome, thank you!
Gixxer the fixer.
We are the HD army and he is the General!
😆😂👍 I appreciate it!
I guess fixing your Harley is part of the fun of having a Harley, greetings from nogales México.....
Greetings! That is awesome we have some viewers in Mexico, honestly you shouldn't have to fix the bike and spend that money on some upgrades and custom parts.
@@GixxerFoo greetings....I was just saying, I don't own a Harley but I own a Kawasaki 2000 cc. It's a great bike so far, but I like Harleys and I'm planning on getting one in the future, and watching your videos have open my eyes on what type of Harley is the best for me, it's great to have instructional channels, looking forward to learn more Frome your videos....have a nice day
After watching your other videos on Shovelhead, Evo big twin and looking at forms on the new M8. Harley after 118 years had issues with engines even at 118 years old. The Sportster 1200 is the most trouble free Harley engine. I hope the new 1250 Revolution Max is trouble free too! I hope to see a 1350 Revolution Max in a Softail or Touring bike one day. Liquid Cooled is the only way to have an engine make maximum power n torque at a constant controlled temperature.
Right on! I am really hopeful for that new Rev Max, so far it looks like a success in that Pan America. People are already going cross country on them, I've been following some other CZcamsrs doing that. Now that the Sportster S is out I'm waiting to see some long term feedback on it.
@@GixxerFoo Ask Harley if you can get a Sportster S for a good review! GixxerFoo, Thanks for your vidoes
I've owned many bikes over the years. But i've never really regretted a bike until my HD. Its taken much of my own work and lots of money to get it right. One and done.
I don't blame you there, they can be a real pain in the butt sometimes.
@@GixxerFoo Its definatly a love/hate relationship!
That is interesting fix for the stepper motor. I started getting problems 10,000 miles ago, I seemed to get by with grease on cables for a while. I shortened the outer of the throttle cable nearest the rider by about 1/2 a turn not had any problems since. Not sure why this worked. But will look at your fix.
That's a interesting issue, you might have to end up replacing that cable, it sounds like it might have some stretch in it.
The tensioner issue was very easily fixed on the 88 motors but you did have to spend some cash by converting to gear drive! That my friend was the only issue
The gear drive on those was not cheap at all!
@@GixxerFoo back around 2000 I did install a couple of gear drives kits for a little less then 500 bucks but the kits went up pretty fast ! But it did make those 88s a pretty much maintenance free bike other than fluid changes . Those 88s turned into 95 in hers made some badass hotrod bikes with no compensator issues ! Much more dependable then 07 & up motors unless you spend a huge amount of cash on some Dark horse flywheels !
Your list pretty much sums it up. Not to sure why they moved away from Timken bearings though.
It was a cost savings move, faster to setup and install on the line. They didn't have to take the time to setup backlash on the tapered bearings either.
Gixxer, good production as usual! Also, though, listening to Kevin Baxter and watching his video covering the compensator "family tree," there was a marked visual and engineering difference between the unit used in the 88" engines compared to the later compensator designs. He specifically shows the three side by side and calls the second Twin Cam one (compared to the first one) a "miserable failure." So what I concluded from those visuals as well as what he outlined, was that the first Twinkie iteration was actually sound and pretty much OK unless you go huge build, but it was the latter ones that were bad and only ultimately fixed with the "final" versions bowing in the teen models. Thus, I'd say that the larger engines outgrowing the compensator were not the issue per se, but rather, the design changes they came out with for those re-designed comps were the real culprits. From southern California - thanks again and ...Ride Forever!
That's an excellent point, Kevin build some stout motors honestly the way should be built! He's absolutely correct about those compensator designs, Harley was saving money and passing the mess onto us.
Jessica the guy who complained about his Sportster my 1999 Sportster has gone 350,000 Mi almost trouble-free belts last me around 100,000 MI I've never had to replace anything in my clutch at all there is the little bearing that goes out every 50 60,000 miles IQ will hear Rattle and then you have to put the new one and it cost about $6 in parts wait I take the primary apart to put it in all of the Evo Sportsters have been very well reliable much better than their big bikes especially the twin-cam and later version the twin-cam was cheaper to build than evil and it turned around and bit them in the ass for warranty claims typical Harley Pennywise and pound-foolish and they still haven't learned their lesson with the new motor
I love to piss off the Harley Riders who have the love jugs on their bikes I tell them just like my Vespa Scooter has a fan oh really riled them up haha I remember a road test from the 1950s Panhead where they extended the cylinder head fins out to match the barrel and they said that the Panhead runs as cool as an Iceman shoulder my Evo Sportster runs 200° to up in August in Florida Evo Sportster the best Harley ever made
I like learning from you, thank you
I appreciate you taking the time to check out the videos!
I have put mighty mites ( love juggs ) on my 14 Streetglide and 05 Deuce. They do work BUT ive also had three fans go out ,over approximately a 3 year period. Two on the Deuce and thats a balanced motor and one on the Streetglide which vibes more . There is a frame mount kit i have to fit to isolate the vibration apparently. I purchased this kit from Amsoil Adam ( vendor) at Delmarva bike week this year. I have a Hayden H6 primary chain tensioner ( auto ) fitted to the Deuce . BUT at the moment cant find one for the Streetglide anywhere ! Its like everyone is out of stock .I also have two FLO reusable oil filters to fit when i next service the bikes ,the advertising says they can drop motor temperatures. I run AMSOIL in both bikes . The Fans by the way DO work and drop motor temp but even though its a well built unit its the tiny fans that don't seem up to the job . These units were like $400 and now i believe they are north of $500 ! ALSO the Deuce has full S+S cam chest running 509G Gear Drive because the run out was good .
Thanks for another good one.
Thank you for checking it out, I appreciate it!
Being a FXR rider with the trustworthy EVO on board, I do not recognize these problems, but guys from the club I am a member of, they do recognize these hideous Harley Davidson technical neglections (mistakes, errors, f@ck ups) which they unfortunately had to experience for them selves. Although my EVO may leak a little oil here and there...the reputation of my old EVO is the "GO" motor and they all have much more modern "NO GO"motor. When their Motors basically "GO" they've got convincingly more power than my old EVO produces, but when they stand still for these idiotic and stupid reasons, my old EVO does her thing and never let's me down, with her 70000 miles on it and counting... So yeah... I'll stick to my old EVO and leave all of those modern high powered V-twin to you guys.
My personal advice would be: Go get a Twincam or even a Milwaukee 8 and don't ride it before you have taken the motor entirely apart to correct all standard Harley Davidson f@ck ups and then, only then put the motor back together. Maybe then your bike will be as reliable as my old 1985 EVO1
You know that's exactly what Kevin Baxter does with his engine build packages. He takes a Twin Cam or a M8 completely apart and rebuilds them the right way from the crank up for his customers. He basically builds those motors to what the Evo originally was to begin with. Best part about your Evo is a rebuild is quick and easy, not mention inexpensive as well. You get a cam like the Andrews EV27 in an Evo and it will make reliable torque and horsepower all day every day.
@@GixxerFoo Yes indeed, and I did forget to mention that although these Twin Cams and M8 motors do provide a lot more power, these bikes are no match to me and my old EVO when it comes down to the twisties. Even the modern FX softail bikes can not keep up with me and those baggers scrape the road in every corner... So yeah, my old 1985 EVO 1 may be under powered... I still see no reason to upgrade my motor, as they majority of the newer bikes simply don't handle the way my FXR does ;-)
Long live the Evo.👍🤘😎🇦🇺
Your Evo's brother the Shovel is sitting in my carport right now laughing..."they thought I was junk cuz I leak a little oil." 🤣 Which can be fixed
I have a 1997 Dyna, been a great motorcycle! When I bought it I immediately replaced the Fafnir cam bearing with the older Torrington. Added a "race brace" to the rh side and the Hayden chain tensioner. I now have over 50k miles on it, heads have never been off. Still runs as good as when I bought it slightly used 20 years ago.
I would not trade it for any new HD!
youre a funny guy.....that opening was good. Cheers from NZ
Thank you, hope you enjoyed the video!
They also stopped using a Timken bearing for the crankshaft after 2002 . Leading I believe to the shifted flywheel problem. Not sure how widespread the shifted flywheels became but its enough that S&S offered a solution. Im waiting for my compensator to become a problem with my 09 Dyna. Every now and then on startup there is a GRIND and starter kicks back. But I just hit the button again and away we go. Doesnt happen very often. I aint fixing it until breaks Im lazy like that . I have other bikes I can ride .
It was easier and fast during assembly to use that roller bearing rather than take the time to set the back lash with the Timken. Very unfortunate they did that, does sound like your compensator is starting to have some wear spots!
Elimination of the timkin bearing! That was really swift, oh, I forgot, they 'saved money ' just so they could pass the savings on to their customers, YEAH RIGHT!
Traffic ; amen ; that also why said goodbye to manual auto trans now .😁
Your video is extra funny!
Who the heck thinks Harley has been on the cutting edge of technology🤣
The aftermarket to the rescue for Harleys engineering blunders? no way.. We’ll put the cat back into the bag for ya
I would say only as of late with the Pan America and Sportster S has Harley really finally moved into the tech segment.
I'm rather slow to change...I still have my 73 Shovelhead and just last year added a 99 Evo Heritage Classic to my garage...my 73 is 91ci and my 99 is 96ci...that's as big as either needs to be since I'm using the stock lower cases... I can only assume HD is building their lowercases to stand up to more HP... however I have been seeing CZcams vloggers complaining about having invested time and money in building their new bikes only to have them back in the shop because of issues with over heating...
The new M8's for sure have some issues that need addressing, it takes some money to get one right. You've got some nice rides it sounds like, built and good simple tech in those motors!
@@GixxerFoo ...as far as the M8s that's what I'm seeing too...those little fans are a band-aid for a much bigger problem... I'm surprised some genius hasn't developed a wrap incorporating an oil cooler a pump and antifreeze to cool these new engines...when all the time the motor company could just say okay uncle we've gone as far as we can go with air cooled so our next phase is going to be offer a liquid cooled 45 degreed 4 cylinder behemoth capable of mach 1...you know back in the early ninties an aftermarket company offered an automatic transmission for harley davidson motorcycles...mainly for the baggers... seriously...on another note are you familiar with Sorenson Performance that guy has built 2 Shovelhead engines all billet 1 is like 128 the other is 142or 143ci... he's in Canada...the head design instead of the hemispherical is peanut shaped...mouse motors perform well and stay together longer...besides that there's a speed limit...lol
What about the crankcase pressure problems in the milwaukee 8s,whats the latest fix for those,besides drilling a hole behind the primary
Best way to go about that right now is a vented dipstick and or a vented trans cover to atmosphere to relieve that pressure. The next step to combine that with is a updated Harley oil pump which is stock on the late 2019's and newer. Even better is getting Feuling or S&S cam plate with a high flow oil pump.
Thanks for the info
Great video and no sugar coating. Harley drags their feet because it is all about money. Just as a comparison of American motor companies if you take a look at the Victory air cooled V-twin the last engine the 106 is everything a Harley engine should be. Harley knows and they have the ability to change because they have done it before. I think Harley just likes to sell parts and labor at this point. I like the last auto change tensioner and was a little apprehensive about it. When I first had my primary cover off looking at the chain tensioner the first thing that went through my head is why is this not a auto chain tensioner? I asked this twenty years ago! Thanks for the review and the shimming advice. I will now upgrade the XL1200S.
The Victory Freedom 106 was a great motor, it's a shame they ditched it but Indian was outselling the Victory platform. Harley for sure build bikes that keep the parts and service departments open.
I have a Judge and it is my commuter bike now. Every time I ride it I think, this V twin has all the sounds and clean looks but it is smooth and effortless to own. The Sportster, I still have, took effort on my part to get it to run properly. Fixing the carb. No thanks to the dealer. Environmentally sealing the timing harness connector located on the bottom of the engine just in case I had to ride through water up to my axles on the Palmetto expressway on the way home in a downpour. Lol.
The Roadworx Sub-Shock frame came out in the early 80's. Suddenly it disappeared and voila! Harley comes out with the Softail a few years later.
I will add the crappy oil pump on the M8 motors to the list.
The updated oil pump or a aftermarket is the best option, for sure a vented dipstick helps quite a bit too!
Thanks! 🙂
i bought my 03 FLHRCI with 29k miles. i immediately did a cam. Both shoes were cracked in half. Did a Andrews 37G gear drive. .003 runout.
another excellent video. cool man.
Glad you enjoyed it, I appreciate the support!
Totally interesting and considering that I have a Sportster still totally interesting.
Sportsters are awesome bikes, my preferred ride actually!
I have a 2000 road king, I replaced the manual primary chain tensioner and put Harley‘s spring tension on. I’ve been looking at a hydraulic chain tensioner I don’t know much about them. I may go back to the manual chain tensioner. Do you know anything about the hydraulic chain tensioner.
The hydraulics are a lot better than the OEM tensioner, they do have some give and work much in the same way as the hydraulic cam chain tensioners. I still prefer the manual tensioner myself though, I like to set it an know where I'm at.
I have heard about a 2 inch tank lift that allows more air over the engine. What do you think about that?
It makes a big difference in getting the heat off the motor, it's going to rise so you'll end up feeling more heat. But it will cool the engine down and allow more air flow over the engine running down the road.
Harley Davidson , where they sell you a new bike and then sell you all the Screaming Eagle parts to make it run properly rather than put the better parts in the bike in the first place . i doubt that an SE chain tensioner really costs much more to make than the stock part and considering what the damn bikes sell for you should get the decent parts right out the door instead of buying them again later .
I couldn't agree more, it's all part of Harley's marketing strategy. Harley really is a good marketing machine!
I have a carb TC 88. I can run the fuel screw down to 2 ⅓ out with no real issue with heat. There is a critical point where going lean the heat goes on runaway. No need to go by 3 turns, a 10th of a turn either way is the difference between it can loose the heat or not.
That's the beauty of those carbeb bikes is the ease of adjustment and making it happen on the side of the road.
good review , interesting , i live in Scotland (UK ) and have no trouble keeping the motor cool .... its never that warm here :-)
Thank you, that is awesome! Beautiful country over there, my English teacher from High School lives in Scotland now and we're still in contact. I imagine you've got some nice roads to cruise on over there, that's the weather an air cooled motor loves.
@@GixxerFoo yes outstand scenery when the weather is nice , many long runs on the HD up north in the summer , this year i visited the Davidsons cottage .....where it all began .
Got a totally unrelated question....
What is making that sound at the end of your videos?
It sounds like somone is farting?
Been watching your videos a long time now, and I love them. Keep'em coming!
Lol it's a fart, I put it in there years ago and one time I forgot to add it, hear all about it and where did it go 😂
Agree
Harley ownes are the only customers who are expected to buy a 30k bike then go home and re-engineer it .
@GixxerFoo -- Should the stock compensator be a concern on a 88ci that has been built to a high compression stout 95ci ? (2000 Model)
Not in that year, they had good compensators back then. It's when they redesigned them a few years later that quality went to crap. It was a miserable failure on Harley's part when they did that.
Andrews didn't make plates & tensioners...they sold gear drive cams which removed the need for tensioners.
They did start making the gear drives as well, they were one of the first to do so. Excellent company, had some great conversations with them.
Any idea as to why they went to the INA inner cam bearing in 92?
I would hazard to say it was cheaper, same reason they went with that style bearing on the Twin Cams in 2003. It allowed Harley to slap the bottom end together without having to take time to setup the tapered Timken bearing lower ends. Both were a huge quality loss in my opinion from Harley.
Tensioners was material of shoes and also it was the chain links got sharp edges toward end of run before they changed dies .
That was a nightmare when that whole mess went down, brand new bikes shelling motors and customers holding the bag.
@@GixxerFoo yes sir : I forget where I read that . Chain links were good a beginning of run and as the dies wore ; chain links got tougher on edges . So depending on where your chain was made ; beginning of run or end of run is why it was hit and miss on bikes. Also I believe the chain was re-engineered with different type links on up graded kit and bikes after that fiasco .
Yes ; it hit me in the pocket.
I wasn’t happy about it .
I’m working on my shovelhead clutch basket now . 🤔 floating clutch hub . Plates that stick on hub fingers . Well it’s a can of worms. It goes on ; but we are miles ahead of that old stuff still .😁
✊🏻👍👌🙏👋
@@GixxerFoo wow ; cannonball run -
czcams.com/video/in_O3hyNIWY/video.html
DAMN cam chain tensioners !!
What was the spring degener company
I was about to put in a manual tensioner
You missed the twin cam 88 and 96 inner cam bearing that comes apart about every twenty to thirty thousand miles.it got me twice the aftermarket has a fix but to this day Harley has never addressed it. It cost me 6 grand the first time and 8 grand the second.
That's for sure an issue that happens on some bikes, I haven't actually seen that one happen myself.
I went through primary chain tensioner issue and I hoping flywheel issue doesn't comes up.
Can you please do a video on fly issue and how would you know if you havea bad compensator
I have a video covering the compensator, you'll know pretty quick with a compensator. Here's the compensator video czcams.com/video/qZNZAiX9Edw/video.html, this one is about the cranks czcams.com/video/oSmp_mw_ZbM/video.html.
I have been on the side of the road 5 times due to stator failures. Went to an American manufactured company "Cycle Electric" and have never been on the side of the road ever again. Don't have any of the other issues due to only owning Evo's (on purpose).
Evo's are just another breed of Harley all together, they don't get much better in a Harley.
@@GixxerFoo yep, although I've owned many im very fond of the 1998. If you address a few of the issues associated with them you've got one great and reliable machine
Did you know that there are no official Harley family members associated with the motor company anymore? Willie and Nancy Davidson had two sons Michael and Bill. Bill runs the museum in Milwaukee and Michael is an artist and wants nothing to do with his heritage. His daughter Karen is in charge of the motor clothes Department. None of Willie and Nancy's aforementioned children have children except for Bill who has a daughter. Bottom line when the last Davidson dies there will be no more family members associated with the motor company. Damn shame if you asked me. Oddly enough if you go to Wikipedia it will only show him as having two children which is a lie. They do not want you to know that his son Michael has turned his back on the motor company. This is all true
As always, good commentary on the late models. I would hope by now that we gone past your rolling the dice once your warranty has expired. Is she going to sh#t on you or not.
Thank you! They still have some issues that need addressing even on the M8's, it's getting better not quite where it should be.
When did they update compensater on the Dyna models? I have a 2012 FXDC
I believe in 2010 the Screamin Eagle compensator became the OEM part, the 2012 for sure has the updated compensator.
Here’s one I forgot.The headlight nacelles crack on the older road glides.Am I the only one to have this happen?
Yeah they do with the vibration on the fairing from the pre Rushmore models.
The Co best thing with a Harley is a good woman and like Harley they don’t come out of the box without a few issues. I would not change either of these two items in any way. Turn a wrench or two on your Harley to correct these issues and make it your own. Love the woman and do your Honey Do List. This will make her your own.
Yup!!!!!