High Severity Issue
This component has been associated with crashes, fires, or deaths.
This Problem Across All Years
COMPENSATOR SPROCKET ASSEMBLY IS MAKING A LOUD BANGING NOISE ON START UP AND WORSE WHEN ENGINE IS HOT
COMPENSATOR SPROCKET ASSEMBLY IS MAKING A LOUD BANGING NOISE ON START UP AND WORSE WHEN ENGINE IS HOT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCU. WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE AT 30 MPH, IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS, CONNECTING THE THROTTLE AND CARBURETOR, WAS FAULTY. THE PINS ON THE HARNESS WERE REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. UPDATED 11/07/16*LJ *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCU. WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE AT 30 MPH, IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS, CONNECTING THE THROTTLE AND CARBURETOR, WAS FAULTY. THE PINS ON THE HARNESS WERE REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. UPDATED 11/07/16*LJ *TR
MY COMPENSATOR WENT BAD ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHILE MY BIKE WAS STILL UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS JUST NORMAL NOISE. NOW COME TO FIND OUT HARLEY DAVIDSON KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEIR COMPENSATOR. THEY DON'T EVEN LAST 20,00 MILES AND I THINK THEY SHOULD RECALL THEM. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO ON THE HARLEY DAVIDSON FORUMS AND THERE YOU WILL FIND ALL KINDS OF MAD OWNERS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. THEY KNOW ABOUT IT AND WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I THOUGHT THE WHOLE POINT OF A RECALL IS WHEN THE PART IS AT DEFAULT THEY SHOULD GET FIXED.
MY COMPENSATOR WENT BAD ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHILE MY BIKE WAS STILL UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS JUST NORMAL NOISE. NOW COME TO FIND OUT HARLEY DAVIDSON KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEIR COMPENSATOR. THEY DON'T EVEN LAST 20,00 MILES AND I THINK THEY SHOULD RECALL THEM. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO ON THE HARLEY DAVIDSON FORUMS AND THERE YOU WILL FIND ALL KINDS OF MAD OWNERS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. THEY KNOW ABOUT IT AND WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I THOUGHT THE WHOLE POINT OF A RECALL IS WHEN THE PART IS AT DEFAULT THEY SHOULD GET FIXED.
IN APRIL 2012 I WAS EXPERIENCING LOUD NOISES FROM THE PRIMARY SIDE OF MY 96 V TWIN ENGINE AND IT WOULD NOT START. UPON INSPECTION BY A CERTIFIED HARLEY TECH. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AND COMPENSATOR SPROCKET WERE DAMAGED DUE TO THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE SPLINES AND GEARS. AS ADVISED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON, "THEIR SUPPLIER SHIPPED THESE PARTS WITHOUT HEAT TREATING THEM". I WAS NEVER ADVISED THIS WAS A PROBLEM BY HARLEY. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED WITH HARLEYS HEAVY DUTY SCREAMIN EAGLE COMPENSATOR AND THE BIKE RAN FINE UP UNTIL THE WINTER OF 2014. MY BIKE WAS IN THE SHOP FOR AN OIL LEAK IN THE PRIMARY AREA AND THE TECH HAD TO TAKE THE PRIMARY APART TO GET TO IT. HE DISCOVERED THE COMPENSATOR HAD SEVERE WEAR AND PRESENTED A DANGER OF FAILURE IF RIDDEN. THEREFORE, WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS SAME PROCESS OF REPLACING THE SAME PARTS FOR A THIRD TIME. *JS
IN APRIL 2012 I WAS EXPERIENCING LOUD NOISES FROM THE PRIMARY SIDE OF MY 96 V TWIN ENGINE AND IT WOULD NOT START. UPON INSPECTION BY A CERTIFIED HARLEY TECH. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AND COMPENSATOR SPROCKET WERE DAMAGED DUE TO THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE SPLINES AND GEARS. AS ADVISED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON, "THEIR SUPPLIER SHIPPED THESE PARTS WITHOUT HEAT TREATING THEM". I WAS NEVER ADVISED THIS WAS A PROBLEM BY HARLEY. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED WITH HARLEYS HEAVY DUTY SCREAMIN EAGLE COMPENSATOR AND THE BIKE RAN FINE UP UNTIL THE WINTER OF 2014. MY BIKE WAS IN THE SHOP FOR AN OIL LEAK IN THE PRIMARY AREA AND THE TECH HAD TO TAKE THE PRIMARY APART TO GET TO IT. HE DISCOVERED THE COMPENSATOR HAD SEVERE WEAR AND PRESENTED A DANGER OF FAILURE IF RIDDEN. THEREFORE, WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS SAME PROCESS OF REPLACING THE SAME PARTS FOR A THIRD TIME. *JS
WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 HARLEY ULTRA CLASSIC THE BIKE BEGAN TO SKID AND VIBRATE AT 50 MPH. THOUGHT I WAS GOING DOWN THEN BEGAN TO FREE UP, AND I STOPPED. CALLED FOR PICKUP AND TRANSFERRED TO HARLEY SHOP IN TYLER, TX I ASK TO CK COMPENSATOR SPROCKET AS WAS TOLD SAME DAY WHEN GETTING NEW TIRES AT ANOTHER SHOP THE COMPENSATOR SPROCKET WAS GOING OUT. HAVE NOT RECEIVED BIKE FROM HARLEY SHOP BUT THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT COMPENSATOR SPROCKET ORDERED AND UPGRADED FROM EXISTING SPROCKET. I AM AWARE OF OTHER COMPENSATOR SPROCKETS GOING OUT ON 08 MODELS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT HARLEY NO LONGER SUPPLIES THE STOCK COMPENSATORS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BEFORE A DEATH OCCURS. *KB
WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 HARLEY ULTRA CLASSIC THE BIKE BEGAN TO SKID AND VIBRATE AT 50 MPH. THOUGHT I WAS GOING DOWN THEN BEGAN TO FREE UP, AND I STOPPED. CALLED FOR PICKUP AND TRANSFERRED TO HARLEY SHOP IN TYLER, TX I ASK TO CK COMPENSATOR SPROCKET AS WAS TOLD SAME DAY WHEN GETTING NEW TIRES AT ANOTHER SHOP THE COMPENSATOR SPROCKET WAS GOING OUT. HAVE NOT RECEIVED BIKE FROM HARLEY SHOP BUT THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT COMPENSATOR SPROCKET ORDERED AND UPGRADED FROM EXISTING SPROCKET. I AM AWARE OF OTHER COMPENSATOR SPROCKETS GOING OUT ON 08 MODELS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT HARLEY NO LONGER SUPPLIES THE STOCK COMPENSATORS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BEFORE A DEATH OCCURS. *KB
STOCK COMPENSATOR ON 2008 ULTRA CLASSIC FAILED AND NOW HAVE TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT TO PUT THE UPGRADED ONE IN. LUCKY I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. HARLEY IS AWARE THERE IS A PROBLEM AND REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE STOCK COMPENSATOR IS INFERIOR TO THE UPGRADE AND HARLEY NOW PUTS THE UPGRADE STOCK ON THE 2011 BIKES. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT NOT COST SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
STOCK COMPENSATOR ON 2008 ULTRA CLASSIC FAILED AND NOW HAVE TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT TO PUT THE UPGRADED ONE IN. LUCKY I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. HARLEY IS AWARE THERE IS A PROBLEM AND REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE STOCK COMPENSATOR IS INFERIOR TO THE UPGRADE AND HARLEY NOW PUTS THE UPGRADE STOCK ON THE 2011 BIKES. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT NOT COST SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
FAULTY COMPENSATOR ON HARLEY. *TR
FAULTY COMPENSATOR ON HARLEY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC FLHTCU. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR, HE HEARD A CLANKING SOUND COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO DEFECTS ON HIS VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES BEFOREHAND. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,061 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC FLHTCU. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR, HE HEARD A CLANKING SOUND COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO DEFECTS ON HIS VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES BEFOREHAND. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,061 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300.
OUT FOR AN AFTERNOON RIDE WITH FRIENDS ON MY 08 ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC. WHILE ENTERING A LEFT CURVE, THE THROTTLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THIS CAUSED THE BIKE TO SPEED UP UNEXPECTEDLY AND DRIFT RIGHT. TRIED RETARDING THE THROTTLE AND GOT NO RESPONSE. DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH AND APPLIED REAR BRAKES IN ATTEMPT TO SLOW THE BIKE DOWN WITHOUT RESULTS. THIS RESULTED IN A SERIOUS SINGLE RIDER CRASH WITH LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. THIS BIKE HAS FLY-BY-WIRE THROTTLE. HARLEY DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE STATES THAT THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THROTTLE ISSUES WITH THE NEW TOURING MODELS SINCE SUMMER OF 2007. HOWEVER INFORMATION/RECALL HAS NOT BEEN PASSED ON TO THE CUSTOMER CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE, SOMEONE ELSE MAY NOT BE SO FORTUNATE. *TR
OUT FOR AN AFTERNOON RIDE WITH FRIENDS ON MY 08 ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC. WHILE ENTERING A LEFT CURVE, THE THROTTLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THIS CAUSED THE BIKE TO SPEED UP UNEXPECTEDLY AND DRIFT RIGHT. TRIED RETARDING THE THROTTLE AND GOT NO RESPONSE. DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH AND APPLIED REAR BRAKES IN ATTEMPT TO SLOW THE BIKE DOWN WITHOUT RESULTS. THIS RESULTED IN A SERIOUS SINGLE RIDER CRASH WITH LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. THIS BIKE HAS FLY-BY-WIRE THROTTLE. HARLEY DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE STATES THAT THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THROTTLE ISSUES WITH THE NEW TOURING MODELS SINCE SUMMER OF 2007. HOWEVER INFORMATION/RECALL HAS NOT BEEN PASSED ON TO THE CUSTOMER CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE, SOMEONE ELSE MAY NOT BE SO FORTUNATE. *TR