Trike in the shop

[Casper]

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Just back from a 1900 miles trip, had a good time. The trike started making a terrible noise emanating from the front forks, tire, trees....somewhere!

I hear a rubbing noise or something like that, sounds like a 18 wheeler tire on the interstate. Also making a clunking, clacking noise...especially when making a right hand turn.

Service said my discription sounds like a wheel bearing....they will start in the morning....trike only has 8000 miles on it. I've never had a wheel bearing go bad with this few miles....

I'll keep ya posted on what they find...

[Fearless]

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Just back from a 1900 miles trip, had a good time. The trike started making a terrible noise emanating from the front forks, tire, trees....somewhere!

I hear a rubbing noise or something like that, sounds like a 18 wheeler tire on the interstate. Also making a clunking, clacking noise...especially when making a right hand turn.

Service said my discription sounds like a wheel bearing....they will start in the morning....trike only has 8000 miles on it. I've never had a wheel bearing go bad with this few miles....

I'll keep ya posted on what they find...

Sorry to hear at least it did not seize and cause real grief! Fred

[PosseRider]

Darn Frank, sorry to hear this. At least,glad ya got home ok. We got home for 2 days then to eastern Pa. & back. Leaving the 23rd to go back to Pa. Over 15,000 now , put an Avon Trike tire on the front & seems to be a lot smoother now. Let us know what they find. Hopefully still want to do that Tx Hill country ride in Oct.

[Trampas]

Sorry to hear this especially on a new one, keep us informed what they find out.

I know that group that went to Sturgis one them had a wheel bearing go bad on his 2 wheeler, they had to spend a extra day where they was because the dealer didn't have one in stock, so they didn't get to Sturgis when they planned on, things like this happen.

All for now Trampas

[Jack Klarich]

Ouch, Harley has changed the sealed bearing at least 3 times that I know of

Hoping it is a FLUKE, It can happen

Many bearings and seals r made off shore

I aint knocking this, tho it seems to me Back in the day when I got a Chicago Rawhide seal and a BCM bearing I was good to go

Not so much any more

I remember 5 years ago I replaced a bearing on a chevy truck, it failed before I got the truck to the alignment rack

It does and will happen

Best of luck and keep smiling

[desertclassic]

New stuff, takes a while to get the bugs out. Should not be that way. I have a friend hat has a new motorhome. On the shakedown trip, he listed 151 things that need attention. Dealer said that is normal an would get on the list of things.. Now that is just a littl to much. Jim

[GARYD]

Casper, I feel your pain. I just got back from the Canadian National HOG rally in Ottawa =2640 miles total. While in Canada my water pump died and my clutch wouldn't disengage when it got hot - which was every time I came up to traffic backups = most of the time in the city. None of the dealers had a pump but gave me a tip on how to get around the clutch problem - which helped all the way back home. I wasn't able to find a pump until I got to a dealer in Niagara Falls on the way home. Thank god for the extended warrantee.

All the dealers told me "Hey, it's a Harley, it's air cooled, the water cooling is just additional feature to help keep the engine cool in certain conditions. I should be fine going home as long as I stay away from heavy congestion".

Got home and took it to the dealer and they cleared all the codes and did a few up tweeks and so far I'm good to go. This is the 2nd Harley that I've had that same clutch problem when it got real hot.

I have to give a huge thumbs up to the dealer in Tonawanda NY. That Sunday was the first time they were open on a Sunday. They wanted to see if it would pay to do that all summer. Aside from actually having a water pump, they also had to take a water sensor off another bike because they didn't have one in stock. They stayed until 5pm (2 hours past closing) in order to get me back on the road. So a huge thanks to Nick and Mike at American Harley.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I have to give a huge thumbs up to the dealer in Tonawanda NY. That Sunday was the first time they were open on a Sunday. They wanted to see if it would pay to do that all summer. Aside from actually having a water pump, they also had to take a water sensor off another bike because they didn't have one in stock. They stayed until 5pm (2 hours past closing) in order to get me back on the road. So a huge thanks to Nick and Mike at American Harley.

It was always my experience that while on the road, the dealers would go out of their way to get people back in the wind .... my problem was i could make an appointment with my local dealer for a fairly routine item, bring it in, and at the end of the day I'd call because I hadn't heard from them and I'd get told that my bike was put on hold because someone on the road broke down. Kind of annoying, but, the reciprocal was worth it, i guess

[Casper]

Update*****

picked up the TG today from the shop. The front wheel bearing(s) had in fact failed. The tech didn't state why, just that had failed. Replaced under warranty and all is good.

i guess stuff happens, I've never replaced a wheel bearing because of failure. 8100 miles, strange....

thanks all for your replies...

[vito]

Casper, I feel your pain. I just got back from the Canadian National HOG rally in Ottawa =2640 miles total. While in Canada my water pump died and my clutch wouldn't disengage when it got hot - which was every time I came up to traffic backups = most of the time in the city. ....

FWIW I had the same exact problem with my 1990 FLHTC. When the clutch plates drag they get hot and swell until they will not release. The dealer replaced them with some "parade" plates which fixed the problem and are still in the bike after nearly 200.000 miles. I don't know what plates are available for newer bikes/trikes but I'd bet the stockers are the culprits and need to be changed. Good luck!

[GARYD]

FWIW I had the same exact problem with my 1990 FLHTC. When the clutch plates drag they get hot and swell until they will not release. The dealer replaced them with some "parade" plates which fixed the problem and are still in the bike after nearly 200.000 miles. I don't know what plates are available for newer bikes/trikes but I'd bet the stockers are the culprits and need to be changed. Good luck!

I was told by a couple dealers that my problem is caused by air in the hyd. fluid. The remedy that worked great for me all the way home was to rapidly pull the lever back and forth. My dealer said they tell the rider to turn the handlebars so that the reservoir is higher and then do the rapid clutch lever thing. So it sounds like this is not an isolated issue.

[Casper]

Bike is home from shop, wheel bearings failed and replaced under warranty....never said why they failed, just that they did....guess stuff happens but only 8100 miles....

[PosseRider]

Bike is home from shop, wheel bearings failed and replaced under warranty....never said why they failed, just that they did....guess stuff happens but only 8100 miles....

Frank, just front wheel? Making me nervous, I have just over 15,000 now. Have one more ride this fall to Texas hill country. You going for this get together in Tx ?

[trike lady]

I was told by a couple dealers that my problem is caused by air in the hyd. fluid. The remedy that worked great for me all the way home was to rapidly pull the lever back and forth. My dealer said they tell the rider to turn the handlebars so that the reservoir is higher and then do the rapid clutch lever thing. So it sounds like this is not an isolated issue.

Sounds like air is getting in the system.

Parade grade clutch fiber disks, I can only think possibly Kevlar ones.

[Casper]

Frank, just front wheel? Making me nervous, I have just over 15,000 now. Have one more ride this fall to Texas hill country. You going for this get together in Tx ?

I would sure like to, but we have a lot going on at home right now....dang BBQ will have to wait....

[Jack Klarich]

I was told by a couple dealers that my problem is caused by air in the hyd. fluid. The remedy that worked great for me all the way home was to rapidly pull the lever back and forth. My dealer said they tell the rider to turn the handlebars so that the reservoir is higher and then do the rapid clutch lever thing. So it sounds like this is not an isolated issue.

How do the qualify an answer like that?

It is pretty lame to even think that the fluid could be that low it would take on air

It is NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE for a hydraulic system to take on air without a leak internal or external

I could be wrong about a lot of things, But this defies EVERYTHING I taught my students in brake class This is a hydraulic system also