Thank you so much for the info, I loved your video talking about the mods done on the fat bob then wanted to see what other videos you have and saw this one. I have a 2019 fat bob 114. With only 500 miles. I will be buying the tensioner right away as well as the performance oil pump. Can’t believe we have to buy these parts just so it doesn’t fail on us. I hope you make more videos keeping us updated. Thank you for all the amazing information!
Hi Kevin thank you VERY much for the excellent comments! Congrats on the Bike with 500 miles! Kevin this was my first and LAST Harley. Like you, I could not believe the known defects that are simply passed along year after year. Since most people are recreational riders, they know the warranty will expire long before most people discover them. After I discovered them and spent a lot of money, time, sweat, and stress.....I grew to love it. But I would NEVER do it again. I ended up selling everything that I owned and moved to Thailand. I sold the Harley with 4k miles on the clock. Someone got a damn nice bike. Kevin if you take the time to fix the problems and make it comfortable, you will really enjoy your purchase. I am now riding a 2019 Kawasaki 650S Vulcan that I set up like the Harley. I truly love it! Almost 300 lbs lighter and a truly fun and fast machine. In Thailand....it is considered a "Big Bike". Most Thai's look in amazement at it since they ride 125-300 cc motor bikes. Enjoy and ride safe brother🙏🙏
Just bought a 2020 Fatbob with 1000 miles and came across this video. Everything you said is what I'm experiencing with the bike. It's hard to shift, loud clunking noise when shifting from 1st to 2nd. Dont get me start it with neutral, for the life of me I can't seem to get it right lol. Looks like an idiot trying to shift the bike into neutral at the lights or gas station.
Totally great video. Thank you for posting it. I’m having a similar issue on my 2022 Lowrider special. The problem is is that I’m getting a lot of missed shifts going from 1st to 2nd I almost always go into neutral to me. It sounds like the exact opposite of your problem. Do you think if my automatic adjuster has my belt to loose that I would be getting all these missed shifts? Any help would be appreciated or pointers to other contacts would be great. Very very frustrating to have a 20k bike that doesn’t work.
Yes they did replace it under Warranty. The S&S pipe is 50 state legal with a cat. The air filter they do not care. As long as you do not tune it, they will pretty much cover it. I just saw this post....I never received notification....sorry for the delay....Gene :)
Scaring the crap out of me now, I’ve pretty much voided my warranty putting an exhaust and air cleaner on the bike myself, also had it dyno tuned. I really hope this doesn’t affect me. Im about at about 2500 miles and some times I really get on the bike; no hard take offs or anything like that, but on twisties I really like to do my thing lol.
The dyno tune definitely voided the warranty for sure. I would DEFINITELY put in a manual Primary chain adjuster and use Spectro Primary chain case oil. I have tried several different ones....but the Spectro is "magic". Warm it up before you ride and change the oil early and it will live for many years:)
Marv...you can be the BEST "corner carver" that ever lived.....but a rock, sand, pebbles, a deer / animal, hair rollers, used condoms, etc.....can be waiting for you....causing you to slip and God forbid another vehicle is coming at you. I am speaking from personal experience.....and fortunate enough to still be here....don't ever be too confident in the twisties. Stay a little on the cautious side....and you will be good my friend.
Hey Michael. I now have almost 4K on the bike and the drivetrain is basically silent. I did remove the primary cover almost 1K after the repair to install a compensator delete (sprocket) and there was zero shavings and the chain was spot on in adjustment. Since then almost another 2K and it shifts like butter and zero whine! I can find neutral without drama as well! I did switch to "Spectro" Primary Fluid and Transmission gear oil. I use Motul 300V 15W50 in the motor. The entire drivetrain is very quiet and seems very happy. I need to make a few more vids.....maybe I will force myself this weekend to do just that. All in all....just perfect :)
YO. Great video. Are you still having good luck with the PSR tensioner? How often do you need to get into the primary and inspect it/measure your 5/8s?
Thank you very much🙏 I sold the bike and moved to Thailand almost 2 years ago. I put about 1000 miles on it after I installed the tensioner and I dropped the primary case to change the oil. I checked the adjustment while I was in there. It was EXACTLY the same as when I installed it. Quality of Primary oil, and use (easy, moderate, severe) will all affect chain stretch. I would say anywhere from 5,000(check) to 15,000 plus depending on use. My Harley was a much better bike after installation.
This is concerning. I have a 2021 Heritage Softail 114. It does not whine but it does shift heavy. Is there any chance this won’t replicate in my bike or is it pretty much just a matter of time?
Hey Mike. From the crappy design and massive failures that Harley has and is currently experiencing, I would say it will just be a matter of time. It seems that some bikes are worse than others right away. Others make it to 20, 30, 40K or more before a failure. The bad thing is....when the tensioner is even a little too tight....its silently killing the engine and transmission bearings at the same time. I also eliminated the failure prone Compensator on the crankshaft and replaced it with a sprocket. When it fails......expect possibly a new motor, trannie, primary cases and drive belt! This eliminates over 5 lbs on the end of the crankshaft. That's a TON of weight gone! My bike loves it and it is a real piece of mind knowing the failure prone compensator and engine / trannie killer tensioner are no longer a threat. Since I do not abuse my bike....it should add many years to the life of everything. Pretty sad that Harley sells expensive bikes with these built in land mines. They know most people are recreational riders.....and the warranty will expire most likely before a land mine goes off.....and we come back for repairs. Your bike, your choice Mike......Gene:)
Just came across your video as I was searching for Cam reviews. So now you got me worried. LOL So a few questions. How is the PSR chain adjuster holding up and how many miles have you put on it? How often do you have to go in there and re-adjust? And on your Woods 22XE cam video, did it make your bike obnoxiously louder? I also have the S&S super street 2 into 1 exhaust and it is about as loud as I would want my bike. Does it still have great lower end torque? I am thinking of adding the 22XE it to my 2022 Fat Bob but need low to mid range torque as I mainly ride twisties pretty hard. Thanks your two great videos!
Hello again Gonzalo and THANK YOU for the compliments it is much appreciated! I now have about 4500 miles on my bike. I changed the fluid again about 1500 miles after I installed the PSR adjuster and sprocket. (I eliminated the failure prone Harley compensator) I wanted to see the adjuster and check for any problems or wear. There were zero wear marks on the adjuster pad and there were also zero changes in the chain adjustment. Obviously, that made me very happy! The best part....there is NO annoying high pitched "whine" that all M'8's have because of the primary chain being too tight!! When I hear that whine I cringe and feel sorry for the bearings in the motor, trannie and the owners wallet. That is a major flaw that is destroying your machinery. I answered your exhaust and cam concerns in the other video........Gene :)
@@shawn9878 Yes sir they are making them cheap. Adding power only increases the risk! So many failures are just cruising down the highway and BAM. When they go they can trash the motor, primary cases, transmission and belt!!! I recently deleted my Compensator and went with an Evolution Industries Sprocket. There are countless people that have ridden with a straight sprocket for the life of the bike and had zero problems with anything. I do not do burnouts or wheelies or just dump the clutch. For those that do....a Darkhorse compensator would be a smart move Shawn.
@@edwarner3826 That will be my "go to" if / when there are any issues from the sprocket Ed. So far.....it is flawless, quiet and I did not have to alter my riding style one bit. I can also find neutral without drama. The huge BONUS is: These cranks are famous for not being super true from the factory. .002-.003 OOR is not uncommon. Add 5+ lbs of spinning weight to an out of round condition and it greatly amplifies the wear rate of the bearings AND it decreases seal life. Right now my motor /bike could not be happier! Was it Einstein that said......if it ain't broke don't fix it ?! lol Thanks Ed!
Great video, having the same issue with my fat boy 2021 will not go into neutral while motor is running a little difficult getting it into neutral before starting. I now have a proximately 110 miles on the bike and won’t be riding it until I get another tensioner. Arguing with the wife about buying it lol! Her theory is I paid over 25,000 for the bike and should not have to buy parts for it this early, she’s right. Despite having full coverage on the bike I still do not want this thing breaking down.
Hey Rocky and thanks very much for the compliment! Congrats on the new sweet ride as well :) Your wife is right for sure.....this much cash and you have to put a lot more in it to get it right.....pretty dang sad brother. Smart move on the Tensioner....I wish I knew all this earlier as well. Your baby will love you for it for sure. I did my first service at 525 miles....only to find an empty Primary! They actually forgot to fill it!! I created a case and wanted all the parts changed in the Primary......and Harley REFUSED! They only will replace parts that FAIL! I could say a LOT more.....but ....I am trying to really enjoy my bike without hating it! (Harley) The old timers all say this is par for the course....and when you get it right....you will love it. Well.....after my Cam install / breather mods and tune....it runs amazing and am really loving it. (I just posted that video an hour ago.) I'm glad I could help brother and thanks for comments......Gene :)
@@MrSolidman48 wow I can imagine the frustration you felt in that shop, after spending so much money, then they don’t want to do right by you after they made such a huge mistake??? That’s a rough situation there. Well I’m glad you’re getting it to where you want it so far, it’s looking good
@@MarvFitBikesKicks Thank you brother you completely NAILED it! Honestly.....If I was not a Christian.....I might have been on the 6 o'clock news! It was a LOT to swallow....but it really opened my eyes to the reality of how they do business. I was beginning to hate it....and regret my purchase.....but now......it is so awesome I really love it:) Thank you very much for your kind comments my friend....Gene :)
Thank you so much for the info, I loved your video talking about the mods done on the fat bob then wanted to see what other videos you have and saw this one. I have a 2019 fat bob 114. With only 500 miles.
I will be buying the tensioner right away as well as the performance oil pump. Can’t believe we have to buy these parts just so it doesn’t fail on us.
I hope you make more videos keeping us updated.
Thank you for all the amazing information!
Hi Kevin thank you VERY much for the excellent comments! Congrats on the Bike with 500 miles! Kevin this was my first and LAST Harley. Like you, I could not believe the known defects that are simply passed along year after year. Since most people are recreational riders, they know the warranty will expire long before most people discover them. After I discovered them and spent a lot of money, time, sweat, and stress.....I grew to love it. But I would NEVER do it again. I ended up selling everything that I owned and moved to Thailand. I sold the Harley with 4k miles on the clock. Someone got a damn nice bike. Kevin if you take the time to fix the problems and make it comfortable, you will really enjoy your purchase. I am now riding a 2019 Kawasaki 650S Vulcan that I set up like the Harley. I truly love it! Almost 300 lbs lighter and a truly fun and fast machine. In Thailand....it is considered a "Big Bike". Most Thai's look in amazement at it since they ride 125-300 cc motor bikes. Enjoy and ride safe brother🙏🙏
Just bought a 2020 Fatbob with 1000 miles and came across this video. Everything you said is what I'm experiencing with the bike. It's hard to shift, loud clunking noise when shifting from 1st to 2nd. Dont get me start it with neutral, for the life of me I can't seem to get it right lol. Looks like an idiot trying to shift the bike into neutral at the lights or gas station.
I am sorry I did not receive notification of this and been very busy here in Thailand. Did you get it solved?
Totally great video. Thank you for posting it. I’m having a similar issue on my 2022 Lowrider special. The problem is is that I’m getting a lot of missed shifts going from 1st to 2nd I almost always go into neutral to me. It sounds like the exact opposite of your problem. Do you think if my automatic adjuster has my belt to loose that I would be getting all these missed shifts? Any help would be appreciated or pointers to other contacts would be great. Very very frustrating to have a 20k bike that doesn’t work.
I am sorry I just saw this post. I have been very busy and I am sorry. Did you get it fixed? Sounds like transmission / wear issues to me.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Did Harley replace your transmission under warranty even with your aftermarket parts such as the S&S exhaust and intake, etc?
Yes they did replace it under Warranty. The S&S pipe is 50 state legal with a cat. The air filter they do not care. As long as you do not tune it, they will pretty much cover it. I just saw this post....I never received notification....sorry for the delay....Gene :)
@@MrSolidman48 no worries! Thanks for the reply.
Scaring the crap out of me now, I’ve pretty much voided my warranty putting an exhaust and air cleaner on the bike myself, also had it dyno tuned. I really hope this doesn’t affect me. Im about at about 2500 miles and some times I really get on the bike; no hard take offs or anything like that, but on twisties I really like to do my thing lol.
The dyno tune definitely voided the warranty for sure. I would DEFINITELY put in a manual Primary chain adjuster and use Spectro Primary chain case oil. I have tried several different ones....but the Spectro is "magic". Warm it up before you ride and change the oil early and it will live for many years:)
Marv...you can be the BEST "corner carver" that ever lived.....but a rock, sand, pebbles, a deer / animal, hair rollers, used condoms, etc.....can be waiting for you....causing you to slip and God forbid another vehicle is coming at you. I am speaking from personal experience.....and fortunate enough to still be here....don't ever be too confident in the twisties. Stay a little on the cautious side....and you will be good my friend.
@@MrSolidman48 thanks Gene, I’ll always keep that in mind 🙏🏼. Safety over everything else
@@MarvFitBikesKicks Amen brother :)
What about noise and how is it holding up?
Hey Michael. I now have almost 4K on the bike and the drivetrain is basically silent. I did remove the primary cover almost 1K after the repair to install a compensator delete (sprocket) and there was zero shavings and the chain was spot on in adjustment. Since then almost another 2K and it shifts like butter and zero whine! I can find neutral without drama as well! I did switch to "Spectro" Primary Fluid and Transmission gear oil. I use Motul 300V 15W50 in the motor. The entire drivetrain is very quiet and seems very happy. I need to make a few more vids.....maybe I will force myself this weekend to do just that. All in all....just perfect :)
YO. Great video. Are you still having good luck with the PSR tensioner? How often do you need to get into the primary and inspect it/measure your 5/8s?
Thank you very much🙏 I sold the bike and moved to Thailand almost 2 years ago. I put about 1000 miles on it after I installed the tensioner and I dropped the primary case to change the oil. I checked the adjustment while I was in there. It was EXACTLY the same as when I installed it. Quality of Primary oil, and use (easy, moderate, severe) will all affect chain stretch. I would say anywhere from 5,000(check) to 15,000 plus depending on use. My Harley was a much better bike after installation.
@@MrSolidman48 Awesome, thanx man.
This is concerning. I have a 2021 Heritage Softail 114. It does not whine but it does shift heavy. Is there any chance this won’t replicate in my bike or is it pretty much just a matter of time?
Hey Mike. From the crappy design and massive failures that Harley has and is currently experiencing, I would say it will just be a matter of time. It seems that some bikes are worse than others right away. Others make it to 20, 30, 40K or more before a failure. The bad thing is....when the tensioner is even a little too tight....its silently killing the engine and transmission bearings at the same time. I also eliminated the failure prone Compensator on the crankshaft and replaced it with a sprocket. When it fails......expect possibly a new motor, trannie, primary cases and drive belt! This eliminates over 5 lbs on the end of the crankshaft. That's a TON of weight gone! My bike loves it and it is a real piece of mind knowing the failure prone compensator and engine / trannie killer tensioner are no longer a threat. Since I do not abuse my bike....it should add many years to the life of everything. Pretty sad that Harley sells expensive bikes with these built in land mines. They know most people are recreational riders.....and the warranty will expire most likely before a land mine goes off.....and we come back for repairs. Your bike, your choice Mike......Gene:)
When are you going create a Baker video you mention in your video?
I think you just motivated me to do it! Been busy lately....I will post it before the weekend......thanks.
Just came across your video as I was searching for Cam reviews. So now you got me worried. LOL
So a few questions. How is the PSR chain adjuster holding up and how many miles have you put on it? How often do you have to go in there and re-adjust?
And on your Woods 22XE cam video, did it make your bike obnoxiously louder? I also have the S&S super street 2 into 1 exhaust and it is about as loud as I would want my bike. Does it still have great lower end torque? I am thinking of adding the 22XE it to my 2022 Fat Bob but need low to mid range torque as I mainly ride twisties pretty hard.
Thanks your two great videos!
Hello again Gonzalo and THANK YOU for the compliments it is much appreciated! I now have about 4500 miles on my bike. I changed the fluid again about 1500 miles after I installed the PSR adjuster and sprocket. (I eliminated the failure prone Harley compensator) I wanted to see the adjuster and check for any problems or wear. There were zero wear marks on the adjuster pad and there were also zero changes in the chain adjustment. Obviously, that made me very happy! The best part....there is NO annoying high pitched "whine" that all M'8's have because of the primary chain being too tight!! When I hear that whine I cringe and feel sorry for the bearings in the motor, trannie and the owners wallet. That is a major flaw that is destroying your machinery.
I answered your exhaust and cam concerns in the other video........Gene :)
There goes my credit card 😂, does this only apply to the 114 m8 , reason I ask is there website only describes the 18-2021.. 114 m8?
They probably reference the 114 because the 107 is no longer in production. The destructive HD tensioner is the same brother.
@@MrSolidman48 also what's you thoughts on the stock compensator , seems the ramp is allot thinner and they are breaking ?
@@shawn9878 Yes sir they are making them cheap. Adding power only increases the risk! So many failures are just cruising down the highway and BAM. When they go they can trash the motor, primary cases, transmission and belt!!! I recently deleted my Compensator and went with an Evolution Industries Sprocket. There are countless people that have ridden with a straight sprocket for the life of the bike and had zero problems with anything. I do not do burnouts or wheelies or just dump the clutch. For those that do....a Darkhorse compensator would be a smart move Shawn.
@@MrSolidman48 A Darkhorse compensator regardless!
@@edwarner3826 That will be my "go to" if / when there are any issues from the sprocket Ed. So far.....it is flawless, quiet and I did not have to alter my riding style one bit. I can also find neutral without drama. The huge BONUS is: These cranks are famous for not being super true from the factory. .002-.003 OOR is not uncommon. Add 5+ lbs of spinning weight to an out of round condition and it greatly amplifies the wear rate of the bearings AND it decreases seal life. Right now my motor /bike could not be happier! Was it Einstein that said......if it ain't broke don't fix it ?! lol Thanks Ed!
Great video, having the same issue with my fat boy 2021 will not go into neutral while motor is running a little difficult getting it into neutral before starting. I now have a proximately 110 miles on the bike and won’t be riding it until I get another tensioner. Arguing with the wife about buying it lol! Her theory is I paid over 25,000 for the bike and should not have to buy parts for it this early, she’s right. Despite having full coverage on the bike I still do not want this thing breaking down.
Hey Rocky and thanks very much for the compliment! Congrats on the new sweet ride as well :) Your wife is right for sure.....this much cash and you have to put a lot more in it to get it right.....pretty dang sad brother. Smart move on the Tensioner....I wish I knew all this earlier as well. Your baby will love you for it for sure. I did my first service at 525 miles....only to find an empty Primary! They actually forgot to fill it!! I created a case and wanted all the parts changed in the Primary......and Harley REFUSED! They only will replace parts that FAIL! I could say a LOT more.....but ....I am trying to really enjoy my bike without hating it! (Harley) The old timers all say this is par for the course....and when you get it right....you will love it. Well.....after my Cam install / breather mods and tune....it runs amazing and am really loving it. (I just posted that video an hour ago.) I'm glad I could help brother and thanks for comments......Gene :)
@@MrSolidman48 yep big corporation hard to fight.
@@MrSolidman48 wow I can imagine the frustration you felt in that shop, after spending so much money, then they don’t want to do right by you after they made such a huge mistake??? That’s a rough situation there. Well I’m glad you’re getting it to where you want it so far, it’s looking good
@@MarvFitBikesKicks Thank you brother you completely NAILED it! Honestly.....If I was not a Christian.....I might have been on the 6 o'clock news! It was a LOT to swallow....but it really opened my eyes to the reality of how they do business. I was beginning to hate it....and regret my purchase.....but now......it is so awesome I really love it:) Thank you very much for your kind comments my friend....Gene :)