Always happens while on the road,...

[Paniolo]

I just came back from a great two week vacation, a wonderful ride to Arizona. We checked out Sedona, Jerome, Prescott, Grand Canyon, Payson, Show Low, Petrified Forest, Winslow and Flagstaff. Racked up a lot of miles and had some issues.

When I pulled into Bakersfield, CA I heard a clanking sound. I looked down and saw my horn and Wards fans flopping back and forth. The rubber isolator had torn. I went to Bakersfield HD and bought the $6 part. Out in the parking lot I went to change it out, or so I thought. I couldn't get the old isolator off the bracket. Even with large channel locks from the shop, I couldn't get it off. So I tossed the horn and fans in my bag and rode on.

Tuesday was our "off the bike day" with no scheduled rides. I do this during trips to give folks a chance to do laundry, shop, sight see, or do whatever they please.  So I took my bike to an independent shop in Sedona. The tech couldn't muscle the remaining part of the isolator off either. He had to remove the bracket from the engine. However even with it locked in a vise and using large visegrips he couldn't get it off. So he ground all the remaining rubber off, and welded a bar onto it. With the added leverage from the bar he got it to unscrew. There was no way I could do all that in a parking lot with my basic tools! So he installed the new isolator, the fans, and the horn. He used blue locktite on the acorn nut that holds it all together. The tech was of the opinion that while the fans do not weigh much, their extended design led to a "pendulum effect" exacerbated by typical HD vibration. This added to the premature wear and tearing of the isolator. For the rest of the ride everything was fine.

Coming home I'm splitting lanes on the north bound 101,....when suddenly I hear a clanking sound. I look down and see the horn, and ONLY the horn dangling from wires. I pull off at the first exit and tossed the horn in the tour pack. The fans are laying somewhere on the 101 north of Paso Robles.  After two and a half days of cleaning I tied up the fan wires, and reinstalled the horn.

What's your thoughts on this?

Did the fans add extra strain on the rubber isolator causing the initial wear and tear on the original one, and the mounting nut to come lose on the new one?

I really like the fans, especially in traffic on hot days. But I can't have stuff falling off the bike when I'm on the road.

Thanks.

Mark

[Ohio HD]

McMaster Carr used to carry heavy duty US made insulators. I'd use them on hopped up Shovel and Evo's as the OEM style fails. Check there.

[hattitude]

Interesting.....

I had Wards fans on my '12 Limited for 21K miles, and have had the same fans on my '16 Ultra for 8K miles.... no problems with them, the horns, or the rubber isolators..... yet anyways...

I take at least one multi-day trip every year, usually 2 or 3.  They see many hours of vibrations at CA freeway speeds.....

[klammer76]

IIRC, I think they mention that the stabilizer kit or something like that should be used with them. They only work on later model bikes as I recall though. I have a 2002 and want to put a set on this summer. My bike can't use the reinforcement that they have. Waiting to hear if others have had any issues.

I think part of your problem getting the old isolator out was the corrosion on the stud.

[MikeL]

Some engines shake more than others. Twin cam crank scissoring? Hate to think it could be that. What happened to you is very uncommon. Usually at highway speeds engine vibrates, at idle they shake pretty good this is where I would think equipment would fall off. I'm talking rubber mount bikes, got 2 T/C touring bikes and a T/C softail. 


                                                                                                       MIKE