HarleyTechTalk

How many miles are y'all getting out of a ratchet 4 speed if its been all REBUILT PROPERLY?

There's got to be some guys on here doing the big miles on the old bikes, I'm sure of it.

If treated well as good as any. 

I had a 73 Super Glide for about 28 years. It had one hack tranny rebuild very early in it's life due to leaks. Maybe around 1979. Figured if it's out just rebuild it. Never shifted smoothly and was a bit noisy after that.  Got a second rebuild with all Andrews gears, etc, in the 90's, it was perfect after that right up til I sold it in 2002. Miles wise, I have no clue.. A lot.  Total miles on the entire bike was somewhere around 250,000 over the 28 years I owned it.

Mine puked on me in 2002 and has sat on shelf since, needs rebuilt but ...yeah.. someday.
 I wanted to try a 5 inna 4 anyhow. 

250k on a shovel!!!!!!

Daaaaaaannnnnggggg

Congrats on that

My 78 has about 125k, I bought it new in 78. Replaced seals in tranny a few times over the years, about 3 years ago I took it apart to replace seals again and found one of the springs in rachet mechanism was broken. The rest of the all checked out good. I don't know the real mileage but it has had 3 speedos over the years, currently showing about 50k on it.

Quote from: 98s1lightning on October 25, 2023, 05:38:18 AM250k on a shovel!!!!!!

Daaaaaaannnnnggggg

Congrats on that

wasn't hard.. 28 years.  Of course you know everything from front axle to rear axle was either replaced or rebuilt at least a few times.

Quote from: bump on October 25, 2023, 06:52:35 AMMy 78 has about 125k, I bought it new in 78. Replaced seals in tranny a few times over the years, about 3 years ago I took it apart to replace seals again and found one of the springs in rachet mechanism was broken. The rest of the all checked out good. I don't know the real mileage but it has had 3 speedos over the years, currently showing about 50k on it.

I lost track of how many speedos I replaced. Eventually put 5 gallon tanks on it with an FLH dash and speedo, that one lasted the longest. It was still on there when I sold it. Just know I used to ride a good 10,000 mi a year back then.

Just took the top off the trans on my 75 FXE with 40K on it and it looks great and needs nothing but new seals. Bike is stock and wasn't hot rodded.

Very cool

Quote from: Reddog74usa on November 10, 2023, 07:34:29 AMJust took the top off the trans on my 75 FXE with 40K on it and it looks great and needs nothing but new seals. Bike is stock and wasn't hot rodded.

Those loose roller boxes are tough 

A properly rebuilt transmission that wasn't just thrown together (bearings replaced, a tolerances carefully checked, etc) will easily go 100k+ miles.

My older shovel, a 75 FLH...   retired RI State Police bike hasn't had the need for any sort of update on  the tranny in the 15years I've owned it... It gets fresh 75-140 Lucas or Valvoline gear oil every year, and supplement that with Lucas TB Zinc blaster additive. As long as I stay on top of clutch adjustments, it shifts as smooth as butter, with or without the clutch...  I have no idea if it's the original tranny....   but I'm betting I've put 100,000 miles on it over the
last 15-16 years.... 

My 1980 FLHS works just as well....   not sure how many miles on it...  I've had it maybe ten years, and it's never been my primary ride.... could be pushing 75,000 miles....   same as the older shovel...  premium oil and premium additives fresh every year, and it goes along just fine...   Neither bike is built to wring out horsepower, and neither bike is ridden too hard....   I'm old now, so only a mild hooligan, and then only every other weekend....

Stay on top of the maintenance and an old shovel will treat you right...

 

Rocket88s

Very cool post thanks for sharing

I plan to outrun the miles I have done on a 5 speed, with a 4 speed bike in my lifetime. Just got to get her done, been saying that for years tho! Hah

The 75 FLH is your main ride? 

How many cubes? Cam? Gesring?

Hoooooraaah Lightnin Man...LOL.... I got an 01 X-1 sitting in the garage , too...   waiting on a total resto!  My two shovels are both secondary rides...   Main ride is an 02 FLHTPI cop bike.... That bike is a retired Providence RI police bike....   02 was the last year Prov PD rode Black Harleys...  after that they switched to white ones.
 My bike didn't get ridden as a cop bike much....   it was in excellent original condition with 9,000 miles on it when I bought it from it's second owner ten years ago.   I was in the RI Nat Guard with the kid's uncle.   he showed up at drill one day and out of the blue told me I should go check the bike out...LOL 

While the Cop bike is a daily whip, the Shovels are just tooooooo much fun to ride....    Both shovels had a down year this past year.... so they needed a bit of lovin  this spring....   I was tryin to get two bikes ready for Laconia Bike Week... but the cop bike needed a much larger infusion of cash than anticipated, so the shovel project went on hold....   I also had to rebuild my Reeper and my two Polaris sleds, and both my Polaris quads are resting in the barn waiting for my loving touch.   And just when I thought I would be firing up the Red White and Blue  Shovel....   I got distracted and rebuilt and tuned all my Stihl saws and the Husky too....   leaving me with an old Poulan Pro and an older Craftsman Chainsaw as  my truck saws....   

Life is good...  and it's not sledding season yet, so my two wheel Sirens are all due a bit of attention and some wind time.....

Hoooooraaaaah

That's a lot of fiddling!

LOL....

My Girlfriend thinks so, too....  But I just built her a Ruger 10-22 Appleseed gun, and grabbed a case of 9mm on sale, so she's at least productively occupied....