Hello all,

My buddy has a '87 FHLTC Electra Glide CL.
When he rides his bike he gets sometimes a rattle or a clack out of his front end, it looks like the front end can not go further up or down.
This occurs on all roadsurvaces when riding over a bump or through dents, speed isn't a issue here...
The front end is a bit soft, when I compare it with my bike ('79 FLH).
He has airsupport, and tried different psi-fillings, changed oil, nothing works.

Wheels, brakes, frontfender, fairing is checked and ok. Alinement is good.
In my opinion there is something wrong inside the front fork, do you have any ideas what else to look for??

Greetings from Holland!
Rockin' Kees

I hope you understand my English...

 

Rockin Kees,
I had the same problem a few months ago. I just couldn't figure out what the noise was. It sounded like my forks were loose or at least something in the front end was. I looked the bike over, I listened when I drove it. I just couldn't figure out what or were it was. Nothing seemed to be loose in my forks or frame. It was driving me crazy not to mention worrying me from a safety perspective. This may sound a little wierd but it turned out to be my kick stand. The rubber stop that keeps it from banging agains the frame had fallen off. I would have never guessed that's where the noise was coming from in a million years. That may not be your buddies problem. All I am saying is look beyond the the front end where you think the noise is coming from. Noises have a funny way of fooling you sometimes.

Jim

 

Loose steering head bearing yields a clunk, but not a rattle in my opinion. Presume the steering head has had some adjustment in 20 years.

 

Hello and good evening (over here that is...)

That rubber on the primary is there (sounds funny but I had this myself, rattles from the primary...).
Bearings are good, so we have a little problem.
Tomorrow morning I will take this frontend apart and see what is wrong with it.

I had a little ride on that bike to feel what exactly the problem was.
The clunk that we are talking about comes from the left side, and the bike does this when the fork has to come out, hope you understand me?
It comes out with a big clunk, as if the left fork side stays behind the right side. The reaction time is too slow, so to speak.

Anyway we are looking at it tomorrow and I will let you know if we find something.

To be continued...

Grtzz,

Rockin' Kees

 

Hello again,

We have found our problem.
It wasn't hard to find afterall, but we had to take the fork apart.
When we pulled the lower front end the aluminium end cap came out in 3 (!!) pieces. I have never thought this can happen...or how this happened, any ideas?
This small thing has damaged the damper rod a little.
So a new left fork tube has solved our problem!

Unfortunatly we didn't take any pictures of the damage, so we can't show you.

Anyway my buddy rides safely again!

Thanks for your input and untill next time!

Grtzz,

Rockin' Kees