If we all adopted that practice none of us would buy Harleys FFS! I don't consider myself to have had good luck in the slightest - or do you for the 40-odd years that I have owned Harleys and enjoyed - with all the various after-market accessories I have used?

It is disappointing you have had a BAD experience, but there is no reason why readers of this thread should steer away from an M6, even if you would prefer we all give them a wide berth!

 

No need to get your panties in a wad. Sorry but I can't make the connection between my comment about malfunctioning hardware and buying a Harley, so I have no response.

I am not steering anyone from an M6; I just wouldn't waste money on one and have stated the reasons why but apparently you take offense. I could care less what after market gadgets you or others use with their motorcycles; your ride, you decide. However, I am entitled to my opinion and will continue to express same; even at the risk of offending the more thin skinned.

 

The connection is very simple. Harleys occasionally malfunction as well, like your M6. You're knocking a product here on the basis of your one experience and suggesting other readers shouldn't buy one.

 

The connection is not at all clear. I am questioning the value of an after market replacement for an OEM piece of hardware that does not have a history of failure. How you connect that thought to purchasing a Harley is beyond me.

I have yet to knock the product or suggest anyone not buy one. I have questioned the value added by the product and simply stated that I don't see any.

You need to pay attention to what one posts before you go off on them.

 

I don't care for the new ratchet style auto tensioner Harley uses these days either. I've got a 2010 FXDC that I changed compensators to the SE unit but left the tensioner alone for now. Haven't decided what to put in there. Also have a 2006 Road King that I run the HB125 in and am very happy with it. It's hydraulic with no ratchet, so has a little give to the chain tension. About 40K trouble free miles now. Shifts are a little quieter, and driveline slop a little less...course there's nothing wrong with the original setup either. I'd buy an HB125 for the FXDC too, but they changed to some kind of hydraulic wedge setup for the newer models. Not sure how they work, anyone running one that knows? Understand Baker builts a manual adjust tensioner...looks well made. Find it interesting they're breaking main shafts in the DD6...or so I've read, whereas I don't read about broken main shafts in Harley's cruise drive. Understand this new manual tensioner is supposed to fix the DD6 broken main shaft troubles. Not slamming anyones product, just what I read around the web.

 

I am going to agree with this comment. From what I have learned the auto tensioner will keep pulling up slack and can put too much tension on the chain which puts pressure on the inner tranny bearing(forgot tech term).
From what I have learned this could be a contributing factor to the tranny failures Harley has been experiencing with the 6 speeds. There is a very long thread about the 6 speed and possible issues.
Keep it a manual. Sure it's a bit of work however it's a chance to inspect the primary periodically which gives you a chance to see how everything is inside.
Jmo

 

Where did you purchase your hydraulic chain tensioner? I have a 2008 Electra Glide U.C. I want to try one on.

 

Really?...all I found was a long thread about noise complains started back in 07 which was nothing from the git go. Point me to the thread please, I'd like to read about it. We sometimes pound the crap out of those harley 6 speeds, as we did the 5 speeds, and the 4 speeds before that, and rarely had any transmission failures. Course, you guys are right, that ratcheted up, tight as a guitar string, primary chain can't be ideal, but causing transmission failures I'm not so sure.

Which is why I thought the HB125 was worth a shot. Some hydraulic action to hold even tension over the spring, with some give to it to avoid the guitar string situation. Seems to do okay on my King.

Mean Gene, bought direct from maker, SOhotbikes.com. Recently emailed them about the wedge style for our newer bikes as they show them on backorder, plus I have a question or two about them. Haven't heard back yet, but his was only yesterday.

 

What would keep the auto tensioner from ratcheting up? The dealer said they have to fully colapse the aduster as they put the primary back together (after my trans mainshaft and bearing failure at 54,000 mile on '07 WG). I hear a sharp tapping noise from the primary now and they said its the chain hitting as the tensioner hasn't ratcheted up yet. I tried several low gear thottle chops as they directed me to do, but no change. It didn't make this noise before. How long should I wait?

 

There is no way the new Harley auto tensioner is breaking DD6 mainshafts because the DD6 does not work in a cruise drive case. The DD6 only fits up to 06(05 dyna)s. As for mainshafts breaking on cruise drives we have not seen a lot of these but we have seen them. Usually a bearing fails before the main shaft but if the tension is great enough to cause a bearing to go you better put a run out gauge on the mainshaft there is a good chance it will be bent which will eventually lead to a break or continuous bearing failures. You do not want more than .002 of run out on a shaft.