i haven't had the problem yet either, in rain and washed a few times. can one just take it to the dealer and tell them about the tech bulletin and have them do the work....kind of like warranty work?
thanks guys.

 

Yup. You can tell them about it or to make it a little quicker go in with a copy of it. If yours is like alot of dealerships they are not even aware of it until the first person brings it to their attention. Should have no problems getting it taken care of.

 

I was working on the bike today, and decided to see if I had the tell-tale rust spot on the plastic belt-guard. Sure enough, when I removed it, there it was. See the pics attached. The bike is an 09 FLHT. I am the original owner. The bike has not seen rain yet, and it's never been hosed down. I went ahead and drilled out the rust spot on the plastic, as a preventive measure, to allow any water that may accumulate to drain. Pretty quick and easy thing to do. Note, there are three screws holding on the plastic guard. Do not remove the front screw. The guard has a "key-hole" for this screw. You can see it in the pictures. You simply loosen the screw, and after removing the other two screws, slide the guard forward about 1/4", and off it comes.
Hope this helps.

 

Having plugged the hole in the front of the swingarm the first day I bought my bike (back in May, 2009) I never thought I'd see rust on the belt guard. Well, it's now late August and I was wrong. I believe water came in through the two big holes under the seat on the top of the swingarm. I recently removed the seat and washed the bike with a hose (after a 5k trip). Apparently, those need to be plugged too. I'm wondering if those are the "two upper holes for the brake line retention clips" referred to in the bulletin (TT413). I found no talk about plugging those top holes, only the forward facing drain hole. Since I now have water in the swingarm, I've now got to drill the drain hole in the belt guard. Does anyone know if Harley plugged these holes on the 2010 swingarms? And who has plugged the two upper holes? Are they where I think they are (under the seat), or is water coming in from somewhere else?

 

I did plug these holes at the same time I did the swingarm. I just put silicone around the clips. I never had water before but i never hose the bike nore did I ride in the rain yet. Futur will tell I guess. But in any case, I also had the inside of the swingarm shoot with rustgard, the same thing they put on cars. The tip of the gun they use will easely go throught the hole under the swingarm.

 

Harley has 2 Service Bulletins:

1.) They will Replace your Swing Arm - weep hole in wrong location -
water/rust weeps on to belt

2.) Kick - Jiffy Stand - if you feel the HD is leaning over to much - they have a taller stand

 

For cryin' out loud, stop the perpetuation of incorrect information!

1.) They will Replace your Swing Arm - weep hole in wrong location -
water/rust weeps on to belt No, they will not replace yoru swingarm. HD Tech Tip 413 (released on 6/3/09) states that they will drill a hole in the belt guard to allow the swingarm to drain. It clearly states: "This is a cosmetic concern and not an indication of an internal issue." They certainly will not replace the swingarm for a cosmetic issue.

2.) Kick - Jiffy Stand - if you feel the HD is leaning over to much - they have a taller stand Close, but not exactly. It's not that the stand is taller, but the bracket has a different angle that allows the bike to sit more upright. HD's Service Bulletin #M-1243 addresses this.

 

and a third bulletin for the 09's. steering head bearing torque adjustment

 

Ask first where did I get this information... You betcha my local dealer....

I got my New Swing Aram (by default broken frame ) and Jiffy Stand / Bracket - casue I asked... ;-)

Perpetuation (The act of prolonging existence, of keeping something alive or active.)

perpetual (comparative more perpetual, superlative most perpetual)

Positive perpetual Comparative more perpetual Superlative most perpetual

Lasting forever, or for an indefinitely long time Set up to be in effect or have tenure for an unlimited duration Continuing uninterrupted Flowering throughout the growing season
By means of artificial hybridization, practised for a series of years, he has succeeded in producing a race of carnations which are perpetual bloomers. The hybrid perpetual roses as a rule require to be pruned to within 4 to 6 inches of the ground.

 

After reading this thread, I inspected mine to see how it looked after 1 1/2 years with never getting the area wet, It looked just like the pic with the rust spot...took care of that is short order.