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[Pete7539]

A friend of mine just called me from on the road in VT. He has a '12 Limited and was packed for a trip. Says he wasn't overloaded. Anyway, had to travel some roads that weren't perfect. RCA blend, but not speed bumps. As subject says his rail broke on one side leaving his muffler dangling. He stopped at a dealer in the area. Guy there told him it's a common problem, didn't have the part in stock, but they did rig it for him with some hose clamps.

I tried searching this on forum, but couldn't find anything related. Bike has extended warranty, but monster oval slip-ons. Told my friend they'll probably tell you your slip-ons weigh more than stock, or make up some other excuse, and you're gonna have to eat the part. He's not that concerned, supposedly around $100 and local dealer at home has one in stock.

He rides pretty conservatively and it was pouring rain for most of his travel. So I don't think he could've abused it to the point this would break.

Has anyone heard of this "common" problem?

[dartman]

Never had one break, have never seen a broken one or heard of one breaking,  I live in Michigan, our roads are as bad as they get, I doubt if its a common occurrence.

[grc]

First and only time I've ever heard of it.  Of course I could say the same about several other parts Harley didn't used to have problems with but seem to have now.  When companies view cost cutting as the Holy Grail and ignore quality, all kinds of things can happen.

Jerry

[110tHunDer]

 
Just because we haven't heard of it doesn't mean it's not a good candidate for the, "They all do that!" mantra by a Harley dealership.   Ratcheting tachs, broken saddlebag supports, etc., etc., etc. ...

[Puzzled]

The one on my 01 broke several times. It would break where the saddlebag bar attached to the fender bracket. It broke with stock and stretched bags.

[chaos901]

I did have one break on a trip several years ago, the bike was a 2002 EG.  Came to my attention from all the noise because the "Y-Pipe" broke.  When I got it to a dealer, the mechanic indicated that something else caused the y-pipe to break and that was when he found the left side saddle-bag support broken, letting the exhaust bounce thus putting more strain on the y. 

[Pete7539]

Thanks guys. It just sounded bs to me having never stumbled across it before. I told him to call mother Harley and give it the old college try as the dealer he bought from went belly up and he doesn't know who to turn to (the ol' damsel in distress bs). As I said $100 doesn't hurt him too bad, just the thought of it happening again and again as it's supposedly a known problem with newer bikes LOL.  They were nice enough to give him the hose clamps for free

[Black Diamond]

I just had to replace mine on the 08 SERK and a friend has had to do the same on his 07 SG.  Shop owner had to have it done on his 09 RG.  Just off the top of my head.  Of course I live in the People Republic of Illinois where we keep raising taxes as they put gravel over once paved roads.

JW

[braymond52]

I had it happen to my 2004 Road King in 2012.  So, the bike was 6 years old and had about 40k miles on it when it happened.  I think mine broke about a week before I discovered it when I bottomed out pretty badly during a ride.

I've heard of this happening to other guys before.  It's not common, but it happens.  On the pre 2009 bikes they usually break at the botom of the piece that is attached to the fender where it makes the 90 degree bend out to the the piece which attaches to the bag support.

The replacement part was about $85 and took about 20 minutes to replace.  We jacked the bike up to the point where the rear tire was barely on the ground, then put blocks of wood uner the lip of the rear fender so that it couldn't sag when the support is removed.  Afte that it's just unbolting the old part and installing the new one.

[gordy]

Like this.  Mine broke on the way to Sturgis.  Haywired it back together and welded it together when I got home.  Made in China??

[sadunbar]

I'm just amazed that a guy at the Harley shop admitted it was a "common" problem!