Street Glide Trike Reverse Issues?

[jwlz]

My Girlfriend has a 2010 FLHXXX Street Glide. In her first year they replaced the reverse electric motor under warranty.

Her sencond anniversary is coming up soon as we were discussing whether she should buy the HD Extended Service Contract... the biggest concern is that reverse motor.

Has anyone heard of this being a recurring issue with HD Trike owners, or was it a one of a kind problem. She has had no issues since.

I know there is a trip relay.... but in her case the problem was the motor... not driver error.

 

[Tonyd]

buy a reverse kit that attaches to the trans...cost is about the same as extended warranty

 

[msocko3]

I haven't read or heard of any large reverse issues with the Triglide. I've used my reverse with the trike loaded for a trip, the wife on board and a loaded trailer hooked up.

 

[Keystone]

Like msocko3 said. Just haven't heard that many issues with the reverse. I have 32k on my 09. No issues.

 

[DakotaTG]

There are serveral TG owners in our HOG group that have had no problems with their reverse in any of the 2009 to 2011's. I did however break mine during a ride to the Black Hills in June of 2011. I had backed into a parking space at our motel that was on an upward incline. I put the trike in first gear and put the emergency brake on which I rarely do. The next morning I got the trike ready to go for the day trip and decided I might as well run over to the gas station across the street and fill up before the wife came out and was ready. I started the trike and released the brake and started to let the clutch out. It wouldn't move. I checked the brake and tried again, it still didn't move. The third time I tried I hear a loud clunk and it moved. I filled with gas and came back to my spot and it wouldn't reverse. I checked everything and couldn't find a problem. Back in ND my local HD dealer checked it out. The gear had sheared off of the shaft on the reverse motor. They figure that when I backed into the parking spot on the upward incline the gear of the reverse motor stayed engaged then when I finally did go on the third try it snapped off. Our service manager had called HD and they said that has happened on a couple occasions. Their suggestion is when parking on a steep incline after reversing in before you leave you should rock the trike a couple times by hand to make sure the gear disengages. If you try to go and it is holding then rock it some more by having a fellow rider or two rocking you back and forth while in neutral or even with the bike in 1st with the clutch in. They did replace the reverse motor under warrenty.

I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.

 

[Tonyd]

SEEMS YOU ALWAYS NEED A TEAM OF GUYS TO GET YOUR HARLEY MOVIN..... IF MY DEALER TOLD ME THAT, I'D BE POUNDING THAT STARTER WHERE THE SUN DONT SHINE.....THEN AGAIN I NEVER BACK MY BIKE UP, GOING UPHILL....LET THE SLOPE BACK YA down........TONY

 

[Bikerbozo]

Initial problem with my reverse in '10 TG was breaker tripping PART WAY. This caused me to hear relay click, but not enough power jumping through to run it. Just a couple of months ago, the motor itself died a final death. After they replaced it, I noticed the new one now had higher RPM and higher torque. Big improvement over original. Dealer has no idea what I am talking about. They didn't look at labels on replacement starter. Just said P/N was same. New motor was taking so much juice, it sometimes stalled trike out if I didn't give it a little gas. Seems to be better after 2nd replacement of Stator ( 1 1/2 years old and at 30K was replaced 2nd time due to oil leak by plug. 1st one burned out).

 

[mark mccallum]

I have had the reverse moter replaced twice,the starter,disc pads and the discs themselves,the radio all repaced under the two year warranty.I have talked to many owners with reverse problems etc.I think the extended warranty could be a good decission.

 

[SeaBee]

Great site saved me $$ on my 09 had a breaker problem it didnt trip all the way not enough power to the rerverse motor worked the breaker several times workes great now. spent an hr at the HD shop they were at a loss to what was wrong wanted me to leave it. No need now Thanks

 

[mad for trikes]

i have a '11 with about 5k on it and have not had any issues with the reverse

 

[10rhrk]

SEEMS YOU ALWAYS NEED A TEAM OF GUYS TO GET YOUR HARLEY MOVIN..... IF MY DEALER TOLD ME THAT, I'D BE POUNDING THAT STARTER WHERE THE SUN DONT SHINE.....THEN AGAIN I NEVER BACK MY BIKE UP, GOING UPHILL....LET THE SLOPE BACK YA down........TONY

I've never needed a team of guy's to get any of my Harley's going. My wife put over 20K on her 2010 FLHXXX with no reverse problems. Used it a lot! Her new 2012 Triglide has almost 7K on it with no problems with the reverse or anything else. IMHO, I think a lot of problems can be attributed to the owner. JMO

 

[bikerbill]

i have a '11 with about 5k on it and have not had any issues with the reverse

ditto ; a '11 with about 6k on it. No issues with the reverse as yet.

 

[jcolson]

I have a 2011tri-glide.I have never had the reverse relay trip.On my trip to Cal.in 2011 I stopped along the interstate cause I was getting heat stroke.I put the hand brake on.When I took off, I was really gettin in to it.Wondered why I wasn't going as fast as I should have. I forgot to release the brake.It never tripped.Done the same thing in reverse,doesn't trip.Asked the dealer what's up.They said it doesn't have a trip relay on it. Don't think they know what their talking about. Freind of mind has a 2010 & he would put it in reverse with the brake on & it would trip. I'm glad mine doesn't trip. So,long story short,I haven't had any problems. Didn't mean to write a book!

 

[chiefwright]

My reverse was replaced twice by harley. They put in the 2010 version on my 2009 and have not had any issues since.

 

[10rhrk]

I have a 2011tri-glide.I have never had the reverse relay trip.On my trip to Cal.in 2011 I stopped along the interstate cause I was getting heat stroke.I put the hand brake on.When I took off, I was really gettin in to it.Wondered why I wasn't going as fast as I should have. I forgot to release the brake.It never tripped.Done the same thing in reverse,doesn't trip.Asked the dealer what's up.They said it doesn't have a trip relay on it. Don't think they know what their talking about. Freind of mind has a 2010 & he would put it in reverse with the brake on & it would trip. I'm glad mine doesn't trip. So,long story short,I haven't had any problems. Didn't mean to write a book!

The trip relay is only to protect the reverse motor. If you have the parking brake on and try to backup, it will trip the relay. Doesn't have anything to do with driving forward.

 

[flatfrog]

The only problem I have with the reverse on my 2012 is getting the ****thing in to neutral with the engine running.

 

[Cap'n Pete]

Hey what about that neutral biz? I thought it was tough to find neutal on my Road King but is even tougher. Any hints or tricks for this?

Thanks

 

[eagle1]

if you decide not to get the e/w then i suggest this spring you give your bike a thorough going over, looking for things like see if the drive belt is burring the trans case. mine was rubbing a-lot. it had been thru 4 dealers services and i had to pay for the adjustment
ansl look at the ft. cyl head. where the bolt goes thru to hold the steering dampner on. pg 18 item 3 in the parts book. keep the cd door closed and wraped in a towel when you wash the trike. also i wrap the throttle grip in a kroger plastic bag when i wask my bike.
water is the enemy of electronics. so when you wash the bike blow it off with shop air
and hit the head bolts by the spark plugs and lug nuts.in general don't get it wet. and i also take my bike out to warm it up after a wash. just a few suggestions. also i took apart all elec connestions and put a small amount of dieelectrical greaseon the connection then hook it back together. also did that to the fuses etc.

 

[greyfang]

2010 with 10000 miles plus and no issues with reverse but dont use it very often.I try to park in places that dont require it.

 

[WILDBILLPHIN]

The only problem I have with the reverse on my 2012 is getting the ****thing in to neutral with the engine running.

I've found that if I give it a quick twist of the throttle, to rev it just slightly, then try the shift to neutral quickly as it revs down it helps. Still can be frustrating at times !

 

[Bagger]

I have a tri glide no issue

 

[screwball]

Near 30,000 miles on the '09 and no problems. We are usually careful where we park and don't have to use the reverse that much. When we are parked 'flat' I use the "Flintstone" reverse most of the time.

 

[rhino 2]

The only problem I have with the reverse on my 2012 is getting the ****thing in to neutral with the engine running.

I have the same problem if the engine is running or not, I have to poke at the shift back and forth sometimes 3 or 4 times.

 

[TheBobs]

The only problem I have with the reverse on my 2012 is getting the ****thing in to neutral with the engine running.

I finally got sick and tired of having to shut my brand new 2012 down to get it shifted into neutral. Also noticed that the clutch would engage at the slightest release of the lever. Not where I wanted it to engage. Never had this problem with the 2010. So I adjusted the clutch cable. Gave the adjuster 3 turns and now I can find neutral first time every time. Doesn't clunk downshifting as bad either.

 

[Gorilla]

I finally got sick and tired of having to shut my brand new 2012 down to get it shifted into neutral. Also noticed that the clutch would engage at the slightest release of the lever. Not where I wanted it to engage. Never had this problem with the 2010. So I adjusted the clutch cable. Gave the adjuster 3 turns and now I can find neutral first time every time. Doesn't clunk downshifting as bad either.

proper clutch adjustment a real key to the issue

 

[Aussie Annie]

The only problem I have with the reverse on my 2012 is getting the ****thing in to neutral with the engine running.

Finally someone else with this problem!!!!!

I shipped my trike to the U.S. last year from new, and the whole time I was there I kept taking it to H-D dealers to see what could be done. When the motor was cold I got it in to neutral, but once it was hot--forget it. Even went to see the guys at the MotorTrike stand at Sturgis. The head honcho got on my trike, and I counted 16 times he tried to put the thing in neutral. He said it was a Harley problem -- they said different!
The tech here in Oz where I go for servicing played around with the clutch and it's much better.
It was like "trying to stir a rice pudding" drove me nuts :AGGHH:

 

[Aussie Annie]

My ride is an Ultra Classic with Motortrike kit...... can't get used to the loud clunk when putting it in reverse..... does everyone have that noise

 

[flynng]

If you have the Champion reverse, here is a simple solution.
Place the bike in first gear (clutch in of course), engage reverse, then shift to neutral. There will be no clunk, period. This stops all spinning in the tranny and the reverse will engage smooth as silk. Use caution to make certain you are in neutral before starting to back up.

Been doing it that way since I installed reverse almost a year ago. First couple of times, the clunk scarred the s_ _ _ out of me as well, so I changed the way I go to reverse, problem solved.


Good luck

My ride is an Ultra Classic with Motortrike kit...... can't get used to the loud clunk when putting it in reverse..... does everyone have that noise

 

[screwball]

Every Harley I've ever owned had trouble finding neutral for the first few thousand miles. Both trikes were exactly the same. Wife would get so frustrated she would turn the trike off, shift into neutral and restart it. Time heals all wounds. Couple of thousand miles and it slips right in. Patients!

 

[mark mccallum]

an extended warranty might be good insurance.warranty brake replacement,discs and pads,radio failure,starter replacement,reverse motor replacement twice,all under 2 year warranty would have been very costly.i think the extended warranty could be a good investment.i have a 2009 tri glide with 26000 miles.