What did you do to your Dyna today?

I've been chasing some noises my '07 Dyna Street Bob's been making for quite a while. Some of the noise, like a metal-on-metal sharp crack sound were probably due to worn fork tubes and bushes, which I've since replaced. Other noises sounded like a tin can full of marbles being shaken. The noises were produced when I rode over uneven surfaces and seemed to be coming from the front end. Since I had already replaced the fork tubes and bushings, and had the fork stem adjusted to spec per the "flop test," and I couldn't find anything loose on the bike, I was getting ready to pull the fork stem apart to check the bearings. A friend of mine come over to check one of my other bikes, but took a look at the Dyna and noticed that my (stock) shift linkage had quite a bit of slop. He mentioned that if the shift linkage is loose, the primary case can effectively amplify that sound and can sound like a rattling bucket of bolts.

I found a replacement shift linkage with Heim joints at each end at the Dennis Kirk site, and ordered it, which was here in two days. After I removed the OEM (and cheesy) linkage and installed the Alloy Arts linkage, I took the bike for a ride and found that about 90% of the noises I had been hearing were no longer there.

Here's the Alloy Arts shift linkage. You can adjust the length by turning the middle section. Very nice product and much improvement over the OEM part.


Here's the OEM shift linkage I replaced. No adjustment, and the ball ends were loose in the connecting rod.

I've had my '07 Dyna (FXDB Street Bob) for about 6 years or so. For most of this time I've been chasing extraneous noises that appeared to be coming from the front end. At long last, I think I've finally got things squared away as a short test ride didn't present any of the rattling or banging noises I've been hearing.
Here are the things I've done to this bike in the last few years:

• Adjust the tension on the fork stem bearings, at least four times.(Set according to the SM flop test)
• Make sure that the exhaust heat shields are nice and tight.
• Check to see if the tank bolts are tight.
• Check inside the tank to see if anything inside is loose.
• Check for looseness in front wheel, front fender, windshield, brake rotor and caliper. (I discovered that my two-piece rotor had some loose bolts.)
• Replacing the upper engine isolator.
• Replace the OEM shift linkage with an aftermarket one that is adjustable.
• Replace the fork tubes and bushings, which were somewhat worn.
• Remove air cleaner to see if anything is loose on the throttle body, etc.
• Check foot pegs for looseness.

After all this, I was still getting some noises that shouldn't be there. I had the bike on my lift table, and was getting ready to inspect the fork stem bearings. I should mention that the front end is after-market -- Roland Sands Design, so not OEM. I didn't think the problem was in the fork stem bearings, as they move smoothly and I can't wiggle the front end with the front wheel raised, but I haven't been able to find problems anywhere else.

Taking the front end apart involves a lot of work, notably removing the tank to get at the connectors for the two looms that come out of the bars and go through the upper triple tree. Once the bike was up on the lift table, I thought I would check once more to see if the fork stem nut and the gear-looking nut that tensions the fork stem bearings had come loose. When I went to loosen the fork stem nut, it came loose with almost zero effort, and the washer under it with a locking tab didn't have its tab bent.

I put some blue lok-tite on the stem nut, torqued it down to 50 ft-lb, bent the tab to hold the nut in place, and torqued the four pinch bolts on the fork tubes. When all was back together, I took her out for a short ride. Result -- no noises!

I'm glad I'm not paying myself by the hour!