This is what happens when you just ride a bike.

Got a buddy who is a GS 13 in the Army. He sold his son his 2001 EG when he bought his 2011 Bagger. His son has done nothing but ride the 01 EG in the ground. Not letting it sit still.
He ran it till he wore the pad off the spring loaded Cam chain tensioner, and was down into the metal part of the arm.
The inner cam bearing got totally wore out. And metal particles went all into the motor.
He now needs a whole motor.
Here is what the inner cam bearing holes looks like.

Expensive mistake not keeping up with basic maintenance on the bike.

No Red Neck Bud's for him!!...What's his plan now...HD reman?? Gonna have to pull the oil pan too...Gotta a lotta cleaning and flushing ahead to make sure all the crap is gone or he'll just circulate metal bits through the new engine that's going in...

Might wanna think about going with gear drive with that rebuild...

how many miles on bike and do you think that no maintenance and toooooo much wrist are a big factor?

Who doesn't like the gear drive?? You or the owner??...
Since the guy doesn't like to check the tensioners,just ride...And it's an '01 with Timkins in the bottom and the engine has to totally come apart to clean out bearing and tensioner shrapnel,it would be a good candidate to add gear drive if the crank has .003" or less run out,(have it trued if more than '003")....Then the guy would have a solid bottom end and wouldn't have to do any cam chest maintenance any more...not like he did any in the first placeJMHO
If I had a '99-'02 that had to come apart,that's the way I'd go... even if it didn't have to come apart I'd be going for a gear drive conversion...
Would be a good idea to get in touch with Kirby and get him to do his thing with it...

No 2 people ride the same. Some people ride their bike a little harder.


Got a Buddy with a 95" GEAR DRIVE he didn't check the inner cam bearings.
We rode this year at Eureka Springs , Arkansas
His mechanic changed his oil, found metal in the bottom of the oil pan screw and in the oil filter.
The inner torrington cam bearings went out.
He had about 40,000 on the bike if that.

HD pinion shaft is not always true enough to go gears too.

HD made their original setup with spring loaded tensioners.
They don't last as long as the new hydraulic setup.

Checking the cam chest is something that may or may not need done.

But its something I would check. every 35,000 miles.
Like to or not like to.
Its not that big of a deal to do either.
Even if you replace the inner cam bearing and or tensioners.
If you start at 8:00 you should be threw by 2:00 at the latest.

Chucktx went GEAR DRIVE on his bike. And I was trying to get him to go with the new tensioner setup.
I think if he had to do it over again. After he bought the gears and all.
And after he has done a couple new hydraylic tensioner setups.
He would rather do the Hydraulic tensioner setup too.

Hey have you started Packin for the Trip dude ?

Better pack some warm clothes and some good rain gear.
Long way on a 2400 mile ride.

OK I was only suggesting to eliminate a wear item since You Said ...
"His son has done nothing but ride the 01 EG in the ground. Not letting it sit still.
He ran it till he wore the pad off the spring loaded Cam chain tensioner, and was down into the metal part of the arm".
The tensioners are going to wear out,hydraulic or not...So, do a total rebuild and put tensioners back in... Then he can ride it into the ground until they wear out again and take out the oil pump and bearings,then do it all over again

Don't know if they even checked the pinion shaft or not.
If the pinion shaft got out, it would of ate the gears up too.

He has got to come up with the money to guy another motor.
I was suggesting to buy a new motor instead of one wiht 66,000 on it that was in a wrecked bike for 3000.00 for a 88cu.
He has been riding the bike for over 3 yrs now.
CAn't stop to do anything.
Else wise he should of seeen metal particles in the oil.

Just asking for more trouble buying a motor out of a wrecked bike IMO...

Guess its all about MONEY.
Got to cut cormers.
And they are listening to another Old School Mechanic in the Waco area .
They was talking about going back with gears. And a upgrades oil pump and all.
Gears is O.K if that is what you want to spend your money on.

But to me its more expensive and HD didn't put gears for a reason.

Their crank runout allowance went to hell in a handbasket.
That is another reason HD went to the chain tensioners system.

HD could of build a crank you could take apart and rebuild without having to send it out to a machine shop.

And if yer so dang lazy you can't check yer tensioner and while yer in there you can't spend 20.00 and replace yer inner cam bearings with Koyo.
What can I say.

A new motor would be far better, but then it's a lot more geetus, too, like you say . . . but he could be buying someone else's problems with a used motor - I know all about that .

If'n I was him. I would junk the whole bike.
And go to at least a 09 model.
But I think all he is interested in is chasing Women.

You got that right....but I think Kirby could rebuild his '01 and make it better,stronger,faster than buying a new one and come in as much or less than new...It's free to ask someone who'd know which would be the better way to go...

Neither the dude or his dad is gonna listen to me.
They got somebody that is OLD school and gonna listen to them.
What can a High School Graduate tell a GS 13 in the Army.

You can tell him if he did a little maintenance on it he wouldn't be in the position he's in

What's a GS13?? You supposed to be smart to be one??