Aftermarket Motor Mounts
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 209
Likes: 30
From: SC Lowcountry
I'm going to go ahead and order the Predator and start with that. I'll see how much the wobble and vibration improves and then go from there. Thanks for all the great info, especially the service bulletin. 
You're on the path now. And the Wide Glide also brings a few added points in; the 80/90-21 front tire, those OEM Scorchers are simply awful. A +2" on the front fork tubes, and those forks are wildly undersprung.
First step is to do the vehicle/engine alignment; I replaced my front isolator very early on and did the alignment at the same time; I needed to shim out the isolator 1/4" to put it where the bike wanted it. Lasted for a time but I know it's starting to fail again so this time I bought the Predator.
Tires; I run Pirelli Night Dragons, I got those nasty Scorchers off well before 1k miles. The front is a 90/90; between the size, composition, and profile, the improvements were dramatic. I upgraded the front forks with heavy springs; now the bike is firm and planted, it doesn't run wide in corners or require mid-corner corrections. Straight line stability to well above legal speeds is now solid.
The Dyna is sensitive to its alignment so begin there; be certain it's correct, then look at the front isolator; they can look fine but be failing due to oil contamination from oil filter removals; no guarantee that just because it's not contacting the engine bracket the rubber is not becoming distorted as you're riding the bike. Upgrading the front fork springs will cost you just over one Benjamin, and the Night Dragons; the only tires I'll run on a heavy cruiser
I'm moving to the Predator mount simply because it's a superior design and I'm done buying OEM crap only to need to change it out again a few seasons later; if vibrations are a bit more noticeable at certain RPM ranges the trade off in added stability is more than worth it...
You're on the path now. And the Wide Glide also brings a few added points in; the 80/90-21 front tire, those OEM Scorchers are simply awful. A +2" on the front fork tubes, and those forks are wildly undersprung.
First step is to do the vehicle/engine alignment; I replaced my front isolator very early on and did the alignment at the same time; I needed to shim out the isolator 1/4" to put it where the bike wanted it. Lasted for a time but I know it's starting to fail again so this time I bought the Predator.
Tires; I run Pirelli Night Dragons, I got those nasty Scorchers off well before 1k miles. The front is a 90/90; between the size, composition, and profile, the improvements were dramatic. I upgraded the front forks with heavy springs; now the bike is firm and planted, it doesn't run wide in corners or require mid-corner corrections. Straight line stability to well above legal speeds is now solid.
The Dyna is sensitive to its alignment so begin there; be certain it's correct, then look at the front isolator; they can look fine but be failing due to oil contamination from oil filter removals; no guarantee that just because it's not contacting the engine bracket the rubber is not becoming distorted as you're riding the bike. Upgrading the front fork springs will cost you just over one Benjamin, and the Night Dragons; the only tires I'll run on a heavy cruiser
I'm moving to the Predator mount simply because it's a superior design and I'm done buying OEM crap only to need to change it out again a few seasons later; if vibrations are a bit more noticeable at certain RPM ranges the trade off in added stability is more than worth it...
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 10,907
Likes: 8,758
From: Galt's Gulch - MI
A good video to show you the process:
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 209
Likes: 30
From: SC Lowcountry
That's an awesomely detailed video. I don't consider myself very mechanical but I'm trying to learn. And I've got a buddy who is a mechanic and he's willing to help me. So I've got that going for me. Now I just need to stock the garage with all the tools and everything else I need to do things myself.
I remember when I bought my first bike the sales guys said "the bike is the cheapest part." I thought they were joking.
I remember when I bought my first bike the sales guys said "the bike is the cheapest part." I thought they were joking.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 10,907
Likes: 8,758
From: Galt's Gulch - MI
That's an awesomely detailed video. I don't consider myself very mechanical but I'm trying to learn. And I've got a buddy who is a mechanic and he's willing to help me. So I've got that going for me. Now I just need to stock the garage with all the tools and everything else I need to do things myself.
I remember when I bought my first bike the sales guys said "the bike is the cheapest part." I thought they were joking.
I remember when I bought my first bike the sales guys said "the bike is the cheapest part." I thought they were joking.
You can swap out the front isolator on the cheap with a scissor jack and a helpful friend keeping your ride steady and upright but a real lift does come in very useful
A note on our EFI bikes; behind the voltage regulator is a hard plastic bracket that holds the O2 connector. That bracket will contact the Predator mount and I can see it won't last long under vibration. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to use heat to bend the hard plastic forward to clear the Predator or if I'm going to delete the bracket and use heat shrink on the connectors.
Just a heads up, that's not in the video but you will run in to that extra little issue
Edit:
I'm assuming you replaced the rear as well as the front tire with the Night Dragon?
Absolutely
180/60-17 on the rear and 90/90-21 on the front. I don't use wheel weights, I use Ride On in the tubes. It's a balancer and sealant; the Night Dragons are dynamically balanced and she's smooth and rides like she's on rails
Last edited by TinCupChalice; Mar 25, 2017 at 07:18 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 5,471
Likes: 6,342
From: pacific northwest
That's an awesomely detailed video. I don't consider myself very mechanical but I'm trying to learn. And I've got a buddy who is a mechanic and he's willing to help me. So I've got that going for me. Now I just need to stock the garage with all the tools and everything else I need to do things myself.
I remember when I bought my first bike the sales guys said "the bike is the cheapest part." I thought they were joking.
I remember when I bought my first bike the sales guys said "the bike is the cheapest part." I thought they were joking.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 377
Likes: 63
From: South Carolina
YOU are wrong but like I said. Both guys are crooks.
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 44
Likes: 8
From: Oklahoma
I have both front and rear Big Bear Choppers motor mounts on my FXDLS for over 6k miles now... no problems here, bike feels 100% better when pushing it through the twistiest curves in our wildlife refuge here in Oklahoma. Even when pulling the front wheel and tire off the road and setting it back down going into second under full throttle, the bike seems to want to track straighter and wobble less than it did with the factory mounts. I also notice and improvement with how the bike handles road transitions, cattle grates, and large pot-holes or bulges in pavement.
I have had no problems at all when dealing with Kevin or any other employee I have spoke with from BBC... but this is just my experience and I try to do my best to stay out of the name calling and mud slinging that is common practice in many forums. I am happy with my purchase, its a quality product, and the improvements are very noticeable.
I did have the Predator front mount on my previous 2015 Dyna Street Bob and it was an improvement over factory, but not as noticeable as the BBC front and rear mounts. I would say that if you are gonna be pushing the bike really hard, I would address the issue with breaking the front motor mount tabs off of the engine casing. Also, reducing the amount of side-to-side movement that the engine makes will greatly help reduce that uneasy wobble that can be felt in the swing arm area of the bike when in long banked curves at high speed.
I have had no problems at all when dealing with Kevin or any other employee I have spoke with from BBC... but this is just my experience and I try to do my best to stay out of the name calling and mud slinging that is common practice in many forums. I am happy with my purchase, its a quality product, and the improvements are very noticeable.
I did have the Predator front mount on my previous 2015 Dyna Street Bob and it was an improvement over factory, but not as noticeable as the BBC front and rear mounts. I would say that if you are gonna be pushing the bike really hard, I would address the issue with breaking the front motor mount tabs off of the engine casing. Also, reducing the amount of side-to-side movement that the engine makes will greatly help reduce that uneasy wobble that can be felt in the swing arm area of the bike when in long banked curves at high speed.
Last edited by relykz; Mar 27, 2017 at 03:30 PM.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,448
Likes: 2,299
From: NW Ohio
Thanks for posting that. Please share more details and pics. regardless of the politics surrounding them, I find the concept of the BBC/CH mounts interesting. Unfortunately, I can't find any details about how they work, what they're made of (weight?), how they perform in use, user impressions, nothing. The price is too high to jump in blind.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 19,922
Likes: 8,027
From: poway
CCE makes some great stuff like their adjustable front engine bracket, and their fork trusses and I bought both of them... However their engine mounts are best left unpurchased. A Sputhe Positrac chassis stabilizer kit combined with a replacement set of factory rubber engine mounts is a hard combination to beat for a good start on a performance dyna chassis in my opinion. What kills the front mounts fast, is spilling oil on them at filter changes as I believe the rubber mounts are made from a rubber compound called buna nitrile, fairly resistant to a lot of stuff but it does not like esters (synthetic engine oil).
: Mike
: Mike
I think the front mount is interesting but would avoid the rear. I made a similar mount for the rear and it was pretty much a disaster. The CCE rear mount uses better rubbers but the mount does not have enough lateral stability and the rubbers used by CCE would have to be way/way/way better to be of any good. I was trying a different method for lateral stability based on a patent I got for baggers. The front is simply a stock bagger mount fitted to a dyna.. Heck the BBC mount is nothing more than stock bagger donuts fit to the dyna.