My 1998 Wideglide might need new motor mounts front and rear.
They are not broken but they might be time to have them changed because of their age and vibrations.
(They have never been changed).

Is there a way to test if they are shot?
I still have good clearance between front cylinder head/valve cover and frame downtubes, and I think that when the front isolator mount is shot, the clearance gets very small.

Any recomendation wich type to buy?
Aftermarket or OEM?

Thanks!

 

Hiya K.
the front mount usually goes first, you'll feel a lot more vibration through the pegs & grips. You can put the thickest feeler gauge in your set through the front mount opening & it will grip it if the mount is getting tired, or....you wont get it in if its shot. I believe OEM are as good as anything but more knowledgable folks here will direct you to any better products. Best from NZ

 

If the rubber of the mount is collapsed and touching the metal at the top ....it is shot.

Buy oem or a vibratechnics one. Best I have found from trying out a variety of mounts is oem with true track (or sputhe)

 

The front engine mount you have on the bike is the best designed mount made and longer made, Harley has developed 2 upgraded mounts "C" "D" and has caused more vibrations being considered less desirable compared to your 79 "B" mount.

The Buell mount L0501.2 is the same mount as your OEM on the bike, why they used it on a Buell and quit making it for a Harley is a question mark but Harley did. Glide Pro is a good design but for $125-$150 is still not in stone it works.

 

This is gonna get a bit "wordy"...but it's a topic dear to my heart.
I'm riding a 1985 FXRS that I bought new, in '85. Over the intervening 35 yrs, and 305,000 mi. I've gone through a couple of front motor mounts. The last time I replaced one I decided to do some research before just grabbing the latest version of a "rubber donut". There have been several versions offered over the years. On thing I learned is that the Buell mount seems to get the best reviews of all the "rubber donut" styles. The advantage of rubber donuts is that they're cheap, and replacing a front motor mount isn't a particularly difficult job. My reading also revealed a number of more expensive polyurethane donut offerings, rather than simple black rubber donuts. The price on those ramps up considerably so we're no longer talking about "cheap, easily replaceable" parts. As to urethane...over the years, my experience and that of other FXR riders I know with anything using polyurethane in the mounting system of these bikes has been that it definitely helps with handling. Stiffens things right up and lets you wring out the best the FXR platform has to offer which is great if you're what I call a "high performance" rider. Unfortunately...those improvements don't come without a cost: increased vibration. I'm not a high performance rider so I kept looking.
Here's what I found:
https://www.kineticstructures.com/ha...ne-motor-mount
Stainless Steel mesh. I just looked at their website and for an FXR, they're $139.00. It's not a cheap option, but is in the same price range as the urethane mounts. If you're able to make the leap from black rubber donuts, to something more costly I strongly recommend you take a look at this Kinetic Structures product. I've run a bit over 15,000 mi on mine with ZERO issues. About the same time I put it on, I also replaced the rear rubber isolators ( with OEM rubber...NOT urethane), and replaced the 25 yr old Velva-ride motor mounts on her with new ones.
https://www.jpcycles.com/product/431...control-system
I know...these use urethane but I've liked them better than the HD "hard linkage" isolators that came on the bike.
On a clear day with lots of open road (and minimal law enforcement)...she'll cruise 85-90 mph with No vibration issues. Makes it nice when you want to run 700 mi days and not feel beaten up at the end of the day.

 

We’re talking about Dyna motor mounts....much different and simpler compared to the Touring/FXR’s.

I have the original mounts on my 1998 Low Rider. They’re big blocks of rubber....I don’t foresee anything ever happening to them.