Ok I know there is some difference in the solid mounted 03 and the will say 05 rubber mounted sportster..Is there that big a difference with vibration ?

 

The clutch spring plates seem to think so. And not in a positive way, based on this forum and xlforum.net member postings.

I think a lot of vibration issues are subjective. I don't really pay much attention to it. And I have a solid mount model.

John

 

My son's 2005 engine shakes like it is about to fall out of the bike right after start up but on the road the bike is much smoother at around 60 - 70 mph, compared to my 2000.

 

There is a big difference between vibration and shaking! All rubber mounts shake while at idle. Does nothing harmful. Solid mounts vibrate while riding, the rubber mounts very much so. IMHO the two types are a world apart, the rubber mounts being just fine.

 

I didn't notice much if any difference between my 05 and my brothers 99 when cruising around the city. I didn't take it over 60mph though so can't really say for highway.

 

I've had 2 solid mount Evo Sportys, one rubber mount and, now, an Ironhead. All three are, to me, very different. The Ironhead shakes, rattles and rolls. The rubber mount is smooth off idle. To me, I felt the solid mount Evo Sportsters had a noticeable amount of vibrations throughout the range and at idle. Some can get downright buzzy at certain RPMs. Each bike is a little different though.

 

well, I never ridden a solid mount,, just read the horror stories of hands going numb and teeth rattling and such,, it might be okay for short drives,, but anything over 20 miles might be a pain,, I like my 06,, no problems at all with vibrations, very smooth while crusing from 65 all the way to 90.

The old ones still look good though,,

 

The solid mount, especially the Ironheads, have character that has slowly been taken out of the newer bikes. Don't get me wrong, today's Sportsters have more character than most other modern bikes, but compared to the Sportys of yore, they're refined to the point of lacking personality.

 

Yes!

Bwana

 

My 09 XR1200 is smooth at idle and any speed. It looks to be mounted the same as my 11 XL1200. HD uses a different term for the XR engine mount than they do the XL. They look the same to me but they are a world apart in smoothness.

The Buell Ulysses has the same engine as the XR and since it is a stressed member of the frame it is hard mounted. It seems to match the XL. Shakes at idle (and the entire bike) then feels like the XL at speed.