I have finally gotten some seat time on my bike after some upgrades and repairs and can report back on my results.

This thing rides like a completely different motorcycle!!

A lot is either repaired or upgraded: replaced the trashed stock spherical bearings with Sta-Bo ED16 pieces; added Sta-Bo stabilizer bushings; it has Ohlins 3 shocks; a Gray Area Technologies stabilizer link (very similar to Progressive's version); up front it has Ricor Intimators, custom tuned; Race Tech springs. Because so much has changed, it's hard to say for sure if one thing made all the difference or if the combination did it. In general, however, I believe the combination is responsible.

One thing I am certain of, and that is: the ED16 bearings corrected what I now realize was an alignment problem that's been with this bike from the beginning. I've owned this bike since 02 (it's an 02) and since it had 3,000 miles on it (I'm the 2nd owner). Ever since I've owned it, when decelerating if I let go of the bars I had to lean way over to the left to keep it going straight on a flat (no or very little crown) road. I now realize that's because the belt must have pulled the swingarm over because the spherical bearings allowed it. Now, under the same circumstances the bike tracks absolutely straight while upright in the saddle. Clearly the swingarm is staying where it's supposed to be now.

Overall impressions: this thing has been transformed! In stock form, I think of these bikes as riding sort of like a 70's Cadillac. They float down the road like a comfort cruiser. "Road Couch". In high speed sweepers, say 50 or 60 and up, hit even a small bump and the bike felt like it had a hinge in the middle of it. Many of you have experienced the "bagger wobble" and know exactly what I'm talking about. That is now completely gone. No sign of it. This bike now rides more like a Benz: still a touring vehicle, but firm, sport like handling. A buddy and I were out Friday, rode about 100 miles through the Pines and when we ride together we ride fast. Lots of sweepers at 80 and up, some with pretty good bumps near the apex. My bike was rock solid. No hinge in the middle, it is rock steady. I have absolute confidence in it now. He has a 15 Limited and we swapped bikes for a while: 2 things solidified what I was feeling in my bike: His has the "hinge", the very same wobble mine used to have (this in spite of the new frame design and it having only 4,000 miles on it); and he raved about how solid mine feels. He started easing faster and faster through the curves and never had a wobble. I was behind him and the bike just looked planted. His, at slower speeds (not "slow", I just wasn't going as fast on his bike as he was on mine), scared me with the wobble just like mine used to do.

We were out again today, this time with a larger group, 5 bikes altogether with wives and girlfriends. Much tamer riding. I watched my buddy going through a turn ahead of me at about 60 and saw his bike do the bagger wobble. Mine didn't do it at all.

I've accepted this problem as "just the way it is" for 90,000 miles and 13 years now, and finally just this year fixed it. I should have done this years ago!! But what a pleasure to ride it now!! I always enjoyed riding it, I just didn't know how much better it could be. I suppose I might not appreciate the improvement so much if not for those 13 years... But I recommend anyone that has one and hasn't done these upgrades - at least the swingarm upgrades - DO IT NOW!!

 

yeah i know what ya mean. i went to their site and they fit mine too. im going to be ordering these tonight

 

Well done! You may like to read my thread on bagger wobble, an oldie but goodie, which explains the origins of the wobble that you have cured.

 

An impressive read, Sir Graham

 

Gee thanks!

It took some effort to write!

 

Graham, I read that thread thoroughly before digging into fixing it on my bike. You explained its origins, as you put it, quite well. That thread is a big part of what led me to choose the components I chose. So, thank you for putting the time and effort into writing it!