Bagger Brace Coming Off
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 866
Likes: 1
From: FT BRAGG, NC
I don't think I've ever heard of a bagger brace giving all those vibes. I've installed a few on others bikes and not one with excess vibes. But ya know...not all of us has the rear floating (wobble) that required the brace to begin with...so hey...who am I to judge.
sorry it didn't work. But I have to ask...how can you ask all that money for the brace when you just bad mouthed it to the rest of the touring forum? Hmmmmm?
Ride Safe, Mike
sorry it didn't work. But I have to ask...how can you ask all that money for the brace when you just bad mouthed it to the rest of the touring forum? Hmmmmm?
Ride Safe, Mike
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 702
Likes: 2
From: Florida
Every one of you is right...and wrong. I get a kick out of the responses that "you must have installed it wrong" lol - like it's some kind of magic to mount some hardware and get the heim joint aligned properly.
I appreciate the feedback, really, but you have no idea what you're talking about.
When I was doing some research and getting some feedback from some riders who have installed them, about 50% of them said they had increased vibration and didn't care for it.
Now, short of rigging an LVDT (the thang that reads linear movement), and amp and hooking it up to my laptop to read the oscillations , I know what my scooter feels like with and without the brace installed.
BTW, my dealer checked all the "critical fasteners" as well as wheels, bearings, motor mounts, stabilizers, blah, blah, blah (did I forget something? Someone will surely jump on that if I did).
Something else comes to mind. It simple physics here so hold on...
In the 2007 touring chassis (and others) the motor is mounted on iso-mounts designed to absorb vibration and shock. How hard is it to believe that if you add a stabilizer to the rear of the engine/trans, that the lateral movement (dampening) is restricted and the vibration is now transmitted to the cross-frame member, then up to the seat of my pants?
Why not hard-mount the motor and get it over with?
I think it would be cool to put a rigging pin somewhere on my chassis so I could remove the heim joint and secure it when on the long-haul, then install the bolt when I want to get more aggressive.
As I said in my initial post, the rear end is tighter and more responsive, but I bought a touring bike not a go-cart.
Rolled 30,000 miles today in less than 2 years! How 'bout all you bar-hoppers and Rolex Riders..BA HA HA!
I appreciate the feedback, really, but you have no idea what you're talking about.
When I was doing some research and getting some feedback from some riders who have installed them, about 50% of them said they had increased vibration and didn't care for it.
Now, short of rigging an LVDT (the thang that reads linear movement), and amp and hooking it up to my laptop to read the oscillations , I know what my scooter feels like with and without the brace installed.
BTW, my dealer checked all the "critical fasteners" as well as wheels, bearings, motor mounts, stabilizers, blah, blah, blah (did I forget something? Someone will surely jump on that if I did).
Something else comes to mind. It simple physics here so hold on...
In the 2007 touring chassis (and others) the motor is mounted on iso-mounts designed to absorb vibration and shock. How hard is it to believe that if you add a stabilizer to the rear of the engine/trans, that the lateral movement (dampening) is restricted and the vibration is now transmitted to the cross-frame member, then up to the seat of my pants?
Why not hard-mount the motor and get it over with?
I think it would be cool to put a rigging pin somewhere on my chassis so I could remove the heim joint and secure it when on the long-haul, then install the bolt when I want to get more aggressive.
As I said in my initial post, the rear end is tighter and more responsive, but I bought a touring bike not a go-cart.
Rolled 30,000 miles today in less than 2 years! How 'bout all you bar-hoppers and Rolex Riders..BA HA HA!
I agree with the simple physics theory.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,282
Likes: 52
From: DFW
The last thing I wanted was increased vibration or to turn my rubber mounted touring motor into a Softtail feeling bike, (75+ and the fixed motor starts to buzz vs the rubber mount where it gets smoother with the rev's), but increased vibrations to the frame are there for me. I picked the Bagger Brace and have said it totally changed the feel and handling of my bike. I honestly could not expect a bagger to handle any better, but there is a bit more vibration. It usually occurs with aggessive roll on's. Pre Brace, without the direct brace bolted to the cross member and the small amount of play between the swing arm and frame, things were a bit silkier. Now aggressive roll on's or even just pushing the bke into the upper rpm's, you can feel the lack of play for the motor to move and it really does take on a softtail feel. I have gotten used to it for the most part, but there are times when I wish it didn't tighten up quite so much and I had that more free reving feel the rubber mounted setup affords the bike. I'm pretty sensitive to vibrations and ride quality though, so many or most may not even give it a second thought. It certainly isn't something that changes the feel of the bike in major negative way, but I certainly can understand why one might consider removing it for the small increase in vibration.
Last edited by GliderXXX; May 10, 2009 at 11:01 PM.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 774
Likes: 21
From: Florida
OK, so it was a fairly expensive experiment, but I'm not too proud to admit something didn't work for me.
There are plenty of riders out there that will swear up and down that they made a good purchase, even though a particualr item doesn't do anything at all (the placebo effect)...then try to justify it to their friends and other forum members that it is the best thing they've ever bought. Hmmm.
I may have lost $300 bucks, but at least my sense of humor is intact
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 774
Likes: 21
From: Florida
This bar-hopper (34,000+ miles in 14 months) felt an increase as did a friend who installed it on his. We both have 08 Street Glides. We are both commercial helicopter pilots and very sensitive to vibration and we both noticed an increase from the first ride after the installation.
I agree with the simple physics theory.
I agree with the simple physics theory.
Thanks again and go easy on the collective! 8-)
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 858
Likes: 0
From: around
Thanks for the feedback. Great to hear a positive comment every now and then. I have a VFR license in single engines. Currenty a Simulator Test Engineer on the Navy's Seahawk helicopter simulator. I'm no expert, but I think I can tell when the buffet kicks in on my bike and when it settles out and at what speeds. It never quit vibrating when the brace was installed.
Thanks again and go easy on the collective! 8-)
Thanks again and go easy on the collective! 8-)
I'll even post up a fancy graph showing before and after vibration modes.
I'm guessing it could possibly even be viewed by attaching an accelerometer to the frame and tapping a mounting bolt on the engine, and then repeat with the BB installed. That should show the increased vibrations on the static side as well as the above showing the dynamic.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Sorry to hear about your problems. I fitted a True-Track kit to my bike and deliberately rode it with and without the link. I could tell the difference, but it was not enough to say that it causes additional vibration. I love the thing and have one on my Dyna as well.
There are now so many brands of these things available I wonder if they each have different vibration characteristics? If you like the improved handling, perhaps a different brand of stabilizer will give you a better ride.
There are now so many brands of these things available I wonder if they each have different vibration characteristics? If you like the improved handling, perhaps a different brand of stabilizer will give you a better ride.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 9,254
Likes: 283
From: Lake City, Florida (Native)
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,296
Likes: 2
From: canada
Is it possible there is an issue with the linkage that comes with the kit? I've put on about 15,000 miles a year on my Ultra. I found the kit made a noticeable difference in the handling. I've been on sportbikes for over 20 years, and noticed the difference when I installed this thing. I highly doubt it's a placebo, and I haven't noticed an increase in vibration. My bike is an '07.
That being said, I'm an electrical engineer, and not mechanical. However, in as much layman's term's as I can get, I would surmise that the linkage that comes with the kit that ties the brace to the cross-member is not unlike a steering damper (in operation only, if not purpose).
If there was not a requirement to allow for some movement, why would this piece of linkage be included, and not some sort of solid-mounting setup?
Perhaps "not working correctly" is not the correct term here. Tighter or stiffer than some of the other linkages installed on other bikes here? Or perhaps defective is correct. I would guess that the things are mass-produced, and having problems with a control batch or test batch might not have been something that is monitored.
I too disagree with "this kit was not installed correctly". The whole damned thing can only go on one way.
I'd be interested in trying a different linkage arm, or several different ones with different air pressures or levels of oil in them to see if they would make a difference. that would make for an interesting experiment.
Cannon
That being said, I'm an electrical engineer, and not mechanical. However, in as much layman's term's as I can get, I would surmise that the linkage that comes with the kit that ties the brace to the cross-member is not unlike a steering damper (in operation only, if not purpose).
If there was not a requirement to allow for some movement, why would this piece of linkage be included, and not some sort of solid-mounting setup?
Perhaps "not working correctly" is not the correct term here. Tighter or stiffer than some of the other linkages installed on other bikes here? Or perhaps defective is correct. I would guess that the things are mass-produced, and having problems with a control batch or test batch might not have been something that is monitored.
I too disagree with "this kit was not installed correctly". The whole damned thing can only go on one way.
I'd be interested in trying a different linkage arm, or several different ones with different air pressures or levels of oil in them to see if they would make a difference. that would make for an interesting experiment.
Cannon
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 774
Likes: 21
From: Florida
I knew you had to be an engineer of some sort. Since you don't want to hook the LVDT up and all that, send it to me and I'll get one out of our lab and hook it up to LabView and run some analysis and prove to everyone that solid bracing with rigid hardware on a rubber mounted (dampened) engine (NOT MOTOR) just might maybe possibly add to the output vibration.
I'll even post up a fancy graph showing before and after vibration modes.
I'm guessing it could possibly even be viewed by attaching an accelerometer to the frame and tapping a mounting bolt on the engine, and then repeat with the BB installed. That should show the increased vibrations on the static side as well as the above showing the dynamic.
I'll even post up a fancy graph showing before and after vibration modes.
I'm guessing it could possibly even be viewed by attaching an accelerometer to the frame and tapping a mounting bolt on the engine, and then repeat with the BB installed. That should show the increased vibrations on the static side as well as the above showing the dynamic.