I need permission before I make any more purchases or I will have to sleep with my other OL in the garage But I do plan on getting Bitchin Bagger Brace as soon as I butter up my first OL

 

I had a chance to put some miles on the Bagger Brace this weekend. Here's my early impression.

I didn't notice any addition vibration at start up. That's not to say there might not be some, just my ol' beat down **** wasn't sensitive enough to notice it. The bike rode well, but I did not intentionally put it under any high stress situations (the Dunlops are still legal but reaching retirement age).

The one thing that I did notice was after a couple of hours of interstate riding on a great Texas afternoon, the Heat Management System kicked in and the firsts time I was stopped the vibration of the rear jug shutting down did seem much more noticeable. When you rolled on just a little throttle, the rear jug fires up and the additional vibration stops.

Just my impressions. The brace will stay on my scoot if for no other reason because it gives me some peace of mind knowing a potential handling issue is less likely to happen.

 

Quick question, did you have to put the bike on a lift/jack to install? I just got mine in the mail today and want to put it on before the weekend, but I don't have a jack. Thanks!

 

It makes it a whoooooooole lot easier, but there are those that have put the brace on without one. I'd at least get someone to hold the bike upright when lining up the heim.

Good luck and report your findings once you've ridden.

 

A mechanic I am not. I put mine on without a lift. It isn't too bad.

 

How did you use the vise grips to straighten the crossmember? Mine is tilted back slightly and I don't want to break it. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

I called Phoenix Customs and spoke to Ron about how to install the brace. After he told me to face the "Bagger Brace" logo to the rear of the bike it was relatively easy to install from there. Got it on in about 45 minutes to an hour. I bought a motorcycle jack from Sears and that made it even easier. I took it for a couple spins around the block and it seemed to work pretty good, but I'll hold off til I put some real miles on it after this weekend--don't want to have a placebo effect.

UPDATE: 5/23/09, I put about 200 miles on the bike yesterday and can definitely feel the difference. The bike is definitely tighter and I have a ton more confidence in it. I can definitely feel additional vibration in the bike, but it isn't bad enough to make me want to remove the brace. I highly recommend this product to anyone looking to get a stabilizer...the peace of mind alone is worth the cost and the bike IMHO rides much better.