You know the one. Rubber mounted engine with only two mounts, permitting lateral deflection of the swing arm when subjected to side loads, producing a characteristic wallow and a vaque steering response. I carefully considered the True Trak and the RideStr8. They both seemed to be quality products designed to do the job. But from a mechanical engineering perspective, the design advantages conferred by the RideStr8's design are readily apparent, and that's the product I decided on. It arrived yesterday, along with the Rear Axle Spacer & Adjuster Kit. I installed them this evening with my very good friend and motorcycle race mechanic/tuner Kelly Baker of Kelly Baker's Performance Unlimited in Rosamond. I gotta tell ya all, both the Ride-Str8 and the Rear Axle Spacer & Adjuster Kit are extremely well implemented and machined. Even Kelly was impressed, and that can be hard to do. The instructions were excellent and easy to follow. Installation was straight forward. There is a small amount of metal that has to be ground off the lower shock mounting boss inside the swing arm. Dan of RideStr8 advised using a flat file, but we said fock that! and used a pneumatic powered rotary tool with a side-cutting drill bit, which did the job easily. Everything fit perfectly and looked like the parts the factory should have used by forgot. I then rode the bike 90 miles after the work was complete. The improvement in handling and tracking is phenomenal. All evidence of wallow in long sweepers is gone. The bike tracks much better in cross winds and grooved pavement. The change is uncanny. I cannot praise the product too highly, and the same for the designer, Dan Semmere. I had some email and phone correspondance with him prior to ordering his products, and he was very patient and helpful in answering all my questions and supplying me with additional technical/engineering data at my request. So there you have it. I am very pleased with the RideStr8 stabilizer link and axle spacer kit/adjuster blocks, and with the man behind the company as well. [sm=thanx.gif]

 

Thanks for the review. I was on the fence between ridestr8 and tru trak, but leaning towards ridestr8. Now I plan on installing a ridesr8 this month.

 

Thanks for the great review of the installation and ride report......I was onthe fence about True Track and RideStr8 as well...there are several forum members taht very much like the TT. Question sis it necessary to install the axle spacer kit ? Is that kit seperate from the Ride Srt8 kit?

 

You guys are welcome. The axle spacer kit is separate. The spacers and axle carrier blocks in the axle spacer and adjuster kit are very substantial, and disperse the compression forces generated by tightening the axle nut over a larger area of the swing arm, which appears to be a cold steel piece. This should resist any tendancy for the swing arm mating surfaces to indent from the axle carriers. Made sense to me especially when the RideStr8 is installed, since the side loading forces in normal riding applied to the swingarm at the rear axle can no longer be dissipated via lateral deflection. Plus, simply comparing the kit to the stock axle spacers and adjusters, the kit is way cool. I just like knowing that this extra little bit of well machined metal is in there. You don't have to install the axle spacer and adjuster kit with the RideStr8, but it makes perfect sense to me, and I would recommend it.

 

Oh, I forget to mention, since I was already in there and had the rear axle parts apart/removed, I finished off the RideStr8 and axle spacer kit install with the HD Pyramid Axle Adjuster #41535-97. It's the little details that make the difference, know what I mean? [sm=bling.gif]

 

How about pics with the bags removed?

 

Thanks for the detailed review of the RideStr8.
I have just fitted a TRUE-TRACK and also very pleased with the outcome and have ordered another for our Dyna.
I could not decide on which one to purchase but ended up with the TT because they are a forum supporter but glad to see it is a quality product as well.
The difference in the ride is worth the expence.
The other benefit should be that the engine mounts will last longer because the movement is restricted.

 

Will the axle spacer kit work with lowering kits?

 

Is there a website for RideStr8? Could not locate.

 

http://www.ridestr8.com/