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I have test road m8 with stage 4, when you hammer on it you can feel the flex. Not scarey like the bagger wobble my 99 had when trying to pass a semi on the Interstate. Now that bike has many new parts including upgrading rear bushings and a true track. About a month ago had it doing 110 and was smooth as could be, but that was going straight
I'm not aware that those engine mounts have been particularly problematic, but of course they'd wear out over time. I highly doubt there were wobble issues attributed to those on bike when they were new.
There wasn't ever a donut in the top mount that I can remember. In 2008 they moved the link between the cylinders to the front..
My point is, there isnt a "flaw" that is responsible for dangerous instability on a 2017 bike.
I would agree that there isn't a "flaw".
Engineering designs aren't always good or bad... They are most frequently either poor, good, better, or best.... and cost usually dictates which of those categories a manufacturer will select for a given application
I believe what grbrown is suggesting is the "best" solution. HD has certainly found a "good" or "better" solution, based on the fact that the the death wobble isn't felt by everyone, and when the bike is in good condition, it's only felt when pushing it to the extreme....
One very good testimony to the stability of the M8 baggers, is in this video by Kyle Wyman, King of the Baggers racer...
He did a video to compare his own personal Road Glide Special, OEM except for a 131 kit, intake, exhaust, and the HD Ohlins rear shocks, to his factory King of the Baggers team race bike...
His personal Road Glide Special went around the track a lot faster than he, or the racer following him for the video, thought possible... I suspect he was pushing that bike harder than most would ever push one on the street...
My point is, there isnt a "flaw" that is responsible for dangerous instability on a 2017 bike.
Just so I got that straight so 2017 models still show this instability?
when was the last redesign of this mounting system or its components? I would like to assure if I go Touring route I got latest design of these mounting components. Would you mind to clarify?
Just so I got that straight so 2017 models still show this instability?
when was the last redesign of this mounting system or its components? I would like to assure if I go Touring route I got latest design of these mounting components. Would you mind to clarify?
The frame and the mounting systems are the same as of 2009. There have been some improvements to the forks (2014, larger, 49mm forks) and shocks along the way.
Point is, Harley touring bikes are Toyota Camrys. If you try to drive a camry like a lambo on a track, you're bound to say "this thing wanders all over the place! WTF were they thinking!" Additionally, if you were to put a huge engine in it, and not bolster the suspension, it will be even worse.
They will be fine if you ride it like an average rider, which it was designed for. But if you're trying to do 110 mph around a sweeping curve, you should expect some amount of wandering. If that's how you ride, its not unreasonable to expect to have to shore up the suspension. True Track, fork inserts, etc etc.
Engineering designs aren't always good or bad... They are most frequently either poor, good, better, or best.... and cost usually dictates which of those categories a manufacturer will select for a given application
I believe what grbrown is suggesting is the "best" solution. HD has certainly found a "good" or "better" solution, based on the fact that the the death wobble isn't felt by everyone, and when the bike is in good condition, it's only felt when pushing it to the extreme....
One very good testimony to the stability of the M8 baggers, is in this video by Kyle Wyman, King of the Baggers racer...
He did a video to compare his own personal Road Glide Special, OEM except for a 131 kit, intake, exhaust, and the HD Ohlins rear shocks, to his factory King of the Baggers team race bike...
His personal Road Glide Special went around the track a lot faster than he, or the racer following him for the video, thought possible... I suspect he was pushing that bike harder than most would ever push one on the street...
I have a newly acquired 2008 Road King Police bike. It has 40K miles on it. In runs out great. I've put it hard through it's paces on twisty mountain roads and it's as good or better than any Harley I have owned. I really like the somewhat different geometry and narrower tire vs the 2011 and 2014 bikes I had prior. That said, I want to make sure I keep the bike at peak performance (for a bagger). This winter I will spend some time replacing worn parts, and in general, going through the bike thoroughly as I am unsure as to how well it was maintained. I'm considering doing the Sta Bo bushings or installing a Tru Trac. I've been reading this thread (excellent - thanks Graham), other threads, and watching You tube videos. I get the strengths of each system (in general) Sta-Bo vs Tru Trac. In the end I believe they both address the issue, so I have a few questions that may have, more or less, been answered. But for the purposes of review and clarity I'll ask again -
1. Does the Tru Track assembly need to be removed to change tranny fluid?
2. Does the Sta-Bo system make the bike vibrate more at idle and/or speed?
3. I saw something on the Tru Track website about kickstand switches - does that apply to something else or do I have to remove it?
4. At what point should one replace the stock swingarm bushings? If I go Tru Trac I don't want to put lipstick on a pig. I want to make sure the bike is in top, stock condition before adding "fixes".
The only con on the tru track is it takes the spot where I like to have the jack. You can jack up on it but its not locked in the channel like with out it . .
I just went threw my 02 last year with about 50,000 miles, replaced all rubber mounts as I had it apart. This year I had it over the c-note and felt the need for the true track. It wasn't the scary death wobble like my 99 had at 80mph even but it was a uneasy feeling.
The 99 was at 110 this year (true track installed years ago) and smooth as could be. So a true track is in the 02's future
I believe the kick stand problem is only for if you have a center stand
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