Plus I like the shake anyway.
Engine Shake Riddle
Engine Shake Riddle
I always wanted to know why the rubber mounted engine in touring models are not replaced with the rigid mounted balanced engines that are in the soft tails? Why the two different types at all! It would seen to me that the touting models would have the balanced, non-shaking engine in the first place. Any thoughts on this?
Mark
Mark
Last edited by FL-kruzen; Mar 25, 2013 at 06:26 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,528
Likes: 6,407
From: Honah Lee
Softails are a different line sold to wusses. Real men buy cruisers and it would hurt the company's bottom line if they had a TCb motor. The Softail has a rear swing arm independent of the motor were Cruisers and Dynas rear swing arm is attached to the motor.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Mar 25, 2013 at 06:27 PM.
Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 792
Likes: 0
From: Florida
From what I understand, although the touring models shake while at idle, they are smoother while rolling down the road. Where as the softails don't shake while you are at idle, you actually feel more vibration while rolling down the road. I personally haven't spent enough time on a softail to be able to tell the difference.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,283
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
From what I understand, although the touring models shake while at idle, they are smoother while rolling down the road. Where as the softails don't shake while you are at idle, you actually feel more vibration while rolling down the road. I personally haven't spent enough time on a softail to be able to tell the difference.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,922
Likes: 589
From: Running with the gators
Trending Topics
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,373
Likes: 4
The shake is nice "if" there is bewbidge over the rear wheel.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,751
Likes: 459
From: Here and now
I have both and the touring bike is smoother cruising. It also has more power because counter balancers rob power.
I have heard that the Softails are solid mounted because that's the only way to fit the engine in the frame, otherwise they would have not counter balanced and rubber mounted them instead. The EVO softails were a source of vibration complaints and I believe that is why the TCB's were manufactured.
I have heard that the Softails are solid mounted because that's the only way to fit the engine in the frame, otherwise they would have not counter balanced and rubber mounted them instead. The EVO softails were a source of vibration complaints and I believe that is why the TCB's were manufactured.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,510
Likes: 23
From: Connecticut
The touring frame goes back to 1979, when the only big twin HD engine was the Shovelhead. The rubber-mounted frame was quite an innovation (at least for HD) at the time. It's roughly the same design that they're using today, with revisions, of course.
That frame lasted from the Shovelhead through the EVO years, and into the TC years (88, 96, now 103). It pretty much "worked" so they didn't change it so much as refine it.
When they introduced the TC88b (counterbalanced) motor in 2000, I thought they might incorporate that design into the rubber-mounted frame as well (to produce a motor with as little vibration as possible throughout the rpm range), but didn't work out that way. Guess the factory and designers figured they had a design that had sold bikes for decades, so why change it?
That frame lasted from the Shovelhead through the EVO years, and into the TC years (88, 96, now 103). It pretty much "worked" so they didn't change it so much as refine it.
When they introduced the TC88b (counterbalanced) motor in 2000, I thought they might incorporate that design into the rubber-mounted frame as well (to produce a motor with as little vibration as possible throughout the rpm range), but didn't work out that way. Guess the factory and designers figured they had a design that had sold bikes for decades, so why change it?