Since this is my first touring bike and having read Mr Browns post on "bagger wobble" does this issue still exist on the 14 models? Should I be concerned since I like to ride the twisties pretty aggressively?

 

I had an 08 which was the last year of the "old" frame and I could get it to wobble, even with a frame brace. I haven't been able to get my 14 to wobble on the same roads so I'm going to say no they don't.

 

Nope...disappeared in 09..

 

"BW" is often attributed to such things as poor tire condition, or riders who don't check tire pressure...and with time, worn swing arm mounts..loose shocks and other "stuff"

My 09 is solid as a rock- but my 1995 model was pretty darn good too...ran up to abut 65,000 miles then did the swingarm and some other stuff...rode up over 82,000 miles before selling it.
and the bike had capabilities beyond my skill.
I may be more forgiving on the "BW" issue as I have alot of old bikes and on many of them it is possible to push the bike past it's limits

there are limits to anything


1 thing- the batwing fairing can lift the front end above about 85 MPH wind speed ( the 2014 may be better)- so reduced traction at high speeds can allow the front wheel to dance...tapping the front brake can get it to settle some
also if leaned over in a canyon, updrafts may affect one side of the fairing more than the other...

any fairing buffeting translates to "steering input" as the fairing is attached to the forks.

mike

 

Mines never done it.

 

This is my first bagger and it's a 14' coming from racing crotch rockets I don't think this one will come close to wobbling since I still ride this one in the hill country pretty aggressive thru corners and bumps every now and then.

 

We'll that's good to hear

 

Some of the 09-13 bikes still did it. I've heard owners complain of it, and they make braces for these bikes. The fact that hd has escaped from a product recall amazes me. People have died from it. I've owned 5 touring bikes, and the only one that did the wobble was the one I currently own. The brace fixed mine. Hopefully this is no longer present on new models.

 

Just a thought, why would anyone want to ''ride the twisties pretty aggressively'' with a 800+ pounds bike that is not built for this kind of activity? Dont be surprise if you get wobble it's like your asking for it.

 

I get contacted by Lawyers about 2X a year to testify at wrongful death trials. I always decline the invention. On a very few cases I hear details of what happened. The one that sticks out in my mind is the cop that was traveling at 85 MPH on an interstate, went around a simi on a left hand sweeper, went into a wobble, crashed and died. No one hit him and there were several eye witnesses whom were motorcyclists, one being the simi driver. It is a shame that the owners of those bikes who experienced the wobble first hand can not come forward and dispel the myth there is no bagger wobble, but they are dead. Maybe they only experienced it just that one time but I guess that was enough.

I personally believe that the clamped top triple found only on 2014's (at this time) would be one of the major fixes for it. Time will tell.