Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Chief]

Yes, I know. I am just so concerned with the wobble thing and was trying to better differentiate the two, just as you do.

Ride Safely,
Louis

It's not that bad to be so concerned about. Harley's have used a rear rubber isolation system for a really long time. I'm not saying a stabilizer will not make the bike ride better, but please realize people have put millions of miles on these dressers for years without them. They do help tighten up the rear end, but the bikes are not "death traps" without them. I know the stabilizer companies would like you to think you must have one, but it just isn't the case.

There's more hoopla about the stabilizers that is really necessary.

[spydglide]

It's not that bad to be so concerned about. Harley's have used a rear rubber isolation system for a really long time. I'm not saying a stabilizer will not make the bike ride better, but please realize people have put millions of miles on these dressers for years without them. They do help tighten up the rear end, but the bikes are not "death traps" without them. I know the stabilizer companies would like you to think you must have one, but it just isn't the case.

There's more hoopla about the stabilizers that is really necessary.

Hey Chief, we've got to have something to obsess over........maybe we tend to ride harder/faster now with these higher HP motors.  har!  spyder

[Hoist!]

These bikes/frames were never designed for the HP and speeds we can do with them today. I'm sure that's a big factor here. HD racing bikes are either solid mounted or have the extra stabilizer link, and steering dampers too. That tells me what works!

Put that extra stabilizer on and stiffen everything up. Get a real suspension from Traxxion. If you want high performance out of these things, you can't stop at the motor!!!

Hoist!

[TWR]

hi until you feel this wobble first hand and it scares  the chit out of you like it did to me going straight on a good smooth highway at 100 mph, i backed out of it and it was gone at 80 mph, then i decided to fix the problem some bikes do it under certain speed and road conditions, high hp and torque bikes contribute to the problem too,  just ask the guys that have laid their bikes down because of it , i guess there is always skeptics out there thanks tracy

[REGGAB]

It's not that bad to be so concerned about. Harley's have used a rear rubber isolation system for a really long time. I'm not saying a stabilizer will not make the bike ride better, but please realize people have put millions of miles on these dressers for years without them. They do help tighten up the rear end, but the bikes are not "death traps" without them. I know the stabilizer companies would like you to think you must have one, but it just isn't the case.

There's more hoopla about the stabilizers that is really necessary.

Same can be said for stock forks and shocks.  I think what it all boils down to is this:  There's better stuff out there than that with which our motorcycles are fielded stock.  If my research tells me a product will improve my motorcycle, and I can make the modification in a prudent manner, then I will.  Heck, I rode mine for better than 20K miles without any suspension mods...........and likely would still be riding that way had I not read the material presented here, which prompted further research.  It rode just fine, albeit I know it's limitations in stock form, have exceeded them.......once........and chose not to do so again.      Since the addition of my suspension mods, the limitation envelope just got bigger.      Bigger is better.      And I'm lovin' it.      Bottom line:  Try it!  You'll LOVE it!   

[megavolt17]

Hey Chief, we've got to have something to obsess over........

Especially when it's too cold to obsess about engine heat issues!

[Chief]

hi until you feel this wobble first hand and it scares  the chit out of you like it did to me going straight on a good smooth highway at 100 mph, i backed out of it and is was gone at 80 mph, then i decided to fix the problem some bikes do it under certain speed and road conditions, high hp and torque bikes contribute to the problem too,  just ask the guys that have laid their bikes down because of it , i guess there is always skeptics out there thanks tracy

It's comments like these that caused me to make my post. People are reading this and getting scared into buying a product that they may not need. That's all.

[Chief]

Same can be said for stock forks and shocks.  I think what it all boils down to is this:  There's better stuff out there than that with which our motorcycles are fielded stock.  If my research tells me a product will improve my motorcycle, and I can make the modification in a prudent manner, then I will.  Heck, I rode mine for better than 20K miles without any suspension mods...........and likely would still be riding that way had I not read the material presented here, which prompted further research.  It rode just fine, albeit I know it's limitations in stock form, have exceeded them.......once........and chose not to do so again.      Since the addition of my suspension mods, the limitation envelope just got bigger.      Bigger is better.      And I'm lovin' it.      Bottom line:  Try it!  You'll LOVE it!   

You know we're running almost the same gear and I have thoroughly enjoyed the improvements to the bike since the suspension upgrades. I ride pretty aggressivley and for me, the upgrades help. My point is that not everyone needs all the upgrades. Not everyone is trying to ride these bikes at 100+ and drag boards through the twisties and make their bike perform like sport bikes.

When I saw Lois' post "I am just so concerned with the wobble thing" it is obvious that people are getting too worked up about this topic. I'm just trying to say, step back and realize that it ain't that bad without one.

That's all.

[spydglide]

Especially when it's too cold to obsess about engine heat issues!

EXACTLY!  har!  spyder

[vagabond6542]

You know we're running almost the same gear and I have thoroughly enjoyed the improvements to the bike since the suspension upgrades. I ride pretty aggressivley and for me, the upgrades help. My point is that not everyone needs all the upgrades. Not everyone is trying to ride these bikes at 100+ and drag boards through the twisties and make their bike perform like sport bikes.

When I saw Lois' post "I am just so concerned with the wobble thing" it is obvious that people are getting too worked up about this topic. I'm just trying to say, step back and realize that it ain't that bad without one.

That's all.

You have my vote. Does that mean you get elected?
Seriously, you are correct about stock. These baggers were design with cruising in mind. To go beyond that, it's like any performance mod,  you have to do it to keep riding safe, SAFE.

[Dan_Lockwood]

You know we're running almost the same gear and I have thoroughly enjoyed the improvements to the bike since the suspension upgrades. I ride pretty aggressively and for me, the upgrades help. My point is that not everyone needs all the upgrades. Not everyone is trying to ride these bikes at 100+ and drag boards through the twisties and make their bike perform like sport bikes.

When I saw Lois' post "I am just so concerned with the wobble thing" it is obvious that people are getting too worked up about this topic. I'm just trying to say, step back and realize that it ain't that bad without one.

That's all.

This is what I'm trying to get at. 

I have a friend, and yes I at least have one friend and he lives in Michigan.  He's not been a rider for MANY years and about three years ago to get back into riding he bought a '76 FLH like mine.  He's retired and that first winter with his FLH with him in Florida he decided to get a new Road King.  This was a 2005 model.  In the first year he had about 20k miles on it.  He's been riding it hard ever since.  I called him and asked if he had installed one of the stabilizer kits on the market.  He asked what I was talking about.  I explained that the RK he has does weird things when cornering at high speeds and other various situations.  He still didn't know what I was talking about.  So in just under 40k miles on his '05 RK he's not ever felt anything like what I was describing to him.

I'm not saying that improvements are a good thing, they are.  As of right now I feel that my '08 SERK runs great and handles even better.  I know that suspension upgrades will make it even better, but I'm very happy right now with what I have.

As I said earlier, I doubt that I'll ever hit 100 mph on this but enjoy the pep of it at the lower speeds.  (Okay, I lied on that statement, I've already hit the 100 mark purely unintentionally though)  Our group rides lots of twisty roads and are generally in the 45 to 55 mph range on the corners.

We do plan on doing some cross country riding, St. Louis to Des Moines where my son lives, and maybe a trip to Lake of the Ozarks or Branson a couple times.  We'll be going to Sturgis again this year and we do enjoy the scenic country out there very much, but again at speeds a lot less than 90 to 110 mph big sweeping curves.

I think for right now I'm going to wait it out and see what my bike has in store for me after I'm able to give it more riding.  A rear lower stabilizer may installed down the road from now, but like I said I'm very happy right now.

Thanks to all for the great reading and input.  It's very valuable to us rookies just getting into the new HD bikes.

 

[Gone Fishin']

 

Hi guys,
Please let's not confuse the handling of the Road King with the handling of the Electra Glide (with fairing and lowers). There is a substantial difference. As I stated I am very happy with the handling of my 2007 SERK, without any stabilizer (just the baffle), but I do have issues with the handling of my 2008 SEUC. Now I do realize that most people would not ride in adverse weather conditions, or faster than 80 - 90 mph. But I still content that a bike capable of going faster than 100 mph should be safe doing so.

Ride safely,
Louis

[grc]

Hi guys,
Please let's not confuse the handling of the Road King with the handling of the Electra Glide (with fairing and lowers). There is a substantial difference. As I stated I am very happy with the handling of my 2007 SERK, without any stabilizer (just the baffle), but I do have issues with the handling of my 2008 SEUC. Now I do realize that most people would not ride in adverse weather conditions, or faster than 80 - 90 mph. But I still contend that a bike capable of going faster than 100 mph should be safe doing so.

Ride safely,
Louis

BINGO!  These bikes, totally stock and without any performance modifications, are capable of speeds well in excess of those required to experience the wobble.  The MoCo has been aware of the issue for nearly as long as the frame design has been around (1979-80), and even though they have made many changes to the rear mounts and to the swing arm, they haven't totally eliminated the problem.  I truly believe that if this were a 4 wheeled vehicle, especially one built by an American company, there would have been lawsuits and recalls years ago.  

Is every FLH a death trap?  No, I don't believe we can say that.  Are too many susceptible to a wobble that can escalate into a crash (due to marginal design, manufacturing variations, bad luck, rider inexperience, whatever)?  In my opinion, even if the number were just a handful it would be too many.  Motorcycles have none of the other safety features or equipment that the 4 wheeled counterparts have, so the basic design needs to be very forgiving.  It's one thing to put a twitchy design on the racetrack, where a professional rider is aware of the issue and more capable of dealing with it.  It's a totally different thing to continue to put a twitchy design on public roads where it will be ridden by people of varying levels of competency, from expert all the way to clueless.

Jerry

[TWR]

hi i said, some bikes do it under certain speed and road conditions, high hp and torque bikes contribute to the problem too, its very simple if you have ever felt this wobble and want to repair it, then buy a stabilizer if not don't buy one some bikes don't do it and some do, hp ,speed , road conditions all contribute to make it happen , i didn't try to scare anyone in to buying one its up to them thanks tracy

[dmnrdn]

All I know is what my butt tells my brain (yes some have said they are one in the same on me).  I had a 06 Dyna SG and then went to a Ultra.  Yes they handle different but the Ultra waddled through the same curves that before felt fine on the Dyna.  I put a TWR on and the waddling in the same curves are now gone.

Some of my friends on their Ultra's & SE Ultra's complain about the same thing.  Some of them do not.  My theory is that it all depends on the bike and is multiplied by riding styles.

The one thing I know is that the TWR has made a huge difference in the handling of my ride.