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[KODAGRIN]

LOOKS LIKE THE BRACE MIGHT INTERFERE WITH MY SERVICE LIFT BY FILLING IN THE SPACE OF THE CROSSMEMBER...resulting in less security while lifted and raising the rear of the bike out of level.

[Twolanerider]

Don, you think it will make the use of my J&S Jack harder/out of the question?  I would go the ride str8 if that was the case...too much $$ for the jack, and I love the damn thing since it is so stable.

I e-mailed them last night, no response yet.

Sean

Sean, with the exception of this most recent one I've had all the different iterations of this part in hand at one time or another.  Honestly man I've seen nothing to gain religion about one way or another.

They might effect their gain in slightly different ways.  But in the end they seem to accomplish the same task.  That being said if there was any question about it impacting the stability of that nice jack you've got I'd just get a different unit.  Just no sense in even quietly asking for a problem or nuisance to crop up when it can be easily (and still effectively) avoided.

[Sean M Cary]

Sean, with the exception of this most recent one I've had all the different iterations of this part in hand at one time or another.  Honestly man I've seen nothing to gain religion about one way or another.

They might effect their gain in slightly different ways.  But in the end they seem to accomplish the same task.  That being said if there was any question about it impacting the stability of that nice jack you've got I'd just get a different unit.  Just no sense in even quietly asking for a problem or nuisance to crop up when it can be easily (and still effectively) avoided.

check - glad the ride str8 is out there then!

[RBFB]

Ok, I received my Bagger Brace today, installation was easy. It doesn't really change the ground clearance because the brace is well above the cross member piece.

I went an rode it for a while and I really think it improved the handling. I really didn't think I had problems before, but I really like the way it feels now. I have a 08' with the front torque arm off the frame, perhaps without that it makes more of a difference. But I am happy so far with it.

I think all these braces do the same thing, but this piece is nice in my opinion.

[Sean M Cary]

Ok, I received my Bagger Brace today, installation was easy. It doesn't really change the ground clearance because the brace is well above the cross member piece.

I went an rode it for a while and I really think it improved the handling. I really didn't think I had problems before, but I really like the way it feels now. I have a 08' with the front torque arm off the frame, perhaps without that it makes more of a difference. But I am happy so far with it.

I think all these braces do the same thing, but this piece is nice in my opinion.

do you have a jack that goes into the dog bone?

[Spike]

I saw a guy that I work with yesterday and first thing I do is ask him if he's been riding any. He's says that he had crashed his bike going about 55 mph do to high speed wobble. He's OK but the bike will need some work. He took the the swingarm off and the bearings were destroyed. He's under the impression that the worn out swingarm bearings is what causes the the wobble. If that's the case then everyone should be ponying up for a brace to avoid this problem. Right now, Bagger Dave's looks pretty darn good to me.

[RBFB]

After 400 miles, I really like the improved handling. No, I don't have jack that goes into the center brace.

[FLTRCVO]

I've wrestled with myself for months on whether or not to try one of the may bracing systems available, but held off until I saw this product.
The design and quality looked far superior to anything else on the market.
Well, I took the leap of faith after talking to the owner Ron. He was friendly, knowledgeable, sincere, and offered a 100% money back if I wasn't thrilled.
Well, let me tell you, I AM THRILLED.
This is a beautifully designed and manufactured piece that really does what it claims. No more waffling in the turns, no low or high speed wobbles, no looseness going over potholes or railroad tracks. It's GREAT!
I never knew a Bagger could handle like a Sportbike, but that's how the bike feels now. Even low speed turns feel more confident.
I strongly recommend it, and suggest you buy it before his price goes up. It is a bargain!

Upon your review and my talking with Ron (nice guy), who seems to be extremely kmowledgeable, I ordered the Bagger Brace for $289.00 with free shipping.

[Dan_Lockwood]

I saw a guy that I work with yesterday and first thing I do is ask him if he's been riding any. He's says that he had crashed his bike going about 55 mph do to high speed wobble. He's OK but the bike will need some work. He took the the swingarm off and the bearings were destroyed. He's under the impression that the worn out swingarm bearings is what causes the the wobble. If that's the case then everyone should be ponying up for a brace to avoid this problem. Right now, Bagger Dave's looks pretty darn good to me.

What does the Bagger Brace have to do with worn out swingarm bearings?  If bearings are bad and the swingarm is loose and allowed to twist, the brace will not help.  IMO.

Also with bad swingarm bearings, the will not only twist axially with the bike but under load from the chain or belt the swingarm will pull forward on the dive side causing the rear wheel to steer a bit.  Kind of like bump steer on a car, but from the throttle in and off again etc.

From what I've read, most touring bikes in new or good condition will only show this deathly trait at triple digit speeds like Hoist said.  I actually tried my '08 SERK this year at Sturgis to see what would happen.  I was riding solo and was able to do both left and right hand sweepers at over 100 for short periods.  I found nothing that seemed to be the wobble, so on my '08 with the upper front link it may be better than the previous '07 and earlier models.

I'm not saying that a bit of bracing of some kind wouldn't hurt the "feel" at normal driving speeds and maybe I would notice a bit more sure footedness in the low speed curves, but I'm not having issues now anyway.  If I were to ride a bike like mine with a brace, I'm sure I may feel something different and eventually decide to bite the bullet and do one.

On the other hand I've ridden bikes without the IDS and find them very choppy and jerky at lower rpms in town type riding and I'm very glad I have the IDS on my '08.  If I were one of the guys without it and rode my bike, I'm sure the difference might be worth the $300 to get one.  In my opinion the brace is like the IDS, at least for my application.  I"m happy with the way mine handles now and it still feels tight and very controllable to me.

I guess you could compare it to the handling differences between a '96 Caprice and a '96 Impala SS.  Each are safe, but the Impala has a higher tuned suspension and could out curve the Caprice with one wheel tied in the trunk.  I guess at my age I'm more a Caprice kind of guy rather than my earlier days being an Impala SS kind of guy.

Sorry for rambling, but as usual my fingers got to moving and I couldn't stop them... 

[Spike]

My friend's reasoning was that the worn out bearings were allowing too much movement in the rear end thus not allowing the bike to track straight. I could be wrong but it would be the same scenario if the front end was too tight or too loose. I'm only repeating what he has told me since he's the one that had the high speed getoff. He's got his bike apart now and everything is leading him to believe that the bearings are the cause for the instability. The entire bike is one big tuning fork so if the swing arm is moving more than it should you are going to notice it. If the brace helps dampen or lesson the vibration or even aid in preventing flex in the rest of the chasiss then it has done it's job.

[Hoist!]

My friend's reasoning was that the worn out bearings were allowing too much movement in the rear end thus not allowing the bike to track straight. I could be wrong but it would be the same scenario if the front end was too tight or too loose. I'm only repeating what he has told me since he's the one that had the high speed getoff. He's got his bike apart now and everything is leading him to believe that the bearings are the cause for the instability.

Worn bearings will definitely cause instability. My neck bearings are shot, and I get it now, where I didn't before. I'll be pulling the fork this winter to replace them. These rubber mount bikes are a 2-edged sword too! On one hand, you get a much smoother feel and feel less vibration. On the other hand, any wear or flexing will cause instability. Keepin it tight is the only way to have a hope that you'll be stable!

Hoist!

[Gecko]

Upon your review and my talking with Ron (nice guy), who seems to be extremely kmowledgeable, I ordered the Bagger Brace for $289.00 with free shipping.

Ditto, order placed this afternoon.  It sounds like they are getting some business out of this site.   Objective review to follow if it doesn't snow before then.

[Sean M Cary]

can someone with a J & S jack and a brace (of any kind) tell me if you can still use the jack safely??

[grc]

I still think there are two different issues with the FLH platform that are being lumped together here.  First is the rear steer issue, which the various braces are designed to control by reducing the side movement of the rear powertrain mount (you'll still have some flex in the swing arm even with the braces).  The second is the actual high speed wobble, with the front end shaking enough to either scare the beejesus out of you or actually dump you on your butt.  That's the serious one, and I don't know that I've seen any evidence that the braces eliminate that problem.  And btw, it doesn't take triple digit speeds to encounter the high speed wobble on an eglide.  I've had it occur at around 85 mph, in a long sweeping curve after hitting a small bump.  

High speed wobbles aren't new to the world of two wheels, or exclusive to H-D baggers.  If you look at the typical racing or sport bike, you will usually find a device mounted between the frame and the front forks that looks like a miniature shock absorber.  That is a steering damper, and it's purpose is to dampen the oscillations of the front end to prevent a wobble from escalating.  Those bikes have steep rake angles which allow for quicker steering, but at a cost of less straight line stability.  The FLH has a steep rake and long trail which makes low speed maneuvering very easy (good for parade duty), but at the cost of less high speed stability.  Combine the inherent instability of the steep rake with the lack of damping, throw in a batwing fairing that transfers large lateral forces into the front suspension, and you have a recipe for wobble.  Having a little extra side movement from the rear end probably doesn't help the situation, but I don't believe a rock solid rear end would eliminate the wobble on the Harley.  The sport bikes tend to have a solidly mounted swing arm (and a much better suspension), and that definitely doesn't eliminate wobbles on those bikes.

Jerry

[spydglide]

Nice discription Jerry.  spyder