Well, looks like I'm in a familiar place: it's sunny and hot as frig outside, the bike's up on the lift, and I'm in here ordering last minute parts I didn't anticipate.

Trying to do motorcycle stuff from Canada makes you realize that America is so close, yet so far away for retail shopping. Vast stretches of our international border consist of nothing more than an absence of trees, which makes for cool pictures and interesting things to look at on Google Earth, but ordering online isn't quite the same. I'll be waiting a while, paying with a weak CAD, and getting hit with high customs and duties fees at the door when I get my packages. That's how she goes, and despite all that I'm still up here just grateful that I have access to it at all.


Canada-US Border aka 'The Slash'


Thank you cggorman, that helped a lot. I tried Grainger (known in Canada as Acklands-Grainger). They have two RH ones in Vancouver, and it'll be 3-4 weeks for the LH one. I may have been able to find them somewhere in Canada but I couldn't think of anywhere else to check. I ordered from Midwest Control Products, chose $40 UPS shipping, so we'll see how that goes for wait-time. They seem like a great company to deal with based on their website and emails. I got some SS nuts to use for jam nuts as well. I didn't think I could easily find LH stainless nuts here so I got them with the same order, despite the cost. I could pay up now with cash, or pay up later with downtime and frustration if I can't find them. Here's what I got for anyone else looking to do this:

Stage III Dyna Stabilizer Link aka Top Motor Mount

-replaces OEM Part 16258-95C STABILIZER LINK, top
-skookum as all get out
-totally stealth performance upgrade - nobody will ever know

• Tensioning Rod
  2 1/2" Adjustable Tensioning Rod Heim Joint Alternator Bracket SBC BBC 350 454
  eBay Link
• Spherical Rod End, Right
  STM-6, Bearings, Spherical Rod End, Male, 3/8-24 RH, Stainless Housing, PTFE Race 0.376 Bore
  MWC Link
• Spherical Rod End, Left
  STML-6, Bearings, Spherical Rod End, Male, 3/8-24 LH, Stainless Housing, PTFE Race 0.376 Bore
  MWC Link
• Jam Nut, Right
  Nut, Jam, 3/8-24 RH Stainless Steel, Fasteners, Nuts, 3/8-24 RH, Jam Grade 2 Stainless Steel
  MWC Link
• Jam Nut, Left
  Nut, Jam, 3/8-24 LH Stainless Steel, Fasteners, Nuts, 3/8-24 LH, Jam Grade 2 Stainless Steel
  MWC Link

 

Not one of the popular options but I have free spirits stabilizers on one of my bikes. LINK

My requirement was that I didn't want or need to cure vibration, I wanted the bike to turn corners and handle better.

The free spirits kit braces the factory front and rear mounts meaning they isolate the engine as intended but when you're riding more aggressively they stabilize the motor in the frame.

I've been very happy with the first 2-3000km of riding my 2010 fatty with this setup.

 

Not sure how those work for stabilizing but it looks good for doing wheelies. Keep from busting the front mount.

 

Exactly what I was thinking!

 

I didn't know it was possible for this many flukes, coiincidences, and unlucky mistakes to stack up in a row like this, but here I am weeks later still working on this, largely for reasons that have nothing to do with the work itself. Right now everything else is being held up waiting for the rear wheel to go on, and I'm hung up on something I can't find answers for, hoping someone might know.

Rear Wheel Alignment
I want to align the rear wheel to the swingarm, but I can't seem to find the plugs that Harley sells to do it. I'm talking about HD-48856 as as discussed in this thread. Parts counter said they are not available anymore, and/or not available to the public but I didn't get a definitive answer as to which it is. I have the motion pro tool, but it doesn't have these plugs. You have to find the center of the hollow ends of the axel to get your measurement. The plugs have a hole in them that does this.

What's the story on these plugs? Are they not available anymore, or just not to the public? What could I make myself to replace them? Seems like a taper with a hole in the tip might work, but I'm not able to picture how I could keep such a taper aligned in the hole and not off-center.

 

Just mark dead center on both sides of the axle with a grease pencil. Use a coat hangar with a 90 degree bend at about 2 inches from one end. Put bent end of the hangar in the alignment hole on the swing arm. Adjust belt tension then slide an o-ring on the hangar and move it to the mark made at axle dead center. Adjust the axle as necessary so the o-ring is at dead center on both sides.

 

Thanks for the reply. I don't really understand what you're saying, though. 'Just mark dead center' but how? That's what I need the plugs for, to find the center.
Maybe this measurement doesn't need to be as precise as I imagine, I don't know. Seems to me a pencil mark would be way too large to really work as a mark, unless it doesn't need to be that close.

The motion pro tool does everything else you described, I believe so I just need to determine the center of these hollow ends. They're different sizes too so I can't cheat and just use the edge.

 

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a tool I made in 2007..........
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a tool I made in 2010..........
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The first picture of Mud's is what I am describing. The dead center has a narrow hole in it that can be used to measure the dead center. You can use the edge of the hole or the edge of the outer circle on the nut and bolt as well (second picture).

 

It’s not the space shuttle...one or two mm’s is not going to effect anything....don’t over think this...