UPDATE: Just got back from the dealer. Had to leave the bike there because they want to tear into the motor to check the flywheel balance, as well as thouroughly inspect the motor mounts. Had a chat with the service manager about the motor mount preload (as per WS6's post - thanks, bud!) and he agreed that it could be a possible cause, so he will be checking that as well. I won't get the bike back until the problem is fixed and I won't have to pay a dime because it's all under warranty. Harley stands by their products!

 

Not wanting to hyjack.....but damm, I like that paint scheme.

 

Thanks for the thread. I've started noticing a bad vibration with my 06 SuperGlide. It is starting to get worse now that I have about 3K miles on it. I'll have the motor mounts checked. In American Iron magazine there is an add for a neat looking motor mount (front & rear) that has a turnbuckle to adjust it and is supposed to keep the motor aligned with the real wheel. Sorry, can't remember who makes it, but it is aroun d $350.

 

expensive motormount [8D]

 

Here's the info -- It is a Sputhe Posi-Trac Dyna Chassis Stabilizer. Looks really cool and too! www.sputhe.com

 

How does one know if their motor-mount is screwed? I can't tell (other than maybe bad vibes) and I wouldn't trust my local stealer to be able to tell either. I took the front one off and looked at it but I wouldn't know if it was buggered.

Help please!

 

Well, if you really did take the lower front motor mount off (!) you would know if it was broken as soon as you looked at it - the rubber would be torn or completely sheared through. You'll need to follow the instructions for motor mount alignment as shown earlier in this thread by WS6 Formula, you can't just bolt the sucker back on and go riding again.

The quickest way to check the front mount is to start the bike and let it idle. Then grab a flashlight, get your head way down low behind the front wheel and in front of the mount and shine the light onto the rubber portion. If it's torn, you'll be able to see the tear open and close as the motor bounces around. It'll be an obvious thing.

 

Mike: Did you have the dealer do the engine alignment where they loosen all the mounts then start it for 1 minute and let it "settle itself on the frame? If not, have them do it befor they tear into the engine. My Lowrider had a vibration at 400 miles and it was the upper mount bolts that bolt onto the engine were loose. I put a wrench on them and vibration gone.

 

Yes, I was talking to the service mgr yesterday and he said that was one of the first things they did. They're still looking for a definitive source of the vibes; so far they've adjusted the rear wheel alignment and belt tension (wheel was 2 degrees out, manual calls for 1 degree, tech has now set it to 1/2 degree), tightened the handlebars, replaced the front motor mount (which was torn, but not sheared all the way through as I had thought) and checked the primary chain and tensioner. Today they'll be investigating the source of a mysterious noise the tech heard while he was test riding it yesterday, he thinks it's something in the transmission (the bike has already had the recall work done). I may or may not get the bike back this aft, depending upon what they find. The tech says it rides a bit better now, but they're not going to close the work order until my "seat of the pants" test ride evaluation.

 

Well, it looks like the problem was in my head all along...

Short story - the dealer had the bike for a week and couldn't find anything wrong.

Long story - There were a lot of delays in the troubleshooting process because they had to get authourisation from Harley Canada before each step. They started by removing the front motor mount because it looked like there was a tear in the rubber, but once it was on the bench there was no damage to be found. They replaced it anyway as the tech said it was sagging, something that isn't supposed to happen. Then they pulled the primary cover off (it took two days before approval for this step was granted by Harley Canada) and removed the compensator sprocket and clutch pack because they thought it had too much freeplay in the securing nut, but it turned out to be well within spec. They got all the dimensions of the frame and motor mount system and measured everything, then did the complete alignment procedure. Then they checked the rear wheel alignment and found it was out by 2 degrees and the belt was too tight, so they aligned to within 1/2 degree and adjusted the belt tension. They also removed the front wheel to check for a seized bearing and found that one of the axle spacers had spun and galled itself onto the axle, but it wasn't serious enough to cause any damage to the bearing. They checked the rubber bushings in the handlebar risers, but all was ok there.

The tech took it for a test ride after each adjustment and although the vibration lessened a bit each time, he said it still wasn't much better than before. When I came to pick up the bike they asked me what gear I rode in at 115kmh; when I told them 6th they suggested I try it in 5th as the tech said it was very smooth at that rpm. So I took it for a ride and while it was indeed a bit better, it still felt to me like there was too much vibration. I tried riding at 115kmh in 5th and the tech was right, it was very smooth at that speed. Problem is, though, at 90kmh in 5th that friggin' horrid vibration is still there and riding in 4th at that speed makes the motor wind out so high it gets uncomfortably buzzy in the handlebars. But in 6th at 90kmh all is well... so I guess I'll have to ride in 6th on secondary roads and downshift to 5th whenever I want to ride on the major highways in excess of 110kmh.

I hate to say it, but if my '06 Dyna Super Glide is a true indicator of the "new and improved" rubber mount system, it is a step backwards IMO. I still think something is not right with my bike, though, as I have demo ridden two others from the Dyna series and found them to be noticeably better in ride quality. Either I'm going to have to live with it or trade in on a new '07 model... I have some thinking to do.