First let me say I have another thread going with a title that doesn't reflect just the impressions of the CCE triple but started out with why I was staying with my 09 Ultra. I took some pics of the mod and installation and comments along the way.

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...h-my-09-a.html

But for search purposes and just to have a thread for folks to discuss this mod I am starting this new thread focusing on that.

So I installed a CCE upper triple tree, Progressive monotube shocks, and Progressive rears.

My first impression is very tight and planted. But I had to laugh because it is so hard to explain what I was looking to get fixed with this mod. The little wiggles I had in the front end was like when you turned the bike might just turn a little more. Or when you turned maybe it wouldn't turn as quick as you did. Now it is what you do when you do it. The difference to me is sort of like this, have you ever had a small hangnail or sliver that you didn't think about all the time but it was still on the edge irritating you especially if you bumped it? Not a real big deal but... Then the hangnail or the sliver went away. You know that feeling? Well that's about as good as I can describe the change.

So I only have a maybe 50 miles on it now, but the twisties are planted and the freeway is rock solid.

After I get the rear shocks sorted out I plan to drive right down to the Harley dealer and do a test run on a new 2014 for a comparison.

Anyone who has comments on these mods or their own experiences please feel free to post away!

UPDATE -AFTER A FEW HUNDRED MILES I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MODIFICATION! The bike is so solid that it feels different at all speeds and in all driving conditions. Parking lot turns, twisty roads, high speed straights. I went down and did a comparison 14 ride. The CCE Mods "tracks" even better than a 14. At first the progressive mono tubes seemed too firm but as the miles pile up I am really appreciating them. Good combo in my opinion.

 

Sounds like it made a big difference in how the bike handles. I've been wondering about the CCE triple clamp. I test rode a 14 Limited and the one thing that I liked about thebikeabove eveything else was how well it handled. None of that moving around in corners. It felt much more precise than my 13 Limited. Ive been kinda kicking around trading but I dont know if I really want to takethatbig of a bath. So, I was thinking about the CCE triple clamp to try to make my bike handle better. I know the forks are bigger on the 14s but I think the main point of weakness in the 13 and earlier front ends was the triple tree. Did you install this yourself? How big of a job was it?

 

I see where you installed it yourself. How did it go?

 

I tried to describe the installation in the thread I mentioned. It was pretty straightforward but the one glitch was the welding slag on the frame by the neck that stuck up and rubbed on the CCE triple. I ground it down. It was the first time I had set neck bearings on a touring bike so I also took the fairing off just so I had plenty of room to work around stuff, but that was probably unnecessary, but it helped because I took the top triple nut off about a dozen times while I torqued the nut, checked the fall away, removed the triple nut, adjusted the bearing, put the triple nut back on and torqued it checking fall away enough times until it was just right. This can also be done with just the radio removed. I would not do this without a factory manual. It was worth doing myself for the satisfaction of improving a sled I will be keeping for awhile.

 

Thanks Flyer, I also have a CCE kit, although yet to install it. Tinkering with the back end at present, so forks are next. I have high hopes for this mod to my 1990 Glide. I already have Ohlins shocks and True-Track stabilizer at the rear, Intiminators and Race Tech springs up front. Should be done when I get the new tree installed!

 

I get contacted by Lawyers approximately every 6 months to testify in a wrongful death suit against Harley and always decline. Very few people die from this wobble unless you are the one who does. I have always believed that the top clamp is a big problem with the design of HD's FLT lineup. I guess that is why HD did something about it for safety reasons. The rest of the suspension is the same in the forks as a 49mm Dyna.

You can get a friend to hold your wheel in place or lock it in place via a wheel clamp on a lift table than move the handlebars side to side. You will see that the top clamp connection will deflect with little effort and the trees will go out of perfect alignment as they "tweak". The same can be done by making a very sharp turn with your legs outstretched as slow as you can go than lock up the front wheel and watch the same thing. If you feel as though this is not a problem for you than by all means continue on.

The 1948 HydroGlide fork was introduced and was available in 1949 but this top triple tree design has not changed since. The roadways after WW ll where not the same as they are now with the infrastructure build-out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Aid_Highway_Act_of_1956 which changed the way the American people traveled. Now there were roads/super highways where greater speeds can be reached regularly that that of 2 lane roads could not. This top tree design did not change and IMO, is not designed to travel at the speeds encountered in everyday travel.

If it were not for the inertia generated by your front wheel, when hitting a sideways bump especially going around a curve, (the last cop who died while passing a Semi) where he must have hit some sort of bump, the front wheel went into a wobble that he could not recover from.

The problem still left was the 1 5/8" (AKA 41mm which they are not) with the 0.165" fork tube thickness still deflects at speed. Buy a cheap LED light strip and run it down the fork, affixing it with duck tape or similar, than take your bike out for a normal ride at night. Have a person ride next to you filming it at night and ride your regular route. No, it is not broken but that is what you have been riding and not taking into consideration when you are speeding along at 65 ~ 110 mph, something the design was never meant to do. Clamping the top tree and changing the present hinge connection to that of a positive connection is necessary for high speed traveling IMO, it is only up to you to decide what is right for you.
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I have done this top tree several years ago and examined the handling problems inherent with the FLT family and decided to fix it three years ago. I chose a complete solution over a band-aid solution which included real suspension options. When I stated my concerns here on HDF over 3 years ago I had no idea HD was going to design the same kind of upgrade.

For the 1986~2013 FL's, in conjunction with a clamping top triple tree, I chose to get rid of that bearing pre-load cone nut that is necessary for alignment between two angle shafts (fork tubes and steering stem) and top triple tree and replace it with a two piece stem bolt made of 17-4 PH Stainless Steel that is heat treated after manufacturing. Once the bottom tree with 1/2 steering stem is into the neck, the forks are installed into the top and bottom tree and aligned in the neck, the top steering stem bolt is than installed and the top tree is clamped/locked in with 2) 5/16" SS bolts onto the steering stem with no chance of deflection. 4) 5/16 X 18 SS bolts are use to clamp the fork tubes.

The 49mm fork tube is lighter and stronger due to the strength gained by cross section which resists deflection better than the 1 5/8" (41mm) fork tube. I use a brand new 49mm FLT fork tube and sliders with my T-6061 aluminum 1 3/4" top tree and my 17-4 PH SS bottom tree that is designed to use the same neck bearings so the neck will fit down inside of the bottom triple tree, unlike the 2014's with the larger neck bearings made to allow the inexpensive mild steel, mass produced steering stem assembly to bypass the larger ID of the new neck bearings.

The 2014 bottom tree has a boss where the old neck of the pre-2014's use to sit inside of the triple tree. This makes the new 2014 bottom triple tree thicker and reduces the clearance between the front fender & the bottom of the bottom tree so stroke must suffer if your same exact fender & mount is used. The 2014 slider is exactly the same measurements from the fender mounts to the axle & fork bottom with the exception of the new 14mm bolt to hold in the damper tube. From the fender mount to the top of the slider, the distance has changed to 1 1/4" shorter. This will allow me to shorten the forks up to 1 1/4" and still maintain the same 4.7" stroke, and lower the fender for triple tree/fender clearance.

The 49mm fork tubes have a larger ID so I can use the same externally adjustable/compression, rebound, and spring pre-load cartridges I have been using in the Dyna's for years. This, in conjunction with the rear shocks we provide, will make your bike the absolute best suspension option in the world. There is many reviews either here on the chat sites or in magazines on the performance & comfort gains. I introduced this product at the 2013 Daytona Biketoberfest at the track last week.


Just about leaving Daytona after the show. I had the beer concession right next to my spot!

 

That looks great Howard! Do you have pricing an availability on this? Also, it is sold as a complete kit or do you provide a parts list for HD parts needed (if any)? Also the fender mounting changed in 2014 from bolts on the inside of the fender to bolts on the outside of the fender. The picture you show does not appear to have bosses for the fender mounts. I'm assuming this is a prototype? Thanks for staying on top of this.

 

Howard is just showing the tubes (unless there is a pic I don't see). The fenders mount to the lowers. So are 2014 lowers used on the older bikes?

 

I think you will like it. Setting the neck bearings takes a little finicky patience to get them just right, at least the first time you do it as it was for me.

 

Right, I see that now. LOL. The question does remain though, if you are using the 2014 lowers, you will likely need a 2014 fender to bolt up to it.