Boulder Choppers Shows the Secret to Get A Smooth Ride on a Harley Davidson
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- Опубликовано: 17 сен 2023
- Kenny at Boulder Choppers made an interesting discovery: every bike he tested wasn't aligned quite right. So he built a custom rig for measuring and aligning bikes horizontally and vertically. He claims that these tweaks will give you a smoother ride, less wear on your parts, and easer control through turns.
Boulder Choppers is located at 1101 N Boulder Hwy, Henderson, NV 89011.
Check out this video to see a quick overview of how Boulder Choppers does alignments and how you can see it in action at the upcoming 7th Annual Peanut Butter Drive at Full Throttle Law.
Special shout-out from Kenny to Rack and Pull for pioneering this method of alignment and the parts that make it possible! www.rackandpull.com/ 
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Kenny knows his stuff. Boulder Choppers is one of the most underrated shop’s around. Give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Kenny is a good guy. He’s been around bikes for a long time.
it is nice to listen to a person who really knows what he is talking about. very good video.
That's one of many reasons I love "traditional" softails, they're so easy to align.
We hired a father and son roofing company to replace the roof on our home in Vermont before we sold it. The son was about my age (mid 50's) and in tons of pain from his recent motorcycle crash. We would sit and drink a beer after the days work and he told me about his bikes death wobble and this local shop (had a shitty reputation with a lot of my customers which is another story there) couldn't address this issue. I wanted to tell him to take it somewhere else but he was adamant about his "buddy" because he was the only one he would take it too.
Shops that are willing to put in the work to figure these kinds of problems out and actually provide a quality service are far and few between. It may be (or not) a few bucks more, but in the long run you'll have a better and safer ride that's worth enjoying.
Great video.
I have had four Harleys over the last 55 years...... Now, I ride a 2002 KLR 650. I doubt if ANYTHING is aligned on my bike. But. I don't care....It runs fine.
Kenny is the real deal. I had my bike in his shop a few times while traveling through Nevada. There isn't much he doesn't know.
My 07 ultra needed a cruise control module and the dealer said it was obsolete. He had it for $50. The part number was different so the dealer didn't go any further. Boulder Chopper look past all that. God fearing man.
Makes sense to me. I'll keep that in mind on my new build at the shop. Thanks for sharing!
People, I have a simple remark.
I expect for my money and from a prime product like a HD, that I do not have to spend any more money to adjust basic things on a brand new Harley so that it runs as should do directly from the start.
Good luck with that...they are more interested in fat stacks than your concerns
Yup, wish in one hand, shit in da other. Dont bother to tell me what one gets full first. I already know.
They would get their shit together if people quit buying their shitty designed/built bikes!!! Or go bankrupt!!! I like Harleys and have one, but you don’t realize all the issues until you own one. People need to use social media to light moco’s ass up, it works for politics. The fact that the factory link is solid tells you all you need to know....they don’t care about adjusting it for proper alignment!!!
This really works. I replaced the front "dogbone" mount with the adjustable one from Rack and Pull, and used it to get the distance between the shock mounting points identical between the left and right side. Before I did this, I got a significant wobble during high speed turns. No longer. The mounting points were about 1/4" different, left to right. 2018 Road Glide Special.
Exact same here! 2017 CVO Ultra
Did your installer have and use that special measuring tool that cost $600 online or will most motorcycle shops have one
@@kj8779 I installed it myself. You don't need that special tool. I used a jack to raise the motorcycle until the rear wheel was only slightly touching the ground. I removed the shocks and put the mounting bolts back in with the upper and lower bolt shoulders facing each other. Finally, I used a tape measure (the style with the magnetic tip) - the magnet makes the tape measure stay positioned on the lower bolt shoulder whilst I took a reading at the top bolt shoulder. Make adjustments on the dog bone until the left and right measurements are identical. I used a metric tape measure, since it was easier to read. I was able to get the measurement difference between the left and right shock mounts to under 1mm.
Also did you loosen the engine mounting bolts like I’ve seen in other videos and thank you for the response there’s still some really cool people left in the world so I applaud ya.
@@kj8779 I did not loosen the lower engine mounts - only replaced and adjusted the new dogbone.
Yup. Did an alignment on my Dyna myself...what a difference...rides smooth as ever now.
Tell me how did you do this? And where did you get that adjustable mount? Thanks.
@@joehansen4889 you use the top mount link to pull the motor either direction. I am using GLIDE PRO rear motor mount, and Predator front. Put the bike on a chalk, and use an leveler, or app on phone for angles...line it up on the rotor front and rear and adjust the top link till you have the same angle. I think there is 2 degree tolerance..but the better the alignment, the better the ride.
@@sumyonguy thank you.
I have a 1961 pan head I got in Newfoundland that had a bent swing arm and the wrong wheel hub on the rear, therefore it would wear new tires out in a few hundred miles . I straightened swing arm using the center line of the main frame to check that the swing arm was correct, put proper wheel and hub on, used a long straight edge to check that front and rear wheels were alighted. Bike tires now wear as normal and when I take my hands off handle bars at speed bike stays in middle of the road. Wheels were also checked with a level to make sure they were on the same plane as the frame .
I know a lot of guys that have never done this and their bikes ride straight with no hands on the bars.
But do they counter balance with their weight
Easy now. he's trying to sell his snake oil...
With no hands on bars I'm heading to the curb and a big wipeout
@@nitrocell9287 no shit man. I figured that out within like the first 30 seconds of his salesmen bullshit XD
This is why, Softails or Rigids Forever!
Thanks Kenny, for the interesting discovery. Will find a way to fix it also in Germany.
At any given moment there is something wrong with a Harley, it's part of the experience finding out how much it's going to cost to put right.
I have a '99 FXDL with 25k dry miles in the UK.
It's my 3rd Harley in 35 years, don't want EFi and don't need more than a TC 88 with fueling 525's puts out.
No catalytic nonsense and Vance and Hines straight shots.
thsts my ocd satisfied for the day, my enfield was delivered with the chain adjusters a whole segment out
Great video buddy
My 883 is my first bike ever ever ever. Not even a dirt bike ride. At first I thought the tire was warped or something. If I went faster there was a wobbly feeling. I had an experienced rider who rides like everyone else. He said i was holding on to tight and causing the issue. He had me go through round abouts until I got extremely comfortable with leaning. He taught me to use the whole lane in a curve. My bike doesn’t wobble anymore. Alot of people are scared and it travels into the handle bars and through out the bike.
Eeh it can
. But many things can cause a wobble. Bad suspension setup or component..
Bad geometry from bad suspension... bearings.. loose steering neck.. bad tires. Untrue rims.. but rubber mounted unbalanced motors like the dyna platform have the swing arm mounted to transmission rather than frame. Transmission is bolted to engine and mounted in the bike as 1 unit with 2 rubber motor mounts. And a stabalizer link. This means the swing arm can literally twist the motor horizontally. This is typically the culprit of the harley death wobble. Most refure too. But softails pre 2017 are pretty bad as well from bad geometry. And just worn component... i was raised in dirtbikes. And they have all produced a tank slapper at sompoint. But it's fast lock to lock.. I've had them on sports bike a 150mph from pushing it with a blown fork.. the harley wobble is that.. a slow wallow that picks up the pace with speed. Not a true tank slapper.
Ive been facing some sort of front fairing wobble or better describe it as if my bike is slithering (wave like motion) on high speeds above 80mph and its more obvious when the RPM is above 4k which means when the engine is revving hard. checked pressure, wheel balance, new OEM tires, new front+rear shocks replaced, neck bearing tightened AND still feel it. last night i measured socks bolt-to-bolt and found 1/3rd inch diff. (higher on left side) seems like its that "Missing Link" will do. but am wondering if I should replace also the swing arm bushings or what else!!
I found a few adjustable mounts available for sale, some with plastic bushings which cloak keep vibrations down and other solid. Any thoughts ?
Wish more techs had this knowledge and know how....
Can you send a link to the tools you use for checking alignment? i have a dyna with shocks and a softail. Do they both have this issue?
Great video
Owned 3 Harley ridden more. Of the three ive owned ive only had one that tracks straight down the road letting off the handle bars. 2 headed straight for the left ditch even though i was hanging off the right side of the bike to counterbalance. Might have to look into this if i start tracking left again
Im learning to turn corners while doing a wheelie, do i still need an alignment lol.
You’re aligning the rear suspension mounts to the rear fender bolts. Is the rear axle straight? How about the steering head column? And the forks/front axle? That’s the stuff that all needs to be in line.
Does this issue also happen on the M8 softails with the hard mounted engine and a single rear shock absorber?
I have 23 front with no rake kit and 18 rear with no alignment and i can let the bars go and it goes straight with no issues. His upsell game is strong.
Found this video Interesting. With all thats going on like cross winds uneven loaded bags... Is that really going to make a big difference? You only need hand when counter steering and can thow her into the turns.
Do you loosen motor mounts? It seems like it would put unnecessary pressure on the heim joint/link mount if not, loosened first. Just curious.
What is this tool called? And where can I find it to measure the shock dist
Would it have that on a 2015 Fatboy? And if so' where can I go here in North Carolina, to check it.
my 98" FXDL when riding no hand, the bike slowly pull the left side of the road. This is the wrong stabilizator setting ?
I have an 04 Road glide do these have same issue?
Great job explaining, don't forget about all that torque, only meets the pavement on 1 side of the bike
Yea, the back side.
How do you get a base setting on a softail?
I used to have a 1982 FXR Shovel and the manual said you have to align the vertical with the top engine mount All rubber mounts with gearbox supported with the swing arm should be adjustable.
Thank you kindly, be safe…
How do you align a Softail?
You said 09s and newer. I have a 1988 FLHTP that drives hard in a right turn. I guess I need the same adjustment?
You guys have any reps on the East coast ???
Can poor alignment affect tire wear?
This is pretty substantial information. Why isn't this more well known?
This is my surprised face. Yay H-D engineering and quality control. This is why I ride a Kawasaki.
Kaws are same as every one else. Abuse it and it craps
@@splattered2929 Funny how H-D can't seem to sell a bike with a suspension engineered well enough to even begin to compete with the most affordable metric bikes. That has nothing to do with abuse. Thanks for taking valuable time to reply to a post from *8 months ago* with the weakest non-sequitur I've seen in a while. Profound and timely. LOL.
Harley manual says to loosen front and rear engine mounts the start engine for 5 sec. and re-torque engine mounts before doing alignment.
Do the Softails also have alignment issues as well?
Pre 2017 just have bad geometry
I’m in Toledo Ohio is there any place close to me that can check this and has your tool
Great video... :-)
My 2023 Harley Tri-Glide was off 1/4" from the factory.
I wonder if it's the same on the new motors that are part of the frame, I can't don't think you can do this on a revmax.
The only pull I've noticed in my 20 Breakout 114 is when I removed the 30-40 lbs of factory exhaust and installed much lighter aftermarket exhaust. The new exhaust weighs less than 10 lbs. Other than that, she rides as smooth as can be.
That's cause it's a softail.
What about m8 softails? Mine pulls left hard. Front forks aligned, rear wheel aligned using a rod through the swingarm bolt. What else can be done?
@jayspike3065 i tried that as well. I'm thinking it's just the tyre now, I will look into it after I replace that
My 2017 Road King does indeed pull to the left.
1101 N. Boulder Highway, Henderson, NV 89011, 350 bucks to align your motorcycle
no wonder my bike seems to dog track to the right , I’ll keep your address and I’ll swing by when I’m in town , thanks for the video.
I'm not saying the alignment isn't important but imo the oem shocks and fork internals are the main reason HDs handle so poorly. I upgraded both with PS and did the work myself for about $1000 and the improvement is huge. No brake dive and a suspension that actually works completely transforms the feel, my confidence and comfort of my SG. The non adjustable rear axle cam is another poorly engineered part imo that should be replaced with an adjustable set up like Zippers sells if you're interested in aligning the rear wheel. The oem right side axle cam has poor tolerances and can wallow out even more over time causing the rear wheel to be out of alignment.
i just replaced the top motor mount both ends were wore out
I have a 2023 road king custom. 21 apes. I can set the cruise control at 80 miles an hour. And let go of the handlebars … drive it like a 10 speed. In curves and everything.
Sorry i don't see a problem with the alignment, You could have put the bar on both sides , it seemed to me you were really not trying to put it on the left side , And if it was off it was very little not enough to affect anything...Just my opinion
don't make sense unless all other mounts are loosened the retightened, aligning just using the heim joint just twists the motor/tranny/ swing arm and everything is in tension. Despite that well worth checking out.
Ya your supposedly supposed to loose them all and let it idle for 5 min to settle according to Harley. But lots claim shiming the front mount with a few washers makes a difference. So some preload may produce a desired effect.
service manual says to loosen engine mounts and idle for 5 seconds thrn re-torque them before doing alignment steps
Can ride my 2018 Road Glide no hands with the cruise control. Dont think it is out of alignment.
what is the brand and model of the adjustable stabilizer link
"The Missing Link" from Rack and Pull. www.rackandpull.com/the-missing-link
Hey guys from Australia, i have a 2020 road king and can never ride with no hands as it pulls to the left always, will this fix my problem ?
Something wrong owned 2001 n 2011 RK i can ride for miles no hands. Tire presure chk roads ?
Yah, check your tire pressure first.
follows the crown of the road?
Yes tyre pressure all good ,just got new tyres yesterday and still does the same, can ride my Kawasaki versys with no hands easily on same roads
Something is wrong I know let’s compare different brand motorcycles as they are all the same
Yes, I use the missing Link from Al at Rack&pull
Good product, that 3rd link was a buell innovation.
Has anyone asked Harley if the bikes designed slightly offset for a reason? Or no one cares let's just sell a connector and realign the bike?
Idk why do they send out bikes in mass with oil pump issues?
What about on a early 2000s Softail
We're are you located?
Boulder Choppers is in Las Vegas
Some bikes are out of aligned from the factory. Im guessing mine is one (2019 RGS), if my bags are empty you cannot ride it no-handed, it pulls to the left, however, if you load the right bag and leave the left one empty then you can ride no-handed. My independent told me its not unusual to see this
Thats because all garbage trucks, i mean harleys have that heavy gyroscopic weight hanging of the left hand side, way out in the breeze. And everything inside the chain case is rotating giving that gyroscope effect. Unless you have major defects or ride aggressively just ride the damn old man bike. And yes a good alignment is worth while. Study, read up, watch videos, buy tools and be a man, use all those tool n knowledge and do it yourself. If you cant do all that at least get the little wimmins (her inside, as the british say) permission. 😂
@arthurcutaiar9994 well sir, not true. My Sporty rides dead straight, my 22 Street Bob pull left hard. Both have the primary on the same side
Sportsters? 2009 ? I am intrigued.
I wish he would Come to England my chopper will fall into left turns beautifully but right turns is a fight with the demon unless you counter steer aggressively you ain't getting round🤯😮😱
WHAT IS THE PRICE FOR THIS ALINGMENT?
lol hooked one
He said $350
How does this compare to a Sputhe kit??
Sputh kit makes the bike more adjustable, but it still doesnt do an alignment. You have to do THE ADJUSTMENT. The true track type of products only correct harleys worn out sub standard parts. Stuff still needs to be trued up, no pun intended.
Are u loosening the motor and tranny mounts and re-shimming? You can’t just put pressure on the top.. blown head gaskets? Warped heads? This doesn’t make sense.
How about the tolerances in where the shock mounts are in the swing arm we refer to them as tolerances in manufacturing . Simple reason 1 shocks slightly longer then another , now let’s discuss torque compression of rubber mounts under g forces during riding and under motor induced torque . But hey $350 a pop for 25 $ heimjoint good $$$ profit .
I ride a rigid, align frame, wheels,as unit during construction, dont have this issue at all
So how does this work on a softail?
It's a rigid mount😊
@@paulroy29 so that means it can’t be outta line?
Maybe just need to learn to ride. I have no problems with any corners on my Harley.
Do you ride faster then 35mph on skyline drive. Most harleys(insult for an old man) wreck their land barges in the parking lot at 3 mph. Learn something people, don't chase fads. If you REALLY need it you'll know. If you ride hard make sure yo shit correct. Learn, buy tools n fix it yourself. Don't pay others to do what you can do. Just pretend you as much a man as your grand daddy was.
So I wonder if that’s why motorcycles have the “death wobble” ?
Where can I buy that new adjustable Hymjoint? Thank you.
Soooo, you're using the engine as a lever to flex/ twist the frame to make up for a small alignment issue? That issue could be in the swingarm assembly, or the frame bottom, or the upper frame where the top shock mounts are? I would think you would have better luck jigging off of the actual rims front and back, so you could compare the two to each other. That is, if these tiny variations actually matter. I have reservations about the whole thing. But it doesn't really matter what I think, if people feel like they're getting their money's worth that's all that matters I guess.
Actually he's not. On the Twin Cams the swing arm isn't bolted to the frame, it's bolted to the back of the transmission, which is bolted to the engine, which is rubber mounted to the frame. By moving the top of the engine you move the swing arm. Been working on Harley's for years and never thought of this, I learned something today.
@@HarryJrNJ Thanks, I was unfamiliar with that. So he's just squishing the rubber mounts a little. It would be interesting to see how much the measurements he's doing would change under acceleration and cornering.
@@chrishoesing5455 I'm with you, the motor mounts are pretty stiff but not that stiff!
@@HarryJrNJ it's amazing how many things people blame dyna wobble on. But can't seem to see the rubber mounted swing arm twisting the drive train horizontally.
When he put that bar from shock to shock I can almost bet it would fit on both sides It looks like he didn't try too hard to make it fit .. I call b*******on it but that's my opinion
One of the reasons i wish i never bought an HD.
Do you actually think that Harley Davidson will listen to your advice & put alignment adustment on future model's?
So this one guy is the only person who cn get these bikes to ride right?
Good one Dude. We as modern men are SKEERED of tools and mechanical knowledge. Learn, buy tools and refuse to pay people to f**k up your shit. Do it your self people. But don't forget to get the ol ladys permission first ha ha ha ha haha ha ha ha ha!
@@arthurcutaiar9994 hahaha fuck that I’m gonna watch teevee and eat donuts har har
Hey … does this chic ever make it home? ‘I can only turn right’ 😳
Man he upselling the sh1t out of them. Harley came like that and they ride perfect.
I would think the mounts should be loosened, then adjusted, mounts re-torqued, and re-check. Just my opinion.
Never been a fan of a floating swing arm, it should be rigid mount to the frame...
Ok how do I do this on my 2020 street glide?
I have an 11 RGC and mine rides perfect 🤷♂️
explain to me then how my 21 RGLimited tracks straight as an arrow when I take both hands off the bars at 30-50-70, or 80 mph if it's "out of alignment"...hmmmmm
well that's a shit place to start, what about swing arm bushings?
Harley Davidson should pay for every Harley to be aligned
I just make 3 lefts to go Right..........FUGETABOUIT!
And now the belt or chain is out of wack. I was taught to align rear wheel first to the frame. Then trans/engine to rear wheel. Death wobble...tire pressures.b
Its off set for the torque...while throttling its straight. 😂
HD big twins pull to the left because the primary is on the left side.
You could only do the front end
Very informative video, but could someone please take away her bedazzler?
Trade it in for a goldwing
That should be a recall