TECH TIP – Smoothing Out Your Ride

A lot of HOG riders sometimes think that the ”V” in V-twin stands for vibration. This idea comes from the unique mechanical activity that takes place down in our bike’s drivetrain. First you have a couple of pistons and connecting rods moving up and down inside two cylinders. They are not operating in a completely balanced non-vibrating environment. This unbalanced motive power is sent to the transmission through a primary drive that uses a spring tensioned motor sprocket and chain drive assembly running back to the transmission. The bike’s final drive runs a reinforced cog belt back to the rear wheel. On 2009-up models, the wheel’s drive sprocket has a rubber isolator that fits in a cavity between the sprocket’s hub and the wheel’s hub.

Harley calls this system a compensator sprocket, which allows the hub to absorb some of the powertrain shock when starting off from a stop and when the rider lets off the throttle. If you ride hard, this isolator’s flexible material can put a double drivetrain bump into your rear wheel during hard acceleration.

The boys at Alloy Art have developed a replacement rear wheel isolator that eliminates this double bump. Their isolator is made out of a firmer injection molded polyurethane material. We installed one in a 2013 Street Glide and the bike’s throttle response and drivetrain tractability had a much more solid feel; if we hadn’t ridden the bike before and after the isolator was installed, we wouldn’t believe that one part could make such a big difference. The Alloy Art super Cush-Drive Isolator retails for $39, which could just be the best forty bucks you’ve ever spent on your bagger.

– John Sullivan

 

 

 

 

WE FIT THE ISOLATOR INTO THE REAR WHEEL’S LEFT SIDE HUB. IT IS A TIGHT FIT AND DESIGNED SO THAT IT CAN ONLY BE INSTALLED ONE WAY.