Stay On Track | True-Track Chassis Upgrade
01. Here is the True-Track 20-00LR for the ’05 Road King. The 20-00LR has an MSRP of $398; however, we have seen the company run web-only specials on their site for $349. The cool thing about ordering it off the site is True-Track offers free shipping and handling in the continental US for orders more than $100. The unit consists of the dog bone (A), pucks (B), heim joint (C), and the bucket (D). Not shown is the bucket mounting bolts.
02. True-Track offers the 20-00 (left) and the 20-00LR (right), LR stands for Low Ryder, both of which are for ’93-08 Touring models. The 20-00LR is designed for lowered bikes or more aggressive riders. The difference between the two is the location where the heim joint mounts between the bucket and the dog bone. Both units mount completely up into the frame, the heim joint location on the LR has been moved more towards the center of the dog bone (arrow). While there is plenty of ground clearance on both units, according to True-Track, as lowered bike riders gain more confidence in the newfound stability of their bikes, they press harder into turns eventually wearing past the right side floorboard and likely lightly scratching into the heim joint mount on the 20-00.
03. Before installing the True-Track unit, we had to make sure the frame cross member was straight. Sometimes the cross member can get bent from being used as a lifting point for a jack, scraping on a speed bump, or an unexpected off-road excursion. If your cross member is bent, True-Track offers a tool to help straighten it.
04. If the cross member is not straight, the pucks won’t sit flush and won’t line up with the dog bone mounting holes. Our cross member was perfectly straight, so the pucks were dropped into position over the top of the cross brace.
05. The bucket will mount to the back of the transmission. So we removed the five stock mounting bolts from the back of the transmission pan.
06. We then lifted the True-track assembly into position and with some thread locker on the bucket bolts that were included, we loosely threaded the bolts into the trans pan and then aligned the dog bone with the cross member and pucks.
07. A dab of thread locker was applied to the dog bone bolts
08. …then the bolts were loosely tightened into the dog bone/pucks.
09. With everything lined up perfectly, we tightened down all the mounting bolts.
10. The heim joint is pre-set from True-Track; however, each frame is different and thus some adjustment may be needed, which is why left- and right-hand threads are provided. It is critical that the heim joint be neutral before locking down the jam nuts.
11. Everything lined up, so we tightened down the locknuts and we were finished with the install. The install took about 15 minutes and we didn’t even need to jack up the bike. Upon riding the bike, the owner said he immediately noticed a difference in overall stability. But the real improvement came when riding two-up and loaded with gear; he reported it was like a completely different bike that kept its line in the turns and didn’t experience the usual unsettling feedback from the rearend he was used to when riding at higher speeds.
12. Here is what the True-Track unit for the new ’09-11 touring models looks like. Installation is essentially the same except it takes a little bit longer on bikes with the crossover pipe running under the bike, as the left-side saddlebag and exhaust have to be removed and reinstalled. Notice the dog bone on this unit is much larger.
13. As you can see under this ’11 Electra Glide Classic, the dog bone design fits the new frame cross member design and helps reinforce the cross member. This unit has an MSRP of $419.
There’s nothing more nerve racking than coming into a big sweeper riding two-up on your loaded down bagger, and midway through the turn you feel a slight wobble at the back that works its way up to the handlebars. It’s not a fun situation to be in as your sphincter puckers and your knuckles turn white with fright. The unnerving thing about it is that sometimes it doesn’t even require being leaned over in a turn for the dreaded bagger wobble or rear steer to take effect, it’s been known to spring up from high-speed straightaways, passing or getting passed by a big rig, or getting hit just right from a strong gust of wind.
While Harley’s new touring frame that came out in 2009 has significantly improved the handling, we have still experienced and heard stories from a few people who have felt the rear of their late-model touring bikes shimmy and shake. Several factors or a combination of factors can come into play to upset the handling (some people may never experience it), such as low rear tire pressure, improperly balanced tires, poor tread, an overloaded bike, worn rubber isolation mounts, and lateral movement of the rear of the drivetrain/swingarm/rear tire.
If you do experience any sort of wobble, it’s important to give the bike a thorough inspection to make sure your tire pressure is correct and your engine mounts and rubber isolators are tight and in good condition. Once you’re certain everything is in proper working order, you can address the lateral movement issue with a stabilizing/brace device that will lock in the rear of the drivetrain and keep it from moving side to side.
Since 1996 True-Track has been helping riders resolve their wobbling woes with its patented stabilizing unit that works as a third/rear stabilizing point or as True-Track puts it, “the missing link,” which mounts under the bike to the frame cross member and back of the transmission pan. A heim joint secures the two together and prevents lateral movement. Crafted right here in the US out of 6061-T6 billet aluminum with stainless steel heim joints, True-Track has been continuously improving and expanding its product line to improve the handling of early- and late-model touring bikes, lowered bikes, and even Dyna and FXR models. Experience, quality, results, and ease of installation are some of the features that have kept True-Track at the top of the game when it comes to improving handling. The unit can be installed in your average garage in about 20 minutes and you don’t even have to lift the rear of the bike. Follow along as we show you how quick and easy it is to install a unit on an ’05 Road King.
Sources
True-Track
(818) 623-0697
true-track.com
