Is Harley Selling Us CROOKED Bikes?! 😳 I Found Something WRONG With Stella! | Episode 4

Episode 4 of Setting My Eyes West was NOT a video I planned on making. While preparing Stella, my 2023 Harley-Davidson Street Glide FLHX, for our upcoming 2,500-mile round trip to Twisted in Texas, I discovered something while working on the suspension that sent me down an entirely different rabbit hole. Why weren’t my rear shocks lining up naturally? One shock would go on, but getting the other shock lined up with its mounting point wasn’t as straightforward as I expected. That raised a bigger question: Is the powertrain actually centered and aligned correctly in the frame? And that’s where things get interesting. Harley-Davidson Touring motorcycles use a rubber-isolated powertrain and stabilizer-link system. Harley itself emphasizes that vehicle alignment is important because improper wheel alignment can adversely affect motorcycle handling and stability, and the stabilizer link and engine mounts are part of that system. 🔧 THE FIXED STABILIZER LINK Older Harley-Davidson Touring motorcycles used adjustable stabilizer links that allowed the powertrain alignment to be fine-tuned. With the redesigned Touring chassis beginning in 2009, Harley moved to a fixed-length front stabilizer link. An independent technical article specifically discusses that change and notes that the previous adjustable arrangement allowed drivetrain alignment to be fine-tuned. So here’s the question we’re digging into: What happens if the engine/transmission assembly isn’t sitting exactly where it should, but the factory stabilizer link has a fixed length? Could that contribute to things like: 🏍️ Rear shocks that don’t naturally line up with their mounting points 🏍️ Powertrain alignment concerns 🏍️ Motorcycle tracking or handling issues 🏍️ Unequal suspension positioning 🏍️ A bike that just doesn’t seem completely square And then there’s the controversial question: 💰 WAS THE FIXED LINK A COST-CUTTING DECISION? You’ll hear riders and technicians argue that Harley went to the fixed stabilizer link as a cost-saving measure. Was it? I haven’t found documentation from Harley-Davidson stating that cost reduction was the reason, so I’m not presenting that as fact. One independent technical source speculates that the change may have saved production cost or reduced opportunities for adjustment errors—but that’s an opinion, not confirmation from Harley-Davidson. That’s part of what makes this discussion so interesting. 🔥 ALLOY ART HAS A SOLUTION That’s where the Alloy Art Adjustable Front Stabilizer Link comes into the picture. Unlike the fixed OEM link, the Alloy Art unit is adjustable. It uses a reverse-thread rod end so it can be adjusted while installed, and it replaces the OEM stabilizer link. The current listing identifies it as a replacement for OEM #16219-09 on compatible Harley-Davidson Touring models. In this episode, I’m showing you what I discovered on Stella, why I started questioning the alignment, what the fixed factory stabilizer link has to do with it, and what we’re going to do about it. ⚠️ IMPORTANT: This isn’t simply a matter of installing a link and turning it until things “look straight.” Harley-Davidson warns that vehicle alignment affects handling and stability and says major alignment should be performed according to proper service procedures. So we’re going to approach this carefully and see exactly what’s happening. If you’ve replaced the rear shocks on your Street Glide, Road Glide, Road King, Electra Glide or Ultra Limited and wondered why the second shock didn’t seem to line up naturally—you’re definitely going to want to watch this episode. This one was completely unexpected. I thought Stella was almost ready for Texas… Then I found THIS. 😳 👇 COMMENT BELOW: Have you ever checked the drivetrain/engine alignment on your Harley Touring bike? Have you installed an adjustable stabilizer link? And did you notice a difference in how your motorcycle tracked or handled? 👍 LIKE the video 🔔 SUBSCRIBE to MyGlide_Rides 💬 SHARE your experience in the comments Contact me at mygliderides@gmail.com The road to Twisted in Texas continues. Ride. Record. Share. Repeat.