Anyone Dislike The Progressive Touring Link

G

G***

New member
I have had the Progressive Touring Link on my bike for about 2-3 months and now I'm thinking about taking it off. I don't like the added vibration I feel in the floorboard. I understand not everyone gets the vibration. Just like to know if anyone else has had the Touring Link and removed it? If so did you feel a difference in the ride. I think I'm going to buy a set of E3's tires and later some new Progressive shocks and see how I like the handling of the bike.
 
IMHO the Progressive and other kits that use a short stabilizer link are missing the point of these things. The other two stabilizers already on the bike are longer and if we add a third link we should chose a kit that has the same length as the other two.

The purpose of them is to allow the engine to vibrate on its rubber mounts in the vertical plane, but prevent the engine/transmission/rear wheel from moving sideways. If one link is shorter than the other two it seems to me it is going to be fighting them.

I have a True-Track kit on each of my big twins, and they are fine, with no change in vibration.
 
I have progessive shocks on my RKC, an E3 on the rear, can't wait to get one on the front, I just installed, maybe two weeks ago the progressive link, I don't realy notice any extra vibration, but it did improve the handling.
Not sure I agree with grbrown, as I understand it ( and I could be wrong) the two front links are more for adjusting the alignment on the bike both lattitude, and longitud, rather then controling vibration, don't the new bikes have a solid frame?
Terry
 
Terry, 1sweetglide08's 08 has a similar setup to touring models going back to the 80s. 09s and on have a slightly different set-up, but still have a stabilizer link.

While the two (or three if fitted) stabilizer links do have a role in aligning the bike, their main job is as I described above.

Every Buell built has three stabilizers, in fact Erik is credited with devising and patenting the system, when he worked for Harley. Current Sportsters also have three stabilizers, but for some unknown reason Harley don't see fit to add the third link to their touring range.

All three of my V-twins have three stabilizers. It's the only way to travel!
 
When I first put on my progressive link, I am sure I could feel a little vibration in the floorboards, but it went away after just a couple hundred miles....don't know why, perhaps things were slightly out of alignment and then settled....I don't know, and I never checked the alignment before or after installing it. I think that all the stabilizers basically do the same thing, which is to reduce pure sideways movement of the swingarm....pick your design, I like the price and simplicity of the progressive version. And it did tighten up the chassis considerable. You can still feel a flex in the chassis, but it settles immediately, i.e. just one time versus continuing to wallow as they will do with nothing. Having said all that, I also think that all the stabilizers are working on the symptom and not the problem. I think the problem is the soft rubber in the swingarm itself letting the swingarm flex too much, and not just side to side. So I am seriously considering also installing the Glide Pro bushings. And not because I even ride my King so that I need it, I just am struck by what I think is poor factory design and would like to fix it, even if I don't need it.
 
I can't wait to do it thenext mod for me as my bike is a little worn in now and could use it even more now. Heard great stuf for the cost and effortin doing it.
 
As for vibration, check and make sure the pivot plate lower bolt head is not contacting the inside of the exhaust pipe. The plate is thicker so the bolts stick out farther. Contact with anything will cause a vibration. In addition, make sure the heim joint ends are in line with each other so the rod can be rotated back and forth by hand and not jammed tight.
 
I'm a huge fan of the Touring Link! I installed one on my Ultra Classic along with a set of Progressive 440 shocks at the same time. I thought the improvement in handling and ride comfort with the addition of these upgrades was excellent, and I didn't notice any increase in vibration. One thing I have noted in discussing the virtues of the Touring Link with literally hundreds of people is that the heavier the rider, the less rear end sway they say they experience. I'm rather light and my my butt would pucker anytime I got into a really tight curve! Since installing the Touring Link, scraping the floorboards is a real pleasure!
 
Actually ..... in a perfect world, because the pivot point for any sideways movement is also at at the swing arm, 'in theory' to have their heim links all see the same stress, the shortest link should be closest to the swing arm pivot, where the sideways play changes direction from front to rear (tire moving right and front of engine going left) causing the wobbles, and the next one towards the front of the bike longer, with the one at the front the longest, with all the heim joint lengths dictated by their distance from the point of the side play direction change.

But, in the real world I suspect it's more important to be sure the fat spacer washers for the Progressive Link's heim balls are properly installed between the heim balls and the point where it attaches to the new side plate and pan L bracket, and not placed under the head of the attachment bolts that go through the heim ball.
This is so the vibration is not transferred to the frame through the heim link because the heim joint's ball movement is restricted, instead of being allowed to move freely via the "standoff" action of properly placing those fat washers.
 
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