The Motor Mount Shoot Out
Ok so we have all seen the market for after market motor mounts and have all heard the praise from sponsored riders of how great their "sponsors" mounts work. Here is a unbiased review on each mount along with our top pick!
1. Stock
The stock rubber mounts on your twin cam models are actually not the worst. The design flaw comes with the expectancy that these are not a serviceable part on you bike. When stock motor mounts are properly clearance and maintained you can expect your bike to feel right flying down the freeway. The problem most people face with these stock mounts is that they for one do not protect them during oil changes and for two they let them run forever! The rubber compound on a bike stored in a temp controlled garage vs a open or non insulated garage is going to vary, that's why it is important to check your mounts every oil change for proper clearance and appreance. Clearancing your mount info can be found on our got wobble post in the tech tips section. Overall if you have a properly aligned bike with new or well maintained mounts you will not have much to worry about.
2. The Predator by Vibratechnics
Vibratechnics is definitely one to reckon with when it comes to motor mounts for your car, but how do they stack up when it comes to harley? The install for these is pretty straight forwards besides the fact that if you don't save your stock parts and ever need it, the bolts that come with it are metric so you cannot simply fix while on the road. Vibratechnics also leaves a little to be desired by not offering a matching rear mount. When properly installed with a fresh rear mount you will notice a difference at high speeds due to the different, stronger rubber compound that is similar looking to a FXR mount when you open it up. It is a refreshing feel at high speeds compared to stock mounts, yet it is bulky and almost double the weight of your stock mount. The only problems noticed with this installed is that it slightly moves your motor forward therefore putting stress on your rear mount and potentially causing exhaust slap on the frame. The up side to the predator system is its enclosed case that keeps the rubber safe from the elements! Overall it is a decent mount and Vibratechnics ships very quickly!
3. CCE ( Custom Cycle Engineering)
As a trusted, tried and true company when it comes to the motorcycle world, you can assume that CCE did their homework with these mounts. The great thing is CCE offers front, rear mounts as well as a poly mounted top stabilizer link that can replace your solid heir joint style link. Over all the quality on these mounts are right up there with any top of the line performance part and definitely look like they mean business. One of the great things about this mounting system is that it uses FXR and FL style adjustability principals to allow for those fine tune motor alignments. The front mount is also replaceable with any FXR style mount making the longevity on these endless. The installion is fairly straight forward and easy although the rear is considerably bigger than stock so if you have old stretch mounts you will need a second set of hands to get the motor back in the stock location. The first thing you will notice about the CCE is how much your motor no longer moves. It literally tightens everything up and you can see it on first idle. These motor mounts do amazing things to your bike once your cruising down the freeway at 100MPH, instantly to you can notice the tracking difference from he reduced motor movement. It also helps the rear end shimmy around long sweepers. All and all it is a great product and performs as it should.
4. Chopper Hauss/Big Bear Choppers.
With a very similar design, these motor mounts are excellent for the wheelie crowd who doesn't want to pull their motors out for case repair (although wheels are the main cause of that). These use FLT style mounting system that give the B motors such stability and comfort. The mounting is pretty straight forward 6 bolts in front and 4 in back. It does put your motor in a more forward than stock resting position similar to the predator. At first start up it acts as it should and having the extra front mounting point to the frame add some stability to your drive train. The only real issue Ive seen it's these is that some mounting holes to the cases are off compared to same product which makes me wonder if your side to side alignment is 100% accurate. The rear mount can be a tough one to install with one set of hands so if you can get a buddy to help you will save some frustration. The dual mounting points on the front does provide great brace for the motor as I mentioned for wheelie purposes. The rear leave a little to be desired, some have required shaving and such to get in place. All and all for you wheelie guys this can help save a little bit of agony down the line. if it was possible to get side to side adjustment, it would better help with alignment issues.
Ok so now for my top pick.... Overall I have experience its all these mounts and they all have their pros and cons. However, the one that stands out for overall performance and adjustability would be the CCE mounts. The lateral adjustment makes a world of difference in getting to proper alignment and since most of the time we are flying up the freeway above 80mph, the aligned drive train makes for a super stable ride while the durable rubber compounds used in these mounts also takes the vibration off your frame and therefore your hands as well. You can bet that choosing anyone of these mounts will give you the desired performance over stock you would expect, but CCE covers more pros for me than the competition!
Thanks for reading!
Comment below if you have a personal experience with any of these mounts we would love to hear it!