2001 FXD, 6'1", 280 lbs. When I got the bike with 25K miles on it a few years back, I noticed some slight damage to the front fender where it had been hitting the top of the engine guard and the voltage regulator cover. Over the course of a year, I really started noticing the front tubes increasingly bottoming out on hard braking and big bumps and the damaged area on the fender was growing.

First thing I did was to drain out the oil and reserviced with 10W. I did notice that the oil that was in it was not old...that was my first clue that this might be an ongoing problem. Anyway, it was good for a few months but would still bottom out hard occasionally.

Round two, get a kit and rebuild the tubes. In an attempt to avoid piecing together a kit from more expensive OEM parts, I got a rebuild kit from a local metric dealer who swore that the kits he had were right for the 39mm Showa front suspension my SG...it wasn't. I rebuilt the tubes and put in new oil and added a 3/4 inch preload to get the SAG where it needed to be. The test ride around the block was good so I took it out on the road for a longer test ride...and promptly blew out both main seals. Lesson learned, sometimes the more expensive MoCo parts are the best choice.

Anyway, took out the bad kits (I actually took the blown seals back to show the metric dealer and told him he was full of ****, he told me I didn't know how to rebuild tubes). I left the messy junk parts on his counter. I pieced the kits together using MoCo parts (like I should have done in the beginning), rebuilt/reserviced, and put in the preload and it has been all good for the past two years/20K miles...However, recently I noticed it is occasionally bottoming out again on big bumps...which dings my front fender.

My question for the suspension gurus is how to proceed from here. I am getting things together to replace the front fender and repaint the tins and need to address this bottom out issue before I damage my new paint job and fender. Getting rid of the engine guard is out of the question.

New springs? Will this be enough? What kind, NOS or aftermarket? Are progressive springs a good choice?

How about restrictors like Ricor Intiminators? Will this adequately address my problem?

 

I would try going to 15wt oil first.

 

I went through the oil deal on my FXR and it didn't help. Finally decided the springs were just getting weak and needed replaced. Went with the Progressive upgrade and never bottomed out again. OEM replacement could have possibly done the trick but I don't like nor can I afford to take the chance of it not taking care of the problem. There are other vendors for Progressive out there who can save you a buck, but here's the link with the part number for your bike.
http://www.progressivesuspension.com...ork-spring-kit

 

Thanks for the replies. I thought about just going heavier with the oil but then I have already gone that route with limited success.

I am thinking along the same lines, Lakerat, that these 15 year old springs have lost some of their spring. I have looked at the Progressive springs and they look good and lots of riders like them, but after the fiasco I had with the aftermarket rebuild kit, I think I will see if I can get some NOS OEM springs before I go back with aftermarket components this time.

 

Go with the heavy oil not the 10 weight. I dropped in progressive cartridges which are real good for tube shocks. No oil to ever change. They are in about 20 k miles now and they honestly feel as good today as the day I had them installed.

 

It was originally serviced with 5W I believe and I went to 10W. The return was marginal which leads me to think that the problem is more than changing oil will eliminate. However, we are thinking along the same lines and I will do that when I put in the new springs. Working on the front tubes is one of my least favorite tasks...those fork caps are a PITA to get back on!

 

I suggest the first thing is to sort out the springs. I recommend using single-rate springs, not multi-weight ones. Race Tech has a table on their website so you can select the correct rate. Set the sag correctly, as you have already done. Now you can start using different grades of oil, having ensured that the forks are under-pinned with good foundations.

There is only so much we can get out of a stock set of forks, because the damping is so weak. You could consider adding a set of Intiminators with your new springs, which are credited with improving ride quality. I have Emulators in my Sporty, but cannot recommend them.

So decent springs, plus improved damping, helped by a suitable oil should give much better results. Then you can shop around for a replacement front fender!

 

Graham is right. Springs before anything else. I use Race Tech springs with Ricor Intiminators. I've had better handling with Gold Valves than the Ricors.

 

Your bike came with Harley Type E fork oil which is 20w oil. I would replace the oil with either the H-D type E or an aftermarket equivalent (Spectro or Bel-Ray). Next step would be to either replace the springs with the Heavy Progressive springs or the proper spring rate from Race Tech. The Progressive tech line is very helpful or there is a spring rate calculator on the Race Tech website to help with that decision. If you are looking at the "best" option the Progressive Mono Tube kit is a great option.