superlow front n rear modification
#1
09-05-2011, 05:19 AM
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superlow front n rear modification
Hello everyone
new to this forum and want to start off by posting a question to u.
I have recently got my first Harley a merlot superlow. Two of my buddies too got the black color of same model.
While everyone is looking for some exhaust options and stage 1 etc i could not help but be unhappy abt the ground clearance plus a bit of issue with suspension and decided to upgrade those before i look further.
After goin through a lot of forum talk i understand this:
for GC i have to increase rear shocks to 12.5 or 13 or 13.5. Two brands that seem to be recommended on forums are workperformance and progressive.I was wondering which of the two and which model no exactly?
for suspension quality n smoother ride on rougher roads the ricor intiminators come highly recommended.
my question is should i go for both mods at same time?or should one wait till later?
are these mods DIY? can someone share a vid or manual or pics where i can see n understand better how easy or tough it would be in reality to do it myself.
Oh and is there something else i could do to my ride to raise the GC or the above should do?
thanks everyone
new to this forum and want to start off by posting a question to u.
I have recently got my first Harley a merlot superlow. Two of my buddies too got the black color of same model.
While everyone is looking for some exhaust options and stage 1 etc i could not help but be unhappy abt the ground clearance plus a bit of issue with suspension and decided to upgrade those before i look further.
After goin through a lot of forum talk i understand this:
for GC i have to increase rear shocks to 12.5 or 13 or 13.5. Two brands that seem to be recommended on forums are workperformance and progressive.I was wondering which of the two and which model no exactly?
for suspension quality n smoother ride on rougher roads the ricor intiminators come highly recommended.
my question is should i go for both mods at same time?or should one wait till later?
are these mods DIY? can someone share a vid or manual or pics where i can see n understand better how easy or tough it would be in reality to do it myself.
Oh and is there something else i could do to my ride to raise the GC or the above should do?
thanks everyone
#2
09-05-2011, 09:57 AM
Club Member
I also have a Merlot SuperLow and am making suspension mods right now! You will find more info in the Sportster forum, so also look in there, as suspension gets raised a lot.
I have fitted longer Hagon rear shocks to mine, with over 50% more suspension travel over stock. They have springs matched to my weight. I am also refitting my front forks, having had RaceTech springs and Emulators fitted. Springs also matched to my weight. I haven't finished rebuilding it yet, but hope for a real improvement in ride quality.
A friend of mine has an XL1200 and has done the same to his bike. Ride height at both ends was improved, as well as ride quality. So I am following in his footsteps. Hope that gives you some ideas!
I have fitted longer Hagon rear shocks to mine, with over 50% more suspension travel over stock. They have springs matched to my weight. I am also refitting my front forks, having had RaceTech springs and Emulators fitted. Springs also matched to my weight. I haven't finished rebuilding it yet, but hope for a real improvement in ride quality.
A friend of mine has an XL1200 and has done the same to his bike. Ride height at both ends was improved, as well as ride quality. So I am following in his footsteps. Hope that gives you some ideas!
#3
09-06-2011, 02:06 AM
Join Date: May 2011
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I also have a Merlot SuperLow and am making suspension mods right now! You will find more info in the Sportster forum, so also look in there, as suspension gets raised a lot.
I have fitted longer Hagon rear shocks to mine, with over 50% more suspension travel over stock. They have springs matched to my weight. I am also refitting my front forks, having had RaceTech springs and Emulators fitted. Springs also matched to my weight. I haven't finished rebuilding it yet, but hope for a real improvement in ride quality.
A friend of mine has an XL1200 and has done the same to his bike. Ride height at both ends was improved, as well as ride quality. So I am following in his footsteps. Hope that gives you some ideas!
I have fitted longer Hagon rear shocks to mine, with over 50% more suspension travel over stock. They have springs matched to my weight. I am also refitting my front forks, having had RaceTech springs and Emulators fitted. Springs also matched to my weight. I haven't finished rebuilding it yet, but hope for a real improvement in ride quality.
A friend of mine has an XL1200 and has done the same to his bike. Ride height at both ends was improved, as well as ride quality. So I am following in his footsteps. Hope that gives you some ideas!
is that true??cos if it is it upsets all my plans. a better riding superlow will still hurt if it scrapes while touring.
#4
09-06-2011, 03:21 AM
Club Member
The stock shocks are 11.5in long, with 2in travel. Hagon shocks have 80mm/3.15in travel, over 50% more. To install Hagon shocks on a Sportster they have to be longer than stock, otherwise the swingarm will travel further up into the bike and hit the oil tank. To avoid that, Hagon recommend 330mm/13in long shocks.
The installed height is obviously taller, although the Hagon shocks will sag more when sitting on the bike, but still be taller than stock.
Now the forks! They supposedly have 4" travel, but when sitting on mine the bike sits right down, with only about 1.25in of remaining travel. The springs are far too soft. The suspension chap who installed my RaceTech springs and Emulators carefully measured everything up so when its all back together the sag should be better.
So on my bike, both front and rear suspension are now longer than stock, so inevitably the bike is taller, with much more suspension travel at both ends. I must add that I have only just refitted my rebuilt forks and it is raining here, so I haven't ridden it yet.
Hope that helps!
#5
09-07-2011, 01:34 AM
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i have recently moved from Sydney to Bangalore India and got my two superlows from Hyderabad Harley.
mailed them yesterday regarding upgrading my bikes with progressive shocks and ricor intiminators.
They got back after a delay saying its not recommended and bike should be used in stock condition and any such mods are "dangerous". to whom i wonder?!
altho they recommended i use suspensions from 883 R which has the best GC of sportsters.
well...im almost sold on progressive/hogan UK for rear and ricor intiminators for front ...so i think i will simply ignore their advice and do the installs myself.
now before i make the required purchase....some queries
1. which progressive shocks are best for superlow for touring: in 13 or 13.5 inches
2. which tools or other equipment do i need to do installs myself
3. can i buy ricor onlin?i have tried to contact them but no replies yet. not there on e bay tho
p.s. is a tire upgrade a simpler way to raise ground clearance??
mailed them yesterday regarding upgrading my bikes with progressive shocks and ricor intiminators.
They got back after a delay saying its not recommended and bike should be used in stock condition and any such mods are "dangerous". to whom i wonder?!
altho they recommended i use suspensions from 883 R which has the best GC of sportsters.
well...im almost sold on progressive/hogan UK for rear and ricor intiminators for front ...so i think i will simply ignore their advice and do the installs myself.
now before i make the required purchase....some queries
1. which progressive shocks are best for superlow for touring: in 13 or 13.5 inches
2. which tools or other equipment do i need to do installs myself
3. can i buy ricor onlin?i have tried to contact them but no replies yet. not there on e bay tho
p.s. is a tire upgrade a simpler way to raise ground clearance??
#6
09-07-2011, 04:12 AM
Club Member
It is true that the 883R has best GC, but the suspension is no better than a SuperLow I suspect! The main reason I have attacked my bike is to improve ride quality, increased GC being a side effect. I don't see these mods as being in the slightest bit dangerous, in fact quite the opposite! A pal of mine has modified his 1200R and raised the ride height as a result of doing what I have, but also in pursuit of improved ride quality.
In answer to your questions, my new shocks are 13". What is an extra half inch between friends?! The forks will be a problem, unless you can get them to sit up like mine do now, so that they only sag a third of their travel, instead of 2/3rds, as mine did stock.
The tools you need are few. I changed my rear shocks using a scissor jack and hand tools. You can see what you need by simply looking at your bike. I had to juggle the jack, to get the longer right-hand shock onto the swingarm past the exhaust, so I recommend you tackle that one first. For the forks, the same comment applies, the only extra item needed is a long 6mm allen key, to get at the damper-rod screw in the bottom of each fork leg. You can't see that until the forks are off the bike!
I can't comment on Progressive shocks, not least because I can drive the short distance to Hagon! I strongly recommend you call in the Sportster forum here on HDF, as there is a lot of talk on suspension and there are a couple of members who are ace on the subject. You can learn a lot from them, as I have! They can better answer where to get stuff from, for example.
Being in India you do have a challenge. Many US traders won't ship out of the mainland USA, let alone Canada, so you may have problems on that front. I would hope Hagon will ship direct and I can recommend them. Keeps things in the Commonwealth old chap! They know your problem and will fit springs to match your weight and are very helpful. They can also supply fork springs, but my friend prefers his RaceTech springs and Emulators. Plainly you are better of getting such parts direct from the USA.
I have looked at alternative tyres, but I think you will have difficulties finding suitable ones. We are now in an era of low profile tyres, which our SuperLows have and the rear rim doesn't seem to have any alternatives similar to the traditional MT of old.
In answer to your questions, my new shocks are 13". What is an extra half inch between friends?! The forks will be a problem, unless you can get them to sit up like mine do now, so that they only sag a third of their travel, instead of 2/3rds, as mine did stock.
The tools you need are few. I changed my rear shocks using a scissor jack and hand tools. You can see what you need by simply looking at your bike. I had to juggle the jack, to get the longer right-hand shock onto the swingarm past the exhaust, so I recommend you tackle that one first. For the forks, the same comment applies, the only extra item needed is a long 6mm allen key, to get at the damper-rod screw in the bottom of each fork leg. You can't see that until the forks are off the bike!
I can't comment on Progressive shocks, not least because I can drive the short distance to Hagon! I strongly recommend you call in the Sportster forum here on HDF, as there is a lot of talk on suspension and there are a couple of members who are ace on the subject. You can learn a lot from them, as I have! They can better answer where to get stuff from, for example.
Being in India you do have a challenge. Many US traders won't ship out of the mainland USA, let alone Canada, so you may have problems on that front. I would hope Hagon will ship direct and I can recommend them. Keeps things in the Commonwealth old chap! They know your problem and will fit springs to match your weight and are very helpful. They can also supply fork springs, but my friend prefers his RaceTech springs and Emulators. Plainly you are better of getting such parts direct from the USA.
I have looked at alternative tyres, but I think you will have difficulties finding suitable ones. We are now in an era of low profile tyres, which our SuperLows have and the rear rim doesn't seem to have any alternatives similar to the traditional MT of old.
#7
09-12-2011, 11:44 AM
Join Date: May 2011
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It is true that the 883R has best GC, but the suspension is no better than a SuperLow I suspect! The main reason I have attacked my bike is to improve ride quality, increased GC being a side effect. I don't see these mods as being in the slightest bit dangerous, in fact quite the opposite! A pal of mine has modified his 1200R and raised the ride height as a result of doing what I have, but also in pursuit of improved ride quality.
In answer to your questions, my new shocks are 13". What is an extra half inch between friends?! The forks will be a problem, unless you can get them to sit up like mine do now, so that they only sag a third of their travel, instead of 2/3rds, as mine did stock.
The tools you need are few. I changed my rear shocks using a scissor jack and hand tools. You can see what you need by simply looking at your bike. I had to juggle the jack, to get the longer right-hand shock onto the swingarm past the exhaust, so I recommend you tackle that one first. For the forks, the same comment applies, the only extra item needed is a long 6mm allen key, to get at the damper-rod screw in the bottom of each fork leg. You can't see that until the forks are off the bike!
I can't comment on Progressive shocks, not least because I can drive the short distance to Hagon! I strongly recommend you call in the Sportster forum here on HDF, as there is a lot of talk on suspension and there are a couple of members who are ace on the subject. You can learn a lot from them, as I have! They can better answer where to get stuff from, for example.
Being in India you do have a challenge. Many US traders won't ship out of the mainland USA, let alone Canada, so you may have problems on that front. I would hope Hagon will ship direct and I can recommend them. Keeps things in the Commonwealth old chap! They know your problem and will fit springs to match your weight and are very helpful. They can also supply fork springs, but my friend prefers his RaceTech springs and Emulators. Plainly you are better of getting such parts direct from the USA.
I have looked at alternative tyres, but I think you will have difficulties finding suitable ones. We are now in an era of low profile tyres, which our SuperLows have and the rear rim doesn't seem to have any alternatives similar to the traditional MT of old.
In answer to your questions, my new shocks are 13". What is an extra half inch between friends?! The forks will be a problem, unless you can get them to sit up like mine do now, so that they only sag a third of their travel, instead of 2/3rds, as mine did stock.
The tools you need are few. I changed my rear shocks using a scissor jack and hand tools. You can see what you need by simply looking at your bike. I had to juggle the jack, to get the longer right-hand shock onto the swingarm past the exhaust, so I recommend you tackle that one first. For the forks, the same comment applies, the only extra item needed is a long 6mm allen key, to get at the damper-rod screw in the bottom of each fork leg. You can't see that until the forks are off the bike!
I can't comment on Progressive shocks, not least because I can drive the short distance to Hagon! I strongly recommend you call in the Sportster forum here on HDF, as there is a lot of talk on suspension and there are a couple of members who are ace on the subject. You can learn a lot from them, as I have! They can better answer where to get stuff from, for example.
Being in India you do have a challenge. Many US traders won't ship out of the mainland USA, let alone Canada, so you may have problems on that front. I would hope Hagon will ship direct and I can recommend them. Keeps things in the Commonwealth old chap! They know your problem and will fit springs to match your weight and are very helpful. They can also supply fork springs, but my friend prefers his RaceTech springs and Emulators. Plainly you are better of getting such parts direct from the USA.
I have looked at alternative tyres, but I think you will have difficulties finding suitable ones. We are now in an era of low profile tyres, which our SuperLows have and the rear rim doesn't seem to have any alternatives similar to the traditional MT of old.
well i did mail hagon and they have asked a coupla things like the length of units and sum pics of my ride.
will mail them today n see what they advise.
how r your 13 inchers behaving?good ride?
well abt the front forks since i cant find a way to ship ricor intiminators to india maybe i will just go with the fork springs from progressive.
the fresh issue is denniskirk says 13/13.5 inches shocks are "incompatible=will not fit ur ride whenever i try to shop for it.
mailed progressive...no clear answer yet. now im wondering can a 13 inches progressive be made to fit a superlow.
dont have much time too...goin on a 2000 mile long tour across south of india in first week of oct. 20 days of touring. gotta get my ride in shape fast.
as far as the forums go try as i did i could not get a post/thread on someone who has actually reported his/her superlow with a 13/13.5 progressive shocks.
well wish me luck
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#8
09-12-2011, 12:11 PM
Club Member
Progressive are not the only suspension company out there! I have given you my successful solution, so I suggest you look into that as an alternative. RaceTech make suitable springs and also Emulators. We are suffering from the tail end of Hurricane Katia at present, so I have yet to get a decent long ride on the finished bike.
The Hagons were a great improvement over the stock shocks. They also asked me for riding weight (with riding gear on). Assuming you will be using your SuperLows solo, it is easy to get the fork spring weight right, for a custom ride.
The Hagons were a great improvement over the stock shocks. They also asked me for riding weight (with riding gear on). Assuming you will be using your SuperLows solo, it is easy to get the fork spring weight right, for a custom ride.
#9
10-30-2011, 08:52 AM
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#10
11-01-2011, 12:34 PM
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