A friend told me that the rear stock rear suspension was adjustable for weight, right now my ride is pretty harsh i am only about 150lbs, how do i adjust the shocks to my weight
thanks
-Matt

 

You need to buy a softail shock spanner...

Loosen the locknuts on each shock. Mark them with wax or something so you have a reference. Turn each the same amount with spanner. Tighten locknut, test, repeat.

 

The spanner wrench is probably the cheapest thing I bought from the dealership.
Look underyour bike at the shocks. Toward the forward end, just aft of the cross brace, you will see the retention nut and threads coming out of the shock . If there are 4 threads showing, the shocks are at their softest setting. If there are no threads showing they are at the firmest setting.
The shocks come from the plant set at the softest setting. Most owner's never mess with them.
I was curious how my SE Fat Boy would handle at the different settings, so I cut some of the handle off an 1 1/8" (I think that was the size) open ended wrench and while using the spanner to hold the shock body in place, tried to break loose the retention nut. I could not budge the retention nut on either shock.Took the bike to the Port Charlotte,FL. dealership and asked them if they would break the nuts loose and reset the shocks to about the mid way point (2 threads showing). They spent about a half hour using heat toloosen the loctiteand reset the shocks for me, free of charge and I didn't buy the bike there. I also asked them not to apply any loctite, so I could do my own adjustments.
Tom

 

Here is a link that has pictures and step by step instructions.

http://www.fatbillscustoms.com/

 

thanks for the replies guys very helpful

 

I had mine tightened today. Dealer charged me 25.00 to tighten the rear but I like it. It should ride two up really nice now. Bit tighter riding solo but I still like the feel of it. Little more bouncey but thats ok.

 

I've read that by setting the shocks firmer, ona Softail, it improves the slow speed handling. I didn't have any complaints about the way my bike handles, but figured I might as well try different settings. I really couldn't tell much difference by going from the softest setting to midway. It might be because mySE comes stock, lowered in the rear. All my other bikes had the regular shock system and I always set them to the firmest setting. it seemed to tighten the handling up.
Tom