Are they 11.5"?

Trying to figure out what aftermarket shocks I want to throw on, just not sure how much length I want added to the bike. I'd rather not make it an inch taller.

 

The 14 iron shocks are 11" stock.

 

I think they are 11" but may be closer to 11.5"

You can go with a longer shock and keep the same fender height if you get some lowering blocks. Burly makes 1.5" lowering blocks and other companies make them as well.

 

Okay thanks. I did actually find my tape measure last night and figured it was 11". I'm trying to decide which Ohlins from Motorcycle Metal (http://motorcyclemetal.com/gpage31.html) to grab. I don't want to make my Iron too tall, but stock suspension needs to go.

 

Going with 12" will only raise it 1/2" due to the angle. I'm skeptical that any 11" shock will give a decent ride. 12.5" progressives make a big difference.

 

First option at my link, 12"/305 mm Stroke: 2 7/16"/88 mm, that be much of an improvement? Ohlins.

Or 11 5/8"/296 mm Stroke: 2 3/4"/71 mm, both emulsified (whatever that means)

 

I HIGHLY recommend skimming eBay for a set of lightly used road king shocks. It's an easy bolt on application and they feel amazing. It was one of the first mods I did when I picked up my iron. I'm 6'2" 230 lbs and I would never ever ever go back to stock. I think I paid around 60 bucks for used socks and I bought an air pump to adjust the pressure for another 15. Though in all honesty I've never added any air. Simply left the plugs in and I'm running no added pressure at all. GREAT mod.

 

Phone Howard when you're ready and talk things through with him, he'll help you make the right choice. I have his Ohlins on my Glide and proper shocks make a World of a difference to ride quality! He is likely to be getting ready for Daytona week at present, where he sets up a stall.

 

I called him a couple weeks ago, he was having a rough morning. Kinda short with me, didn't get a great feeling about it, told me to figure out exactly what I wanted and call him back. I'll let it go, we all have our bad days, but I've stopped going to certain firearm manufacturers for less. Not trying to rag on the guy, but it wasn't my most helpful and pleasant experience from someone I'm trying to give a boatload of money to. I'll call him back soon, once I figure out exactly what I want. Thinking some 12", I mentioned 12.5" and he said those were really tall for a Sportster. Maybe I'm just more confused and lost than I realize.

 

I have 13" shocks on my SuperLow (not Ohlins)! Plus a raised front end, due to rectifying the excess sag in the fork springs, which raised the front around an inch.

In Howard we have someone who is probably unique world-wide - a true expert in suspension for our Harleys. It will help to know your riding weight, which will help establish the correct spring rate for your shocks, plus let him know if you ride solo or with a passenger.

Going back to your earlier thread, an emulsified shock has oil and gas in the same compartment in the damper body, so the two can mix up with each other. In extreme conditions the damping can deteriorate as the two become increasingly emulsified. If you've been looking at Howard's website they are his #2 shocks. His #3 are separated shocks, meaning there is a diaphragm between the oil and gas, so they cannot mix. These give much more consistent performance under duress.

It should be said that #2 are only likely to be found wanting off-road! The actual damper components are likely to be different between those two types (the #3 are more expensive!) and the #3 will perform better than #2. However especially solo #2 will probably be fine and are often used by Touring riders. I have #3 because Mrs B and I, when fully loaded with our touring gear, are close to the max weight of our Glide.

I suggest you consider sorting out the forks first, partly because they are more of a challenge (shocks are easy-peasy!). If you find as I did that your forks are riding on no more than a third of the available travel, setting the sag correctly will raise the forks quite noticeably, which may influence how long your shocks are.