lean angle increased with taller springs?
#21
10-07-2015, 06:35 PM
HDF Community Team
John
Last edited by John Harper; 10-07-2015 at 06:40 PM.
#22
10-08-2015, 04:12 AM
Club Member
You want to improve cornering clearance? Forget the maths and concentrate on a few practicalities! It isn't practical to install rear shocks that are longer than around 13.5". They will obviously lift the bike and give significantly improved clearance in corners. They will also come with more travel and, if you buy decent quality ones, should also give improved damping and ride quality.
However also important are the forks. What I found with my SuperLow when I bought it new is that the forks sagged far too much, using up at least half of the total available travel. I recommend you also sort them out, by correcting for the excessive sag, which will lift the front as well. My bike is now a Super-not-so-Low, with corrected forks and longer shocks! Cornering clearance is now as good as it is going to get, without turning to major surgery.
If you are going to change fork springs at least use proper single rate ones, matched to your weight. I have Race Tech and they have a calculator on their website, so you can chose the correct springs. Single rate springs provide uniformly smooth action over their whole travel, while progressive-rate springs are a compromise, stiffening up part way through the fork compression.
However also important are the forks. What I found with my SuperLow when I bought it new is that the forks sagged far too much, using up at least half of the total available travel. I recommend you also sort them out, by correcting for the excessive sag, which will lift the front as well. My bike is now a Super-not-so-Low, with corrected forks and longer shocks! Cornering clearance is now as good as it is going to get, without turning to major surgery.
If you are going to change fork springs at least use proper single rate ones, matched to your weight. I have Race Tech and they have a calculator on their website, so you can chose the correct springs. Single rate springs provide uniformly smooth action over their whole travel, while progressive-rate springs are a compromise, stiffening up part way through the fork compression.
#23
10-08-2015, 01:01 PM
I shipped my 2009 1200 Low to Italy where I have a home and I leave it there. I ride it while I am there on vacation for a month in the summer. I have close friends I ride with, one has a V-Max and the other has a Triumph Thruxton. I just can't keep up because the side stand drags on the left and the lower muffler drags on the right. I tried raising it using 13 inch Road King shocks and so much weight was transferred to the front that any little bump caused the front to bottom. The next year I brought progressive springs for the forks and the bottoming was a little less, but still a pain. The next year I brought progressive rear shocks of the right (stock) length and I had no more front bottoming, but still I dragged the side stand and the mufflers trying to keep up. So, there is no solution, a Sportster is still a Harley and you can't keep up with normal bikes, especially on twisty European roads.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
trnewman
General Harley Davidson Chat
22
03-17-2015 09:10 PM
d1esel
Frame/Suspension/Front End/Brakes
5
06-30-2010 11:54 AM
