Got 'em yesterday, put 'em on today. Went a little something like this.....


Start with one perfectly good motorcycle, stripped of saddlebags and seat.....



The add two spiffy new Ricor shocks......



Next, take off the old shocks. I went with the stock length, which made it really simple. Jack the bike up so the rear tire is off the ground just a bit. Empty the air out of the stock shocks, then push in on the little red collars on the air fittings to release the lines. Use a T40 to remove the bracket that holds the Schrader valve. Then use a 3/4" 6-point socket to remove the lower and upper shock bolts, making sure to keep the shock upright so you don't spill the oil inside.



Then, with the supplied washers between the shock and the bike, install the new shock. The 13" Ricor was a little longer than the stock shock apparently, so I put the bottom bolt in first, then shoved down on the top of the shock to get the top bolt in. Use Blue Loctite on the bolts......



Then do the exact same thing to the other side.....



I removed the air fitting last, just in case I boned something up and had to reinstall the stockers, but this was a walk in the park.

Once you've got everything cinched down, lower the bike so that the rear tire just makes contact with the ground but the suspension doesn't compress. Find a hard point and take a measurement to the ground. I used the top of the right saddlebag crash guard. Sit on the bike and lower it off the jack, making sure you can support the bike upright without using your feet. Take another measurement. Brian at Ricor suggested starting with 1-1/2" of sag, which is exactly what the shocks were at (I didn't lie about my weight).

It was starting to get dark and the deer were coming out, so I only got in about a 20 mile ride, but oh my God what a difference. I opted for the "Sport" setting (rather than either the "Cruiser" or "Super Sport") based upon another review and talking to Brian, and I'm glad I did. I threw the bike through some very quick left-to-right transitions, and it just swallowed it up....Much better than a 900-pound touring bike has any right to.

I hit every patch of bad road I could find, and not once did I either bounce out of the seat, or have the bike unsettled to the point that it disturbed my line. The difference between the stock shocks and these is not to be believed. I could feel the suspension working through the floorboards and the seat, but it was never harsh...More like the shocks were transmitting information.

I'm hoping to get out tomorrow and see how they do on some of the abysmal farm roads we have around here. That'll really put them to the test. But so far, big thumbs up.

 

nice write-up. Made it look easy.

 

What was the cost?

 

Website says $699 plus 250 deposit .

 

I will be going that way next year I believe. This is copied and pasted from their website on the price;

HD Touring rear shocks (sold in pairs) !!!!!Deposit only!!!!!
Our Price: $250.00


Taking deposits to hold your place in line for the new Touring IAS rear shocks.

Springs will be black powder coated. Different color springs are available for an additional charge.

Retail price is $889.49, we will be offering for a limited time discounted price of $629.99 for the pair.
Price includes the spring and one re-valve at no charge within 90 days. Undamaged springs may be exchanged within 30 days.

 

The price is very steep!

 

Cost was $629 plus shipping. For a quality set of shocks, that doesn't seem steep to me.

I'll be riding roughly 2,000 miles this week, mostly 2-up, so a week from now I should have a very good picture of whether or not they're worth it.

 

Looking forward to hearing more about your experiences. Subscribing to thread ...

 

The price is very steep????
Being somewhat of what some would consider a gun nut in that I have more firearms then anyone could imagine what I NEED. I would like to relate Ricor’s high end custom built shock to the difference in firearms that are available. Any of us can go out and purchase a handgun that will shoot whatever calibers that one wants and they will shoot that round. How many times it will do so reliably without malfunction depends on how it is manufactured along with the inventors design. I have tried many inexpensive guns, primarily handguns and shotgun in semi auto. Most manufactures of bolt action rifles have similar reliability but not all will hold a decent group. The key word is tried. I did not keep them and sold them off at a loss to keep stepping up until I found the quality and reliability I wanted. Those that purchase a firearm and throw it in their drawer or where they keep it and think they are good because they have a gun many times have a less than desirable experience with them with push come to shove and it is NEEDED.
There are many choices in both firearms and shocks. Not everyone wants to pay for the best as there are other choices out there that cost a lot less,,,,,,,,” heck it worked most of the time I used it the last time at the range, what’s one stove pipe or failure to eject.. Not that big of a deal, I got it cheaper than the other model They both shoot the same caliber, why buy a more expensive higher end firearm just because it is more reliable.”
I could go on and on but just want to say, RICOR Racing Shocks is not trying to compete with the cheap off shore knock off shocks that are massed produced and marketed by numerous distributors with a lot of mark up between manufacturing, distribution, and retail (hence the supposedly great deal/discount at retail, as it cheap crap to start with, that you typically will find on ebay)
Yes we have we have some competition with one or perhaps two other manufactures who market a good motor cycle shock. That is where your choice should be compared to. We offer a discount to forum members because they have helped us with their feedback in refining our shock tune to the best that it can be. Many orders without the forum members code are at full retail, typically from write ups in magazines or other advertisement that we paid for…. Hence no discount.
If you deal with us, you will be dealing for now, directly with the manufacture. No distributor or retail mark-up, and you will be getting a fabulous deal even without the forum discount. We guarantee you will be satisfied no matter what shock you are using now, stock or the best you think is out there and you already purchased. Our shocks are custom built on each pre-order, they are not a shelf item or mass produced in advance.

 

Hal, I'd be happy to test a pair of Softail shocks too, once you get them ready.....