I took a 200 mile ride yesterday,so I know very much how my bike rides, I had 35 pounds of air in the shocks.
I bought some Lucas 5 wt shock oil , and some Lucas oil stabilizer I mixed one oz with the 9oz of shock oil, to make it 7.5 wt or very close to it.
I used a mighty vac to suck the oil out of the shocks, I found a 1/8th inch pipe thread brake bleeder, and put the mighty vac on it ,and sucked the oil out while having the shock upside down ,once the shock was empty, I filled the cup on the vac pulled a vacuum and let the new fluid in , very easy , then took a ride with 10 pounds of air in the shocks, they performed very well, I think this was well worth the money,and time.
I think I may have to go up a few pounds when the wife rides, but we will see.

 

Same experience I had, when I went from the stock oil to 10wt Maxima I was able to reduce the air pressure from 45 to 18 for fully loaded two up riding without the harsh bottoming and topping out

 

I would recommend it to anyone, and using the mighty vac was so much easier than fill pump ,fill pump, fill pump.

 

I use two empty 1qt gear oil containers. the tips screw right into the threads of the shock holes. I put the shocks with the containers screwed in into a home depot orange paint bucket and let it sit over night. The fluid drains right into the shock with no pumping and humping. draining is the oposite with out the container....same oranage bucket...a brick in the bucket...shocks with no air fittings standing up hole end down....let it sit over night...everything drains...no humping and pumping.

 

I was able to change to new oil in both shocks in 1/2 hour, if you don't want to wait all night to do this a mighty vac is the ticket.

 

just did the same thing (diff. oil brand) but same process on sat, I am 227# was running around on NH backroads on <5lbs of air, big diff. from prior ride, best $10 I have spent on it. also look forward to to 2 up

 

Bill What is the model and part number and exact name for this mighty vac you use??? Please

David

 

How much oil does one shock take?

 

And what weight is stock?

 

Bill
This is right up my alley. Can't afford new shocks and would like to do the same thing. Would you mind, when you have time, to break this down for me and any others that haven't attempted something like this. Maybe a step by step. There will be a little extra under the old Christmas tree for ya, lol. Would appreciate it.