Please help me get this straight...
Does adding air to the rear shocks give a smoother ride, or firmer ride, or how does more/less air make a difference? Some guidelines. Thanks

 

For "me" I say firmer I don't bottom out with air in shocks. Around 32-40 depending on load coats junk in the trunk and stuff stuck in the tour pack. I'm sure we will have more opinions as well as comments soon on this tender subject!
Lift kit made a lot of difference as well but that improved handling.
ride safely fearless

 

This topic has been discussed to great lengths to try and find the magic PSI combo for the rear shocks / tires. A lot of members run with 24 PSI (give or take) in the rear tires and then it is trial and error for the shocks. Start at a mid way point of the recommendations in the operator's manual and keep doing a run over the same route while adding or removing a pound or 2 at a time. Too high a pressure will give you a very harsh ride and too little and you will bottom out on the bumps. There is a "sweet spot" there someplace...

Of course if you change the load on the trike, you will have to adjust your shock pressure accordingly. Add weight (passenger and or luggage) = add a bit of PSI. Remove weight (riding alone) = remove a bit of PSI.

You might want to purchase the valve stem extension from your dealer.. http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...stem-extension

You can attach it to the shock valve and then tie wrap it to the passenger grab rail. Makes it much easier to check and adjust the PSI not having to remove the side cover.

A lot of "jibber jabber" to answer your question but I hope it helps...

Good luck with your search for the "sweet spot"...

Cheers
Doug

 

That was all the rage some years ago when they 1st come out with that extension. Seems some hold air better than others. The ones that leaked down caused the owners to have to pump their suspension up as the air leaked out. They soon removed them and went back to doing it the old way, remove the side cover and adjust if needed.

 

Hadn't heard / read of that... Guess I got one of the good ones as mine has been on for for more than a year with no problems. Will certainly keep an eye on it though....
Thanks
Doug

 

I have been adjusting mine every month or so. Have had the bike for almost 8 months and over 6,000 miles, still may not have it right.

Currently I have rear tires at 25psi and suspension at 45. We were bottoming out 2-up so I have been increasing suspension psi. So more air will give me a firmer ride but keep me from bottoming out.


There really can't be a set number because everyone doesn't weigh the same or carry the same loads. I am guessing I will end up somewhere between 40 and 45psi as my sweet spot.

 

i run 22 lbs. in my tires and 25 in the shoicks with just me on it. when we ride two up i jack the shocks up to about 30 or 40. seems to work well. i'm 225, the wife is 130

 

I too had trouble bottoming out 2up. Had the pressure up to 50 in the shocks and 22 in the tires and still did. Finally bought a pair of pro-actions from dk customs. No more bottoming out and shocks to the spine. Pricey but worth it for the results. JMO

 

To find the sweet spot with the air shocks, make adjustments in 2 psi increments.

It is very easy to pass by the best setting if you go in 5 or 10 psi increments.

Before we started using "real" shocks, we noticed with the air shocks that both a lower PSI AND a higher PSI could be a less smooth ride than the sweet spot in-between.

LINK to report on shocks.

 

Since I perceived the Freewheeler ride as stiff I left the rear shocks at no pressure. After reading the responses here I decided to try it with some pressure.

I pumped them to 25 psi and went on a long ride of 222 miles over familiar roads.

I was both surprised and pleased that the bike rode with less harshness. It seems like it should be the other way around to me. From now on I will be pressurized!