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Worth noteing is when filling out Howard's form for the percentages of riding solo and 2 up for the weights. Insure the weights are correct, if you ride solo with the TP off you will need to let him know. The TP is around 55lbs and Iv read a reviews from guys that could not get the shocks dialed in to there low body weight.
Yep. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. My bike is everything from a solo bar hopper with no TP to a fully loaded 2 up cross country hauler. I'll probably set sag for 2 up (no TP) and deal with the firmer ride solo. Maybe I'll add a bit of preload when we load the bike up.
Originally Posted by 30glock
Good Info thanks for posting the Links, anyone care to share the out of pocket cost for these shocks
The 2.5s were about $800 to my door. That included shipping and a Paypal fee. You can avoid the fee by doing a deposit at a Bank of America. For me it was worth it to just pay the extra.
The 2-x are probably plenty good for most riders. I went the next step up because of the widely varied weighting on the bike.
Yep. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. My bike is everything from a solo bar hopper with no TP to a fully loaded 2 up cross country hauler. I'll probably set sag for 2 up (no TP) and deal with the firmer ride solo. Maybe I'll add a bit of preload when we load the bike up.
The 2.5s were about $800 to my door. That included shipping and a Paypal fee. You can avoid the fee by doing a deposit at a Bank of America. For me it was worth it to just pay the extra.
The 2-x are probably plenty good for most riders. I went the next step up because of the widely varied weighting on the bike.
Btw - they showed up today. Very exciting!
I'm looking forward to you initial impressions... Got 'em installed yet? I think I got his last pair. Another thing about the 2.5 is that they can be upgraded to the 6-x if desired at a later date.
I've been a big fan of Ohlins for many years. I've had them on other bikes and have a set of the R&Ts they developed for my BMW E46 M3. Great shocks for the track and I can dial them back for when I'm driving the car around town. I think that Ohlins has made me a suspension *****...
I'm looking forward to you initial impressions... Got 'em installed yet? I think I got his last pair. Another thing about the 2.5 is that they can be upgraded to the 6-x if desired at a later date.
I've been a big fan of Ohlins for many years. I've had them on other bikes and have a set of the R&Ts they developed for my BMW E46 M3. Great shocks for the track and I can dial them back for when I'm driving the car around town. I think that Ohlins has made me a suspension *****...
For shame - everyone knows Bilstein is the strut of choice for BMWs.
I don't have them on yet. They showed up yesterday and it's been raining like a **** here as well as cold. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow and the sun may even make an appearance. I have some other things that arrived to add to the bike so it should be a fun weekend.
For shame - everyone knows Bilstein is the strut of choice for BMWs.
I don't have them on yet. They showed up yesterday and it's been raining like a **** here as well as cold. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow and the sun may even make an appearance. I have some other things that arrived to add to the bike so it should be a fun weekend.
LOL... The Bilsteins are too harsh for my tastes and I got a helluva deal on the R&Ts. Those 2.5s sure look good. I can't wait to get mine and put them on the bike.
We spent some time on the 2.5s this weekend. When I installed them, Cheryl wasn't around so I had to guesstimate the sag. I set it to be firm for me and hopefully just right for 2 up. I didn't touch dampening.
I could tell the difference before I made it to the street. Where I have the bike parked is a long drive with hastily repaired cold patch pot holes and small speed bumps. The old shocks would buck the bike all over. I had to swerve around to find the smoothest route. This time I purposely ran a straight line over whatever lay in my path. The ride was better than ever - even hitting the bumps.
On the street it was firm, but compliant. The extra travel is immediately noticeable in a very good way. Normally I will hit an expansion joint or two that will cause me to cuss. That was gone. Even on the highway headed downtown, where I know my back tire was typically in the air on certain spots, the bike felt planted. The bumps don't go away. You do feel them. Some are big and the hit is still hard, but the shocks do a great job of minimizing that. One can only expect so much from a 900 lb bike with 3.75 inches of travel to work with. And lets not forget that the fork is stock. It's short comings become more apparent with the better rear shocks.
Later, with Cheryl on, the bike felt about the same. Firm but planted. The sharp bumps that went up our spines were gone. I reset the sag and adjusted the dampening down to 10 clicks from the bottom. That really improved things even more. We put on about 150 miles yesterday and all I can say is that what used to be an issue, is now gone. The ride is fantastic.
Last edited by nevada72; Apr 13, 2015 at 08:20 AM.
We spent some time on the 2.5s this weekend. When I installed them, Cheryl wasn't around so I had to guesstimate the sag. I set it to be firm for me and hopefully just right for 2 up. I didn't touch dampening.
I could tell the difference before I made it to the street. Where I have the bike parked is a long drive with hastily repaired cold patch pot holes and small speed bumps. The old shocks would buck the bike all over. I had to swerve around to find the smoothest route. This time I purposely ran a straight line over whatever lay in my path. The ride was better than ever - even hitting the bumps.
On the street it was firm, but compliant. The extra travel is immediately noticeable in a very good way. Normally I will hit an expansion joint or two that will cause me to cuss. That was gone. Even on the highway headed downtown, where I know my back tire was typically in the air on certain spots, the bike felt planted. The bumps don't go away. You do feel them. Some are big and the hit is still hard, but the shocks do a great job of minimizing that. One can only expect so much from a 900 lb bike with 3.75 inches of travel to work with. And lets not forget that the fork is stock. It's short comings become more apparent with the better rear shocks.
Later, with Cheryl on, the bike felt about the same. Firm but planted. The sharp bumps that went up our spines were gone. I reset the sag and adjusted the dampening down to 10 clicks from the bottom. That really improved things even more. We put on about 150 miles yesterday and all I can say is that what used to be an issue, is now gone. The ride is fantastic.
Wow! I think that you just made my day! From your descriptions of you first ride, these will address all my issues and complaints. Thanks for keeping us updated!!!
Ok so I've searched and read everything I can find on here about shocks. And still I'm confused.
I have a 2014 street glide and I weigh 165 lbs and I ride solo all the time. The ride is so rough my back cannot take another trip.
Can someone point me in the right direction of which shock to try... Progressive, Ohlins, or premium hd? I've read that the lighter riders seem to have the most trouble with this. I just want a smoother more cushioned ride.
bitubo rear shocks with the lighter springs. this works great for me on my SGS 2014. I am also 165 lbs and had the same problem you had. Also using Racetech gold valve emulators on the front. have them done professionally and the ride is unbelievable!
Wow! I think that you just made my day! From your descriptions of you first ride, these will address all my issues and complaints. Thanks for keeping us updated!!!
No problem. And fwiw, and maybe to make it even more complicated, a friend just installed Progressive 944s and he has as many good things to say about them as I do the Ohlins. There are a number of choices out there and I think as long as you are willing to pony up a bit of cash, you'll get a decent product.
For me, I had a familiarity with Ohlins and knew them to be a very high quality shock.
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