I’m getting closer to a decision to buy a new Heritage Classic and thinking about the build I want. Reason for the Heritage is that I love the mix of dark styling you can get on a classic looking bike. I think you can build something that looks classic, but also modern at the same time with all the blacked out bits. It also seems like a bike that can serve two purposes - I can take the bags and screen off and have it look cool for local riding, or I can put them back on and do some touring on it. I know the luggage capacity isn’t huge, but I always think it is best to travel ultra-light on motorbike trips anyway.

So I want the bike to look good on some days, and be a practical, reliable tourer on others.

This gives me a dilemma on whether to go for air rear shocks? I plan to get whitewall tires for it, but in pictures I’ve seen they look a bit weird with the rear fender at stock ride height. I think you need to lower the rear so part of the whitewall is hidden by the fender to get the right look. However, I don’t want to reduce lean angle because I want to enjoy the roads I ride while touring, and the Heritage Classic is already less lean angle that I’d ideally like even at stock. I’m thinking about the Legend Air Suspension - I know other systems like the Shotgun give you the ability to ride lowered while the Legend system doesn’t, but I think I’ll only want the bike in its low setting while it is parked, or at very slow speeds in town for very short distances.

But I’ve read loads of threads on this forum and they tend to go “<insert name of air suspension company here>’s customer service is great! They’ve been wonderful to deal with on all of the the 63 times my air suspension failed and I sent it back to them for a rebuild.” This is all well and good for a bike that will only ever be used locally and a few week’s downtime to get the suspension sorted out isn’t the end of the world. But if I’m a few days into a long-distance multi-week tour and my suspension fails I’ll be in big trouble. This makes me think that air suspension probably isn’t reliable enough to install on bikes that will be used for touring. Essentially - I don’t want to test their customer service at all with suspension failures, I just need it to work reliably and not fail in the first place.

So I’m looking for opinions of people who have air suspension (especially Legend, but I’m interested in hearing about other systems as well), would you put it on a bike used for touring or is it too big of a risk? If I do have to pick between vanity of the bike looking cool, and practicality of it being reliable for touring the reliable touring case will win with me as enjoyment is more important than vanity.

 

I have studied air suspension systems but have never bought one. I would buy this one: Arnott TRUAIR More Info

 

wow Hulkss, where is the Heritage ?

 

personally, only had air on one bike...more of a show, local cruiser piece...
But, for over 10 yrs...had a truck with air that was a frequent daily driver / weekend brawler. I WOULD NEVER DO IT AGAIN, it was a pain everytime power was lost, or just the general need to work on it, parts were not at every corner store.
always had to order or locate what was needed.

 

I'm going to try out a new FLHP. I have a thread about it here: FLHP Thread

 

It does sound like it might be more robust than competitors if their marketing of it is to be believed, but I guess no way of knowing whether to trust that. I like that their controller has a built-in pressure gauge… I hate that it’s so ugly with a huge logo on it, but still, ugly pressure gauge better than no pressure gauge!

I did spot that they only have a 2 year warranty, whereas Legend have a lifetime warranty. If I did get air suspension, and it is as unreliable as I fear, a lifetime warranty might be useful!

Love the truck! But yeah, this is what I fear… there’ll be a lot of downtime when it fails. And if it fails halfway across the country on a multi-state tour that’s probably tour over (or a very painful ride on the bump stops!! ). So I shouldn’t get it for a bike I plan to tour on, I know this, yet I still want it….. why are there always so many head Vs heart decisions when it comes to motorcycling? I think my head is going to win the day on this one, but my heart is still looking at pictures of slammed bikes and wondering whether I should take the risk.

Anyone here have many trouble-free touring miles on air suspension and think the reliability risks aren’t a deal-breaker for it?

 

I would buy the product that you think is designed and made the best. A warranty won't help much if you break down on the road.

 

Looks a bit cheaper than Legend too, which will give me more money to spend on tow trucks when it fails and leaves me stranded!

Thinking about it, if it does fail while I’m on the road far from home, I suppose I just have to get to a Harley dealer and have them replace it with OEM suspension to get me back on the road again to continue the trip. Then I could think about whether to have the air suspension refitted when I get back home or give up on it. Annoying, and expensive, and might delay me a few days… but not necessarily totally game over for the whole trip.

 

I don't know why you would need the complexity of air suspension to make a Heritage with whitewalls look good.



Looks pretty good to me and I'm pretty sure there is no air ride involved.

Seems like a whole lot of expense and headache in the hope that it might look "cool" sitting in a parking spot. I might be more inclined to worry about how it looked and, in particular, how it performed going down the road.

 

You’re definitely right. As I say, my head says I shouldn’t bother and I suspect that’s what I’ll land on in the end. Mine will have the bags removed most of the time though, in that picture you can’t see how high the rear fender sits because it’s hidden by the bags. From what I’ve seen of the bike without the bags I think the fender sits a bit too high above the wheel and that is accentuated when you put whitewalls on it to my eye.

But you’re totally right about why ruin a good bike just so it looks a bit cooler in a parking lot. The logical part of me agrees with you on that, and I expect logic will win out.