Hagon shocks
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 61
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From: Marietta Georgia
Hagon shocks
Hello all.. I'm ready to purchase a set of hagons for my 2011 Superglide. I d like to hear from those who have made the switch and what length they went to. it seems tha
t most go longer for the xtra travel the Hagons provide..thanks
t most go longer for the xtra travel the Hagons provide..thanks
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 2,554
From: UK
I went with 13" instead of the 12" standard on my FXDF. This was after consultation with Hagon - see below for advice from them:
"Thanks for your enquiry.
Let me start by suggesting to look at our website just to see the range and styles of shock absorbers we make.
On Dynas and Sportsters there is two issues which are the Achilles heel that need to be addressed which I will try and explain without writing the equivalent of war and peace.
on these models if you were to remove the rear shocks and lift the rear wheel and swing arm upwards there is contact when the shock eyes get to around 245mm apart.
Swing arm to gearbox on Dyna, belt guard to oil tank at 244mm on injected Sportsters.
Consequently the standard shock bottoms out at 250mm to avoid this issue, therefore a model with shocks 300mm long only have 50mm of travel of which 10-12mm of this is bump stop rubber.
A typical twin shock would have 80mm of stroke or travel, so if you take that 250mm compressed length and add the typical 80mm travel you have an overall length of 330mm or 13.
And more importantly another 30mm of travel!
If 330mm is too much for you to be happy with the bike cosmetically, every additional 10mm step in length increased from the original 300mm shock will be an additional 10mm of travel which is of course ride quality.
So that is the physics of one weakness, the other is simply getting the spring rate right (or better). Harley tend to use quite a soft spring with a large amount of preload.
This normally make a harsher rider for very light riders and a shock which will easily bottom out for anyone 12st plus and of course any one riding two up is riding on the bump stop.
So the bottom line is, it really is cosmetic over comfort.
It cant be low and ride great!"
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 2,554
From: UK
The only problem is that now I can feel how bad the stock front end is and want to change that next....
I don't notice any more gap between the rear fender and the tire - see below. The fender is about 20mm higher so there obviously is more of a gap, but I don't really notice it. The 2014 FXDF fender is cut quite differently to pretty much every other Harley anyway, so it's a kind of love it or hate it thing....
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 2,554
From: UK
I also want to have the fork stanchions blacked out using a Diamond Like Carbon coating.
The shocks are Nitros BTW...but I don't think they actually look much different.
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