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Dyna Glide ModelsSuper Glide, Super Glide Sport, Super Glide Custom, Dyna Glide Convertible, Super Glide T-Sport, Dyna Glide Police, Dyna Switchback, Low Rider, Street Bob, Fat Bob and Wide Glide.
Howard, you better start training someone to replace you when you finally retire. If you don't, we be all going back to the stone ages (Harley's 1948 suspension design) once you're gone. LOL
Thanks, wished the OP would have at least spent the time reading than watching the movie (LINK) https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en...iowDXoECAgQBg#
Just because the shock is a piggyback does not mean they are all the same quality. Look at the piston in the movie (Ohlins). Some piggyback shocks have a piston in them, some have a thin wafer as a separator piston with a green O-Ring in them (photo of a Progressive high end 944)
and some have a rubber bladder in them where the shock oil is inside of the bladder and the pressurized nitrogen is sounding the bladder.. All not the same quality, performance, and ride.
One thing to note on Piggyback is that the oil flow through the compression valve is greatly reduced compared to a single body separated or emulsion shock. That ends up reducing compression damping which give a better road feel. I do think that some of the single body shocks have too much compression damping giving a rough ride. Another advantage of reservoir shocks is that the travel can be longer per given length.
this is spot on. if the compression from the factory is bang on for you and weight then you may be okay. but the adjustable compression is helpful based on if you go from 1 to 2 up, then luggage, and where you ride. Preload can help a bit but it's a band-aid for adjustable compression.
Howard, Could you explain the difference between Ricor shocks, and Ohlins from the perspective of road contact. I had Ricors on a Sportster, and they were superb. I'm interested specifically about Ricor's claim of constant adjusting, as contrasted to Ohlin's set it to the most frequent type of road/driving and occasionally the ride might suffer, but will be great most of the time. 13 inch Ricors only presented too bumpy a ride over washboard type surfaces. I am aware that Ricor has had a couple of issues, so I'm interested in another shock for my Dyna. The Progressive 444s are not tuned for my weight, and I'm looking for a more planted ride. Thanks
Howard, Could you explain the difference between Ricor shocks, and Ohlins from the perspective of road contact. I had Ricors on a Sportster, and they were superb. I'm interested specifically about Ricor's claim of constant adjusting, as contrasted to Ohlin's set it to the most frequent type of road/driving and occasionally the ride might suffer, but will be great most of the time. 13 inch Ricors only presented too bumpy a ride over washboard type surfaces. I am aware that Ricor has had a couple of issues, so I'm interested in another shock for my Dyna. The Progressive 444s are not tuned for my weight, and I'm looking for a more planted ride. Thanks
I had sport tuned ricors on the back of my 06 and had very mixed thoughts on them. I had them for years so pretty much went through it all with them. First off they handle the road really well at high speed, they really felt planted when pushing it, also felt great in the twisties, they handle large up/down road imperfections really well. I mean like short dips and stuff. But where they suffered was small road imperfections, you really felt every single tiny bump, I swear if you ran over a tiny piece of gravel you knew it, Washboard or small road imperfections in sequence they were absolutely terrible, they just didn't keep up, you felt terrible harshness on wash board and could even feel out of control a bit.
I blew the bottom seals twice and they did repair them as advertised and I'm greatful for that but it was a major inconvenance. luckily I had the stock shocks I could put back on.
My 14 lowrider has stock shock still and when I upgrade them I will not be going with ricor this time around.
Howard, Could you explain the difference between Ricor shocks, and Ohlins from the perspective of road contact. I had Ricors on a Sportster, and they were superb. I'm interested specifically about Ricor's claim of constant adjusting, as contrasted to Ohlin's set it to the most frequent type of road/driving and occasionally the ride might suffer, but will be great most of the time. 13 inch Ricors only presented too bumpy a ride over washboard type surfaces. I am aware that Ricor has had a couple of issues, so I'm interested in another shock for my Dyna. The Progressive 444s are not tuned for my weight, and I'm looking for a more planted ride. Thanks
I'll give this a shot. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong. Ohlins are nothing more than a low speed orifice / bending shim shock. There may be more than 1 orifice if the shock has an external reservoir but as far as I know the unibody isolated oil or emulsion shock only has one.
Ohlins rely on orifice for low speed and bending shims high speed for damping action only. The orifices are typically the only thing adjustable without taking the shock apart You can mess with bump stops and spring rates to change the shock feedback over it's travel but that is about it for adjustments. The good think is that these shocks are almost infinitely adjustable if you are willing to take them apart and they function very well.
The ricor shocks are very close except that the shim stack is more limited for peak velocity but add a floating valve that can open when the rear tire hits a bump. The valve is nothing more than a weight held in place with a very light spring that uncovers some bleed through holes if the shock shaft has to move up all of a sudden. This idea works really well if you hit a single bump. You hit the bump, the valve opens and shock compresses with very little resistance, the tire rolls over the bump and the rider feels very little. Life is good. The problem is that if the bumps occur at a rates that do not allow the valve to reset or the floating valve starts to bounce up and down in its place the damping goes all wonky and life is not good.
FWIW, Progressive 440s are pretty much the same as the ricors. 444s us a floating piston ring to allow some movement before the shims need to pass oil. 944s may be the same or close.
An interesting shock is the Terry Cable one. It's a variable orifice damping system. Middle travel has the least damping while ends of travel (top and bottom) have more.
Feel free to flame a way.. That's at least the way I understand it.
Dunno ... but here's my two bits, from the new guy.... when I redid the SM race bike last time double the money wasn't an issue to get the best ..... MX length suspension going from triples/dirt to asphalt was a no brainer decision .....
For the Dyna "On paper" the piggy backs rock....the standard shock long or standard for 600 beans will be so far ahead of what you had you'll be delirious..... for double the money (piggy back) I will guarantee you you'll never be able to justify the double in cost you just won't feel it and If you do with 2.5 inches of travel god bless ya.... or yur full of shiz trying to justify after the Visa bill comes in lol lol lol....
Dunno ... but here's my two bits, from the new guy.... when I redid the SM race bike last time double the money wasn't an issue to get the best ..... MX length suspension going from triples/dirt to asphalt was a no brainer decision .....
For the Dyna "On paper" the piggy backs rock....the standard shock long or standard for 600 beans will be so far ahead of what you had you'll be delirious..... for double the money (piggy back) I will guarantee you you'll never be able to justify the double in cost you just won't feel it and If you do with 2.5 inches of travel god bless ya.... or yur full of shiz trying to justify after the Visa bill comes in lol lol lol....
Could you please explain yourself better like what is SM Race Bike? Is that Super Moto? Is MX length mean? Is that a different bike such as classified as MX Enduro? I do not wish to make a statement but are you saying that you are racing against a TTX in the MX Enduro class? I have no idea what you are referring to and would like to understand what you are talking about. Please excuse my lack of knowledge in the classes you are referring to. I am not making any statements until I know what you are talking about. Thank you for your patience in this matter. I do know a passing of Dyna shocks and Dyna's in general.
I'll give this a shot. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong. Ohlins are nothing more than a low speed orifice / bending shim shock. There may be more than 1 orifice if the shock has an external reservoir but as far as I know the unibody isolated oil or emulsion shock only has one.
Ohlins rely on orifice for low speed and bending shims high speed for damping action only. The orifices are typically the only thing adjustable without taking the shock apart You can mess with bump stops and spring rates to change the shock feedback over it's travel but that is about it for adjustments. The good think is that these shocks are almost infinitely adjustable if you are willing to take them apart and they function very well.
The ricor shocks are very close except that the shim stack is more limited for peak velocity but add a floating valve that can open when the rear tire hits a bump. The valve is nothing more than a weight held in place with a very light spring that uncovers some bleed through holes if the shock shaft has to move up all of a sudden. This idea works really well if you hit a single bump. You hit the bump, the valve opens and shock compresses with very little resistance, the tire rolls over the bump and the rider feels very little. Life is good. The problem is that if the bumps occur at a rates that do not allow the valve to reset or the floating valve starts to bounce up and down in its place the damping goes all wonky and life is not good.
FWIW, Progressive 440s are pretty much the same as the ricors. 444s us a floating piston ring to allow some movement before the shims need to pass oil. 944s may be the same or close.
An interesting shock is the Terry Cable one. It's a variable orifice damping system. Middle travel has the least damping while ends of travel (top and bottom) have more.
Feel free to flame a way.. That's at least the way I understand it.
but as far as I know the unibody isolated oil or emulsion shock only has one.
Please go back maybe a month or so ago when I showed an actual separated compression & rebound adjustable such as a HD 159 or HD 772 & all of the others how they have two separate circuits. I have circles and arrows to break it down.
floating piston ring
I have taken apart a few Progressive shocks apart that people have left after their install here. I have not seen what you are talking about so please post a picture as I have searched the internet for an explanation or a picture. The only thing I found inside of a Progressive 944 was the simple wafer shown above (black with a green O Ring) which functions as a separator piston. If you look at the movie I posted you will see Ohlins typical separator piston. Is that what you are talking about? Thanks a head of time.
An Ohlins separator/floating piston looks way different as it has a piston ring and a O ring to seal the nitrogen in.
Please go back maybe a month or so ago when I showed an actual separated compression & rebound adjustable such as a HD 159 or HD 772 & all of the others how they have two separate circuits. I have circles and arrows to break it down.
Separate circuits for low speed? Could you post a link?
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The problem is that if the bumps occur at a rates that do not allow the valve to reset or the floating valve starts to bounce up and down in its place the damping goes all wonky and life is not good. 
