Switchback "ripoff"
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 3
From: Ca.
Well the front fork springs are rip off here's why:
Some of you may have read some of my posts about my front end bottoming out and clanging on my fld. It got worse after having my lowers chromed out.
Well, I had the indy shop who did the sliders change out the fork oil from 10wt to 15wt., the bottoming out went away but then it felt rigid...yada yada
Well, I'm having micky cohen do my dyno work and while he was at it, I told him to change out the front springs to racetech springs and finish it all off once and for all.
You would not believe the **** spring HD put in there. The bottom of the springs are progressive wound. The freakin spring is so long that with the required preload, it totally compresses the bottom of the spring. It is totally compressed on the bottom and then flops around in the chamber (for lack of better description) due to over compression. So the ONLY travel is the top 50% of the spring. It puts uneven pressure on everything. I saw this with my own eyes today. I'm no expert, but that is a stupid design.
To make matters even worse, my first indy guy left out one of the bushings and it consequently trashed the seal. Two new bushings and seals =$200!
I'm pissed but to move on, I'm going to consider it yet another incentive to learn how to do this work myself. I could bill him, but decided to shine it as it's more trouble than it's worth.
So...Heads up FLD owners, you have this problem too but don't know it yet. If you do the spring change out yourself and don't have to change out bushings and seals, the racetech spring is only about $125. I'd do it if I was you. FYI
p.s. that new bassani 2>1 looks killer in person, you guys are gonna love it.
Well, I had the indy shop who did the sliders change out the fork oil from 10wt to 15wt., the bottoming out went away but then it felt rigid...yada yada
Well, I'm having micky cohen do my dyno work and while he was at it, I told him to change out the front springs to racetech springs and finish it all off once and for all.
You would not believe the **** spring HD put in there. The bottom of the springs are progressive wound. The freakin spring is so long that with the required preload, it totally compresses the bottom of the spring. It is totally compressed on the bottom and then flops around in the chamber (for lack of better description) due to over compression. So the ONLY travel is the top 50% of the spring. It puts uneven pressure on everything. I saw this with my own eyes today. I'm no expert, but that is a stupid design.
To make matters even worse, my first indy guy left out one of the bushings and it consequently trashed the seal. Two new bushings and seals =$200!
I'm pissed but to move on, I'm going to consider it yet another incentive to learn how to do this work myself. I could bill him, but decided to shine it as it's more trouble than it's worth.
So...Heads up FLD owners, you have this problem too but don't know it yet. If you do the spring change out yourself and don't have to change out bushings and seals, the racetech spring is only about $125. I'd do it if I was you. FYI
p.s. that new bassani 2>1 looks killer in person, you guys are gonna love it.
Last edited by FBinSoCal; Feb 3, 2012 at 02:16 PM.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,919
Likes: 23
From: Seattle, WA
I'm a satisfied customer of RaceTech ... I have both the springs and the 'gold valve' cartridge emulators ....
As I understand the 'open bath' hydraulic forks, the weight of the fork oil does not have very much impact on bottoming ... if the level of the oil in the fork is increased it will not bottom out as low due to there being less air ... the oil does not compress (at least not compared to air) ....
The cartridge emulators cover the top of the damper rod (tube) and regulate the amount /rate of oil flowing through it ... there is an adjustment on the valve that controls the spring rate on the valve allowing oil to pass through it easier or harder ....
But, to your point ... definitely a great improvement and quality goods ....
R/
'Chop
As I understand the 'open bath' hydraulic forks, the weight of the fork oil does not have very much impact on bottoming ... if the level of the oil in the fork is increased it will not bottom out as low due to there being less air ... the oil does not compress (at least not compared to air) ....
The cartridge emulators cover the top of the damper rod (tube) and regulate the amount /rate of oil flowing through it ... there is an adjustment on the valve that controls the spring rate on the valve allowing oil to pass through it easier or harder ....
But, to your point ... definitely a great improvement and quality goods ....
R/
'Chop
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 3
From: Ca.
It might have work as it's supposed to if HD had installed the right spring, that's really my point of the earlier post. The rest of the system including the stock cartidge that's in there, is all good.
I'm a satisfied customer of RaceTech ... I have both the springs and the 'gold valve' cartridge emulators ....
As I understand the 'open bath' hydraulic forks, the weight of the fork oil does not have very much impact on bottoming ... if the level of the oil in the fork is increased it will not bottom out as low due to there being less air ... the oil does not compress (at least not compared to air) ....
The cartridge emulators cover the top of the damper rod (tube) and regulate the amount /rate of oil flowing through it ... there is an adjustment on the valve that controls the spring rate on the valve allowing oil to pass through it easier or harder ....
But, to your point ... definitely a great improvement and quality goods ....
R/
'Chop
As I understand the 'open bath' hydraulic forks, the weight of the fork oil does not have very much impact on bottoming ... if the level of the oil in the fork is increased it will not bottom out as low due to there being less air ... the oil does not compress (at least not compared to air) ....
The cartridge emulators cover the top of the damper rod (tube) and regulate the amount /rate of oil flowing through it ... there is an adjustment on the valve that controls the spring rate on the valve allowing oil to pass through it easier or harder ....
But, to your point ... definitely a great improvement and quality goods ....
R/
'Chop
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,063
Likes: 5
From: Flatlander
Now you tell me.
Ment to be a facetious coment.
Ive made a few bad moves in my day, I can tell you
my FLD is far from falling in that category.
In fact I would have to say the bike is the opposite
of being a rip-off.
Really not that hard to understand if you have one, IMO.
Last edited by perryross; Feb 3, 2012 at 04:39 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 3
From: Ca.
I'm sure he (the first indy) contributed bro, but I'm telling you...those front springs don't belong in there. Call mickey cohen motorsports, ask for mickey (really stand up guy) and he will tell you what we saw in better terms than I can. You know how to do this stuff, the springs are only $125 + oil. Even HD admitted to me the racetech springs were the way to go. It's cheap insurance. Once that slop in there starts trashing your seals, you will wish you did. They don't just sell seals or bushings, it's a two piece package and they are $100 a side. Do the springs now and everything should be reusable unless they (seals) got trashed already like mine.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 837
Likes: 1
From: Radcliff, Ky
i'm gonna put a lot o miles on it while its under warranty, so far i'm not having any issues.. but when i do i, 'll give those a try.. right now 125.00 is gotta be spent elsewhere on ruby..lol
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,291
Likes: 0
From: WireGrass, AL
Hey I think any Harley bought new is a rip off, yes I said any of them there are to many supper nice hardly ridden used ones sitting in garages all over the place. Just last week a used Switchback sold for less than 12k on ebay. The Switchback looks like a very nice package priced about right.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
I am over here in Afghanistan right now and I have a Marine that just ordered one and got the ABS, security, 7 year warranty, set-up, detination, blah, blah, blah....
Total price 17,800....
I have a 2011 Street Glide and if I didn't have that I would get a Switchback. For the money and what you are getting, it is a hell of a deal. For those of you that want to "bash" the bike and say that you can get a RK for not much more, that is great. But, isn't that your opinion and what you want. Hell, if we all had the same exact bike that would be boring. Also, I know that most of us change stuff on our bikes anyways. We make them ours. And if you don't like someone else's bike, it really doesn't matter because you don't have to pay for it.
I think that main thing here is if the one that buys it thinks that is what they want ....
Total price 17,800....
I have a 2011 Street Glide and if I didn't have that I would get a Switchback. For the money and what you are getting, it is a hell of a deal. For those of you that want to "bash" the bike and say that you can get a RK for not much more, that is great. But, isn't that your opinion and what you want. Hell, if we all had the same exact bike that would be boring. Also, I know that most of us change stuff on our bikes anyways. We make them ours. And if you don't like someone else's bike, it really doesn't matter because you don't have to pay for it.
I think that main thing here is if the one that buys it thinks that is what they want ....