so i have a 91 flhtcu with the front anti dive that doesn't work, and read air ride that doesn't hold air, seeing how the bike is almost 25 yrs old wondering if i should keep the rear air ride or go progressive? i like the idea of on the fly suspension adjustment, but dont think the 10lb max rear air is going to make that much of a difference. so if i keep the air ride ( which im leaning that way ) can i update to newer air ride shocks that take a higher pressure ? i do a lot of 2 up riding wife and i at about 500 lbs total, im a big guy. right now im more concerned about the back then the anti dive, which without taking anything apart im assuming is the solenoid, since the front holds air ..

thanks for everyone's input forum has been a god sent for me so far

 

'90 Glide, owned from new. Yes you can replace your rear air shocks with muvh more recent ones, you can probably find them secondhand on Ebay, possibly in the HDF Classifieds. Later versions can use up to 50 psi I understand, while your original ones go up to 20psi. Up front the air system is simple enough to repair, if needed, assuming your bars are stock. The rubber pipe from the bars to the manifold on top of the fork legs may be perished or damaged, or the rubber O rings damaged, or ditto the copper washers. You can study those parts using an on-line parts website, like this one.

If you are tempted to replace your shocks with aftermarket ones, I strongly recommend Ohlins. The two of you, as you say, are pretty heavy and there is no substitute for a set of shocks set-up to match your weight. Give HDF sponsor Howard of Motorcycle Metal a call. You will earn more brownie points from Mrs D than you can imagine!

Up front, at the least replace the springs with single-rate ones, such as Race Tech, again matched to your weight. Or buy Ohlins fork cartridges, which will give your bike a substantial uplift in ride quality and comfort.

 

The front bar are stock as of right now, but plan on changing them out soon, I'll be building an air reservoir( that is if the bars are actually a reservoir and not a simple pass through) and relocating the shader valve to the back right where the one for the back is. I like the concept of the anti dive, if it works as planned, and air ride I'd like to keep so I'll upgrade shocks.

Here another question the bike is a little high for me 30" inseam, so if I went 1" lower on rear shock I assume this would help with no bottoming out problems, once air is properly adjusted?

 

I'm a similar height, but have always kept the stock ride height. If you use lower shocks (such as SG ones) they have reduced travel and will not give as good a ride quality as stock height ones. Plenty of HDF members swap from one length to the other and I imagine there are shocks out there that have swapped between owners and bikes and are now in a flat spin!

You will get bottoming out problems with most Harley shocks, that is why they are such a popular aftermarket purchase. There are zillions of threads around HDF about shocks, especially for the touring models: especially when 2-up there are not many of them that give a decent ride quality. There's a good reason I gave my Ohlins advice earlier - I've been there and found the solution!

 

so you recommend fix the front, and eliminate the rear air and go to Ohlins? not looking to reinvent the wheel if someone has something that works and has similar riding as me im all for that method...

 

Yes. In fact I am also fixing the front with Ohlins as well, however the greatest benefit comes from using their shocks. If you buy from Howard he will ensure the springs suit you and Mrs D. I followed similar advice about 8 years ago, so this is rather like a relay race, passing on the baton of advice to fellow competitors!

 

thank you ill be calling them soon, thank you again so much for the advice, its nice when others share the solution to a problem, vs making people spend big $ to figure out same solution..

so many things i want to do to this bike, but ride comfort is #1, because without comfort there is no riding

 

I fixed the front anti-dive on mine a few years ago. The solenoid was still available from HD at the time. I think it is a standard industrial part, so even if HD doesn't stock it, you could probably still find one. If I recall, at the time, I couldn't find the exact part number written on the old one with a google search. I found something "real close," though, but because it wasn't the exact part number, I bought one from the dealer. The one they ordered and sold me had the same part number I found online. Other than the solenoid, it is just plumbing. I like the anti-dive. I run mine at 30 PSI, but my reservoir is the engine guard bar, not the handlebars.

 

When I swapped bars on my 94 I used the engine guard up front and put the schrader valve on the right side with a hose barb on the left.

Griz

 

Never thought of engine guard, didn't realize it was air tight