Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2006
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Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
Anyone have any tips on adjusting the rear shocks on a 07 Deluxe? I've been bottoming out the rear end when my wife & I ride 2 up and we hit a bigger than average bump. We weigh a combined 280 so it's not like we're too heavy. We have the stock setup on the shocks. I bought the spanning wrench ($14) and tried to follow the manual. The problem is that when the bike is on the jiffy stand, there's virtually no clearance under the shocks to get the wrench in there. The manual said it can be done on the stand but looks near impossible to me. Anyone done it this way, any advice would be appreciated. Also any advice on how many clicks to turn it.
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[IMG]local://upfiles/17245/05CD0E5FD29B4DD8963FFFF79542D735.jpg[/IMG]
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2006
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RE: Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
measure the shock height unloaded. You will need a third party to help. with you and wife on bike, it should only drop 3/4 inch. You will need to play with tightening the ring until you get it right.
Stage IV
Joined: Jan 2007
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RE: Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
Have you sucseeded? Would be nice to hear. Iâm about to purchase the Deluxe, but the low clearance is still something a bit difficult to accept and I would like toincrease it to the Heritage level. Any thoughts on that ?
Thanks,
DAN.
Thanks,
DAN.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2006
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RE: Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
Thats kinda odd to hear that your Deluxe bottoms out like that. I have a stock set up and my wife and I weight @ 300 together and I have never had any problems what so ever. Keep us updated on your progress.
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2006
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RE: Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
I say it bottoms out because when my wife is on the back and we go over a deep bump (especially the raised lip of my driveway), the bike makes a metal on metal sound and it feels like I get a hard hit from my seat. Sort of like no more spring travel. I don't get that reaction when it's only me on the bike. I'm interested in hearing if anyone has adjusted their rear shocks with the bike on the jiffy stand. It doesn't look like there's enough ground clearance to get a wrench under there to adjust it. My friend has a bike lift so I may try using that this week. Mine's a 2007. Maybe the stock setup changed from the 2006 (doubt it).
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,475
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From: Knoxville TN
RE: Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
Yeah, you can do it on the stand. If not , jack it up. Pay attention when counting turns. Both need to be the same. Ive ran mine just about all the way out to the stiffest position.
Just dont think about anything else when you are counting how many times you have turned the thingy, or youl be saying to yourself, dang, was that 4 or 5 turns. Dont ask me how I know that. Just lay down on the ground and be patient. Oh yeah, mark that thingy you turn with a drop of paint or something, makes it easyer to count turns.
Just dont think about anything else when you are counting how many times you have turned the thingy, or youl be saying to yourself, dang, was that 4 or 5 turns. Dont ask me how I know that. Just lay down on the ground and be patient. Oh yeah, mark that thingy you turn with a drop of paint or something, makes it easyer to count turns.
Supporter
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,714
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From: San Ramon, Ca
RE: Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
So you loosen the locknut, right? Then turn clockwise to loosen ? The more you turn counter-clockwise stiffens the ride . . . right? Or do I have that backwards. I have the stock Harley shocks with the Proggresive Susp adjustable lowering kit. Evenat the stock height, it rides like a Mack truck.
Thanks
Thanks
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
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RE: Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
I used a motorcycel jack up under the motor leaving enough room to get at the shocks. Loosen the lock nut and turn counter clockwise to tighten the shocks. Just the opposite of what appears to be the logical way to tighten the shock.
They can be hard to turn. I made sure that both shocks were turned the same number of turns. I believe you can only do a third of a turn before you hit the frame so I just kept track of the number of partial turns and did about one and one half full turns. It made a world of difference for our bike. The wife and I weigh a little over 300 together and we were having a lot of trouble dragging and compressing the shocks at freeway speeds. The changecorrected the problem.
One of the posts above gives the same instructions and he has it right. You might have someone hold onto the bike when you loosen the shocks because you may have to put a little body english into it and dump the bike.
They can be hard to turn. I made sure that both shocks were turned the same number of turns. I believe you can only do a third of a turn before you hit the frame so I just kept track of the number of partial turns and did about one and one half full turns. It made a world of difference for our bike. The wife and I weigh a little over 300 together and we were having a lot of trouble dragging and compressing the shocks at freeway speeds. The changecorrected the problem.
One of the posts above gives the same instructions and he has it right. You might have someone hold onto the bike when you loosen the shocks because you may have to put a little body english into it and dump the bike.
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Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 269
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From:
RE: Adjusting Shocks on a Deluxe
When you say 1 1/2 turns, do you mean you turned the shock adjusting wrench 540 degrees in the heavier loading direction? One more question, what kind of a wrench did you use to loosen the locking nut? My toolbox doesn't have a wrench that big and I was going to buy one just for this job. It looks like the wrench can't be too long too or you won't be able to get it between the nut and the ground (without a lift).
