what does everyone that runs oe shocks have their preload set at for 2 up riding? i had the dealer adjust mine while it was in and i think they set it to high. the service manual says 4 turns for the weight i figure but they went 5 which is 400 lbs. between me and my wife we only have 350 lbs and i don't have saddlebags to use at this time. not sure why they went that high.

 

4 turns works for me. With luggage thats about 320lb. Savin up for shotgun shock though.

 

Buy yourself a shock adjustment wrench from Harley or JP Cycles. They're cheep. You can then tune the shocks yourself to find the sweet spot.

 

This. Of course I then had to get a lift to actually make the adjustment. My slim sits too low to adjust the shocks on the ground.
I figure that's just another investment too.

 

A lift or jack can severely limit access, depending on the model. My manual mentions doing it on the ground.

The hillbilly way: Put one wheel up on a curb, and the other in the street. Or one in the driveway and the other in the street, and work in the low spot. Put a block under the kickstand.

Alternately, you could run the wheels up on a couple of 2x4s, but working in the gutter is more hillbilly-correct, and the neighbors will enjoy it more.

 

Below is the procedure I use and it works for me. I also jack the bike up, adjust one shock, then move the jack slightly and then adjust the second one. Mine are adjusted all the way out seeing that I'm 250 and my wife 135 so a total rider weight of 385. I don't change the setting when riding solo, however if I was going any distance by myself I would certainly adjust the setting.

1) Jack the bike up so the rear tire is off the ground. The more clearance you have the easier it is. Don't forget to strap the bike down. You don't want it falling on you while you’re wrenching underneath it.

2) Loosen the jam nut all the way out. It’s a 1-11/16" nut. If it doesn't want to loosen easily (which is often the case), soak it in some penetrating lube.

3) With a spanner wrench (HD p/n 94448-82B) turn the adjuster plate counter-clockwise (so the shock housing moves towards the front of the bike) until it’s up against the jam nut.

4) Then take a light colored paint pen, or a piece of duct tape, and mark the 6 o'clock position on the adjuster plate to use as a reference point when doing your adjustment. Don't worry if they're not in exactly the same position on both shocks. That’s normal.

Now you’re ready to adjust the shocks to your weight/load.

5) With the spanner wrench, turn the adjuster plate clockwise no more than 4 complete turns by counting how many times the mark from step 4 crosses the 6 o'clock position. 0 turns is the stiffest setting, and 4 turns is the softest setting.

6) While holding the adjuster plate in place with the spanner wrench, tighten the jam nut up against the adjuster plate by turning the nut clockwise.

7) Now repeat the exact same process on the other shock. The key is to adjust both shocks equally.

The general rule of thumb I use is:
4 turns for load <= 180 lbs.
3 turns for 180lbs < load <= 235lbs
2 turns for 235lbs < load <= 300lbs
1 turn for 300lbs < load <= 375lbs
0 turns for 375 < load

Examples:
235lbs solo rider: 3 full turns
235lbs solo rider + 32lbs pack: 2.5 turns
235lbs rider + 150lbs passenger + 32lbs pack: 0.5 turns