More SHOCK talk
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 520
Likes: 1
From: Newark OH
I would venture to say there are several hundred people that have done this mod. How many of them have had the shocks create a problem? I would venture to say NONE.
I for one am one that did the mod and it was a great mod. One of the best investments I have made. Sadly I need to lower the bike for the Mrs and will have to replace them with 11" shocks.
MH
I posted in your other thread, too, but just wanted to give you as much info as possible all in one place:
I put RK 13" shocks on my 09 Iron. I got them off of craigslist for $50. I took the air valves out and replaced them with Schraeder valves I got from O'Reilly's for $3.50. I put them on my bike in a backwards position so that the valves are facing backwards (easier to reach them to put air in or take air out). I put lowering blocks on them also to drop the stance back down to stock. It's actually about a 1/2 inch shorter than stock now, and I LOVE it. I did use some basic washers from Lowe's to space out the eyelets from the frame of the bike. If you do this mod, make sure that the shocks either have oil in them still, or you replace the oil if the seller took it out to ship. Depending on your height / weight, you will need to play with the psi in the shocks to determine what is best for you. I rode them empty, and decided to add 5 psi to see if it helped. I'm 5'8", 260, and that is the best fit for me. I even went back to O'reilly's and bought some valve stem caps that are chrome skulls with red eyes to screw on the stems. I'm not exactly a mechanical genius, but that this mod was easy all the way around. If you're interested in doing it, PM me and I will give you a detailed walkthrough and help you out in any way I can. Here's a few pics (before the lowering blocks:
I put RK 13" shocks on my 09 Iron. I got them off of craigslist for $50. I took the air valves out and replaced them with Schraeder valves I got from O'Reilly's for $3.50. I put them on my bike in a backwards position so that the valves are facing backwards (easier to reach them to put air in or take air out). I put lowering blocks on them also to drop the stance back down to stock. It's actually about a 1/2 inch shorter than stock now, and I LOVE it. I did use some basic washers from Lowe's to space out the eyelets from the frame of the bike. If you do this mod, make sure that the shocks either have oil in them still, or you replace the oil if the seller took it out to ship. Depending on your height / weight, you will need to play with the psi in the shocks to determine what is best for you. I rode them empty, and decided to add 5 psi to see if it helped. I'm 5'8", 260, and that is the best fit for me. I even went back to O'reilly's and bought some valve stem caps that are chrome skulls with red eyes to screw on the stems. I'm not exactly a mechanical genius, but that this mod was easy all the way around. If you're interested in doing it, PM me and I will give you a detailed walkthrough and help you out in any way I can. Here's a few pics (before the lowering blocks:
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,122
Likes: 43
From: Boise Idaho
This must be the most ignorant comment I have heard on this forum yet. What in your "professional" opinion causes you to feel that these shocks are unsafe on sportsters and why? Inquiring minds want to know.
I would venture to say there are several hundred people that have done this mod. How many of them have had the shocks create a problem? I would venture to say NONE.
I for one am one that did the mod and it was a great mod. One of the best investments I have made. Sadly I need to lower the bike for the Mrs and will have to replace them with 11" shocks.
MH
I would venture to say there are several hundred people that have done this mod. How many of them have had the shocks create a problem? I would venture to say NONE.
I for one am one that did the mod and it was a great mod. One of the best investments I have made. Sadly I need to lower the bike for the Mrs and will have to replace them with 11" shocks.
MH
Just because someone hasn't died yet doesn't mean it's a good idea. I've done this cheap crap myself in the past and gotten lucky also, but not always.
You are right about this sight there is a lot of ignorant crap that goes around here, sometimes it just makes me cringe when I read some of the stuff people try and get away with.
I'm not busting *****, I'm just sharing 35 years of experience and somethings are best enough left alone.
Last edited by jag1886; Jun 25, 2010 at 06:58 PM.
Banned
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 2
From: Fairmont, Wv
Lets see your are putting a set of shocks on made for a bike that weighs 30% more so the valving is off and then you put a set of those rinky dink adapters on that change the working angle of the shock which can adversely affect the bike also.
Just because someone hasn't died yet doesn't mean it's a good idea. I've done this cheap crap myself in the past and gotten lucky also, but not always.
You are right about this sight there is a lot of ignorant crap that goes around here, sometimes it just makes me cringe when I read some of the stuff people try and get away with.
I'm not busting *****, I'm just sharing 35 years of experience and somethings are best enough left alone.
Just because someone hasn't died yet doesn't mean it's a good idea. I've done this cheap crap myself in the past and gotten lucky also, but not always.
You are right about this sight there is a lot of ignorant crap that goes around here, sometimes it just makes me cringe when I read some of the stuff people try and get away with.
I'm not busting *****, I'm just sharing 35 years of experience and somethings are best enough left alone.
I have over 20 years wrenching on just about any type of vehicle you can think of from tricycles to heavy equipment we use 5 miles underground mining coal.
Now to set you straight on the subject, a shocks job is to keep the tire on the ground, to allow some travel to roll over potholes and bumps in the road without leaving the roadway while making it a smother ride .
With stock shocks on my Nightster, My buddies were behind me when I hit a bump on a 4 lane hiway in Ohio. This bump launched my rear tire over 2 feet in the air, pieces flew off my bike!
Just what part of that was safe? there is no travel on the stock shocks.
You say the change of angle makes a difference? we are not talking about turning these shocks on their side, but simply moving them slightly and they do travel just fine.
The valves are not right for a sporty? The sporty suspension is much stiffer that that heavier bike you speak of. So where does that make a difference? We are making the suspension softer therefore we know it will not corner as smooth as it used to but other than that everything else is fine.
I have more control now than before! My wheels stay on the road and I stay in the seat. To me that is alot safer than bouncing all over the road and all around the bike.
IMHO, Moco put shitty shocks on the bike in hopes that we will upgrade.
And now they are pissed that we wont do it so they say "IT is not safe"!
This is one of Moco's marketing strategy's. Same as shitty exhaust and seats. They sell you a stripped down bike knowing you will hate it so they can sell you upgrades.
Were not buyin it.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 520
Likes: 1
From: Newark OH
Lets see your are putting a set of shocks on made for a bike that weighs 30% more so the valving is off and then you put a set of those rinky dink adapters on that change the working angle of the shock which can adversely affect the bike also.
Just because someone hasn't died yet doesn't mean it's a good idea. I've done this cheap crap myself in the past and gotten lucky also, but not always.
You are right about this sight there is a lot of ignorant crap that goes around here, sometimes it just makes me cringe when I read some of the stuff people try and get away with.
I'm not busting *****, I'm just sharing 35 years of experience and somethings are best enough left alone.
Just because someone hasn't died yet doesn't mean it's a good idea. I've done this cheap crap myself in the past and gotten lucky also, but not always.
You are right about this sight there is a lot of ignorant crap that goes around here, sometimes it just makes me cringe when I read some of the stuff people try and get away with.
I'm not busting *****, I'm just sharing 35 years of experience and somethings are best enough left alone.
Midnight you are dead on and thanks for the detailed explanation. I wondered the same thing about jag.
I know my bike handles far better and safer with the RK shocks on it especially 2up with my mrs. The stock shocks were pure junk.
MH
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