Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Rear shocks

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #31  
Old 12-01-2014, 11:44 AM
Farmboy666's Avatar
Farmboy666
Farmboy666 is offline
Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NC
Posts: 243
Received 9 Likes on 9 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by bikerlaw
Progressive Suspensions drop in fork kit will get the front end down. I have it installed on my Road King at a 1 1/4" drop and I love it, but you can drop the forks up to two inches if you wish. Countless forum members have done it with great success. Not sure who would tell you lowering the front end is not a good idea, but, OK. Obviously, lowering any suspension component limits its ability to work effectively, but if you need the bike low, you will have SOME give and take.


As far as the rear goes, you could try lowering blocks again, or a set of 11.5 inch shocks, but any 11.5-12 inch shocks will give you a nice drop. The brand is up to you. Progressive shocks are probablly as good or better than the MOCO hand adjustable shocks. The factory shocks are 12 3/4 inches eye to eye. So a 12 inch Low Profile Hand Adjustable MOCO shocks will only net you 3/4 of an inch drop. An 11.5 shock will give you a little more, or you could look to bitchen' baggers. They will modify the factory 12 3/4 shocks, and shorten them to pretty much any length you like. Personally, I would go 11 1/4 inches bitchen' bagger shocks if it was my wifes Road King before I did lowering blocks again, but that's just me. And bitchen' baggers will modify the factory shocks for only $175.


If your looking for the best bang for the buck at the absolute lowest you can humanly go, Burly sells their "Slammer" kit for well under $300 delivered. That will get you the drop in fork kit, and a tiny set of 10.5 rear shocks. I installed that kit on the wife's Sportster. She swears buy the Slammer kit, and truly loves it. Sportsters may be small bikes, but they have very high seats heights. For example, a 2015 Sportster 72 has a 2 inch taller seat height than a similar year Softail Deluxe (laden seat height). And with the Bulry Slammer, my 5'6 wife could easily flat foot her Sporty. I suspect the same would be the case on the wife's King.


edit: One last thing to remember, if you lower the bike too much, you will have to address the kickstand. Both my Road King, and my wife's Sportster needed the kickstand modded to keep the bikes from falling over to the right, once the lowering kits were added. Just something to think about.
I have an 09 RK lowered 1 inch. Progressives in the front and hand adjustable in the back. PO was short and I'm 6'4" but don't have any problem with it except the kick stand. How did you mod yours?
 
  #32  
Old 12-01-2014, 12:06 PM
FastHarley's Avatar
FastHarley
FastHarley is offline
Former Sponsor
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Davie, FL
Posts: 5,360
Received 441 Likes on 246 Posts
Default 360º rotation

Originally Posted by Delta
Does 6 points = 1 turn?
Yes, 360º rotation. The high speed adjuster (red part) has a total of seven (7) rotations. It just puts more spring pressure (clockwise) to make the piston harder to move out to "blow off" and by (counterclockwise) lessens the spring pressure, making it easier to "blow off" thus reducing the resisting hydraulic pressure making the shock momentary loose its ability to resist change. Think of two concrete highway plates that are lifted to form a peak, that is a low speed bump. If either a plate is sticking up or a piece of rubber expansion joint is sticking up, that is a high speed bump. The shock "blows off" allowing the wheel to hop over the expansion joint and the frame with you on it does not move much. This control has a sort of wire c-clip that only allows the fixture to turn. The spring is the only thing that really moves.
 
  #33  
Old 12-01-2014, 12:53 PM
bikerlaw's Avatar
bikerlaw
bikerlaw is offline
Ultimate HDF Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 9,193
Received 485 Likes on 353 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Farmboy666
I have an 09 RK lowered 1 inch. Progressives in the front and hand adjustable in the back. PO was short and I'm 6'4" but don't have any problem with it except the kick stand. How did you mod yours?
I used (or should I say, my brother used) his Oxy/Accet torches. I removed the kickstand from the bike, leaned the bike against the wall and heated the kickstant right at its 90 degree bend. Heated it till it was a nice cherry red, stuck the short end in a vice and bent it about an inch and a half up. Let it cool down completely naturally. No water or oil quench to quick cool it, and ten minutes later, put it back on. Now the bike sits perfect and doesn't want to flip over with the bars cocked all the way to the right.
 
  #34  
Old 12-01-2014, 01:33 PM
austinslider's Avatar
austinslider
austinslider is offline
Road Warrior
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,308
Received 11 Likes on 9 Posts
Default

I've been looking at shocks, I've been eyeing the Legend REVO. Has anyone been using these shocks? I know Progressive has a more budget friendly 944's...but I'd rather spemd a few extra dollars on a better shock.
 
  #35  
Old 12-01-2014, 02:10 PM
bikerlaw's Avatar
bikerlaw
bikerlaw is offline
Ultimate HDF Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 9,193
Received 485 Likes on 353 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by austinslider
I know Progressive has a more budget friendly 944's...but I'd rather spemd a few extra dollars on a better shock.
Yikes! If your willing to actually spend the extra cash, call Howard at Motorcycle Metal. He, like Progressive, is a forum sponsor. His shocks are NOT CHEAP, so they are not for everyone, but if your willing to spend the money it takes to get extrodanary shock, personally set up just for you and your bike. Yeah, talk to him.
 
  #36  
Old 12-01-2014, 05:00 PM
Farmboy666's Avatar
Farmboy666
Farmboy666 is offline
Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NC
Posts: 243
Received 9 Likes on 9 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by bikerlaw
I used (or should I say, my brother used) his Oxy/Accet torches. I removed the kickstand from the bike, leaned the bike against the wall and heated the kickstant right at its 90 degree bend. Heated it till it was a nice cherry red, stuck the short end in a vice and bent it about an inch and a half up. Let it cool down completely naturally. No water or oil quench to quick cool it, and ten minutes later, put it back on. Now the bike sits perfect and doesn't want to flip over with the bars cocked all the way to the right.
Thanks, I will add that to my winter projects.
 
  #37  
Old 12-02-2014, 08:04 PM
beammeup's Avatar
beammeup
beammeup is offline
Road Master
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: PA
Posts: 817
Received 24 Likes on 20 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by NoBoldRider
Progressive 944's will lower it to the same height as a Street Glide. They now have a 944 low that wil lower it another inch.
How's the 944 shocks ride? One up / two up?

I keep hearing good things about them including how easy they are to tune and adjust for different weights.
 
  #38  
Old 12-03-2014, 11:19 AM
shooter723's Avatar
shooter723
shooter723 is offline
Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: new york
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

you told me to get a 17mm again you don't know what the hell you said.. done talking to you
 
  #39  
Old 12-03-2014, 01:52 PM
Deckman's Avatar
Deckman
Deckman is offline
Road Captain
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 506
Received 7 Likes on 7 Posts
Default

I have the JRI "A" shocks from Howard and had a great experience with him, always called me back promptly and the 12" JRI's blow away the stock shocks. I have not bottomed out yet and my handling has greatly improved.
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Fastfwd
Dyna Glide Models
9
02-03-2009 01:28 PM
REAL
Sportster Models
5
06-04-2008 03:12 PM
dnitram
Touring Models
6
06-03-2008 01:21 PM
UNCLE PAT
Softail Models
4
05-11-2008 08:36 PM
rickoshay45
Touring Models
5
03-01-2008 03:36 PM



Quick Reply: Rear shocks



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:21 AM.