I just bought a 2012 SG after hearing how incredible these bikes ride. Did I take it for a test ride first? Yes.. but you really cant get a feel for a bike in 10 miles.. I just got done riding to and from Panama city and Im really let down.. granted I have a stock SG seat.. when I got there I had a vendor modify the seat.. Master Lugo I think was his business name.. he put some hard foam on the pan and some "memory foam" on top and shaved both seats to compensate somewhat.. . My GF was a real trooper.. her bottom really hurt, Im sure worse than mine did.

What I should have done was taken $350, thrown it on the ground and pissed on it.. my GF would have been more impressed.

I played with air on the way down, set it up for my loaded up weight and then started to drop it.. think I wound up at 40-45.. then someone suggested I goto 30lbs and I went to 35 to be safe.. bike took the bumps "better" but no where near what Id expect from a touring bike.. and then it started to bottom out on some bumps.. I would guess my loaded weight was around 380 lbs with clothes and passenger (chopped tour pack).

My 2006 softail had progressive suspension shocks and the bike was set to factory height (all the way up).., I had a mustang wide touring seat and my butt didnt hurt like it did on the SG..

I should point out I traded my softtail in on this for many reasons which I wont go into here, but it wasnt just ride.

So, this isnt a bitching session but Im looking for advice.. Ive been looking at seats and my biggest thing is with a stock SG seat I already feel like Im riding on top the bike.. and I dont want to sit much higher.. I do miss that sitting "in" the bike feeling but I know that I wont get that back.. so Im wondering if a set of shocks would make a SIGNIFICANT difference on this bike?

I should also mention I require a back rest and bought a brand new one so I hate to lose that "investment"..

I guess what Im saying is, do stock harley rear shocks on a 2012 SG suck? Cuz right now, if I were a betting man Id say yes.. and I wonder, why?


bitch bitch bitch I know I'll get this thing set up for me.. just looking for advice.. thanks.

 

Sell your stock seat, backrest and shocks.

The SG is a lowered bike factory, but CAN be improved. The stock seat was NOT built for a passenger, especially not for long trips.

I use Corbin, with a Corbin backrest, and put SG shocks to lower, and took them off for standard height Premium Hand Adjustable shocks.

Some guys like Mustang, or Saddlemen, or C&C or Danny Gray or pick your poison...

There are lots of companies, and lots of options for both seats and suspension.

Or keep your backrest, and get a HD Sundowner, which is a great improvement over stock.

But you loose the sexy shaved look.

 

I recommend the Harley Hammock seat. My girlfriend will ride all day in that seat. Keep your stock seat so when the tour pak is off you will still have the sleek look of the Street Glide seat.

The shocks are garbage. I put progressive 944's on my Electra. Anything is an improvement over stock.

Harley gives you just enough to get you hooked, then you have to personalize it from there. $$$

 

On the cheap:

Sundowner + Ultra take off shocks. Night and day over the SG shocks even though it's just an extra inch. Makes a huge difference.

 

Not the cheapest option, but you could have done what I did, and keep the softail too.

 

Yup.

Then he can keep his backrest....

And I know a guy with a set of 100 mile take-offs from a '14 Limited.

 

You would like a comfortable seat? Easy,get you a Harley hammock and be done with it.

 

Anybody that told you the Street Glide was great riding 2-up in factory stock form lied to you.



If I would have made the trip the OP did, my wife would have had me stop at a car dealer after about 50 miles.
She would have then went in and purchased a new car, and told me she's see me when I got home.

The factory seat will not cut it for 2-up riding.
The factory 12" air shocks are not much better either.

I changed out both on my Street Glide.
Sundowner seat and 13" HD Premium Hand Adjustable shocks.
That made the bike ride much better for 2-up riding.

Now I have traded it off for a new '15 Ultra Limited, and it is even better.

 

Another vote for Corbin. I've been through lots of seats and finally found a keeper in my Corbin. I rode nearly 2000 miles over a long weekend. Averaged about 500 miles a day and looked forward to getting up the next morning every day of that trip. That was on the sucky air shocks too. As others have stated, ditch those and get the premium HD adjustable or something better.

 

+1 on the Hammock seat. Way better than the stock seat. Especially for the passenger (the important one). It did raise me up maybe a 1/2" over the stock seat, but I got used to that real quick.


Been wanting to change the shocks out on my SG as well. Just haven't been able to let loose of that much $$$. Rather spend it riding somewhere.


As far as the shock air pressure, I set mine to 50# when its the wife and I with luggage. Then I never look at it again till we go somewhere again. It usually looses a few pounds over time and probably causes a stiff ride when its just me.
Here is what I'm looking at going to on my bike: Cheapest I've found them so far.


also, do a search on this site for this topic. I'm sure you will find plenty of other options.