suspension upgrade

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Mar 8, 2019 | 03:08 PM

#51

grbrown

Club Member

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 45,429

Likes: 2,898

From: Bedford UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cossack84

Stock suspension was never designed for that kind of a load. You severely overload the bike and then blame Harley for it. Bike is rated for 450 pounds......stop blaming Harley.

What's 50 pounds between friends?! Mrs B and I plus luggage push the GVWL of our old Glide, but our Ohlins are sublime!

Mar 8, 2019 | 06:26 PM

#52

Cossack84

Tourer

Joined: Mar 2015

Posts: 476

Likes: 133

From: BlueGrass

Quote:

Originally Posted by grbrown

What's 50 pounds between friends?! Mrs B and I plus luggage push the GVWL of our old Glide, but our Ohlins are sublime!

Hey I'm all for plus size and what not, no problem at all. Set up your touring rig as you see fit to get you going down the road. But when one goes way over GVWR, we need to be realistic about our complaints here. There is a reason Motor Company list that capacity, bikes come set up for an average rider. In the US, average male is bout 190 pounds, female 150 pounds, which leaves 110 pounds for gear and tacos. If you have extra milkshake then get you some heavy duty ohlins, Dont bitch about the Harley's suspension when stock shocks are screaming because you are over the GVWR.

Mar 8, 2019 | 06:28 PM

#53

lyork

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Jul 2014

Posts: 2,109

Likes: 456

From: The Great Midwest

I’m at 500 lbs fully loaded with Pro Actions rear and legends from, I’ve owned 23 street bikes since 1979 and have COMPLETE confidence in my Ultra going thru the twisties.

Mar 9, 2019 | 05:05 AM

#54

grbrown

Club Member

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 45,429

Likes: 2,898

From: Bedford UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cossack84

50 pounds over is nothing and certainly not worth commenting on - get real! As for those numbers for the 'average American', they just don't ring true. I mostly ride solo, hence way below GVWL. Doesn't alter the fact that stock suspension on every Harley I've owned over the last 40+ years has been yuk. My Buells by contrast have been just great.

Mar 17, 2019 | 01:27 PM

#55

Flintshooter54

Road Captain

Joined: Aug 2010

Posts: 511

Likes: 14

I have the Pro action suspension in the rear. But would like to know some information about their program action upgrade for the front forks anybody know anything about those. I got the rears from Pro Action directly at Sturgis. Heard the sales pitch for the fronts but looking for someone that has personal experience with the kit.

Mar 17, 2019 | 02:09 PM

#56

leachman

Road Captain

Joined: May 2006

Posts: 543

Likes: 92

From: clinton CT

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingface

YES!!!!!!! I love it when the Ohlins/Pro Action fans come out and argue that their purchase was better!!!!!! Can't wait for someone to recommend Progressives just to get run outa dodge!!!!

BTW......I have Progressive 944's dialed in perfectly and they are great........bring it on!!!!!!

If you dont mind me asking, what are your shocks set at as far as how many wrings/notches visible? I had my shocks adjusted to just me and not my wife and me when I was in Myrtle Beach two years ago and it seems that over the last two years my bike will bottom on some aggressive amps or ruts in the road. My wife and I are probably 380 together. I have the exact same shocks and I am just looking for some other ideas.

Mar 17, 2019 | 04:10 PM

#57

dceggert

Road Master

Joined: Aug 2007

Posts: 809

Likes: 570

From: Detroit Metro Area

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyork

The OP has already upgraded his suspension. Pro Actions in the rear and Legends in the front. The point of his post was to point out how Harley puts out bikes with crummy suspension, and his upgrades, Pro Action and Legend, have totally transformed the bike.

I keep reading comments about Harley building 'crap suspension' this and that and how poopy they are. The suspension on the touring bikes was substantially improved for 2017 over the old air shock junk they used to build with. My 1999 Ultra got treated to Progressive 440's for about the last 4 years I owned it and they were night and day better. My 2018 is even better than those...stock.

So for all the 'they will never change' posters...they have for crying out loud. Can one still do better? Yes, but the magnitude of upgrade is way smaller than over the old air suspension. If there is bottoming on a 2017-2019 Ultra the bike is either overloaded, the adjuster needs to get cranked in more, or the shock is bad.

Mar 28, 2019 | 05:01 PM

#58

Streetrunner

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Dec 2005

Posts: 2,598

Likes: 52

From: South Jersey

Quote:

Originally Posted by Softy 103

My 2-2bs were "CUSTOMIZED" to for all that weight, type of riding, % of time doing this, and % of time doing that, and they still SUCKED for the money spent on them. They were NO better than the H-D adjustable.

I agree. I have tried progressive, pro-action, legend Revo-A and Super-shox. None were worth the money paid. None were any better than H-D Adjustable. Of course I'm not crazy about them either.

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Mar 28, 2019 | 05:51 PM

#59

SWThomas

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Oct 2014

Posts: 5,073

Likes: 2,382

From: Camp Lejeune, NC

Quote:

Originally Posted by Streetrunner

I agree. I have tried progressive, pro-action, legend Revo-A and Super-shox. None were worth the money paid. None were any better than H-D Adjustable. Of course I'm not crazy about them either.

Hahaha! You can’t be serious. You sir are either the most unlucky dude on earth and got bad shocks from all those companies, or you have no idea how to properly install a shock. There’s no way in hell the HD shocks are even close to those others.