So have a ‘19 Standard RG FLTRX and would like to upgrade the rear suspension. Unfortunately I don’t understand the differences. 12” or 13”? Heavy or standard? Travel? Will either size lower me? What size does my RG have? Not asking what brand I should buy....just want to understand the choices available and how they work Thanks for your patience.

 

Dont know what your bike has now, but im sure you could look it up. Or raise raise your bike on a lift to get the rear wheel off the ground, then measure from the center of the shock bolts top to bottom and thats your length. Going with shorter shocks will lower the rear and longer will raise it.
Depending on the shocks you buy will determine if you get more or less travel. Just because the shock is longer does not mean more travel always.
Normally the better built shocks will give you more travel going longer.
Most can get by with standard springs, unless you do alot of 2 up riding with luggage. The heavy duty sprjngs are pretty firm if you dont have alot of weight on them.

 

Thank you. Helps.

 

Most of the touring bikes have 13" rear shocks... the models with a lowered suspension, have the 12" rear shocks, like the street glide. Other than the air shocks, both OEM and aftermarket, most Harley rear shocks are a coilover design..

Here's a real basic, down & dirty description/explanation of the various shocks and features that are out there.. this is by no means a comprehensive overview..

Generally speaking, the longer the shock, the longer the "stroke" (travel) of the shock. The longer the stroke, the more room the shock has to deal with bumps...

Generally speaking, the springs hold up the bike & rider(s), the internal valving (damping) controls the rate of the shocks compression/extension to bumps in the roadway

Also as a general rule, the "sag" on Harley touring bikes should be set at 1/3 the stroke... ie: With 3" of stroke, the bike w/rider should compress the shock 1"... That will give you 2/3 of shock travel (2") to deal with compression events and 1/3 of shock travel (1") to deal with extension events.... too much sag and the bike will bottom out on bumps giving a jarring ride. Not enough sag and the bike will ride firm/harsh. Almost all shocks allow you to set the preload on the shock, to adjust the "sag"... that is done by changing the spring tension. To get the best damping and proper sag from the shock, the spring strength should be matched to the weight the shocks will be carrying.

Not all shocks are created equal. There are 12" overall length shocks, that have superior design, and will have more stroke and better damping than some 13" overall length shocks.

Some shocks just have adjustments for preload, and others also have adjustments for the damping. It gives them more control of the damping and set-up of the shocks for a better ride...

There are 3 basic types of shocks:

Emulsion ($)- gas (usually nitrogen) is mixed in the shock body with the shock oil. Many argue these type shocks are all that's needed for a street bike. The downside is if the shock is worked hard, the oil will get aerated by sharing space with the gas, and the damping will deteriorate...

Gas separated ($$)- the shock body has separate chambers for the gas and oil. These shocks tend to have bigger bodies. The oil doesn't lose damping due to aeration from the gas, and will stand up longer to being worked hard than an emulsion shock. However, heat can build up in the fluid over time, leading to shock fade

Remote reservoir shocks ($$$)- (popular design for racing and shocks that are used hard) The oil/gas are separated, and extra oil is stored in a remote reservoir, separate from the body of the shock. This not only avoids aeration of the oil from the gas, but it allows the oil to stay cooler when the shocks are worked hard. This is the best design for the hardest working shocks.

Obviously the better the design, the better the tolerances, the better the components, and the more the shock will cost... The age old question is what is good enough...??

The answer to that question is going to be very subjective... In my early years, I never thought about the Harley shocks. Suspension upgrades were never on my radar. Now, my needs/tastes have changed and suspension mods are done on my touring bikes and also often on my softail, around town bikes...

Again... that was a very general, and short, overview on rear shocks for a Harley... You can do a search and get days of reading to fill in all the gaps...

My main advice is to do your homework, and then "buy once, cry once"... get the best premium shocks you can afford, right at the beginning... it could save you the time, and money, of working your way up the "cost/performance ladder" one rung at a time... Something I have done, and it can get expensive...

Good luck with your research and shock buying decision...

 

Very good reply from "Hattitude". My main advice is to do your homework, and then "buy once, cry once"... get the best premium shocks you can afford, right at the beginning...

While I am happy with the purchase of my Ohlins emulsion shocks which are leaps and bounds better than the stock air shocks. I now wish I went all out and purchased their remote reservoir shocks. A typical ride day for me is 300 plus miles, two-up, with full bags on back roads. Knowing what I know now leads me to think I definitely would benefit from the best shock available.

Good luck with your research and future purchase and make sure you get the correct spring based on your weight, motorcycle, and riding style.

 

Your Road Glide standard has the shorter 12" shocks on it and yes they ride like garbage. Go with a 13" shock from a good company like Pro Action, Bitubo's, Ohlins legend... etc. and you won't be disappointed. If they are in your $$ range get something with adjustable damping.

 

I waited 10+ years to add Ohlins emulsion shocks and my wife said, why in the hell did we wait so long to do that?

 

Thanks all for the great responses.

 

My wife would never wait that long, lol. Mind you, I wouldn't listen that long either. We put on Pro Action 13" and it was as close to a carpet ride as you could get. I suspect other premium shocks are comparable. Anything vs those stock shocks. But OP, call some of the shock suppliers, have those conversations and make your call. Then go on to your next mod.

 

So if you have 12" shocks currently and you put 13" shocks on, does it truly raise you *** up off the ground an extra 1". I get that the travel is 1" longer, but I just wasn't sure that it correlated when sitting on the bike to an extra 1" off the ground.