which ohlins model did you get?

 

I gotta be honest, after reading your first post, you may want to look into Russ Weirnmont RS1s.
I really like his shocks, I just found, for me, 290lbs plus my wife, 150, the Ohlins HD357 were a better overall ride.
I also have an Ultra, not a King.

I was sold on the RS1s for set the sag solo, when you add a passenger, just give the adjuster a couple of clicks (which you can get to without removing the saddlebags).
This was not sufficient for me, even with HD Springs. I think for you and your much lighter combined weight AND lighter bike…they may be your ticket.

An pretty much any other shock, the best ride is going to be had by an adjustment riding solo, and another with a passenger. I think that adjustment will be minor, but..still should be made.
Or else you compromise, a little stiff solo and perfect 2 up or a perfect solo and a little soft/jarring 2 up.

 

Fox or Bitubo are good also and not that expensive

 

Ill say this... I replaced the stock shocks on my 22 RGS and went with Legend 13 inchers... BEST money I spent on any bike.... Yes it was expensive but it was soooo worth it..

 

There are too many shock threads to count, so take your time and research and read…..my personal opinion, I personally would simply not run 12” shocks on a Harley touring bike……in comparison, you can run a 13” shock (Ohlins, Legends, Fox, Bitubo, SuperShox, RWD, ProAction, Progressive, etc….) and literally, at most, only increase ride height or seat height by 1/2”, while gaining 1” of shock travel…..considering these touring bikes have 2-3” of total shock travel, you can see how significant that is……

If budget is your determining factor, I strongly recommend the Bitubo Twin adjustable 13” shocks - forum sponsor DK Customs offers them at $550 for the pair, built-configured to your weight, riding setup, and riding style, and, they offer a forum discount - give them a call…. I put a set of Bitubos on my last bike (Road King) and I loved them!

That said, if budget is no concern, buy whatever you want and will feel good about, Ohlins, Legends, Fox, Bitubo, SuperShox, RWD, ProAction, Progressive, etc….maybe take into consideration where you live and where your shock of choice service options might be, should you want or need to have services done on them……

The bottom line in all these Harley suspension discussions is this - upgrading the rear and front suspension WILL be one of the most significant things you can do to improve your ride experience.

That said, the well known or Premium brands mentioned will generally be a better long term investment, versus buying less expensive shocks and then upgrading later - even if you get what seems like a great deal on HD takeoffs or less expensive shocks today, there are no guarantees you will recover that investment…….I have seen the premium hand adjustable HD takeoffs sell for $100-$200…….all too often guys who enjoy trying different gear options will resell them here and elsewhere, and the Premium brands usually get 50-60% of full retail new price, where the less expensive options get less, and sometimes, much less on the resale market…..here in lies the common perspective to “buy once and cry once” or in my opinion, buy the best you can afford, or simply wait until you can, first…….you will save money, time, and trouble in the long run…..

 

don't get wrapped up in 12'' vs 13'' when looking at aftermarket shocks. any shock, in 12'', is going to be a compromise over 13''. will it be better than stock? absolutely. could it be even better? a resounding yes. and like you suspected, because the shocks are not vertical, the one inch difference in length does not equate to one inch increase in ride height.

i'm short, 28'' inseam, so seat height is kinda important to me. i can tell you that my 13'' legends with sag sit at virtually the same height as the 12'' premium hand adjustable shocks from harley, if not even lower. i could not get the stock shocks to sag at all, even with me bouncing on the seat as hard as i could.

and even better, the legend axeo fork cartridges will lower the front end 3/4'' over stock. my bike is very comfortable for me now.

 

I agree on not getting wrapped up on the 12 vs 13. However, I'll say if both have the same stroke, then compromise is a non-issue.

 

thats just it, the 13” will add 1” of stroke or shock travel vs the 12”, and only ever so slightly raise the ride or seat height by 1/2”

so no, 12” and 13” shocks have considerably different strokes or shock travel….one very considerable different option is SuperShox - they offer a 14” shock and a lowering bracket to achieve what I believe is the most touring bike shock travel available, and I believe gets super close to stock ride height…..

i didn’t get the impression that the original poster was vertically or inseam challenged or concerned, so the added 1/2” of ride height versus the upside of the way better ride might not be of concern, where it is for riders with shorter inseams…..

- earlier someone asked about the inexpensive option of using Sportster 13” shocks on a touring bike…..I had not heard of or investigated this until recently, and there “is” a nitch for this idea and option…..for the light weight rider, say 150-175 lbs solo, swapping the oem shocks for a set of 13” oem Sportster shocks can be a decent inexpensive option……solving the problem of the oem touring shocks simply being unable to lighten up enough for a lighter rider load……basically the oem springs can only lighten up so much - I watched a video where the guy literally could not get any sag on his Street Glide’s oem hand adjustable shocks……then he put on a set of Sportster takeoffs and viola, proper sag……again, this is for the lighter weight rider group out there…..

 

I agree on most 12" shocks, but I was referring to my post #19. Those Ohlins clearly have the same stroke as most other 13" shocks, so the OP has some choices.

 

i agree - plenty of choices…….in my humble opinion, going with a 13” shock, while only slightly increasing ride height 1/2”, but gaining 1” in shock travel, is so much worth it…..

https://www.ohlinsusa.com/parts/1990...-shocks-hd-772

with I believe 3-3/4” travel maybe closer to 4”…..