Lets talk suspension options....'99 TwinCam
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 177
From: E. Tennessee
Shinko....Long story, but in '21 I ordered from Chaparral and they sent my Dunlops to some guy in WV(he called me to let me know my tires were on his porch). Chaparral dicked me around for two+ weeks, then canceled my order, so I went on BikeBandit and ordered Shinko's. I don't think it's the Shinko's, because it was doing these weird things when I bought the bike with bald Dunlops on it.
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 177
From: E. Tennessee
Thats a strong indication of problems with the bearing in the head.
Neglect not the spacers in the rear swing arm bearings. I found excessive clearance in mine to the shaft. New or old, the gap was large enough to allow for upwards of 1/4 rear wheel deflection. Machine custom ones, or shim them. I shimmed mine. Theres a write up by me here somewhere about it.
Bitubo has adjustable front fork inserts, in both compression and rebound. Probably not easy to adjust because of all the tin Harley uses.
Neglect not the spacers in the rear swing arm bearings. I found excessive clearance in mine to the shaft. New or old, the gap was large enough to allow for upwards of 1/4 rear wheel deflection. Machine custom ones, or shim them. I shimmed mine. Theres a write up by me here somewhere about it.
Bitubo has adjustable front fork inserts, in both compression and rebound. Probably not easy to adjust because of all the tin Harley uses.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 177
From: E. Tennessee
Thats a strong indication of problems with the bearing in the head.
Neglect not the spacers in the rear swing arm bearings. I found excessive clearance in mine to the shaft. New or old, the gap was large enough to allow for upwards of 1/4 rear wheel deflection. Machine custom ones, or shim them. I shimmed mine. Theres a write up by me here somewhere about it.
Bitubo has adjustable front fork inserts, in both compression and rebound. Probably not easy to adjust because of all the tin Harley uses.
Neglect not the spacers in the rear swing arm bearings. I found excessive clearance in mine to the shaft. New or old, the gap was large enough to allow for upwards of 1/4 rear wheel deflection. Machine custom ones, or shim them. I shimmed mine. Theres a write up by me here somewhere about it.
Bitubo has adjustable front fork inserts, in both compression and rebound. Probably not easy to adjust because of all the tin Harley uses.
There are a lot of shock preference threads on this forum for your reading pleasure. I say this specifically because quite honestly, there simply is no way to offer a universally neutral rating of all the shock options
There are a lot of options in the premium shock pool - this pool offers lots and lots of great choices, most in the in $800 - $1000 range (Supershox, Ohlins, Legends, ProAction, JRI, Suspension Technologies, Bitubo, RWD, and more .) with the latest and arguably the greatest (if you just have to have the coolest available) running you about $1500 for a set of shocks with remote reservoirs ..
As someone mentioned, your bike has the older (and reportedly weaker) swing arm design and components - and they offered great advice to ensure all the swing arm components are good to go (and free of cracks) - even better advice would be to upgrade/replace any marginal components and add a stabilizer, like the true-track .your swingarm design and physical limitations also means that you should NOT install the HD hand adjustable shocks - the oem swing arm design is reportedly not strong enough to deal with the single side design of the HD hand adjustable shocks on the bike, and reports of running them can/will fail/crack/break with the HD hand adjustable shocks
> In my humble opinion, Italian Racing shocks - Bitubo Twin Adjustable shocks (version WME) are by far and away the best bang for the $$$ amongst all the options = $475 from SuperbikesUnlimited - they will collect your detailed information, rider/passenger weights, riding 1-up or 2-up, and riding style, and build/setup the shocks for YOU and YOUR bike, just like all of the premium shock options, for half the price .DONT go 12 shocks .13 shocks worked well on my 99 RK, and now i have Ohlins 13.5 adjustable length shocks on my 15 FLHTK - I believe Ohlins, ProAction, & Supershox offer 14 shocks for baggers as well.
I installed a set of the Bitubo shocks on my last bike - 99 Road King, while at the same time I had the Progressive Mono cartridge set installed in the forks - and I could not have been happier with the quality of both the shocks the cartridges and the new ride - that bike rode like it was on rails .
- Another upside to the older Progressive Monotube for cartridge kit for your bike - you can pick up the kit in the $300 range versus the newer kits for say 2014-2023 in the $900-$1500 range for fork cartridge kits .
The thing i liked about cartridges is the idea that they are essentially maintenance free - for me, as I dont ride as much as many guys out there - the oil inside with a cartridge kit is for basic lubrication, where as the oem style setup with springs & dampening rod and so forth - the oil is a key component in dampening, which can be improved tremendously with an oil change and then even more improved with kits from Traxxion, Ricor, etc ..Now that said, if you ride hard, hitting the twisties hard most rides, you will likely still need to freshen up the front fork internals every 20k-40k miles, all depending on your riding and the components you choose.
Shocks are an easy DIY install - cartridges and fork internal components are more involved (for my preference) so i chose to have fork components installed by a local independent shop - there are a lot of very good, detailed you-tube how to videos showing the removal and upgrading of fork internal components - if you are inclined, take your time, follow the instructions and tips, and have the right tools and parts on hand before you begin the job.
Good Luck - search this forum and read the endless number of suspension threads to your hearts content
There are a lot of options in the premium shock pool - this pool offers lots and lots of great choices, most in the in $800 - $1000 range (Supershox, Ohlins, Legends, ProAction, JRI, Suspension Technologies, Bitubo, RWD, and more .) with the latest and arguably the greatest (if you just have to have the coolest available) running you about $1500 for a set of shocks with remote reservoirs ..
As someone mentioned, your bike has the older (and reportedly weaker) swing arm design and components - and they offered great advice to ensure all the swing arm components are good to go (and free of cracks) - even better advice would be to upgrade/replace any marginal components and add a stabilizer, like the true-track .your swingarm design and physical limitations also means that you should NOT install the HD hand adjustable shocks - the oem swing arm design is reportedly not strong enough to deal with the single side design of the HD hand adjustable shocks on the bike, and reports of running them can/will fail/crack/break with the HD hand adjustable shocks
> In my humble opinion, Italian Racing shocks - Bitubo Twin Adjustable shocks (version WME) are by far and away the best bang for the $$$ amongst all the options = $475 from SuperbikesUnlimited - they will collect your detailed information, rider/passenger weights, riding 1-up or 2-up, and riding style, and build/setup the shocks for YOU and YOUR bike, just like all of the premium shock options, for half the price .DONT go 12 shocks .13 shocks worked well on my 99 RK, and now i have Ohlins 13.5 adjustable length shocks on my 15 FLHTK - I believe Ohlins, ProAction, & Supershox offer 14 shocks for baggers as well.
I installed a set of the Bitubo shocks on my last bike - 99 Road King, while at the same time I had the Progressive Mono cartridge set installed in the forks - and I could not have been happier with the quality of both the shocks the cartridges and the new ride - that bike rode like it was on rails .
- Another upside to the older Progressive Monotube for cartridge kit for your bike - you can pick up the kit in the $300 range versus the newer kits for say 2014-2023 in the $900-$1500 range for fork cartridge kits .
The thing i liked about cartridges is the idea that they are essentially maintenance free - for me, as I dont ride as much as many guys out there - the oil inside with a cartridge kit is for basic lubrication, where as the oem style setup with springs & dampening rod and so forth - the oil is a key component in dampening, which can be improved tremendously with an oil change and then even more improved with kits from Traxxion, Ricor, etc ..Now that said, if you ride hard, hitting the twisties hard most rides, you will likely still need to freshen up the front fork internals every 20k-40k miles, all depending on your riding and the components you choose.
Shocks are an easy DIY install - cartridges and fork internal components are more involved (for my preference) so i chose to have fork components installed by a local independent shop - there are a lot of very good, detailed you-tube how to videos showing the removal and upgrading of fork internal components - if you are inclined, take your time, follow the instructions and tips, and have the right tools and parts on hand before you begin the job.
Good Luck - search this forum and read the endless number of suspension threads to your hearts content
Agreed, the rears are easy to swap. I also prefer to have a suspension shop do the forks, but I might be willing to try the drop in stuff.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 177
From: E. Tennessee
Progressive Monotube Kit @ $460:
https://www.progressivesuspension.co...e-kit-standard
Still looking for it at a lower price.....
....The 'Zon has it for $370
https://www.progressivesuspension.co...e-kit-standard
Still looking for it at a lower price.....
....The 'Zon has it for $370
Last edited by MotorSeven; May 17, 2023 at 07:20 AM.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 177
From: E. Tennessee
I'm burrowing down the Swing Arm rabbit hole.....:
http://www.bikerrogue.com/Articles/T...armupgrade.htm
sheesh ;>)
http://www.bikerrogue.com/Articles/T...armupgrade.htm
sheesh ;>)
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 177
From: E. Tennessee
Well, the ride handling characteristics continued to deteriorate. I ended up ordering these components:
Rear shocks-MSRP: $781.95
444-4021B
444 (BLK) HLY 13.5"
Front -MSRP: $459.95
31-2500
KIT, MONOTUBE, FORK
No, I did not pay retail, the monotubes were $350ish, and 444's were $700.
Dropped the bike off at my local Indy. They are also going to inspect the swing arm, and I am prepared to upgrade that if needed. I am also going to replace the front motor mount myself once I get it back.
The Indy had a bike in the shop that just got a (used)ebay Swing arm($200) and an aftermarket kit that runs about $400, so with labor, I am guessing it's about a $grand total.
Rear shocks-MSRP: $781.95
444-4021B
444 (BLK) HLY 13.5"
Front -MSRP: $459.95
31-2500
KIT, MONOTUBE, FORK
No, I did not pay retail, the monotubes were $350ish, and 444's were $700.
Dropped the bike off at my local Indy. They are also going to inspect the swing arm, and I am prepared to upgrade that if needed. I am also going to replace the front motor mount myself once I get it back.
The Indy had a bike in the shop that just got a (used)ebay Swing arm($200) and an aftermarket kit that runs about $400, so with labor, I am guessing it's about a $grand total.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,100
Likes: 307
From: mid Michigan
20-19E is what you need on here
https://www.true-track.com/tt_products.html
I made my own bushings but are similar to these. The stock ones are a joke. You will need new stock isolaters (I think there called) and also the rubber bushing up front. I beefed up my swing arm with help from welder at work. I now have over a 170,ooo miles on that bike..
I have the 20-00 from that site on my 99 but haven't bothered to put one on my 02, some bikes have the death wobble and some dont
Thats the rear but like was mentioned looks like u need new steering bearings up front.
https://www.true-track.com/tt_products.html
I made my own bushings but are similar to these. The stock ones are a joke. You will need new stock isolaters (I think there called) and also the rubber bushing up front. I beefed up my swing arm with help from welder at work. I now have over a 170,ooo miles on that bike..
I have the 20-00 from that site on my 99 but haven't bothered to put one on my 02, some bikes have the death wobble and some dont
Thats the rear but like was mentioned looks like u need new steering bearings up front.
Last edited by xcbullet; Sep 13, 2023 at 03:20 PM.
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 177
From: E. Tennessee
20-19E is what you need on here
https://www.true-track.com/tt_products.html
I made my own bushings but are similar to these. The stock ones are a joke. You will need new stock isolaters (I think there called) and also the rubber bushing up front. I beefed up my swing arm with help from welder at work. I now have over a 170,ooo miles on that bike..
I have the 20-00 from that site on my 99 but haven't bothered to put one on my 02, some bikes have the death wobble and some dont
Thats the rear but like was mentioned looks like u need new steering bearings up front.
https://www.true-track.com/tt_products.html
I made my own bushings but are similar to these. The stock ones are a joke. You will need new stock isolaters (I think there called) and also the rubber bushing up front. I beefed up my swing arm with help from welder at work. I now have over a 170,ooo miles on that bike..
I have the 20-00 from that site on my 99 but haven't bothered to put one on my 02, some bikes have the death wobble and some dont
Thats the rear but like was mentioned looks like u need new steering bearings up front.
I dropped the bike off on Tues afternoon, they called yesterday at 1:00 that it was ready...I was kinda shocked they got it done that fast. I pick it up this afternoon and will update asap.
Last edited by MotorSeven; Sep 14, 2023 at 08:01 AM.
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Joe Kucinski
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,100
Likes: 307
From: mid Michigan
Shaking up, down, forward & backwards is not a problem. It mostly smooths out at rpm anyway. When its able to go side to side is where the problem is, which the extra link you got is designed to stop. Best installed with all the other parts I mentioned for a good solid rear.
The front should be greased and adjusted at least if the bearings are good. If the bearings are loose u can feel it clunk when coming to a guick stop.
The front should be greased and adjusted at least if the bearings are good. If the bearings are loose u can feel it clunk when coming to a guick stop.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 177
From: E. Tennessee
Picked it up and took it on an hour and a half run up Hwy 66 in Hawkins and Hancock counties(**** ton of curves and Mtn climbs on marginal blacktop). I'm happy to say my suspicions were right, the issue was the oem air shocks that were 24 years old. The new suspension took care of the articulated feeling while leaned over in a curve and hitting a bump. It also noticeably smoothed out the entire ride and no more notchy lean overs.
What it did not fix is the bike not falling into a curve. Maybe it's the profile of these Shinko tires as opposed to what I am used to; Dunlops. I have to horse the bike over a bit, then it falls into it and I never remember doing that on any other RK that I have put miles on. I also give the Shinko Front a thumbs down on gravel dust in the apex of a curve, it loses it's contact patch, even when I am taking it easy.
Overall, I am pleased with my $1400 investment(labor was $400 of that) and thanks to everyone for all the advice and parts info...it was a big help ;>)
What it did not fix is the bike not falling into a curve. Maybe it's the profile of these Shinko tires as opposed to what I am used to; Dunlops. I have to horse the bike over a bit, then it falls into it and I never remember doing that on any other RK that I have put miles on. I also give the Shinko Front a thumbs down on gravel dust in the apex of a curve, it loses it's contact patch, even when I am taking it easy.
Overall, I am pleased with my $1400 investment(labor was $400 of that) and thanks to everyone for all the advice and parts info...it was a big help ;>)