Shocks
I tried them on my 2011 Street Glide and hated them.
They were very stiff and worse than the stock air shocks.
Put on a set of Ohlins HD 022 and couldn't believe the difference.
Much smoother ride.
They were very stiff and worse than the stock air shocks.
Put on a set of Ohlins HD 022 and couldn't believe the difference.
Much smoother ride.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 12,306
Likes: 4,967
From: England
Find an owner's manual that describes the preload setting. There is a table that shows at what weight you need to add preload.
I had that setup on my Sportster when I bought it. It showed that the first setting was for a 185lb rider. As I am lighter the spring was too stiff for me. The spring didn't move when I sat on the bike and gave a solid ride.
I had that setup on my Sportster when I bought it. It showed that the first setting was for a 185lb rider. As I am lighter the spring was too stiff for me. The spring didn't move when I sat on the bike and gave a solid ride.
I didn't know the shocks used fork oil .
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,348
Likes: 2,064
From: Phoenix
I've found you can make Harleys suspension tolerable, but never great.
When you've only got 2.1" or 3" to start with on an 800 lb motorcycle, then losing 1/3 of that, now 1 1/2" and 2", for proper suspension sag there's not much that can be done. You'll never get it set up where you get a nice ride on the highway and also control the shock of larger bumps.
Until Harley comes out with 4+ inches of travel it'll always be a compromise.
When you've only got 2.1" or 3" to start with on an 800 lb motorcycle, then losing 1/3 of that, now 1 1/2" and 2", for proper suspension sag there's not much that can be done. You'll never get it set up where you get a nice ride on the highway and also control the shock of larger bumps.
Until Harley comes out with 4+ inches of travel it'll always be a compromise.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,233
Likes: 11,352
From: San Diego, CA
They use an air bladder to set the preload and fluid to handle the damping. Obviously, you could fill the air bladder to the max, and the damping wouldn't be much of a factor.
Disconnect the airline and lay one on its side.... then you will see the fluid for yourself..
I changed the fluid on my '12 bagger air shocks. I also made the mistake of lying them on their side before plugging the air line hole.
It made a difference in their performance, but I felt they were still substandard. They were replaced with premium coil over shocks (not a Harley product). I also replaced the air shocks on my '16 bagger with premium coil over shocks (also not a Harley product).
Last edited by hattitude; May 24, 2023 at 08:58 AM.
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