Ricor Shock Review by atrain68
#1
07-17-2010, 06:41 PM
Ricor Shock Review by atrain68
Hello fellow members!
I promised a review on the Ricor shocks and here it is. It goes without saying that I don’t work for Ricor and all opinions in this write-up are mine. As always I try to be objective.
Some background first. I was never completely happy with my stock 12 inch Streetglide shocks. My biggest complaint was bottom out and wallowing when the shock pressure was too low. At first I kept my shock pressure at 15 psi when riding solo. When I installed my tour pack I increased to 25 psi to reduce bottom out.
In search for better performance, I drained my shock oil and replaced with Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF. I chose Mobil 1 because it is comparable to a 7.5w shock oil and more readily available at the auto parts store. The change in shock performance was nothing short of remarkable. After a couple thousand miles on the newly upgraded stock shocks I had no complaints. The bike rode like a Cadillac and handled the twisties perfectly. The nice thing about the new shock oil was that I was able to reduce the air pressure to 12 psi with no issues at all. The shock oil change was a 50%-60% improvement over the lighter oil.
So why say all this and why change? Because like many on this forum, I am constantly searching for a way to perfect my ride. Would my "upgraded" stock shocks worked long term? Yes, but it was a band-aid fix and I wanted a quality solution. I considered the Progressive 412s, 440’s, Ohilins, and Ricors. I was nearly ready to pull the trigger on the Ohlin’s but the Ricor IAS technology caught my attention.
My objective was to find a sport touring ride that does not wallow when set to a softer ride, or jar me at every bump when set for a firmer ride. I wanted a shock that was versatile enough to easily adjust for touring or a day out hitting it hard.
I talked with Brian at Ricor, asked few questions about their company, and their recommendations based on my riding style. The call was short, but my confidence was high that I would be happy with the purchase. I ordered the 13 inch shocks and asked that they be tuned tuned to a rider of 190 lbs using their the sport tune. Ricor has three versions: Touring, Sport, and Super Sport. I explained that I ride solo 80% of the time and usually have a tour pack installed. Brian said no problem and that delivery would be in approximately four weeks.
Four weeks later plus 1,000 miles on the shocks and here is my report:
On a scale of 1-10
1- Time to burn down the vendor’s house (not literally)
2- Very Dissatisfied
3- Dissatisfied
4- Underwhelmed
5- Slightly worse than Neutral
6- Slightly better Than Neutral
7- Pretty Good
8- Very Good
9- Excellent
10- Outstanding
Delivery Commitment – 10
Communication - 10
Product Quality and Workmanship: 10
This is a great looking shock. Just by holding it, you know this isn’t cheap Chinese mass produced garbage.
Ease of Installation: 10
Installation is idiot proof. This was a ten minute effort. Install the bottom bolt first and then adjust the swing arm to align the top bolt by pushing down on the fender, or lowering your lift to the proper height.
Initial Ride Experience: 7
When I took my first solo ride I could tell this was a different kind of ride than the air shocks. The ride seemed firmer, but not harsh. For a brief moment I wondered whether the ride was too firm, but I quickly realized I liked the ride. On the open road, the shock performed extremely well at all speeds. On rough road the ride seemed firm, but you can feel the shock dampening every imperfection on the road surface. You can still get bounced around by bad bump and pot holes, but not with the jarring bottom outs you might get with other shocks. I rode one hundred miles on my first ride without making any adjustments. Have an expectation that you will have to make adjustments to your shocks and they won't ride perfect right out of the box.
Ease of Adjusting the Shock Preload: 9
The shocks do not require tools. The top end of the shock has an easy to turn **** that adjusts pre-load. I was getting frustrated trying to adjust the shock for an optimum preload setting. I like instant gratification. The less preload, the shock felt more prone to top out, or bounce me out of the seat on harsh bumps. Too much pre-load and too much shock was transferred to my body. Once you hit the sweet spot on the Preload setting you know it. Quarter and half turns, make a big difference, so adjust in smaller increments. The trick is to find just the right Preload adjustment that is most comfortable for you. It took a couple weeks, but I found my sweet spot setting and now I’m going to leave it alone.
Ease of adjusting the shocks to meet rider’s preference: 7
My feedback to Ricor is to include documentation for riders that are not well versed in suspension tuning. Some guidance on sag adjustments and ride quality expectations would be a great value-add. I scored the shock adjustment a very generous nine, however, I have to rank the ease of adjusting to the individual rider a solid, but lower seven.
Ride Experience at Final Setting: 9
Now that I have found the correct Preload settings, I find the ride experience to be excellent. The shocks make all types of road surfaces very comfortable with the exception of very bump roads. These shocks do not erase big pot holes and very uneven road and bridge joints. Short of re-engineering the motorcycle itself, a mean bump is still going to bounce you out of the seat. Under normal to below average road surfaces, the ride is excellent. You can feel the shock isolating you from all the imperfections in the road creating a super smooth ride.
Price: 7.5
I think the price for the shocks are fair, but right at the top end of what I would pay for a premium shock. My point is Ricor is going against more well established companies out there for a comparable price.
Would I recommend Ricor to the forum or to friends? 9
The only reason I did not give Ricor a 10 is the documentation issue. I believe there are a lot of riders entering the world of premium suspensions that need some kind of material to set expectations about what kind of ride to expect and the process of setting up the shock to match the riders’ preferences.
Does the sport tune shock perform as advertised? 10
This is where I want to score Ricor the highest. There is a huge compromise between the Cadillac ride and a Sports car ride; basically too soft versus to firm. Ricor hit a bullseye to find the perfect in between.
The “Wow, What a Difference” Factor – 8*
The shocks are completely different from HD’s stock shocks, so yes there is a big difference. This is particularly difficult to score because I have not had an opportunity to try a number of other brands of shocks. So in fairness, I will score this an 8 out of 10 with an asterisk to denote that I can only give a subjective score on this. If there are other vendors that want me to try their product, then PM me. I am glad to write a post or article giving my honest impressions of vendor A versus Vendor B, or C.
Two up riding: 9
I recommend finding the correct Preload for two up riding. My wife and I found the ride too firm leaving the Preload setting at my solo setting. In my case, my two-up Preload setting is ¾ to 1 full turn less Preload when riding two-up. This may differ based on rider weight and whether you are all loaded up for a trip.
After getting everything configured, running two-up the ride is surprisingly comfortable. On the highway or winding roads the rear wheel always felt planted and it was definitely easier to maneuver through tight turns. The only reason I did not give two-up riding a 10 is that there is no way to switch the shock from sport mode to a touring mode. That would make my wife very happy. I know I am asking for the world here, but a nine is still an A rating.
Wrapping this review up I believe Ricor is on to something very good here. Having three types of tunes using their IAS technology is a huge benefit. It takes some thought to decide what you want, but with the Touring or Sport tune, you probably cannot go wrong.
The current technology Ricor is offering is impressive and I look forward to putting some very enjoyable miles on the rear shocks for the foreseeable future. My only regret is I wish I could have tried other brands of shocks first. But it’s not all bad. Ricor’s 30 day money back guarantee is a great no risk incentive to try their products.
I promised a review on the Ricor shocks and here it is. It goes without saying that I don’t work for Ricor and all opinions in this write-up are mine. As always I try to be objective.
Some background first. I was never completely happy with my stock 12 inch Streetglide shocks. My biggest complaint was bottom out and wallowing when the shock pressure was too low. At first I kept my shock pressure at 15 psi when riding solo. When I installed my tour pack I increased to 25 psi to reduce bottom out.
In search for better performance, I drained my shock oil and replaced with Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF. I chose Mobil 1 because it is comparable to a 7.5w shock oil and more readily available at the auto parts store. The change in shock performance was nothing short of remarkable. After a couple thousand miles on the newly upgraded stock shocks I had no complaints. The bike rode like a Cadillac and handled the twisties perfectly. The nice thing about the new shock oil was that I was able to reduce the air pressure to 12 psi with no issues at all. The shock oil change was a 50%-60% improvement over the lighter oil.
So why say all this and why change? Because like many on this forum, I am constantly searching for a way to perfect my ride. Would my "upgraded" stock shocks worked long term? Yes, but it was a band-aid fix and I wanted a quality solution. I considered the Progressive 412s, 440’s, Ohilins, and Ricors. I was nearly ready to pull the trigger on the Ohlin’s but the Ricor IAS technology caught my attention.
My objective was to find a sport touring ride that does not wallow when set to a softer ride, or jar me at every bump when set for a firmer ride. I wanted a shock that was versatile enough to easily adjust for touring or a day out hitting it hard.
I talked with Brian at Ricor, asked few questions about their company, and their recommendations based on my riding style. The call was short, but my confidence was high that I would be happy with the purchase. I ordered the 13 inch shocks and asked that they be tuned tuned to a rider of 190 lbs using their the sport tune. Ricor has three versions: Touring, Sport, and Super Sport. I explained that I ride solo 80% of the time and usually have a tour pack installed. Brian said no problem and that delivery would be in approximately four weeks.
Four weeks later plus 1,000 miles on the shocks and here is my report:
On a scale of 1-10
1- Time to burn down the vendor’s house (not literally)
2- Very Dissatisfied
3- Dissatisfied
4- Underwhelmed
5- Slightly worse than Neutral
6- Slightly better Than Neutral
7- Pretty Good
8- Very Good
9- Excellent
10- Outstanding
Delivery Commitment – 10
Communication - 10
Product Quality and Workmanship: 10
This is a great looking shock. Just by holding it, you know this isn’t cheap Chinese mass produced garbage.
Ease of Installation: 10
Installation is idiot proof. This was a ten minute effort. Install the bottom bolt first and then adjust the swing arm to align the top bolt by pushing down on the fender, or lowering your lift to the proper height.
Initial Ride Experience: 7
When I took my first solo ride I could tell this was a different kind of ride than the air shocks. The ride seemed firmer, but not harsh. For a brief moment I wondered whether the ride was too firm, but I quickly realized I liked the ride. On the open road, the shock performed extremely well at all speeds. On rough road the ride seemed firm, but you can feel the shock dampening every imperfection on the road surface. You can still get bounced around by bad bump and pot holes, but not with the jarring bottom outs you might get with other shocks. I rode one hundred miles on my first ride without making any adjustments. Have an expectation that you will have to make adjustments to your shocks and they won't ride perfect right out of the box.
Ease of Adjusting the Shock Preload: 9
The shocks do not require tools. The top end of the shock has an easy to turn **** that adjusts pre-load. I was getting frustrated trying to adjust the shock for an optimum preload setting. I like instant gratification. The less preload, the shock felt more prone to top out, or bounce me out of the seat on harsh bumps. Too much pre-load and too much shock was transferred to my body. Once you hit the sweet spot on the Preload setting you know it. Quarter and half turns, make a big difference, so adjust in smaller increments. The trick is to find just the right Preload adjustment that is most comfortable for you. It took a couple weeks, but I found my sweet spot setting and now I’m going to leave it alone.
Ease of adjusting the shocks to meet rider’s preference: 7
My feedback to Ricor is to include documentation for riders that are not well versed in suspension tuning. Some guidance on sag adjustments and ride quality expectations would be a great value-add. I scored the shock adjustment a very generous nine, however, I have to rank the ease of adjusting to the individual rider a solid, but lower seven.
Ride Experience at Final Setting: 9
Now that I have found the correct Preload settings, I find the ride experience to be excellent. The shocks make all types of road surfaces very comfortable with the exception of very bump roads. These shocks do not erase big pot holes and very uneven road and bridge joints. Short of re-engineering the motorcycle itself, a mean bump is still going to bounce you out of the seat. Under normal to below average road surfaces, the ride is excellent. You can feel the shock isolating you from all the imperfections in the road creating a super smooth ride.
Price: 7.5
I think the price for the shocks are fair, but right at the top end of what I would pay for a premium shock. My point is Ricor is going against more well established companies out there for a comparable price.
Would I recommend Ricor to the forum or to friends? 9
The only reason I did not give Ricor a 10 is the documentation issue. I believe there are a lot of riders entering the world of premium suspensions that need some kind of material to set expectations about what kind of ride to expect and the process of setting up the shock to match the riders’ preferences.
Does the sport tune shock perform as advertised? 10
This is where I want to score Ricor the highest. There is a huge compromise between the Cadillac ride and a Sports car ride; basically too soft versus to firm. Ricor hit a bullseye to find the perfect in between.
The “Wow, What a Difference” Factor – 8*
The shocks are completely different from HD’s stock shocks, so yes there is a big difference. This is particularly difficult to score because I have not had an opportunity to try a number of other brands of shocks. So in fairness, I will score this an 8 out of 10 with an asterisk to denote that I can only give a subjective score on this. If there are other vendors that want me to try their product, then PM me. I am glad to write a post or article giving my honest impressions of vendor A versus Vendor B, or C.
Two up riding: 9
I recommend finding the correct Preload for two up riding. My wife and I found the ride too firm leaving the Preload setting at my solo setting. In my case, my two-up Preload setting is ¾ to 1 full turn less Preload when riding two-up. This may differ based on rider weight and whether you are all loaded up for a trip.
After getting everything configured, running two-up the ride is surprisingly comfortable. On the highway or winding roads the rear wheel always felt planted and it was definitely easier to maneuver through tight turns. The only reason I did not give two-up riding a 10 is that there is no way to switch the shock from sport mode to a touring mode. That would make my wife very happy. I know I am asking for the world here, but a nine is still an A rating.
Wrapping this review up I believe Ricor is on to something very good here. Having three types of tunes using their IAS technology is a huge benefit. It takes some thought to decide what you want, but with the Touring or Sport tune, you probably cannot go wrong.
The current technology Ricor is offering is impressive and I look forward to putting some very enjoyable miles on the rear shocks for the foreseeable future. My only regret is I wish I could have tried other brands of shocks first. But it’s not all bad. Ricor’s 30 day money back guarantee is a great no risk incentive to try their products.
#2
07-17-2010, 07:42 PM
Thanks for the write-up. Been following the previous thread and the related threads on Ricor, Ohlins, Progressive 940, etc. I am considering upgrading the air shocks on The Ultra in the not-so-distant future so these threads are invaluable. From your experience it sounds like the Ricors are exactly what I am looking for.
Thanks again for a excellent and extremely informative write-up!!!!
Thanks again for a excellent and extremely informative write-up!!!!
#5
07-17-2010, 08:48 PM
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#6
07-17-2010, 08:55 PM
atrain68, a very good write up. I also went with the Ricor sport set up but I have as of this writing not been able to evaluate my new shocks. The reason for this is that I just installed them today having only received them on my door step yesterday afternoon about 2 hours before I got home from a week long road trip. So far I am not impressed, but I will state why.
I placed my order on 5-21-10. 5 weeks later on 6-24-10 I am notified that my shocks are "almost ready" and that my balance is due. I make my shipping selection and pay my balance immediately. I am now thinking "Great I will have these in time for my trip on 7-10-10". Didn't happen.
Now I am not one of those who expect instant delivery but in my opinion, 8 weeks from order to delivery is a long wait with no updates along the way.
Between your review and 05Train's thread the information has been very straight forward, entertaining and most of all informative. Nice job, both of you.
I placed my order on 5-21-10. 5 weeks later on 6-24-10 I am notified that my shocks are "almost ready" and that my balance is due. I make my shipping selection and pay my balance immediately. I am now thinking "Great I will have these in time for my trip on 7-10-10". Didn't happen.
Now I am not one of those who expect instant delivery but in my opinion, 8 weeks from order to delivery is a long wait with no updates along the way.
Between your review and 05Train's thread the information has been very straight forward, entertaining and most of all informative. Nice job, both of you.
Last edited by soos; 07-17-2010 at 09:16 PM.
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07-17-2010, 09:46 PM
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07-17-2010, 10:04 PM
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07-18-2010, 12:05 PM
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It will be worth the wait.
atrain68, a very good write up. I also went with the Ricor sport set up but I have as of this writing not been able to evaluate my new shocks. The reason for this is that I just installed them today having only received them on my door step yesterday afternoon about 2 hours before I got home from a week long road trip. So far I am not impressed, but I will state why.
I placed my order on 5-21-10. 5 weeks later on 6-24-10 I am notified that my shocks are "almost ready" and that my balance is due. I make my shipping selection and pay my balance immediately. I am now thinking "Great I will have these in time for my trip on 7-10-10". Didn't happen.
Now I am not one of those who expect instant delivery but in my opinion, 8 weeks from order to delivery is a long wait with no updates along the way.
Between your review and 05Train's thread the information has been very straight forward, entertaining and most of all informative. Nice job, both of you.
I placed my order on 5-21-10. 5 weeks later on 6-24-10 I am notified that my shocks are "almost ready" and that my balance is due. I make my shipping selection and pay my balance immediately. I am now thinking "Great I will have these in time for my trip on 7-10-10". Didn't happen.
Now I am not one of those who expect instant delivery but in my opinion, 8 weeks from order to delivery is a long wait with no updates along the way.
Between your review and 05Train's thread the information has been very straight forward, entertaining and most of all informative. Nice job, both of you.
Looking forward to your ride report. Sorry for the delay in receiving your shocks and you missed your weekend ride with them. Just so many issues in building custom shocks to your specifications that can occur is mind numbing. Springs we need for specific tunes do not always arrive and end up back ordered. Shock tubes come back from being anodized with imperfections that are not acceptable to send out. Raw stock that in the past was “spot on and useable” arrives out of tolerance that requires additional machining.. the list goes on and on.
It is in our best interest to ship as quickly as we can and we try as hard as we can to get our orders shipped. Numerous times I have stopped by the shop (do not work there myself) and see shocks assembled boxed and ready to ship waiting on springs, either to arrive from the manufacture or to get back from powder coating..
We share the same frustrations as you do in receiving your completed shocks in our parts stream but we are darn confident when you do get them you will be very satisfied.
Thirteen points evaluated by atrain68 on what appears to be a very objective method, and I have to assume he was comparing his Ricor experience to his previous what he called “band-aid fix” that was 50% better than stock. (He can correct me if I am wrong here)
8.88 overall (if I did my math correctly
with 1000 miles on his shocks is a pretty solid endorsement in my book. Mud is still running his Ricors over the top of the line version he previously used as is Rounder who was using a slightly lesser version of the same high end shock from a very well respected manufacture. You will be happy with your new ride and we guarantee it…. again sorry for the delay, it seems to be the only complaint we ever receive and it is frustrating for us also.