Crappy suspension!
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Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 550
Likes: 8
From: Twin Cities,Mn.
Crappy suspension!
Hey guys,
I was wondering if you could help me out with my 05 electra. The suspension when purchased was nothing less than fantastic. The bike rode as smooth as any Goldwing out there. Now it rides like a lumber wagon,and has been a real pain over the last few years.
A few years ago a front seal went out and I brought it in to the stealership.(It is still under warranty). I got it back and the front end was stiff. It actually bottomed out on simple low speed bumps (Like pulling into my alley). I brought it back to the stealership and they claimed nothing was wrong with it. Then I rode it to Sturgis (down I-90) and bottomed out REALLY HARD a few times on the freeway! I was angry,brought it back to the stealer and they said they would look at it. They checked it out and found the forks had actually bent! (Guess there WAS something wrong with it!) Got it back-no more bottoming out but still stiff. Then the rear shocks seemed stiff as well. I replaced them with new take offs. Still stiff riding and only have 60K on her.
Here are my questions; Anyone dealt with this before? Is this common? Whats a good fix?
I had back surgery this year,so any help you can give would be appreciated.
I was wondering if you could help me out with my 05 electra. The suspension when purchased was nothing less than fantastic. The bike rode as smooth as any Goldwing out there. Now it rides like a lumber wagon,and has been a real pain over the last few years.
A few years ago a front seal went out and I brought it in to the stealership.(It is still under warranty). I got it back and the front end was stiff. It actually bottomed out on simple low speed bumps (Like pulling into my alley). I brought it back to the stealership and they claimed nothing was wrong with it. Then I rode it to Sturgis (down I-90) and bottomed out REALLY HARD a few times on the freeway! I was angry,brought it back to the stealer and they said they would look at it. They checked it out and found the forks had actually bent! (Guess there WAS something wrong with it!) Got it back-no more bottoming out but still stiff. Then the rear shocks seemed stiff as well. I replaced them with new take offs. Still stiff riding and only have 60K on her.
Here are my questions; Anyone dealt with this before? Is this common? Whats a good fix?
I had back surgery this year,so any help you can give would be appreciated.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 666
Likes: 5
From: Bay Area, CA
The stock suspension on Harley's - front and the rear especially - are Chinese junk to start with. Plenty of threads on that being one of the first things to be replaced. My shocks leaked air from Day 1. After a few trips to the dealer and no luck, I finally wised up and realized I was own my own. Try Progressive or Ohlins products. Not exactly cheap though. Good luck, Murph
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
The stock suspension on Harley's - front and the rear especially - are Chinese junk to start with. Plenty of threads on that being one of the first things to be replaced. My shocks leaked air from Day 1. After a few trips to the dealer and no luck, I finally wised up and realized I was own my own. Try Progressive or Ohlins products. Not exactly cheap though. Good luck, Murph
Last edited by iclick; Oct 19, 2010 at 02:51 PM.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Hey guys,
I was wondering if you could help me out with my 05 electra. The suspension when purchased was nothing less than fantastic. The bike rode as smooth as any Goldwing out there. Now it rides like a lumber wagon,and has been a real pain over the last few years.
A few years ago a front seal went out and I brought it in to the stealership.(It is still under warranty). I got it back and the front end was stiff. It actually bottomed out on simple low speed bumps (Like pulling into my alley). I brought it back to the stealership and they claimed nothing was wrong with it. Then I rode it to Sturgis (down I-90) and bottomed out REALLY HARD a few times on the freeway! I was angry,brought it back to the stealer and they said they would look at it. They checked it out and found the forks had actually bent! (Guess there WAS something wrong with it!) Got it back-no more bottoming out but still stiff. Then the rear shocks seemed stiff as well. I replaced them with new take offs. Still stiff riding and only have 60K on her.
Here are my questions; Anyone dealt with this before? Is this common? Whats a good fix?
I had back surgery this year,so any help you can give would be appreciated.
I was wondering if you could help me out with my 05 electra. The suspension when purchased was nothing less than fantastic. The bike rode as smooth as any Goldwing out there. Now it rides like a lumber wagon,and has been a real pain over the last few years.
A few years ago a front seal went out and I brought it in to the stealership.(It is still under warranty). I got it back and the front end was stiff. It actually bottomed out on simple low speed bumps (Like pulling into my alley). I brought it back to the stealership and they claimed nothing was wrong with it. Then I rode it to Sturgis (down I-90) and bottomed out REALLY HARD a few times on the freeway! I was angry,brought it back to the stealer and they said they would look at it. They checked it out and found the forks had actually bent! (Guess there WAS something wrong with it!) Got it back-no more bottoming out but still stiff. Then the rear shocks seemed stiff as well. I replaced them with new take offs. Still stiff riding and only have 60K on her.
Here are my questions; Anyone dealt with this before? Is this common? Whats a good fix?
I had back surgery this year,so any help you can give would be appreciated.
Front suspension: Try SE Heavy fork oil (not Extra Heavy), which will firm the suspension without making it harsh and should take all the bottoming out. If that doesn't satisfy, try some aftermarket solutions like those from Motorcycle Metal.
Rear shocks: Ohlins makes several excellent shocks at reasonable prices. Motorcycle Metal sells these, too. Others have reported favorably on Ricor shocks, so you might search this forum for more info on them.
Stabilizers: There's a recent thread on this subject here.
Tires: Dunlop Elite 3 tires will last longer, cost less, handle better, and greatly reduce groove-tracking.
Former Sponsor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas
Hey guys,
I was wondering if you could help me out with my 05 electra. The suspension when purchased was nothing less than fantastic. The bike rode as smooth as any Goldwing out there. Now it rides like a lumber wagon,and has been a real pain over the last few years.
A few years ago a front seal went out and I brought it in to the stealership.(It is still under warranty). I got it back and the front end was stiff. It actually bottomed out on simple low speed bumps (Like pulling into my alley). I brought it back to the stealership and they claimed nothing was wrong with it. Then I rode it to Sturgis (down I-90) and bottomed out REALLY HARD a few times on the freeway! I was angry,brought it back to the stealer and they said they would look at it. They checked it out and found the forks had actually bent! (Guess there WAS something wrong with it!) Got it back-no more bottoming out but still stiff. Then the rear shocks seemed stiff as well. I replaced them with new take offs. Still stiff riding and only have 60K on her.
Here are my questions; Anyone dealt with this before? Is this common? Whats a good fix?
I had back surgery this year,so any help you can give would be appreciated.
I was wondering if you could help me out with my 05 electra. The suspension when purchased was nothing less than fantastic. The bike rode as smooth as any Goldwing out there. Now it rides like a lumber wagon,and has been a real pain over the last few years.
A few years ago a front seal went out and I brought it in to the stealership.(It is still under warranty). I got it back and the front end was stiff. It actually bottomed out on simple low speed bumps (Like pulling into my alley). I brought it back to the stealership and they claimed nothing was wrong with it. Then I rode it to Sturgis (down I-90) and bottomed out REALLY HARD a few times on the freeway! I was angry,brought it back to the stealer and they said they would look at it. They checked it out and found the forks had actually bent! (Guess there WAS something wrong with it!) Got it back-no more bottoming out but still stiff. Then the rear shocks seemed stiff as well. I replaced them with new take offs. Still stiff riding and only have 60K on her.
Here are my questions; Anyone dealt with this before? Is this common? Whats a good fix?
I had back surgery this year,so any help you can give would be appreciated.
Below is a list of parts that you need from Harley, this is not only a damper rod replacement list but enough to rebuild both forks. We also make rear shocks using IAS technology. You can search on the site for Ricor to see what we have done for others and how we compare to the competition.
Here is a link to our site with the INTIMINATORS and shocks for your bike. You would need the 41mm and one quart of 5w.
Shocks:
http://store.ricorshocks.com/Product...20%2D10%2D2006
INTIMINATORS:
http://store.ricorshocks.com/Product...41%2D20%2D1001
Let me know if you have any questions.
Brian
45405-75AHarleyDavidson Part number2eaSOCKET BOLT
45842-77AHarleyDavidson2eaRETAINING RING OIL
45845-77HarleyDavidson2eaO-RING
45858-77HarleyDavidson2eaSCREW
45859-77AHarleyDavidson1eaPISTON RING, DAMPER
45865-84HarleyDavidson2eaSEAL SPACER
45866-84HarleyDavidson2eaSLIDE BUSHING
45875-84AHarleyDavidson2eaOIL SEAL
45890-97HarleyDavidson1eaSTANCHION TUBE
45891-97HarleyDavidson1eaDAMPER TUBE
45892-02HarleyDavidson1eaSPRING, RIGHT FORK
45933-86HarleyDavidson1eaREBOUND SPRING
45733-48HarleyDavidson1eaOIL SEAL
45803-97HarleyDavidson1eaLOWER STOP
45940-84HarleyDavidson1eaGUIDE BUSHING
Former Sponsor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,360
Likes: 453
From: Davie, FL
You can also put another cartridge in the opposite side and re-Valve your forks easily. You can pick up the cartridge and all parts used very cheaply. You can re-Valve them plus re-spring them to your weight. Clean your forks out thoroughly and check your bushings. This is a direct bolt up and if you wish to proceed, e-Mail me for the illustrated HD page from the manual and follow the directions. You should be able to pick the parts up for next to nothing and for the price it would be a great upgrade. Of course you need the proper tools. If you go to my site there is a guide on how to adjust the oil level to control the bottoming out. This increases your resistance the last part of the stroke.
Last edited by FastHarley; Oct 20, 2010 at 01:33 AM.
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