ohlins
Road Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 803
Likes: 3
From: Collegeville, PA
There have been quite a few threads on the Ohlins over the past year. General consensus has been extremely positive from those of us who have run them. Like most forum threads, the only people talking them down are guys that don't own them. I got mine from Motorcycle Metal last spring. In the past, along with the stock air shocks (poor ride) I've run Works Performance (very good) and have ridden my brothers bike with Progressives (better than stock, but not great). The Ohlins were by far the best ride of any of them. They never bottom out or top out. Very smooth ride, and adjust well for when I have a passenger on the back. Price wise, they are about the same as the other two premium shocks if you go through Howard.
I've traded the 2008 Road Glide I had them on and pulled the shocks before the trade. I will be moving them over to the new bike when I get time.
I've traded the 2008 Road Glide I had them on and pulled the shocks before the trade. I will be moving them over to the new bike when I get time.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,351
Likes: 461
From: Illinois
I have a pair on my FLHX. I like them alot. I don't have much to compare them to. Stock and Ohlins are all I have ever ridden.
Call Howard at Motorcycle Metal. He is a forum sponsor. Tell him you are a forum member and tell him what you want. He gave me great advice, service and price. He even insisted I call him on a Saturday when I was installing my shocks to talk me through it on the phone and be sure everything went smooth.
Dennis
Call Howard at Motorcycle Metal. He is a forum sponsor. Tell him you are a forum member and tell him what you want. He gave me great advice, service and price. He even insisted I call him on a Saturday when I was installing my shocks to talk me through it on the phone and be sure everything went smooth.
Dennis
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Another very happy customer of Motorcycle Metal here! Get them custom built by Howard to get the very best from them. They have cured bottoming out on my Glide when we are fully loaded on a trip and ride very smooth. The only way to travel!
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
From: England
~Howard is an A1 Guy and his Ohlin 12 1/2" shock build has transformed the ride of my SG.
Ordered, delivered to UK and fitted in 2 weeks including a quick call to Howard for advice when fitting. I was considering taking the bike back to the dealer until I fitted the Ohlins the ride was so bad 2UP.
Ordered, delivered to UK and fitted in 2 weeks including a quick call to Howard for advice when fitting. I was considering taking the bike back to the dealer until I fitted the Ohlins the ride was so bad 2UP.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 771
Likes: 3
From: St. Bonifacius, MN
I also am riding on Ohlins shocks. Ipurchased them from Howard for my 03 Road King and took them off when I traded for my 11 Road Glide. After putting about 500 miles on the bike with the stock shocks I put the Ohlins on. No way I would go back to stock.
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 485
Likes: 2
From: Colorado
Ohlins are definately the top of the food chain when it comes to shocks. I know them well from the sport bike arena, which I havn't completely left yet. Putting them on a HD would definately be an improvement over stock shocks, but as with sport bikes, their value really comes into play during hard riding.
When riding your bagger on twisties, if you don't frequently scrape your footboards, then I would pass on the upgrade to Ohlins. Or at least don't upgrade until you have done all the other performance uprgrades you wanna do to your bike.
When riding your bagger on twisties, if you don't frequently scrape your footboards, then I would pass on the upgrade to Ohlins. Or at least don't upgrade until you have done all the other performance uprgrades you wanna do to your bike.