I hate being wrong, and I hate buying the same part twice.

Long story short, I wasn't happy with the stock suspension. I made some changes based on a couple of recommendations, and I ignored some other recommendations. I rode my bike for a year with another brand of aftermarket suspension pieces, and I was reasonably happy with my decision. I have removed half of their parts, and I have nothing bad to say about them. This thread isn't about comparing anything.

About 3 months ago I started really critiquing my suspension setup. My largest issue was cornering clearance. I was tearing apart my Fatcat in right-hand corners. The ride also left a little bit to be desired over the really rough roads we have here in the Northeast. I rode 26,000+ miles on the Limited last year, and I want (and need) a bike that is both comfortable and fun to ride.

What struck me was that even though I was running 13" shocks, I was losing clearance and stroke thanks to the sag. So began my look at Öhlins and Motorcycle Metal. About two months ago, I placed a call to Howard to see what was what, and what my options were. I spent roughly 45 minutes on the phone with him, and was taken to school. I understand suspension, Howard lives and breathes the stuff. He's also funnier than hell, and personable as all get-out. Midway through the conversation, my mind was made up.

Fast forward to two weeks ago, thanks to my dumb *** for writing a check for the wrong amount, and the USPS losing my second check, I finally got my order placed. Howard received my check Tuesday, the shocks were on my front porch on Thursday.

Got that? Two. Freaking. Days.

I ordered the #3-4 shocks, as they were the tallest ones I could get without really breaking the bank. They're freaking beautiful shocks, it's a shame they're hidden by the bags.

I unpacked them, put the bike up on the jack, stripped the old shocks off, and then called Howard. There are detailed installation instructions online, however you're cheating yourself if you don't call. Howard took the time to walk me through both the construction of the shock, and the installation.

Installation was a breeze, and then I set the sag. This is crucial. Do not buy these shocks (or anything else for that matter) if you're not going to bother to set them up properly. It takes all of 5 or 10 minutes, and you're wasting your money if you don't do it right.

It was here that I discovered my only issue with the shocks.....They're so long (14-1/8" from flat of bolt to flat of bolt) that at full droop, the axle nut hits my slip-on on the right side. I spaced it down, and the issue's solved. I may call Jamie on Monday to see if there's anything else I can or need to do.

I finished right around 5pm on Thursday, and with DC rush hour, I wasn't able to go far or fast. I will say this....I didn't touch the sweep valve (compression & rebound), all I did was set the sag properly. The increased ride hight is great (34" inseam). The ride over low-speed bumps was unreal. The shocks I was running did a good job of smoothing the road, my initial impression of the Öhlins was that they were several orders on magnitude better.

I'm heading out on a ride in about an hour. More to come. But so far an big thumbs-up for the quality of Howard's products and service.

 

I could of swore you were a Ricor salesman. What happened?

 

See the first four words of my review.

I'm not going to get into a comparison in this thread. Let's just say that neither product is bad, one is clearly better for me.

 

Train I agree with your assessment of these shocks and Howard too. The best advice you give here is to call Howard when doing set up, initial set up is the most important step (for any shock). I have the 3's on my Dyna, will probably go with the 6's on my Ultra.

 

They do feel to be an immediate improvent when you bolt them on, but they will get much better with time. Quoted break in is 500mi but mine felt like they broke in fully around 1k. Just like you said to take the time and set them up right, take the time and tweak the sweep valve also. I found out the hard way that a slow approach is much better; ride for a while on one setting, that familiarization helps to distinguish the feel of the effect of going up or down 2 clicks. Eventually you will be able feel the effect of one click, and you will get them dialed in perfectly. The bumps that used to jar my teeth are barely felt, and the bumps that used to toss me out of the saddle just feel like bumps, haven't bottomed on the 3-3s since I finished tuning them. Enjoy the new ride

 

I just rode around 70 hard miles VTuning. Holy *****. These things are rock-steady in the corners, and they just float over road irregularities. I'm fully expecting to be tweaking them for a while as they break in. I think the sag is just about perfect for solo riding. I'm taking my daughter out now so I'll figure out the 2-up setting. I'm not going to touch the sweep valve 'till 1,000 miles (which should be next weekend).

I'm very pleased with these things. Roaring through the corners nothing dragged.

 

Start thinking about the front end to compliment the rear.

 

I tried the Ricors but had already had the Ohlin's so i took the Ricors right off. If you give Howard the right info he asked for you will recieve your shocks spot on for your requirements. Theres no need to keep screwing with Ohlin's unless you lied about your old ladies weight or how much you carry for lunch for her to Howard.

 

I found that I didn't need a seperate 2 up setting. My normal setting is a little firm for mild agressive riding, when we ride 2 up I take it a little easy, so the same setting seems to be nice and plush without sacrificing handling.

 

What did you do with the Ricors?