I know there has been a proliferation of threads on Ohlins shocks as of late, but in the interest of "informing the masses," I'm going to go ahead and pass on my personal experience with Howard, and Motorcycle Metal.

I have been looking at aftermarket solutions for my 2010 Street Glide's abysmal suspension for almost a year now.

I shitcanned my stock 12 inch air shocks after about a thousand miles, because I couldn't stand them for another minute. The quality of the compression and rebound damping was so bad, I dreaded riding the bike over anything but the smoothest roads. I bought the little Harley air pump and played with numerous different air pressure settings, but to no avail. This is by far the worst suspension on any motorcycle I've ever owned...and I've owned a bunch.

I restored a 1976 Kawasaki KZ900 a couple of years ago that came with OEM shocks that were 10 times better than the junk that the MoCo puts on a $20K Street Glide. Harley Davidson should be embarrassed and ashamed to have such a substandard suspension on an expensive touring motorcycle. Ok, sorry folks...rant off.

After I dumped the stock 12 inch air shocks, I put on some 13" Progressive 440s as an interim solution until I could figure out what I wanted to do for a long term solution. I also put in some Race Tech springs and gold emulators in the front to try and combat the horrendous fork dive I experienced any time I hit the front brakes with any force.

The Progressives were an improvement over the stock air shock set up (not difficult to accomplish), but I felt that there had to be something better out there. The Progressive 440 only comes with a preload adjuster (adjustable by hand)...no adjustment is available for compression and rebound damping.

After researching all my options out there I decided to go with Ohlins shocks from Motorcycle Metal based on the writeups I had read about Howard Messner's customer service, and the reputation of Ohlins shocks in the motorcycle racing world as a world class suspension.

Normally when you call a business to order something, it's wham, bam, take your order, credit card number, see you later, get lost. Not so at Motorcycle Metal. I talked with Howard for a good 45 minutes about motorcycle suspensions, Ohlins shocks, and what would be a decent set up for my Street Glide. Howard has probably forgotten more about motorcycle suspensions and shock absorbers than most here on these forums have ever known.

I decided on the Ohlins 3-3 shocks because they had adjustable length, adjustable preload, adjustable compression/rebound (sweep valve), and were a piston/separated shock. I could have gone with the 4 series Ohlins, but I honestly didn’t want to deal with mounting an external remote reservoir behind my bags somewhere.

The shocks arrived quickly, and since the world was supposed to end yesterday at 6pm, I decided that I’d better get off my *** and install my new Ohlins before it was too late. Howard asks that you call him when you’re ready to install the shocks so he can go over the set up with you. At first I thought it might be overkill to have Howard talk to me about the install and set up, but on second thought I figured I might learn something.

I ended up spending the next hour on the phone with Howard while he explained in detail the nomenclature of the shocks, the install, and the proper set up/measurement procedures. He showed the patience of Job while I fumbled around with the sweep valve ensuring that I had the proper number of clicks set. I’ve heard of customer service before, but this is ridiculous.

I didn’t have a set of calipers for an exact measurement (as Howard recommends), so I used a tape measure to get ballpark figures for my free sag and ride height. Howard basically told me not to worry about that right now, and just go ride. He told me that I will need to take those measurements again after 500 miles, and make adjustments as necessary.

I took the bike out today for about 100 miles…city, country, and freeway driving. One thing I noticed immediately was that the rebound capability of the Ohlins was head and shoulders above the Progressive or the God awful Harley air shocks. I hit some pretty good bumps that would have launched me out of my seat with the Progressives or the air shocks. The rear wheel never lost contact with the ground today. The overall ride was a little firm, but the shocks are brand new, and I’m going to resist the urge to make any adjustments to the sweep valve or the preload until I get at least 500 miles. I will add that the bike was rock solid through high speed sweeping turns, and that was very confidence inspiring.

My overall experience with the product and the customer service provided by Motorcycle Metal was extremely positive. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

 

This echoes what I said in my thread. I just wish I'd bought the #3-4s a year ago.

 

Nice write up. Does your streetglide's rear end sits higher with the 3-3's? If so is it very noticeable like a stock ultra.

 

I went from 13" Progressive 440s to my Ohlins, so I can't tell any difference in terms of the rear end sitting higher. It looks the same sitting there on the jiffy stand, and my legs can't tell any difference when I'm sitting on the bike. Take a look at my signature picture, or my album...my SG had the Progressives on then. Does it really look that different than any other SG?

When I had the original 12" air shocks on the bike, it may have looked to sit slightly lower while on the jiffy stand...I'm not really sure. While sitting on the bike, I don't really remember any significant difference...but I am 6'1", with long legs, so the seat height has never been an issue for me. I actually prefer a higher sitting height.

 

Thanks for the write up! Makes me have to spend $1K but makes me want to spend it at motorcyclemetal.com! That is beyond customer service!

-Sin

 

Sin,

Tell Howard that you're a HD Forums member, and you should get an excellent discount. My total price was $786.93, which included FedEx shipping.

 

Great review, thanks for posting. I'll be in touch with Howard.

 

Just ordered my 3-3s today for my 07 RG. Let you know

 

BTW, Progressive 440's have no rebound control at all, so anything is better in this regard. Anyway, your story sounds much like mine. I started with stock SG shocks, but became weary of having my butt rammed into my Adam's Apple every time I hit a mild pothole. Next came Progressive 440's, and although they were an improvement, which isn't saying much, I wasn't totally satisfied. Next (and finally) came the Ohlins, except I bought the cheaper #2-3. This was the best suspension mod I've ever made to a bike, and it transformed my riding experience. I'll second your recommendation for this upgrade, as well as Howard's service before and after the sale.

 

After reading all the positive experiences with Howard I ordered my #2-3's last week and expect delivery tomorrow.