Have had my Ohlins #6's on for a few weeks now.

This evening, went for a shakedown ride with the wife, the '14 Limited loaded up for full two-up touring for 11 days on the road, beginning next weekend.

If you have ever felt like a big touring bike was taxing the suspension with this kind of load, you would be amazed at how capable this feels.

Small bumps absolutely disappear, stable as can be, no chassis droop, smoother than siding solo, could drag a floorboard through cloverleaf turns if desired.

If you want a heavy hauler to handle like a dream, run, don't walk, to the phone and call Howard now.

Absolutely worth every penny.

You can thank me later.

 

Just to throw it out and document it in public ... how much of what a real world differences do 12" versus 13" or above shocks make?

I'm guess as the Ohlins are Scandinavian they are 340 mm?

I'm looking at going for a pair of 330 mm shocks at present (only a pencil width of a difference).

For me, I'm unsure of actual applied geometries as I have a "tall" Evo frame (pre-1997) with a 2007 swing arm. I got the bike original had OEM air shocks with lowering blocks on it ... but, as much as I love metal grinding, would prefer better handling and more ground clearance.

 

I just installed my new #3's and only with 300 miles so far I am impressed! I feel like I am riding a totally different bike. I had time to install them on Sunday about 2pm and emailed Howard and said if I get stuck I'll pick it up on Monday and call. He called me 5 minutes after the email. Truly a stand up dude! I had no issues with the installation and called him today to ask opinions on the forks. Instead of persuading me to buy new ones he gave me a idea for the stockers. I have recommended him to everyone I talk to about the shocks. I will keep telling everyone to buy from him.

 

Thats a very impressive bike you got there. I am about 500 miles into my new Ohlins # 6 shocks and tonight was the first night that I have had a chance to ride solo and all I can say is wow. I thought I had a good ride going two up but man solo with the settings that I have is something else. I think I am going to go 3 full turns in on the spring preload and see if I can obtain the ride that I had tonight for two up.

Once you hit 400 to 500 miles your shocks will really come alive as in they just keep getting better.

Truly the best $$ spent on upgrades so far.

 

it is 8:46pm now and I have been up since 4am getting ready to go to the machine shop, building one set of inverted forks, answering e-Mails and talking to a few customers. I left at 9:15 after rush hour, met a machinist/programmer about my triple trees, than ran back to my shop to meet the UPS guy who had a load of shocks for me to build, than packaged them up, ran to the USPO and UPS just before closing time, maybe 10 min to spare, than talked to 2 Evil who wanted to **** away some money over this crap you read on the internet. Spent about 1/2 hour with him on the phone and told him I do not want his money over bad information he received.

The reason for this rant is to ask you why you just did not call me? I will be up to around 10pm or so until I pass out tonight. I think surely between the hours of 4am to 10pm there is some time to call me to answer your questions. You paid me and you shall receive the support you require. Just call me. On Sunday, I usually sleep in until 7am or so. Yes, I work Sundays also. There you have it.

 

I'm in the mountains of North Carolina putting my Ohlins #6 shocks and 49mm forks with the Ohlins 30mm fully adjustable cartridges through the paces for the first time . The wife and I come up here in July every year for 18 years. This bike is amazing . The wife keeps making two comments 1- this bike is smoother than any set up I've had before and 2- please slow down in the curves it's not a sport bike . I ride hard and push it through the corners in the past years and this year I'm taking it easy in the curves learning the suspension. I feel like I'm going so slow in the corners and yet she keeps saying slow down , so I starting glancing at my speed in corners I'm familiar with from previous years and I'm probably running 7 mph faster in them with a lot less effort than past years . I can't describe how smooth it is running over imperfections in the road too , she will see something in the road and groan as we hit it and then go I didn't feel anything . I asked her then why did you groan and she said anticipating the jolt that never came. Thanks Howard , Wendy and I are very happy.

 

Thanks for the update TJ316 I literally just got off the phone with Howard and he was telling me about your trip to the Carolinas and your new triple trees built by him. This is really exciting to hear your wonderful review of the complete suspension set up. I only have 500 miles on my Ohlins # 6 set up and my wife is also not complaining any more. I also am finding myself going through some of the big sweeper curves faster than what I could with the stock shocks on the rears. Now after learning that there is a cure for the front end I will start putting the motions into place to have Howard build me a set of triple trees with the 49mm tubes. I can't wait to be able to have a front end that will match the rear end of this bike and for the wobble to disappear. It's pretty awesome that Howard has this technology that will work with our touring bikes. The end result will be better performance and I'm sure this will equate to a much safer motorcycle.

 

If anyone has the Ohlins #6 with the remote reservoir mounted under a tour-pak, can you please post a few pictures of the installation? I'm curious to see how the reservoir is mounted and if any modifications or drilling of the tour-pak is necessary. I'm also curious how the reservoir mounted on the left side would effect the passenger headset cable/spring assembly.

 

I have to be honest I think someone in the R&D department at Ohlins did not put a whole lot of thought into the mounting of the resivoirs on a Ultra or Street Glide. I tried to use the L brackets that they supplied with the shocks and really could not find a use for them. Seems as though they also supplied to short of worm clamps too as I scratched my resivor trying to get the clamp to stretch over the resivor to hold it in place while using their rubber mounts. NOT COOL!!

The rubber mounts also seem to be the wrong size when mounting it under the tour pack however they do fit on the saddlebag bar nicely . The only way that I could get them to fit for now without any futher modifaction is by using the supplied rubber mounts and mounting the resivor on the saddlebag support bar between the bag and fender. I used long tie straps to sucure the resivor as I show in the picture. The tie straps that were supplied were to short. The kit also shorts you 4-5x16mm mounting bolts, washers and lock nuts to even bigin to mount the mounting bracket. The supplied L-Brackets also look like that they will rust in time. I personaly feel that a better mounting system should be supplied or one avaiable for purchase. Chrome would also be nice. I have supplied a pic to show how I have mounted the resivor until I can figure out a better way it's going take some thought for sure. I will probably wait until winter to do a better job.

Good Luck

 

I really wish that you would call me as I have done this all before and I would save you some drama and anxiety as well as time. Please just lets do it right and quickly the first time. You are the person who purchased your investment from me and provide me the opportunity to support you.


Those brackets were originally to fit onto the chrome fender support found only on the 1986~2007 FL's. The plastic mounts and 8 bolts w/stop nuts are to be used with the stainless steel mounting brackets and the mounting holes correspond with the welded on nuts on the backside of the chrome fender support.




The bottom photo was the first day I started developing the ressy mounting system on a shock that did not exist. No Ohlins R&D department, me. There was no 2009 FL's than as they did not exist.


The top picture is the billet ressy clamps & mounting plates I make so you do not need to use hose clamps. They are not meant for the 2009~2013 but will work on a 2014 as well as Dynas & FXR's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GungHo-HD

Seems as though they also supplied to short of worm clamps too as I scratched my resivor trying to get the clamp to stretch over the resivor to hold it in place while using their rubber mounts. NOT COOL!!

The correct way to install the SS hose clamp over a ressy is to use the appropriate nut driver than install one rubber block & hose clamp at a time. Never stretch the clamp over the ressy except to get the threads started. I sent you pictorial instructions showing you where I mount the ressys on your 2009~2013 and it was never ever meant to be installed where you mounted it. I drew into the HD-909 instructions (the ones you received a photo copy [in the post two/2 above this one] & the ones I e-Mailed you [original] with your tracking # and paid receipt when I shipped the shocks to you). The directions were specific on informing you what model years and where the stainless steel brackets are to be used. When in doubt, call me! I have been up since 5am today and it is 6:16am now, plenty of time in the day and it is always a pleasure to speak to you and beak up my crappy day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GungHo-HD

The rubber mounts also seem to be the wrong size when mounting it under the tour pack however they do fit on the saddlebag bar nicely . The only way that I could get them to fit for now without any futher modifaction is by using the supplied rubber mounts and mounting the resivor on the saddlebag support bar between the bag and fender.

The hose mounted ressys fit like a glove under the tour pack of your bike. Just call me on that as they are very accessible that way if you leave the tour pack on. Her is the very first one we did when I lent HDF premiere member masterblaster the prototype for one of his long distance trips during development.

The picture below was on the very first 2009 FL's that came into the local dealership so I could design the second mounting system for the brand new Harley model. This is the location that I chose to mount the ressy on your exact model. The mounting that you have as the "only way it would work" is contained in the pictorial instructions that I sent you prior to you receiving your shocks. It is in the exact same place as you have it on your bike, the way I designed it the first day the 2009's were released to the general public. It is your bike and you can mount it anyplace you wanted to mount it, I love innovation. There is many different ways to mount the ressy which I will not go into.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GungHo-HD

I personaly feel that a better mounting system should be supplied or one avaiable for purchase. Chrome would also be nice.

The mounting system needed for your bike is only the hose clamps and rubber blocks. Nothing to chrome. If you wish to purchase a clamping system from me as shown above, it is available in silver powdercoating or can be chromed. The chromers want over $100 just to chrome it adding that price to cost of the total shock package. All you have to do is call me and I have over 100 sets in stock.

For anyone's information on these shocks here is the history. Before Ohlins discovered how much money they could make on the Harley market and just as they met me, none of their shocks worked well and they were underdeveloped. I was asked by Mike Hensley if I wished to help them develop their product for the Harley market. If any one was around than you would know that I was the only one selling this product to the Harley market here on any sort of scale. I took every Ohlins shock model and personally tested it by riding them than had a multitude of friends ride them. Friends of all different weights and motorcycles. I made spread sheets and logged in all of my research. Years of it. Ohlins in Sweden develops a shock in a box that is suppose to work on a specific motorcycle model regardless of the weight. The thought behind this is that every box sling company could drop ship a shock in the box to their on-line customers. They now offer a spring change from Ohlins to customize/optimize a so called tailored to the customer. Let me know how that works out for you.

The #6 shock, the very first hose mounted separate compression & rebound Ohlins was thought up by me, not Ohlins. I brought the concept to Mike Hensley and due to my many successes on modifying their shocks to work and developing another previously newly developed shock, he decided to take a chance with my idea and ordered 25 sets. I than had to develop them along with the never before done hose mount on a Harley Bagger. I knew I would have to educate than create a demand of a separated, fully adjustable, and high quality shock that would provide the same or better ride than what was offered to the piggyback crowd. A piggyback shock should never be used on any stock FLT bagger or bad things happen. Turning a piggyback up side down to mount it and putting them behind hard bags is a very bad idea. Actually become experienced than ride a Harley and you would never do it. This is what happens.




There is no Ohlins R&D department as you now know, i was me and I provide phone support any reasonable hour 7 days a week as will as explicit pictorial instructions on mounting your ressys. I have many different applications for many different bikes as I do them myself and work it out and I only support my own customers.

I now have had some (of the new) 25mm cartridge systems to look at for a few weeks. In the next few days I will be testing them. These require no fork modification into a stock or 1" lowered fork (by reducing the stroke). I can also shorten the cartridge and shorten the complete fork so a 1" shorter fork would still retain the same stroke without utilizing the much heavier provided (13M/m V/S 10N/m spring) Same stroke, and the same comfortable ride as OEM but 1" shorter fork.










On my far superior 30mm cartridge/49mm system I get 6 1/2" of stroke but the bike still sits at the same fork height as OEM. The HD 49mm fork tubes are far superior than the older 41mm fork tubes in both weight savings and rigidity. Remove the cow bells/beer cans & tape a string of LED's on the fork tubes and sliders. Have someone film you riding at speed at night. That is the truth & you will understand why HD moved to a 49mm fork tube.