How could you do that? The only thing your air pressure does is fill up a cavity with compressed air stopped by a white nylon cup that seals through the air pressure pushing the sides of this nylon cup out to somewhat seal the air than that pushes down on one of the two springs which increases the spring pre-load. Unless you shattered that cup, your shocks are just fine. If it holds any air at all you are just fine. This is what is in that high $12 shock.



That is it.

The outer cylinder is either sucks the oil in through the 4 orifices which in turn feeds the inner tube through a small hole on the top of the inner tube that a very small 20mm piston with just a washer and a spring to impede the oil bypass through the center of the small circuits in the piston.

This unit is just nothing more than a slower downer and definitely not suspension. This is a good shock for the $12.+ it costs HD to buy from China. This is just a cheaper version than a popular aftermarket shock offered for sale for $200 but with a ramp system manual pre-load adjuster that is made in Mexico. If anyone actually thinks you can improve upon this design by adding thicker oil to slow the action down so this "shock" will react slower than it already does, that logic really eludes me or just might be that the member really has no clue on what a bike should feel like or how a shock should work. My only guess is that they are experiencing a placebo effect justifying the expenditure of oil that is worth more than these units and a waste of their time doing the labor.

I have taken this POS apart even further and found that the piston has the same type of crap ring found on your damper rods. To control your bike hydraulically you must control the oil. The start is by sealing the oil at the ring. The piston is so small that a 20mm can not control your heavy bike no matter how good your suspension design is which in this case definitely is not anything more than crude.

 

ck your air hose connections at the shocks first

 

Do NOT just buy a bicycle pump unless you want to continue to be frustrated. The shocks hold very little air. Any air pressure loss when you attach and detach the pump will keep you from setting them anywhere near correctly. Buy the H-D shock pump which is a no loss pump. It's worth it.

Then read the manual for the proper setting. On my bike, with me (215) and my wife (110) and the bit of stuff I have in my saddlebags, I set mine at 40 psi and am very happy with it. But the manual will tell you the correct setting for your bike. (They changed over time with the frame redesign.)

 

Check your valve core before doing anything expensive. I had to replace one in my '04 RKC and problem was fixed.

 

that too also they can just be loose

 

While the proper pump is a great thing, I have successfully used a short bicycle pump for over twenty years. You lose a little air when connecting and disconnecting, but hey that is dead easy to compensate for! What's a couple of psi between friends?!

As for your failed shocks, start at the valve, check or replace that, then work towards the shocks, checking each fitting in turn. On one occasion my valve core had come loose, no idea how, but all it needed was a part twist with a valve key.

In other words, don't panic!

 

I'm sure the Harley pump is great, but you simply CANNOT damage the shocks using an air compressor as long as you set the output regulator on the compressor for less than the max design pressure of the shocks (50psi).

...it's not rocket science.

When I bought my bike, I checked the air pressure to find 0 PSI. A quick shot of air showed me why; you could hear it leaking from the line on the right shock. Without knowing how the air lines attached, I played with it and got it to seal.

Dave

 

need a pump I have one i can sell you for 25.00 plus shipping.
I changed my bike to other shocks, so i don't use it .
I can take PayPal too.

 

Just last week, I was on my way to the local (for me that means a 90 mile ride each way) stealer to have them determine what was wrong with my air shocks. Read the posts on here, looked at the hoses on the shocks, one was loose, fixed it in a second, back in business! Thanks, Forum!!!