There are many parts you members leave out or just are completely oblivious to. The front suspension costs $1,300 for the cartridges. The exact same price you can buy them on e-Bay meant for another bike because Ohlins does not make them for Harleys, I do. OhlinsUSA sells thousands & thousands per year to the sport bike community because that type of rider knows the value of great suspension. They use suspension for a different reason and their suspension is set up differently as they do not cruise long distances. When you are not getting punished by the road transmitting shock up through your handlebars, you are far more comfortable and ca ride further.

With every Ohlins fully adjustable cartridge purchase, they do not come with springs so add another $120 for them. When your forks are part to install the cartridges you need to clean your forks. All forks, no matter what need to be serviced and oil changes every 10K miles including the very poor quality Showa forks on every Harley. Fork oil cost money. The Teflon coating on the bushings are worn off by than and are starting to wear into your hard chrome plating. That is just a fact of life. Hard Chrome does not polish shinny so if you see a shinny spot adjacent to your top bushing, your fork tube is shot, the coating is gone through your own neglect. Ask any local plater what that means and not your local dealership who know nothing except how to sell T-Shirts and soap.

The design of the forks require that the check valves need to be removed, I do it in a machine shop where my employees do not work for free. Of course the "Premium" twin cartridges come with new fork tubes because they figure you do not have the capability of doing this task. The 2014's need to have this done. Since I have to pay taxes and buy stuff to live, I need to charge $100 to R&R your 2014 49mm forks that you send me. If anyone has had any actual experience in great suspension the "Other" offerings are not an option unless you are just trying to make yourself feel better on why you are buying crap and think it is OK. If you do not have the money or do not ride your bike far enough during the season (just to social events such as the bar) than remember that people long before super highways were ever invented, people went coast to coast on rigids with no suspension on bikes that did not have a return oil tank (lost oil), and had motorcycles that were so unreliable that it was a great day when you did not break down. They made it even without rubber mounted motors.

Pre-2014's. These bikes were defective right from manufacturing. The original Hydroglide introduced in 1948 and became available widely in 1949 has the exact same bolt through the slip fit top triple tree making the connection a hinged connection. I have posted many times over the years why this is a very poor system. In 1948 there was no super highways where you could travel for any distance over 50 mph. The roads changes but HD's design did not until 2014. Many people lost their lives over Harley's corporate greed. HD knew it and it would eat into their bottom line profit to re-design it, so they just kept on selling it to unsuspecting people who knew no better.

Well over 3 years ago I discussed this and made my first prototype to test my observation. Immediate improvement. I went forward and designed a fully comparable fixed top clamping triple tree. In 2006 Harley introduced the already introduced 49mm V-Rod forks on a Dyna. They are much more rigid and have reduced flex. Because of the flimsy 41mm fork tubes flexing and because new, longer, fork tubes needed to be purchased I seen no difference in price to either price point on the 41mm V/S the 49mm fork tube. If you do not have a 49mm fork slider, you have to buy them. People think nothing of buying a chromed 41mm fork slider for nothing other than appearance whereas the 49mm chromed slider cost exactly the same. Fact: a 41mm fork is not as rigid as a 49mm fork.

The 49mm fork has much more room inside and can be built with thinner side wall (0.100") than a 41mm (0.165") thus the 49mm fork is lighter plus stronger. This is called cross section. If your bike does not come with a 49mm fork, either you must stay with the 41mm or upgrade to a 49mm. If you have to purchase new there is only a few $ difference. In a 49m fork there is much more room to put real suspension inside of it.

Triple trees: A top triple tree should clamp around the fork. Your choice is to buy one that does or stay with the poor design you have presently.

My dresser started life to me as a 2000 FLTRC where I immediately e-Bay'd everything except for the frame, title, motor, & trans. I reinforced the frame, upgraded the swing arm, installed a brand new worked over S&S 124 crate motor and installed a brand new 6 speed with a tall final 6th. All tins are now carbon fiber and fiberglass except for the 7 gal gas tank. I have 16" carbon fiber wheels on it and does not have the weight of the stereo. It is in Road King design with a removable wind shield. I have around 1/3rd of the total cost of a brand new FLTRC and this bike I own that I built and is also brand new except for the frame. There is no comparison between a brand new FLRC and mine.

I gave you the facts and why would I ever want a brand new bike that is slow, average brakes (I do not use ABS because I already know how to ride), heavy, and rides like crap and pay three (3X) times to money to face depreciation?

 

RThomas4223 , the GREAT thing about the upgraded suspension is you can keep it for life , if I ever bought a newer bike with 49mm forks on it I'd remove my forks and shocks and put them on the new bike and put the new bikes stock suspension on my bike before selling it , the thing most people don't take into consideration when upgrading suspension is the plush smooth ride is the added bonus , improved handling and better traction which can save your life is the real reward , every year when I go to North Carolina and stay in the mountains for a few weeks I'll run across someone with their Harley in the ditch , they always say the same thing , I must have been going to fast in the corner because I just lost control and it slid out on me , NO what you lost was traction and it slid out on you , traction can be lost for many reasons like a bump in the corner , a road patch repair etc. , great suspension can over come this and keep you on two wheels , is your life worth 5K ???? You tell me . TJ

 

Like the man says

 

I cannot yet speak to the actual improvement in ride quality and handling. But I hope to be reporting back [ as tj319 did] reguarding the differences and values of QUALITY suspension components. I received My Olins rear shocks yesterday and I,m waiting on the 49mm forks with Ohlins cartridge upgrade to arrive. I,m working on a 2014 Roadking which in stock form was a very nice improvement over the previous 2011 model I had. I expect to be impressed as others have also been. I will have to cut back on skulls and chrome farkels for a while but my back will thank me. I,ll post my impressions on the ride and handling as soon as I get it all together. I live in North Carolina so I,ll get to try it out on those curves that TJ mentioned. I,ll try not to explore the ditches......Howard has been extremely helpful in this process and I was impressed when he had the opportunity to sell me the more expensive I was looking at he pointed towards a better [and less expensive] option.
Max

 

You might wanna re-think ABS. State of the art electronics have transformed recent systems. Ryan Dudek - magazine tester, pro racer and podium finisher in the Baja 1000 couldn't out brake KTM's 1190 ABS setup...offroad!

http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/01/17...ainst-ktm-abs/

Douf

 

IMO, new Harley touring bikes are the best yet. That said, refurbishing the bike you love also makes sense to me because its fun and very enjoyable.
Harley's seem to be ageless.

 

You forget that this isn't a KTM forum, so my bet is no one is speaking about their brake system. The HD abs is horrid.

 

Ya how many "picker" shows are there now with them all looking for that old Harley barn find...hell in 70 yrs my 05' will be priceless...lol..

I will keep modding this bike and never sell it for any price at this point, but I may still by a new one someday and after reading through this I have now change my "new wheel" obsession to a "suspension" obsession....I really did forget all about the true benefits of suspesion....

 

Well...I replied to FastHarley, who is replacing Harley fork internals by retooling Ohlins - which by his own admission are aren't offered for HD's in an over the counter form.

He dismisses any alternative upgrade with the blanket statement:

'If anyone has had any actual experience in great suspension the "Other" offerings are not an option unless you are just trying to make yourself feel better on why you are buying crap and think it is OK.'

.....and had replaced all the sheet metal + wheels on his bike with carbon fiber alternatives.

Sounds like someone who would go to great lengths in pursuing the state of the art by any means?

ymmv

Douf

 

I'll keep my old horse...I know what he's going to do and when he's going to do it. ;-)