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Author Topic: New JRI "B" shocks  (Read 2183 times)

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05Train

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New JRI "B" shocks
« on: June 12, 2013, 12:21:45 PM »

Didn't take but a day to realize that the stock air shocks on the CVO weren't going to cut it for me. After the Beemer with it's 9" of suspension travel, and the Ohlins on my dearly departed Limited, I knew I needed to make a change.

A friend of mine is very happy with his JRIs, so I called Howard at Motorcycle Metal to talk to him about them. Long story short, they have 15mm more stroke than the Ohlins #3-4, they're made of higher-quality metal, and they're made here in the US. So I ordered a set of the 13" shocks and waited.

A week later, shocks showed up. They're works of art. Beautiful machined metal replaces the Delrin preload collar and sweep valve on the Ohlins. The finish is impeccable. Rather than the special tool required to adjust the preload on the Ohlins, the JRIs use a standard shock spanner which can be found anywhere. They also have a jam nut to prevent the preload collar from moving.

Installation is straightforward, but I called Howard beforehand anyway, just to make sure I didn't miss anything. When my wife got home, we set both the 1-up and 2-up sag, and went for a ride. I did about 40 miles solo and 40 with her. Granted, the springs aren't broken in yet, so the optimal sweep valve settings won't be dialed in for another week or so, but....

Damn these things are nice. I live in farm country. The backroads around my house are in abysmal shape. One of the big benefits of the Adventure was the 9" of suspension travel, as well as the electronically controlled, on-the-fly, adjustable damping. It smoothed these roads out better than I ever could have hoped. The JRIs don't reach that level, but are far better than anything I've used on a Harley before (stock, Ricor, Ohlins).

To be fair, these shocks are still brand new, and I won't really have a great feel for them until they're broken in, but my initial impression is very positive. For less money than the Ohlins #3 shocks, the JRIs ride better, look better, have a superior preload adjuster, and a better tactile feel to the sweep valve.
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