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[Hoist!]

Thanks Chief, Howie already did! Hoist!

[110tHunDer]

 
Looks like that's how they were meant to be hung after looking at the labels on the reservoir and the numbers on the rebound dampening adjustment.  Glad to hear that cured the fitment issue.

A question about the preload adjustment . . . . is that the one that you would adjust for changes in weight on the bike such as a passenger or gear?  How difficult is it to do?  Could you instead adjust the compression dampening to compensate for the addition or subtraction of weight?

I go back and forth from solo to two-up fairly regularly and am just wanting to understand the quickest way to go about adjusting these shocks.  With the Progressives, 1 - 3 turns of the preload ring takes care of me, depending on how much weight I was adding to the bike.  It is realatively easy to do on those shocks since the ring is right on top.  With these shocks' preload adjustment on the bottom, and needing a spanner wrench to make the adjustment, it just seems a little more involved.

[Chief]

Looks like that's how they were meant to be hung after looking at the labels on the reservoir and the numbers on the rebound dampening adjustment.  Glad to hear that cured the fitment issue.

A question about the preload adjustment . . . . is that the one that you would adjust for changes in weight on the bike such as a passenger or gear?  How difficult is it to do?  Could you instead adjust the compression dampening to compensate for the addition or subtraction of weight?

I go back and forth from solo to two-up fairly regularly and am just wanting to understand the quickest way to go about adjusting these shocks.  With the Progressives, 1 - 3 turns of the preload ring takes care of me, depending on how much weight I was adding to the bike.  It is realatively easy to do on those shocks since the ring is right on top.  With these shocks' preload adjustment on the bottom, and needing a spanner wrench to make the adjustment, it just seems a little more involved.

Brian,

You are correct. Pinkie is the one who pointed out that the rebound ring was no longer upside down, so I believe they're mounted as intended now.

Yes, the preload is used the same way here as on the Progressives, to manage the sag due to changing vehicle weight. It will be more difficult than on the progressives, but we've also got more range on these. I only got about 3/4 inch on the 440's, and have over an inch to go on these from my solo position.

I plan on using my headlight beam as my gauge for setting the preload. Load up the bike, point it at the wall, and adjust preload to re-aim the beam. If I don't get enough adjustment from the preload with the stock springs, I'll get a set of heavier springs for the long 2-up fully loaded trips. The springs in them right now are great for solo riding. Hopefully I'll be able to do a mock up load this weekend to see if they have enough for a heavy load. My gut is that these springs will turn out to be fine. They are a bit shorter than the Progressives as well as 15% thicker material (0.296" -vs- 0.318"), both of these measurements tell me the Bitubo springs will be stiffer than the Progressives and will be better able to handle the weight.

The real test will be to find a crappy bridge abuttment and hit it fully loaded at 80 and see if they bottom out. If they can take that, then they will get a major two thumbs up.

[110tHunDer]

 
Chief, thanks for the comments on the preload adjustment.  I guess at the end of the day, there's not a lot difference between what you have to go through with the Bitubos vs. the Progressives, or even vs. adding or removing air from the stock shocks.  It's just something you gotta deal with to have the suspension dialed in for the load you're going to be carrying on the bike.

I appreciate the efforts you've put in evaluating these shocks for us and I especially look forward to the results of the upcoming Bridge Abutment Test.

[Chief]

Chief, thanks for the comments on the preload adjustment.  I guess at the end of the day, there's not a lot difference between what you have to go through with the Bitubos vs. the Progressives, or even vs. adding or removing air from the stock shocks.  It's just something you gotta deal with to have the suspension dialed in for the load you're going to be carrying on the bike.

I appreciate the efforts you've put in evaluating these shocks for us and I especially look forward to the results of the upcoming Bridge Abutment Test.

Brian,

I've gotten so much from this site, I'll be trying to pay that back for a long time.

I can't say I really looking forward to the bridge test. I'm curious how they will do, but not really looking forward to it. First I have to find a bad one. That in itself may take a bit of riding. I don't know of any personally around here, so I'll have to go searching.

[110tHunDer]

 
Well, don't try too hard, you might blow out a tire or bend a rim (or worse).  You'll know once you get it out on familiar roads what the story is on the shocks.

[Chief]

Well, don't try too hard, you might blow out a tire or bend a rim (or worse).  You'll know once you get it out on familiar roads what the story is on the shocks.

If I find something that big and nasty, I wouldn't expect any shock to handle it. Based on familiar roads, they get a  One real nice thing is no more clunk.

[hdbrad03]

Nice to see that turning them right side up solved the fitments issue for solid bags. Now for those that like their leather bags there may be a fitments issue. So don't rush out and order the shocks. We need someone to get together with Chief and see if they will fit with leather bags. Account the shock dimple on the leather bag is very small compared to the hard bag. Please keep us posted.

[110tHunDer]

 
If there are a few more Electra Glide guys that get these first, there should be enough sets around to where a member with a SERK can get with a SEEG or SEUC guy that has the shocks to swap one out.

Well, wait a minute, it sounds like Howie has already placed his order and he has a SERK, so I guess he might be the first to try it out.

[Twolanerider]

If there are a few more Electra Glide guys that get these first, there should be enough sets around to where a member with a SERK can get with a SEEG or SEUC guy that has the shocks to swap one out.

Well, wait a minute, it sounds like Howie has already placed his order and he has a SERK, so I guess he might be the first to try it out.

True.  He thinks his new painted to match hard bags will be back in a month or six weeks.  But it'll end up being 2008 sometime before he actually sees them.  So there will be lots of time to test the shocks with those leather handbags.

[110tHunDer]

True.  He thinks his new painted to match hard bags will be back in a month or six weeks.  But it'll end up being 2008 sometime before he actually sees them.  So there will be lots of time to test the shocks with those leather handbags.

               

[Hoist!]

If there are a few more Electra Glide guys that get these first, there should be enough sets around to where a member with a SERK can get with a SEEG or SEUC guy that has the shocks to swap one out.

Well, wait a minute, it sounds like Howie has already placed his order and he has a SERK, so I guess he might be the first to try it out.

I think they'll work with the leather bags, but they might have to be flipped again. There's more space on top with the leather bags. I'll find out when I get them. But as long as they took to get these things shipped from Italy, I might be waiting til '08 for everything! Hoist!

[110tHunDer]

I think they'll work with the leather bags, but they might have to be flipped again. There's more space on top with the leather bags. I'll find out when I get them. But as long as they took to get these things shipped from Italy, I might be waiting til '08 for everything! Hoist!

Hmmmmmm, you bring up a good point and something that I hadn't considered.  I was planning on doing the forks this fall and figured I'd just wait and get the shocks then.  Dummy me, thinking I'd just show up and say, "Gimme the shocks, too, Max."  I might be better off to get in on this first GB to ensure they're here for the fall, and even then, who knows for sure.

[mr_magoo]

Glad to hear they fit now.

[Midnight Rider]

Guys...FYI.  In Italy, practically the whole country goes on Holiday in August from what I've been told.  Part of the delay in the first order was Dan kept adding to it because of all the sport bike guys wanting the new shocks.  He ended up getting about 50 pair or more, plus the ones for Chief and mine for the V.  The shock for the V is basically the same shock...perhaps with a slightly different spring.  I will be taking them out this weekend for some real testing as well.  The shock works the same, so on the roads I used to bottom out on in the V (the end of my driveway  )I can tell a lot.  From the short rides and few curves I've done so far, I rate the shocks 

Long story short:  Dan is waiting to get an order of at least 5 before placing the order.  He's going to swap mine for ones with chrome ends before I actually purchase them from him, so that will be one.  If he could get them ordered this month, it would be good.  Once the flow gets going between Traxxion and Bitubo, things will get faster...normal first time business caused some of the delay on the first order as well.  Building trust.

Max is giving us a hell of a deal on these, IMO.  Hope enough find them to be something they want to get the ball rolling.