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Custom Vehicle Discussions => Screamin’ Eagle® Ultra Classic® Electra Glide® => Topic started by: Cerdo on July 12, 2009, 08:36:55 PM
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:soapbox: Is anyone else having a problem with a harsh ride / bottoming out of their rear suspension. I have tried all differnt air pressures to no avail. I owned a 2006, 2007 & 2008 SEUC and the 2009 rides better; however, it bottoms out over large bumps or dips in the road. I have a few friens complaining about the same problem. Any help would be appreciated.
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Bitubos - They are worth the money. It took me a while - once I got the Bitubos dialed in - there are Fantastic! If you can swing it go ahead and spend the money on the AK-20 upgrade from Traxxion too. These 2 mods are Night/Day over stock.
Dan from Traxxion Dynamics is one of the BEST people I have ever dealt with.
Do a search there is alot of info here and alot of experience from members. If you get them let me know, Ken gave me a while to dial them in that is very simple :2vrolijk_21: I'll pass it on.
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was having same problem, until i found out these rear shocks take way more air then the old bikes, 37lb solo 45lb two-up, world of difference
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was having same problem, until i found out these rear shocks take way more air then the old bikes, 37lb solo 45lb two-up, world of difference
I've been using 35 & 50. If you don't readjust to go back to 1-up from 2-up and vice versa, the ride is crappy. Which is kind of a pain in the butt, because I ride with my wife about 1/2 the time, solo the other half. It would be nice if it could be done from the dash.
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Thanks for all of the input. I will look into the mods before I take off on our two week trip next month.
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Hi Credo
changed mine to progressive 440 HD Chrome 11.5". Adjustments are simple and the ride is perfect and with the lower height I can now flat foot the bike which makes a great differance to me. I guess there are lots of options out there that are an improvement over the stock shocks with the only limit being how much you want to spend.
JimFinn
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What T MAC said. Bitubos are great stuff.
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I usually run about 55, 2 up with gear are about 500, no problem with bottoming out.
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I usually run about 55, 2 up with gear are about 500, no problem with bottoming out.
I think you're running just a tad over the maximum limit if I'm converting those numbers correctly. 500 kPa equals 72.5 psi, which is significantly over the 50 psi maximum specification.
Jerry
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was having same problem, until i found out these rear shocks take way more air then the old bikes, 37lb solo 45lb two-up, world of difference
Just what Screamin09 said. I just happen to be doing 38 and 42 lb on mine, and it took care of the problem.
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35 and 45 on mine...no problems with bottoming out
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I think you're running just a tad over the maximum limit if I'm converting those numbers correctly. 500 kPa equals 72.5 psi, which is significantly over the 50 psi maximum specification.
Jerry
Sorry GRC I wasn't being very clear there. 500 would be be the approx pounds on the bike 2 up with gear. I run just slightly over the 50 psi max as they always seems to bleed down a bit.
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Save your money and just air them up, this bike doesnt need any different shocks, with over 13k miles on mine it rides like a dream.
Ran into a new SERG owner last night, O/B not as fast as my Silver, and he told me his dealer told him to air up his shocks with a compressor, said just do it fast, i explained the ramifications of this to him. How many others are not in the know of this.
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Save your money and just air them up, this bike doesnt need any different shocks, with over 13k miles on mine it rides like a dream.
Ran into a new SERG owner last night, O/B not as fast as my Silver, and he told me his dealer told him to air up his shocks with a compressor, said just do it fast, i explained the ramifications of this to him. How many others are not in the know of this.
Yeah, and right after the guy blows the seals while airing up at that gas station with the 200 psi system, that "dealer" will be happy to sell him some new shocks since warranty doesn't cover customer stupidity.
In theory you could use a home compressor if you first set the regulator on the compressor to 50 psi max. Considering how many folks, yours truly included, get in a hurry and do things without checking first, that method still has possibly expensive ramifications. My advice is get a H-D or Progressive Suspension hand pump designed for these shocks and keep it on the bike. Mine is attached to the inside of the lid of my left saddlebag, where it is easy to find and use. A side benefit is you don't need to carry a separate gauge, and the bleed valve and lossless connector make setting shocks or tires very simple compared to using a typical tire gauge.
Jerry
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Yeah, and right after the guy blows the seals while airing up at that gas station with the 200 psi system, that "dealer" will be happy to sell him some new shocks since warranty doesn't cover customer stupidity.
In theory you could use a home compressor if you first set the regulator on the compressor to 50 psi max. Considering how many folks, yours truly included, get in a hurry and do things without checking first, that method still has possibly expensive ramifications. My advice is get a H-D or Progressive Suspension hand pump designed for these shocks and keep it on the bike. Mine is attached to the inside of the lid of my left saddlebag, where it is easy to find and use. A side benefit is you don't need to carry a separate gauge, and the bleed valve and lossless connector make setting shocks or tires very simple compared to using a typical tire gauge.
Jerry
Good idea. What are you using to hold the pump in place on the saddlebag lid? Velcro?
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Good idea. What are you using to hold the pump in place on the saddlebag lid? Velcro?
I took the foam liner from the box it came in and a couple webbing straps I had laying around, adhered them to the lid with 3M molding tape, and added velcro to the straps. Stick the pump in the form fitted foam liner, pull the straps together to hold the pump in place, and so far it's been working for about 4.5 years. Actually, the foam thing turned out to be overkill, it would work just as well with a couple decent sized strips of velcro. Just need to pad the lid where the pump makes contact to prevent damage over time.
Jerry
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I took the foam liner from the box it came in and a couple webbing straps I had laying around, adhered them to the lid with 3M molding tape, and added velcro to the straps. Stick the pump in the form fitted foam liner, pull the straps together to hold the pump in place, and so far it's been working for about 4.5 years. Actually, the foam thing turned out to be overkill, it would work just as well with a couple decent sized strips of velcro. Just need to pad the lid where the pump makes contact to prevent damage over time.
Jerry
That's a great idea. It's essentially unused space there. I'm doubting that I still have the original foam liner from the box it came in, but it won't surprise me to find it in the garage when I get a chance to look around. If not, I'm sure I have something there with foam pad that can be used for this. I don't know when I'll get to it, but I will give it a shot one of these days. Thanks.
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I do the same as Jerry except I have the lid liners. They're good for light weight stuff like the pump, asprin, sunscreen etc.
Sorry if I'm getting to far off topic but it's where I carry the pump.
Bret
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My wife and I just finished a Fly & Ride on a 2009 Electra Glide Classic....bike continuosly bottomed out during the first part of the ride. My wife was really getting banged around. Stopped at a HD Dealership in Belzgrad, Mt and had the shocks pumped up to 30 PSI, helped some, but we still had issues...next time I'll go to 50 PSI! Good input. Thanks.
napalm
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Forgive me, I am new to the H-D world and trying to learn. I am having the same issue with bottoming out on my 2007 FLHTCUSE2... The suggestions of changing the rear shocks eliminates the air adjustability, correct? Since the last post to this thread was in 2009, I am wondering if there are any new suggestions that might be more relevant to today's tech that's available?
Thanks in advance!
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First welcome to the site rb5064!
If you go look in the section on wheels,suspension and brakes you can read many threads about improving the suspension on your Harley.
It all depends on you taste, riding style and budget. Some just upgrade to newer H-D shocks and front end, most agree the stock air shocks are not very good when new. Then you can go up from there with aftermarket suspension where some companies can make the spring rate match your riding style and weight you usually carry. One of those companies is in this thread:
https://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=76154.0 Even though this is from 2012 the thread has lots of info and opinions on improving your suspension.....hope it helps you.