Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[110tHunDer]

 
How do you adjust our shocks??  I can't get the collars to budget on mine.  Are ya supposed to use a spanner wrench of some kind?

[fxr4mikey]

How do you adjust our shocks??  I can't get the collars to budget on mine.  Are ya supposed to use a spanner wrench of some kind?

On the FXR4 you should be able to turn the top collar with your hands.  It usually takes both hands for me.
I usually put 4 or 5 drops of gun barrel oil on the top of that lip about every 8-10 washes

I had one of them freeze up on me .....  get an adjustable belt strap wrench, rubber one, you can find them at sears

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10153_12605?vName=Tools&keyword=strap+wrench&sLevel=0

This one cost more, however you can put a LOT MORE TORQUE on it than the rubber ones. You MIGHT get it loose with the rubber wrench, but you MIGHT have to have this
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00977167000P?vName=Tools

You should be able to break it free with that .... call me if you want to discuss it in more detail .... eight 0 three, 466, eight 1 one 8

Let us know how you make out ...

[110tHunDer]

 
Thanks, Mikey!  I won't have the bike out of storage for a few more weeks, but I'll let you know how I make out then.  Never thought of a strap wrench - duh!  Thanks for the tip!

[fxr4mikey]

Glad I could help out !!

[RedFXR2]

How do you adjust our shocks??  I can't get the collars to budget on mine.  Are ya supposed to use a spanner wrench of some kind?

One of mine wouldn't budge until I sprayed WD-40 under the top collar around the spring end.  No worries since.

[RedFXR2]

I have over 27K miles on my stock rear shocks on my FXR4.  It is my current opinion, based on past experiences with riding skooters for the past 35 years, that I still have 15+ thousand miles of life in those shocks.

Now, having said that  ... I do set the pre-load on the heavy side, because I like to have the bike STICK in the twisties and high speed connering.  I VERY RARELY set the pre-load on a 'soft' setting.  I have no idea if that has anything to do with the longevity of the shock or not.

How long someone's shocks may last can vary greatly depending on a lot of things.  Mikey, I don't doubt that yours seem fine to you.  They may well be.  Perhaps mine on my 1999 "2" were just plain older than yours on your 2000 "4".  That's one possibility.  I do think that mechanical devices with moving parts and any seals for lubricants or gases have a shelf life or can suffer from atrophy.  You mention that you keep yours on a fairly stiff preload.  I run mine about mid-way or so on the adjustment.  Certainly a stiffer preload would mask damping ability--if the shock is harder to compress in the first place, it won't compress or rebound nearly as much.  Maybe mine, using a middle of the road pre-load, revealed a lack of controlled compression and rebound more readily.   All I know is that about 21K I could tell the shocks were going away, and the new ones have a much more controlled compression and rebound without using a lot of pre-load.  I'm not making a blanket statement about shock life.  But I would still be surprised if one gets 50K out of a pair without any degradation in performance. 

[fxr4mikey]

Oh I totally agree with you Mike.

I did not mean to imply that they were 'like new'.... for sure there is an on going degradation in performance over time.

It's a matter of the individual's riding experience, and that particular set of shocks to determine when they need/will replace their shocks.

I don't know for a fact that I'll go to 50K on mine, but at 27K I'm not replacing them yet either.  Do they perform like new, no, do they perform like some other after market new shocks would if I put them on now, no, would I see a difference in handling and ride comfort if I put new shocks on the bike now, YES.  Am I going to replace them now, no. 

[RedFXR2]

I don't know for a fact that I'll go to 50K on mine, but at 27K I'm not replacing them yet either.  Do they perform like new, no, do they perform like some other after market new shocks would if I put them on now, no, would I see a difference in handling and ride comfort if I put new shocks on the bike now, YES.  Am I going to replace them now, no. 

I'm not sure this is a "yes" or "no" question.....
 

[fxr4mikey]

I don't think it is 

 

[cabntmkr]

"The bushings are easily swapped from the originals to the new."

Could anyone elaborate any on exactly what is involved with changing out the bushings.

[SkrmnChicken]

Bump....
I have a leaking shock on my FXR4 &
am looking for seasoned advice here.
Progressive 412's?... others?
A couple of 54728-01 's on E bay...
pretty reasonably priced...do they deteriorate
on the shelf???
Thanks in advance for your help.
RESPECT
Jerry

[FXR2evo99]

Well as for length of time on the shelf, I asked that question some tme ago as noted above, lol.......

I believe when my shocks fail I will opt for progressive 440s over the 412's.

Regards,

Tim

[fxr4mikey]

I have ..... don't know 'eggzactly' and I'm not going to the garrage to look, but about 45K - 46K miles on my FXR4
still running the OEM shocks on it ..... WHEN the time comes that I feel that the shocks are shot, I'll be putting on the Progressive 440's

unless something else better comes along between now and then 

 

[Deerhead]

Hi,
Do you know what the 12" versus 12.5" length does to the FXR saddlebags?
Ride Safe,
Robert

[Ohio phil]

We will see if this old horse is still kicking ?
My stock shocks are locked up looks like screwed all the way in or down to look at threads, I have tryed strap wreanch whats next heat ?

Thanks Ohiophil