Adjusting Shocks

A friend of mine has a custom Softail style kit bike. He got it already built. We think it's a Custom Chrome kit because of a sticker on the bottom of the tranny. At any rate, the thing rides like a brick. It sits a little lower in the back than the front so I am thinking they may have cranked down the shocks to achieve a little lower look given how stiff it is. He is interested in making it a little more comfortable to ride if possible. Do you think I can adjust the shocks some to get a little squishier ride? It looks like I need a SST Harley tool to adjust them too. Anyone use another tool or make a tool for this?

We will buy new shocks if we have too but I would like to try something a little quicker and cleaner first.

Thanks.

You can actually use a pair of Large channel locks with a wrag wrapped around the shock as to not scratch the crome. They actually move fairly easy turning them from one notch to the other. However, I dont think that is gonna help your friends issue. He will probably need to change to a softer shock and spring to get what he wants. He will want a softer spring and shock but maintain a good dampner.

It sounds like you're talking about side mounted shocks like on a Sportster or Wide Glide. I've adjusted those exactly like you described. They have 3 or 4 positions they can lock into. This is a Softail style bike. These shocks aren't chrome, don't have springs (at least not visible ones) and are mounted under the swingarm so it looks like it would be pretty tough to get pliers on there.

There is a lock nut on the rod side and holes in the shock side. I am guessing the the special SST from Harley would resemble something like a piece of wood with two nails sticking out of it (only metal and less crude) to go into the holes to turn the shock itself. It's either that or the shock would actually have to come out on the rod side to turn the rod and I don't think that would be the easiest way to do it.

I think you're right about the results but we would like to at least try before we dump quite a few bucks on the shocks.

Any other suggestions?

the lower the harder

I have 06 softail which i had a "lowering kit" put on. it lowered it. now he rides hard. sounds like if i want to lower it and maintain a soft ride i'll have to go to that progressive air system. can i soften it much by turning the shock?
And also whats up with "keeping the bike level" could you guys help me understand this?

I've put nearly 53,000 miles on a Fatboy with a lowered rear end, so I know a
little about this situation. When you adjust the softail shocks to a lower
position all you are doing is s-p-r-e-a-d-i-n-g the swingarm position and by
doing so you are shortening its travel distance and it's shock absorbing effect.
Since most kit bikes are pretty low out of the box, try adjusting the shocks to
maximize the swingarm travel and raising the seat height an inch or two. See
how that feels and adjust lower from there.
Good luck!

That's kind of what I was thinking. I have a Fatboy myself and the ride is CONSIDERABLY better than his. I'll adjust them up and see what happens. Those air systems are HUGE money. If we do replace them, it will likely be with a gas shock rather than air. Even those can be a little pricey.

You're right. Part of riding a softail is the way it rides, and when it's a kit
bike to boot, you just gotta tell yourself, "I may be a little uncomfortable,
BUT, I look good!"

Several posts have mentioned springs. If there's a softail out there with
springs in the rear suspension, I have yet to encounter it.

I built a Custom Chrome bike kit a few years ago. It came with Progressive Shocks. If you go to the Progressive website it will show you how to adjust. Do need the special tool, but cheap ones work pretty much like the expensive ones.

Thanks guys, I checked it out last night and found that they were in the fully lowered position which, according to the FSM, is the least amount of preload for the lightest load. I am guessing they were pretty much bottoming out at all times. In fact, they were TIGHT against the lowest adjusting point.

I also found that they are indeed Progressive Suspension shocks as SkyKing mentioned. I already adjusted them out to what appears to be about the middle of the adjustment. I will go to their web site and read their instructions before I go all the way in the other direction.

I won't know the effect until I get the wheels back on it. Right now I'm waiting for the "getting your hands dirty challenged" owner to get his ass over there and polish the wheels. I have a feeling he might be polishing them on the bike if he doesn't hurry up.

I didn't have the special tool and the shops were closed by the time I got out of work so I couldn't buy one. I will have to add it to my list. I was hunting around my shop for something to make a spanner wrench sort of thing out of and ended up just cutting two pieces of threaded rod and sticking them in the holes in the adjusting plate. Then I used a large screw driver to put between them to turn it. It wasn't ideal since I had to keep relocating the rods but it did work.

Thanks again guys. I'll let you know how it worked next week.

Springs!!! I really do learn something new, almost every day.

I adjusted them up this weekend and now it sits about 1.5"-2" higher than it used to. I took it for a ride around the block and MAN does that thing SUCK! The motor is a 100" Revtech and it goes like hell but that's all I can say good about it. The rest of the ride pretty much blows. It does ride a little softer though.

It sits WAY too high in the front. I'm going to recommend he get a front end lowering kit. It's like they put this kit together with whatever they had laying around. It has a Corbin seat that's apparently built for some huge fat guy because it makes you spread your legs like you're riding a friggin horse. The handlebars need to go too. It's like doing sit ups just holding on to the handlebars. NO WONDER his back is always sore. This bike makes me NOT want to EVER buy a kit bike.

I'll have to take a picture tonight and post it. We call it the Partridge Family bike because of the multi color paint. You'll see.

The killer is that my buddy is a car dealer. He has a 2002 Road King with only 2500 miles he got as a trade-in but he wants to sell it and keep this stupid thing. I keep trying to convince him otherwise.

Anyways, thanks for the tips.

I was taking pictures tonight for something else and realized that the Partridge Family bike picture was on the camera and I never posted it. Here it is.

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The owner says he's happy with it but he also hasn't put more than 15 miles at a time on it either. Whatever. It's out of my garage so I'm happy too. It's a little hard to notice in the picture but with the bike on the lift, the front wheel is about 1 1/2" of the floor and the rear is about 7" off the floor so there is a huge difference.

My buddies joke that it looks like a chicks bike. Plus the guy who owns it often wears Chinos and loafers with no socks when riding it. We kind of wonder about him sometimes.