I figured on going Ohlins front and rear if available. I have w/ all my other bikes. And I also realize the diff in weight, etc., between a real bike and a HD. Howard, it looks like I'll be doing business with you in the near future.

 

You sold me with the 'function over form every time'. My philosophy EVERYTIME.

 

Your cartridges are sitting on my lift done. I will send you pictures but I am really busy building stuff. Just got in from getting little parts made at the shop, machinist did it after hours because there is not enough time in the day.

 

You can use Race Tech emulators that at least have some sort of valving. You are into it for around $160.



I built a set of external pre-load spring adjusters and used Ohlins straight rate springs (superior) so they will not ride up and down on the inside of the fork tube causing wear, fine metallic powder, and stiction. The Race Tech emulators are rebound adjustable, compression adjust-ability achieved by oil viscosity and adjust-ability for bottom out by adjusting the oil height inside of the fork tube. When the HDF Member does a totally unbiased review on them after putting some miles on them. The purpose of that exercise was to show what could be done by HD for only a few $.

I do not know anything about the Works "Cartridge" kit. Below is what a real cartridge looks like. A real piston, shim stacks, and a captivated cylinder with damper rod to center it. This is what is winning titles today, right now at the track.

The first photo is of the piston. This type of unit uses compression on one side and rebound on the other (L or R fork). This eliminates histrionics. No loss in transition between compression and rebound. This is the rebound side where the oil goes through the piston circuits and bleeds out the through the shim stack or some can bypass it through the needle valve externally adjustable adjustment on the center of the fork cap.



The next photo is me re-valving the shim stack for a customer. Unless everyone who buys these units rides the exact same bike, rider and passenger weighs the same, same riding style, and puts on the same cargo, all suspension must be built to order. The piston assembly is removed from the damper rod. The spring is a "Top Out" used when the wheel goes off the ground, the piston is protected by slowing down the action by not letting the piston crash into the seal head.



The circuits of the oil flow through the piston below.



The last is the very first Ohlins 30 mm cartridge going into a set of non-big piston XR1200 forks. The white plastic stuff on the Ohlins damper rod is to keep the spring straight and not kink. The spring goes in that position (onto the rod that it is next to) but the spring pre-load spacer (under the spring and on top of the seal head) is removed for clarity. The cylinder is captivated by a seal head and a mount soon to be affixed to the moving part (conventional = slider / inverted = axle clamp). The piston moves up and down inside of the cylinder naturally. This type of system produces great movement control with very little stiction.

The bottom cartridge is found in the XR1200 and the 2002/2005 FL (I believe it is those years). You will see that there is no adjustable compression or rebound but this is just a slower down-er much like what is found in an air shock damper on the rear OEM shock.

 

I like what I saw in your link, I have springs already but I sure like that cartridge, It's on my list.

 

Thanks for all the info Howard. I understand (and better now) that there is a BIG difference (big price) on your top of the line race performance suspencion and whats out there for sale to improove the front suspension of a HD, but shouldn't the Works (mid price) kit be better than to put just Race Emulators (small price), or be a bigger improvement than them? at least for my bike that has 41mm forks...

I'll try to get them to tell me whats the size of there cartridge system and any other info that they can since there web site don't say.

 

Thanks Howard! Look forward to seeing the pictures.

 

Hmm. I was looking at the forks, etc on my XR1200. They look like the whole front end and everything would just bolt onto a Dyna. The dyna is not that much heavier than a newer rubber mounted sportster so i would not think the spring and damping rates would be that much different. I have grafted other stronger front forks on harleys years ago to get better braking and air suspension and it was no picnic. There was always a lot of fitting involved to get all the parts to work together.

 

The inverted XR1200 is better than stock + the braking is 2X. You can even put on the twin cams calipers on with a 11 1/2" rotor(s).and they will work. They are also crap in comparison to the HD Brembos. Look what is inside of them below. One crap damper and just a spring on the other side. The X type now on XR1200's are better but not good. This is AKA "Big Piston" fork, Showa. Hype for crap. When Honda (All factory classes & who owns Showa) was racing, they striped the internals out and replaced with Ohlins.

 

I put the XR1200 forks on my own 2005 FXDL about 2 or 3 years ago. The springs must be replaced because the OEM .85 N/m spring are too weak even for the XR1200. Even replacing the same "weight" springs by a quality spring maker is a big improvement. I changed the two springs and re-valved the (cartridge side) fork with Ohlins naturally.



bigdaddy33 bike is far superior than this bike in it's current form & the modifications cost about the same. I do not buy used parts for my bike so the comparison is new to new parts. When I use to buy used parts on eBay many suspension parts were bent up useless junk, had to leave negative feedback to the scammers, and pay for the return shipping. I have the tools to determine if something is straight and/or true or not as well as the experience to know what to look for. You must think about that as the only way you will know if it is correct or not. A deal sometimes (not always) is not a deal and cheaper if you would have bought new in the beginning.