Well I just finished up a couple days ago putting on my new Ricor rear shocks, and the preload adjustmen yesterday. The shock removal, and install was pretty self explanatory, however the preload adjustment was a little more confusing at least to me. The shocks come from Ricor with two tags showing to set shock travel to 25% for preload, I had no friggin clue on that process. What is shock travel on this shock? Well I read and read and read more and came across MUD's post which did get me in the right direction. I jacked up the bike, let the tires hang, made my measurement of the unloaded shock travel. Then with my bike back down on the ground, and butt planted on seat took my next measurement, and came up with 1 1/4 inches differences, rider sag, so what do I do, 25% of that number, hell I had no idea. Soooo, I called up Ricor, talked with Brian and he shed the remaining light on it for me, and I ended up with 9 turns we'll see, if I need to fine tune, then I can certainly do that too.
Here is some pics of em,

Did I mention these mothers are beautiful ,

In the next pic here, I had to throw some new hardware in, I couldn't take the idea of reusing or replacing with stock hardware bolting these beauty's in, so I decided to go a different route.


This is shock mount hardware from Diamon Engineering. I talked to the owner for an hour and a half several weeks back and told him what I was doing, and he had replacements for hd stock dyna shocks, but he looked at the photos of these shocks and said, I can make em look even better if you find the od on the tower bushings. I called up Ricor, Brian emailed me the measurements and called Diamond Engineering back, they shipped out the hardware too me. This is all polished stainless Ugima 630 stainless steel, which after heat treat is actually stronger than your our grade 8 hd fasteners, and after reading Wonkas long thread on shock bolts shearing, I had to try this out, plus they look damned good, much better than stock hardware.
Check em out http://depss.com/ good folks, and very helpful.


Installed, on the dyna street bob, man that anodized black is the ticket for that denim black, sweet.






This last pic also highlights my new mustang, vintage, solo seat. I just put my first ride in tonight to work, and I am pleased with not only the seat but the shocks, I need to spend a few weeks with different riding to see if I need to fine tune some adjustments but I am real pleased with that.

 

I did the Ricor shocks 2 months ago. Did a ride of 5500 miles with the new setup.... Your gonna love them shocks..... Did you do the intiminators for the front forks? If not that should be your next move.

 

Man! That looks good. Like the idea of the new mounting hardware too. Thanks for sharing all your stories on this move. I for one can't wait till I can get mine done.

 

They sure do look great. My understanding is they are custom built to rider's specs (weight,etc) right?

 

Those are definitely the best looking all business shocks out there. That bike is Screamin for a 21 front wheel..

 

Yea on my way home this morning took my usual route which includes going over two rail road crossings, which I always pretty much take it real easy, this morning I decided, screw it, not bonzai but I hit em doing a good 30, man I was just up and over, but butt was planted and so were wheels, hard to imagine, but before my back would of been topping out on the travel back up sending my rear of the seat, not today.
Anyway, Mike, yea I have the intiminators, that's how I got my feet wet with Ricor, their in my sig, I just have to add my rear shocks on there now.
Yea blue, I was really excited when I came across this harware information, I read that huge thread on the shock bolts shearing and I have seen a few guys happen to, so it's a little more than coincidence, I did not want my new shocks to suffer this same outcome. Like I said, when I called, I was transferred to the owner, he continued the call on his cell phone, driving home, and told me more about heat treating, different stainless, bolts, etc, that I could ever regurgitate, I was damned impressed with his product and assistance to make a better product even a little better.
Yea, Vic,
they are custom made to each riders style of riding and weight, I think the difference comes in the length and valving, then you get em and adjust for preload, which also deals with rider weight.

Yea parts eater, I have notched several things off my to do list, two things on the back burner coming up are you guessed it, wheels, I am leaning more and more to a mag, spokes look damned good but a pain in my back/rear to maintain, especially on the coast, so I gotta lot of homework to do on those.
The second item, will be next year some good ole fashion a$$ whooopin motor work,

 

WOW! That whole bike just flows together perfect.

 

Yeah, I have been looking at new shocks too and the more I hear folks' responses to the ricor's I am planning on them being my next shocks. Thanks for the write up.

 

What are those passenger pegs........HD or ? Is there much vibration coming through them?

 

the passenger pegs are the hd airfoils I believe is what they called em, tried to keep a matched theme with those upfront. I haven't had any complaints of vibes in the back, with em.