I've had my FXD for 9 months 20,000mi... I think I've had it with the stock shocks; they're low and seem to be getting harsher on the road. I've been reading everything I can, reviews, differences, types of shocks and I've broken it down to the Ohlins...
Which Ohlins did you go with and why?? How many miles and are you still satisfied with the purchase?
Thanks.

 

I have had the Ohlins 36PRCLB shocks which I bought from MotorcycleMetal.com They have changed the quality of ride in many ways- comfort, to be sure but just as much in the performance area. The tire stays on the ground- regardless of speed, road quality, lateral force in sweeping turns, or anything else.
I bought the fully adjustable shocks- compression and rebound as well as preload- to be able to ride solo and aggressively as well as two-up with camping gear when comfort for my passenger was important.
They were worth every penny. Check out Motorcyclemetal.com and the web page for Ohlins shocks on it. Great service from Howard. Good luck. Jay

 

I just got finished testing Ohlin #6 shocks on my 09 Ultra, it is night and day on the ride but that is on Fla roads which are some of the smoothest in the country. I am running another Hoka Hey this year from San Diego to Glacier Bay Nova Scotia, all secondary roads (12 -14 ki miles), I will have Ohlins/MM suspension on my Ultra, front and rear. I have been researching since I got back from Alaska in July, that ride convinced me that my number one priority before doing another run is the suspension, I can down on the side of Ohlins. My Dyna front end is getting done right now with some custom suspension work, will go with #4 on the rear of the Dyna. I rode one Dyna with a cartrige front end system, and # 6 shocks, that is what sold me on Ohlins. The customer service by Howard at MM is the best, I am not one that tolerates being upsold on anything and Howard is a straight shooter, Ohlins has a great rep and track record, my experience with them has been great. I will be posting a evaluation report on the #6 shocks soon. My advice is search and search some more, you put a decent amount of miles on your bike you need the best perfofmance and comfort good luck.

 

Jay, thanks. I've read everything that Howard has on the website, twice. I see you mounted yours with the piggyback front side. I've seen plenty of pictures like that. Is that for clearing saddlebags and it doesn't make a difference on the performance of the shock. I was thinking the piggyback #4 or separated #3. Any reason why you didn't go with #3? It seems like a cleaner set-up for only 20 bucks more.

 

Master; sounds like you put tons of miles... so your vote is definitely appreciated... you know I think what keeps me from just ordering a pair is price... I'm not a rich man... so a pair of shocks are going to put me in the poor house for 2-3 weeks... but as much as I ride highway, and city roads, long distance and to the grocery store it is definitely a must. What do you guys think the longevity, as far as rebuild or service is??

 

You know, I thought long and hard about the $ factor, I put a lot of $ into riding, even stupid silly chrome, lot$ of it too, engine work out the ying yang, brakes, audio for the Ultra, LED lights for the Ultra and soon on the Dyna. If I had to Categorize actual functional importance, it would be Brakes, Tires, Suspension, Lighting, Power, Chrome and Gadgets. Look at the price for the better shocks out there and look at Ohlins you wont find that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, these are my priorities after this round of chroming on the Dyna (under way right now), it is all performance and suspension. Give Howard a call during your research he is well versed in these shocks and performance suspensions in general and he wont BS ya.

And to answer you last Q, I think the shocks will outlast your bike and you will put them on your next bike, keep your stockers.

 

holy cow those are expensive.
i was planning on getting these for looks... http://www.progressivesuspension.com...ame/index.html

are these cheap and not any good. i cant find specs on them even though i wouldnt understand anyway.

 

I did my suspension and worked with Howard at motorcyclemetal.com. We discussed the benefits of the various Ohlins shocks and I decide the model with the external reservoir fit my riding style best. The shocks are fully adjustable and custom built and setup for you and your style of riding.

Here is a link to the owners manual which explains the different models: http://www.ohlins.com/Products/Owner...M_07241-02.pdf

I feel that Ohlins are an awesome performance shock and the improvement in the ride was incredible. They soak up road irregularities (pot holes, ruts, bumps, etc) and keep the bike tire glued to the road.

I was so impressed with the rear shocks, I recently converted the front end from the 39mm narrow glide to a 49mm mid glide in order to run the Ohlins 30mm FGK cartridges.

If you're looking for comfort and performance Ohlins is a great way to go.

 

With a new bike how long should i run before i need to switch out the suspension?

can i save for the new rims first or should i get shocks first im buying a 2011 fxdwg in feb?

 

To everyone replying, thanks... You know, Once it's set up for my style of riding... Are the Ohlins quickly adjustable for 2-up... I'd like to think that once the shocks are dialed in for my "aggressive" style, whatever that may be because aggressive has different meanings to everyone, that I can adjust it for 2-up riding within minutes... I ride around town 2-up 70% of the time and long distance I ride 2up 30% of the time, my riding style doesn't change whether it's solo or 2-up.