Hey was hoping to get some info i have a 2011 SG and the can get a good deal on new take off 2014 street glide special shocks that are the premium shocks.I see that one shock is fixed and the other shock is adjustable.Can someone tell me how these work i always thought you had to set preload on both shocks so the suspension is even?Also can a few guys that have them tell me how they ride and do they bottom out like the stock air shocks?Thanks

 

they show up on the classified board from time to time

mike

 

No, you do not have to set preload evenly or even have the damping the same. Some forks have compression damping only on 1 leg and rebound damping only on the other.

 

Depends on your weight. The premium shocks are made for riders over 200 lbs I've been told. I believe it. I'm 210 and they are still very very firm set at their lowest dampening adjustment. With the tourpack on it smooths out a bit. With Cheryl on it's just right (combined weight of 315 which tells you something). Fully loaded for a long tour and 2 up, I dial it about 1/4 up the scale. That works pretty well. I can't imagine who needs anything above 1/2 adjustment.

As far as bottoming out - nope. Hasn't happened.

 

I did the same thing on my 12 Street Glide.

The Premium Hand adjustable shocks split the work of compression and rebound. Each shock is optimized for one function.

The right is non adjustable as rebound does not care how much weight is being carried. The left adjusts the preload depending on the weight carried. You count the **** turns or clicks so you can get good results no matter your load.

I found them to ride much better than the air shocks. They are easier to adjust and you no longer need to carry around the specialized air pump.

They handle much better, and you feel more connected to the road. The rear no longer skitters on bumpy roads, and the ride is much smoother and the travel is much better controlled with much less bottoming out. (almost never)

For me, this has been a wonderful upgrade. Only takes 10 minutes to change them out (two bolts) once you get your bike up in the air.

Sold my air shocks to a buddy who wanted to lower his Road King, and everybody is pretty happy.

They took a few hundred miles to break in, and you can really feel the improvemt in ride and handling.

Don't believe they are as good as the aftermarket Ohlin's, but are much easier to adjust when riding double, or with a load.

 

I weigh 165 lbs and the shocks are way to harsh for me. They are too stiff and the ride is horrible! I replaced them with BiTubos and the ride is 100% improved. If you are a light weight like me then the rear end will be hopping all over the road with the premium shocks. They are dangerous unless you are riding two up or with a heavy load or if you are 250 lbs or more. I now have two sets of them sitting in my garage.

 

I'm right around 200 lbs.
I put a set on my 2011 SG that came off a 2014.
They ride great. I don't know what people are talking about with the "too firm".
Just my experience. I don't doubt their experience, it just wasn't the same for me.

 

I think it has a lot to do with where and how you ride. When I bought my SGS in the Ozarks, I thought the shocks were amazing. Then I headed north to ride home to Milwaukee. The farther north I rode, the worse the ride became. By the time I hit pot-holed Milwaukee my kidneys were sore.

I sold mine off the bike because I couldn't take the pounding anymore. At 205 lbs they were still too harsh even turned all the way down. With Cheryl on the back, better, but still rough. With the bike all loaded up for a tour 2 up, they were pretty good actually.

Regardless, they are much better the standard SG shocks.