By the way, not to hijack. Legend suspension uses spherical bearings on all there shocks. I love the Revo shocks. No maintenance required. If you wear them out Legend will rebuild at no charge. Lifetime warranty. They can only make this offer because quality American components are used. Not putting any other brand down, just explaining some of the features I really like about Legend.

 

The swingarm itself isn't rubber mounted, the entire engine/trans/swingarm is. I don't agree that spherical bearings is a good idea, quite the opposite. Our favourite Ohlins supplier believes that the single plane mountings help improve vehicle stability, with which I agree. My preference is to add a True-Track stabilizer, which supports the rear rubber mounts laterally, plus metal plain shock mounts. IMHO the two work well together and provide improved ride quality, taking the strain off the rubber mounts. That just leaves the forks to sort out, which I'm working on right now!

 

I would guess it's the same reason they don't offer a twin tube, remote pre-load adjustable shock for Harley's. Cost. A single Ohlins TTX36 for an R1 retails for about $1500, imagine buying 2.

 

Ohlins haven't voluntarily offered us Harley owners anything and still don't offer as wide a range as HDF sponsor Howard of Motorcycle Metal does. They entered the market following a ground swell of demand, probably mostly generated from within HDF. But the technology is there, so if you fancy those features it must be possible to install them!

 

The reason why Ohlins may not offer spherical bearings as I requested them not to in the very beginning. This was at a time Ohlins did not sell more than 2 pair of shocks for Harleys (January 2009) a year. Spherical bearings are less expensive than the end eye bushings presently in the HD line but are found in all of the other Ohlins motorcycle lines. If you read your HDF history you will see it was I who originally offered quality racing shocks for HD's (Penski) but a majority of HDF members scoffed at anything that cost more than the aftermarket $200 POS that was than available. Again, read your HDF history.

Now, getting back to to why. I took the spherical bearings out of the Penske shocks and manufactured two different sized shoulders made of Delrin end eye bushings and inserted a hollow stainless steel tube (for the mounting bolts) so I had my option for ease of frame alignment. I did this after an investigation of swing arm side play. In place of talking I investigate to get to the truth by measuring and running a lipstick cam to my data logger and measured side play. I found that the assistance of solid side play shocks helped to stop the movement by stopping the initial momentum before it built up speed. With use of Delrin swing arm bushings and these aforementioned end eye bushings have eliminated my own swing arm side movement.

Ohlins would not manufacture my design but used their next best thing which is what you see now. I manufacture my own Delrin shock end eye bushings for my own bikes. It is very easy to question when you follow the other cows to the fresh grass than it is to actually investigate the function of what the overall big picture is of what you are trying to accomplish.

TTX
When the TTX's came out I traveled to Hendersonville NC to OhlinsUSA around February or March 2009 (If my memory serves me correct but not 100% sure) and held the prototype TTX in my hand. Even with much needed re-valving from race bikes to HD's there was no advantage for Touring or Dyna/FXR models without the active sensing (Mechatronics) that must come from the motorcycles computer as found in BMW's or Ducati's (for example). This is the components needed to control just one shock front & rear.


Outside of the active engine (ECM) sensing computer needed, look at the tube on the bottom of the example/box. There are also cables that must be run to a shock for active spring pre-load. Where are you going to put that unit on any HD much less run the cables so it works? I had this unit in my hands and thought about it. You have two sets of shocks front & rear. How about a reality check. I am sure it would work on a Trike. For one pair of BMW F&R shocks, this unit sells for $3,500.00 +/-. So many here hesitate on spending more than $200~$300 for improved suspension, some leave stock crap suspension on and call it a day or buy the **** poor performance sub $300 fork solutions because they just do not know any better or can not afford anything better. How many people would purchase a $7K suspension prior to purchasing a computer to run the thing?

I than tried to think about handlebar manual switches for controlling both the front & rear shocks. While not installing than developing these shocks for Harley's, the information available gleaned from Sport Bikes indicated that without a computer driven active sensor (Mechatronics) to change valving & spring pre-load settings as needed, there was no advantage over the available S36 piggyback shocks. Again, look at the spring pre-load canister, where are you going to put it?

Now let us also think about Bagger applications. How are you going to get this shock behind the bags, new custom bags for space relief, turn them up-side down when the bags shift and start rubbing on the reservoir which than rubs through the housing and fails? If this was actually doable, offered an advantage over what is available, or rode better on (My FXR 585 pound wet) or on a cruiser, don't you think I would have already done it in 2009?

 

BS , the warranty says LIMITED LIFE TIME against manufacturer defects , it does not cover maintenance and in facts states if you do not keep proper maintenance on them it voids your warranrt

 

I appreciate your reply and explanation on this and if you say that having expensive shocks act as fixed lateral stabilizers is a good thing; I'll take your word for it. It must be a special bushing indeed if it is more expensive than a bearing.

I'm fairly well acquainted with HDF Shock history. Seems like it went Penske to Ohlins to JRI and back to Ohlins.

Finally, I wasn't suggesting that we bolt TTX shocks to our baggers. Merely that the TTX was Ohlins state of the art offering and if this tech was adapted to a twin shock bagger, the price would be out of site. Plenty of people make comments that they want Ohlins because that's what the top racing bikes (motogp) run. Not quite the same world. A bit like equating Showa A kit mx gear to our stock air shocks.

 

I would recommend that any concerned consumer call or email Legend suspension. I did. They stand behind there suspension for life. Even when they simply wear out. They have rebuilt customer shocks 13 years later....I do not understand why you take so much offense to the Legend Warranty. While I respect and never put down Ohlins I see strong reasons for choosing Legend, as I did. They make a great product in the USA, backed with a Lifetime warranty.

 

I don't take offense to Legends warranty , but it says Limited Lifetime and does not say it covers maintenance which personally I don't think they should cover it , in fact they specifically state if you do not maintain proper maintenance the warranty is void , if you call them and they state differently then why not change their written warranty and put it in writing , if it isn't in writing you have no recourse should you need it

 

Legend lives up to there claims, find anyone that has experienced otherwise. They not only told me over the phone, they emailed me there lifetime warranty and it says what I have been saying. I'm sure they don't cover a accident or abuse ( whatever that is ) they have a track record of taking care of customers, even customers that have worn out air shocks purchased over 10 years ago. The reason they have covered air shocks is because they have only been making the REVO line of coil over shocks for a few years. By the way, Legend does not have maintenance requirements. I confirmed that as well. Not saying they are the worlds best shock, because I don't know. Nor am I looking for anything with race heritage or built for things I will never do. I simply wanted a shock that was easy to install, did not require maintenance ( I will of course keep my shocks clean, like I keep my bike ) provide a major upgrade in my baggers ride, comfort and handling, a price that fit my budget and was a one time expense. Quality, American made with a industry leading warranty. Legend checked all the boxes, most important, the results after installation exceeded my expectations.

Check out this YouTube video from a guy that lives on his Harley. He addresses Legends warranty.