Just got my intiminators in on Sunday. Fabrik8r was a big help throughout the whole process and his estimate of my spacer length was dead on. I have the HD profile lowering kit on my front and had the 1kg spring from RT. With the spacer cut at 4 3/8", I got 1 1/8" of SAG. I need to trim about an 1/8th off to get down to 1 1/4" but it will be fine for now!(Fab recommended 4 1/4") The upside is that now with the intiminators in the front and the Ohlin's in the back it rides like a different bike. We have some major road work going on right outside my neighborhood so I was able to really do some great before and after testing and the difference in the front end on the uneven pavement and metal plates in the road is awesome. I have nothing but praise for both Howard and Jason as I am(was) a suspension moron. I now know more about SAG, preload damping and rebound than I ever wanted to but am confident that I did the right thing with these upgrades.

 

Fabrik8r, i'm in for a pair of your bagger tuned Intiminators! PM sent. I just received my Ohlins 3-3 shocks Wed and will be installing this week; looking forward to matching the front end performance, which I've never been happy with. Also going to add a rear brace; this should be a whole new bike!

One thing that may be slightly off topic but relevant: regarding fork oil level: Howard recommended setting the level using Motion Pro fork level tool, which is inexpensive enough and simple enough to use. However, I looked through the HD service manual, and there is no livel given for conventional forks other than 11.2 oz of fluid. The FL's that used cartridge in the left side have a level in mm (and less oil, at 9.something oz) but not the Road King or the right tube on the other FL's. Anyone have the oil level in mm or inches when using this type of level gauge? Or do you measure out the specified amount using a burette or some such? I've had front ends apart numerous times and always have simply used the graduated markings on the container to get "close enough", but I recognize that this is probably not all that close, really. I guess one could pour in the specified amount and then measure the level using the Motion Pro (or equivalent) tool, then match the other side. How do y'all do it?

 

The linear measurment from the top of the tube to the top of the oil is in the service manual, keep looking. You can set the final level with a cheap turkey baster too; a purpose built tool is nice but you're probably only going to use it once. I've had mine apart numerous times and I still don't have the tool, I use a big syinge with a piece of tube attached.

 

Is there a consensus on how best to use this setup to also lower the front end 1"-1 1/4"? I've pretty much read all 22 pages and lowering the front end still seems a little grey.

Probably not completely relevant for the lowering part, but I'll throw it out there:

• 2012 RKC
• 215 pounds
• Roads here in San Diego are in pretty good condition overall

 

Cricket, Cricket...

 

No personal experience but member kishstl just finished up with his set up using the HD lowering kit wich uses shorter damper tubes and he replaced the springs with single rate springs, You might PM him for advice. I think the shorter damper tubes is the best way to go, performance wise, but again no personal experience. Happy to help you work it out though.
Jason

 

Thanks Jason, will do. I'm planning on waiting until I can scrape together all the parts for a "new" front end first (bars, chrome lowers, lowered suspension). Hopefully it's a home run first go round. I'm totally good with anything mechanical, but I'm not fond of re-doing stuff; I'm not a tinkerer...

 

An update on my Fab-modded intimidators after about 5000 miles this season. Installed them last winter along with 1.0 kg springs from Racetech and Amsoil 5wt on my 1998 Wide Glide.
I'm still blown away by how much better the ride and handling are. Better than stock, better than with progressive wound springs and 15wt oil.
I ride solo and 2-up about 50/50. They are even more noticeable with the wife on the back, as the extra weight used to really make the forks dive and bottom.. Not now.
And I never have to adjust them.

Great job, Jason (and Ricors, of course). Thanks again.

 

Back on 4-23 pg 13, post 123 of this thread I posted about the issues I was having with my modded Intimidators and racetech spring install. Had them installed at an indy and the sag was 1 1/4" and they had a clunk with Amsoil 5 wt so they put in 20 wt. ( I think it was Belray) Brake dive was gone, but the ride was very harsh.
Took it back to them and had them cut the spacer 3/8" and change from 20 wt to 10 wt amsoil. Got it back with slightly more brake dive, it had almost none, about 1/8" more sag, they cut the spacer down from 4.663" to 4.352" witch is about 5/16" and only got about 1/8" more sag? The front end now was very, very jittery. Decided to ride it like it was until I could get to it myself.

Last week I decided to pull it apart and work on it now and then since I wasn't riding much as its 100* everyday it seems.

Drained 12.25 oz of fluild out of the tubes..... Only suposed to have 10.8 oz in before you REMOVE some to set the level...
Cut the spacers down to 4.070", Put in 10.8 oz or 320ml of amsoil 5WT in each fork. Stuck the turkey baster 5.59" in the forks and suctioned out 30ml or right at 1 oz. so forks have 290 ml or 9.8 oz 5 WT amsoil in them.

While I was in there I changed out the HK radio for a Sony DSX-MS60 headunit and changed the J&M rokkers out for the Titan II from biketronics and the biketronics handlebar control module. Also installed Jasons cooling fans and changed out the rear speaker pods set up with J&M 5 1/4 Rokkers for Biketronics new rear speaker pods and thier 6.5" Titan II's.

Sag is now 1.66" this is about 1/16" more than the 1 5/8" I was shooting for.
My weight is 210lb.
Springs are Racetech 1.0's
Ricor intimidators modded by Jason
Bike 2008 FLHTCU

Have actually only rode it about 2 miles around the neiborhood, but it feels smooth over the small dips/bumps I did go over. Went over a "Dip in road", while I wasn't hitting it with any speed, it didn't bottom out or top out going through it.

I'm thinking the Indys 12.25 oz fork fluid didn't give the air in the forks room to compress, had it riding like a truck with pumped up air shocks and an empty bed. Also why they cut the spacers down 5/16" and only got 1/8" more sag. Also why the ricors were'nt working with the original 5 wt, then 20 wt, then 10 wt.

I need to get some seat time in on varied road surfaces and conitions, but initially I think this the Modded Ricors, Racetech springs and the Ohlin 3-3's supporting the rear is going to make this the tourer I've been looking for.

 

Moneywoes,
I didn't realize you were still having such a time getting set up, sorry you had to go through all that. One of the challenges with having someone else do the work is they tend to use their conventional wisdom regarding front end tuning, and most of it wont work with the Intiminators. Sounds like you are on track now, I'll be curious to here your assessment after some more saddle time. I hope its all good now.