I have 2011 Ultra. I ride solo only. A few questions filling the air shocks.
Will a bicycle pump work?
Can I use a small electric pump with a cigarette adapter?
How many pounds do you suggest for. 210 lb. rider.

 

yep....that's basically what the HD pump is. You dont need an electric model. The HD hand pump fills the shocks in a half dozen pumps. I run 20-25 lbs in my 08 SG.

 

But the bicycle pump will bleed air after filling. And the gauge will not be that accurate. You need to try different amounts for you. jmo

 

Over pressurizing will blow the air lines off or blow the seals in the shocks.-- much more likely with a big pump.



the expensive HD shock pump is like a syringe and only allows a small volume of air with each stroke.

and it fits in the saddlebag

pretty much the same pump with out the HD logo is available at some stores and online

experiment with pressure, it changes the damping of the shocks.

start at 10 pounds and go up in 5 pound increments, finding what works for you on your roads.

Mike

 

I have the 2010 limited so basically the same set up as you. I am 240 lb and run 25 solo. As mentioned above it doesn't take much air at all. The problem is removing the hose. Typical bike pumps loose air removing the hose. This loss of air is significant when dealing with small amount of air. The HD pump is a zero loss hose removal design. You will hear a little pfst but it seems too be to small to matter. I bought the HD pump and am happy with it.

 

Thanks. I will stop by the dealer today.

 

There are many styles of bike pumps that will do exactally the same thing as the HD pump. The pumps that come with many mountain bikes come to mind. A friend of mine used to use an airpump from his arctic cat snowmobile that had Fox Air shocks on it. I have used a regular pump and checked the pressure using a low pressure tire gauge that registers in 1 lb increments. I am 250 lbs and run about 16 lbs in the shocks on my 05 Eglide. It takes a pretty good hit for the shocks to bottom out.

If I run too much in the shocks then I am not using the full capabilities of the shock and only using a small portion of the top stroke of the shock. Also it is not allowing for suspension drop out for dips etc since the shock is already close to being topped out.

I set mine up so that sitting on the bike the shocks are just a tad above the middle of the stroke. Meaning I uses the shocks to adjust my ride height more then anything. If I need more dampening then I will start with changing the oil out for a slightly heavier weight oil to slow down dampening etc.

 

This was a good thread for me to read as well. Needed to know all this. Thanks original poster and all who replied so far, from me as well.

 

Same thing I was thinking. Before I bought the HD pump I used a bicycle pump. I had to overfill the shocks to make sure I had enough air after removing the valve and checking with a gauge.

 

I have had this one for a few years, and it works great.

http://www.bkrider.com/bkrider/skuse...eria=C01170043