I recently got the 940 shocks and have not gotten it to work for me yet ( I'm also 245lb ) I'm in touch with frank from progressive via email and I sent him sag measurements and pictures on Friday. Hoping to hear back from him tomorrow. I'll update as soon as I get this straightened out.

 

I made mistake concerning the rear shock pressure. It is not 70psi. I bought the HD air pump and measured the pressure at 20. I have set it up to 30. Still no comfort. Do you think I will have a smoother riding if I set it up to 50 as it is mentionned in the owner manual? I love my Electra but I had before it a BMW R1200RT with the ESA system. A dream. It was riding like a flying carpet! I don't expect to have the same comfort on my Electra but I would like to have better than now. I wonder if it is possible with original shocks and a correct adjustment.
Christian
France

 

You CAN ride your Glide as if it is, well gliding! Throw those stock shocks away and replace them with Ohlins, custom built for you by Howard at HDF sponsor Motorcycle Metal.

You may not be surprised that shocks are one of the most common (I won't say 'popular'!) subjects on this Touring forum. If you use Search for 'shocks' or 'Ohlins' you will be flooded with reading matter......

 

Thanks Grbrown,

I will try to find a reseller in France. I'm leaving near Paris and that should not be a problem. I see that you own a XB12R. Happy with it? I have a '02 X1 White Ligthning and it's a fantastic bike.
Regards,
Christian
France

 

Hi Christian,

I live in the UK and bought my Ohlins from Howard. He adds value by altering the valving to suit our Harleys as well as supplying suitable springs matched to you. I strongly recommend you buy from him as you won't get the same service elsewhere. Not all Ohlins are created equal! Tell Howard you are a member of HDF as he offers discounts.

Very happy with my Buell thanks. Had an XB9R before and it seemed the natural thing to go bigger, as more must be better! It just seems to float along on a wave of torque. Being bright yellow I have naturally nicknamed it Buttercup!

 

I am also a big guy, 6'5" and 330 lbs with my wife who weighs about 140 lbs so I too pay particular attention to the GVWR of HD's bikes. If I am doing the math right you have a bike with a GVWR of 1360 lbs and a curb weight of 901 lbs. That leaves room for a total payload (passengers plus gear) of 459 lbs, which puts the two of you without any additional gear about 150 lbs over the GVWR of your bike. With additional gear in the saddlebags and trunk, the total load on the bike could grow to over 200 lbs above the GVWR. We ride a 2010 Road King which gives us a bit more headspace in the GVWR due to its lighter curb weight. Ride safe.

 

I commented on this at #10.

I run my tyres at close to maximum pressure as we too run close to our bike's GVWR, which is lower than current bikes.

 

Yep, sure did read your post. I guess my point, which I probably did not make clear..., was that I tend to focus more on the overall GVWR of the touring bike rather than the individual tires since I have no way to know how much weight each tire is supporting. Additionally while the tires are certainly a critical element in bearing the total load, there may be other components of the bike which could also provide the weak link in the event that a combination of weight sensitive factors such as speed and road conditions (potholes et al) converge to create the perfect storm for some sort of structural failure. Needless to say, we do not both climb aboard the Softail Custom, which has a much lower GVWR...

 

Fortunately GVWR is not legally enforced, AFAIK! Neither my wife nor I are particularly heavy, but we still get close to it on our older bike, maybe even a little over. That is why I use higher load rated tyres on the rear. Another concern I have is that a heavily loaded bike really needs higher tyre pressures than in the manual, something that is even more important for teams who are well over the GVWR.

 

Replace the stock shock oil with thicker one. The shocks will work much better at much lower air pressures.