Always wondered why Harley’s ride like crap.

[pyuchem]

I love the engine character of my street glide. That’s why I bought it after riding close to 10 bikes in 5 yrs. before this I had Indian chieftain and it rode plush like a Cadillac. Only thing I liked about that bike. Switched over to Harley cuz I liked the engine, also Hated how Indian was hard to shift into second until bike warmed up ( BTW my Harley does the same now after I switched to VPC clutch ). Final straw in dumping Indian chieftain was it buzzed in floorboards at around 2000 rpms.

But more than 100 yrs and Harley still hasn’t figured out how to make modern bike ride plush. How the f**k Indian has 2 inches short seat height and still has 4 inches of suspension travel ? I found out after I saw this video. It has mono shock and is more slanted.

It’s not just Harley. My goldwing shocks were terrible too.
Btw I’ve switched over to legends suspension and it’s still crap. I’m going to try Ohlins next and see if that helps. If that doesn’t help, I’m going to hate it but moving to Indian Springfield.

Shame on Harley, 2 more inches of height and still can’t manage better suspension. I really hope Indian bleeds Harley profit and wakes them up. They have made a fool of riders by giving inferior products and fooling people into buying their lifestyle. Guess what ? Newer generation is smarter than that Harley.

https://youtu.be/OEsBEWI3jrw

 

[BlkDragon]

Wow, Fox suspension comes with Indian Dark horse.....now that's something Harley should be looking into.

Legend suspension needs to be tuned correctly, if you are not getting the ride that Legend promise you should reach out to the owner and he'll get you adjusted correctly. If you already have reached out to them and still not happy then I totally agree with you on moving on to another brand.

I don't get Harley & Indian, both increasing on cu in of their motors and HP is still way behind......WTH? 114 = 80.?HP and 116 = 76.?HP.....boy that's totally insult for those that are shelling out that kind of money...….they both need to step up with performance.

 

[SGBart]

Suspension is very complex.

I've been riding for over 30+ years and I've owned and raced more motorcycles than I can remember (over 30). Honda, Triumph, Harley, Aprilia, Kawasaki, BMW, Yamaha, Ducati and all but the Ducatis needed suspension work. Ducati's Ohlins suspension have been the closest to only needing adjustments (compression, rebound as well as preload) to get them to work right. Most of the motorcycles I've owned at a minimum required springs (fork and shock) along with fluid change in the forks. Others I've replaced the rear shock with the proper spring for my weight and load as well as valving for the type of riding I do/did.

The first serious mod I do to any motorcycle I own even before the pretty air cleaner or loud pipes is suspension, period. Always money well spent. Nothing improves your long ride enjoyment of a motorcycle than the ride.

Thing you have to remember about suspension is that they have to make it work for a person who weights 150lbs to someone over 250lbs, then potentially add in a passenger, and loaded luggage. It's not just preload, compression damping and rebound damping all work together and need to be in "balance". Also suspension has to be tuned for everything from smooth highways, to rough bumpy roads. More modern motorcycles (Yamaha R1, Ducati Panigale, Aprilia, to name a few) with all the fancy "electronics" can adjust things like preload, compression and rebound damping automatically as it "senses" road conditions and how the person is riding. (Electronics, I know the majority of American Cruisers won't want).

Then there is the problem most riders don't understand suspension even when manufacturers let the rider adjust preload, compression, and rebound damping. People either don't take the time to understand how it all works or don't care to. When I road-raced motorcycles, I was always amazed at the number of people who brought their bike to the track with the suspension set where ever the factory set it and wonder why their bike wasn't handling well. If you ever watch any of those videos of guys riding the Snake in SoCal and see them lowside their bikes. "Most" are not because they've leaned it over too far, it's that most never adjusted their suspension and when they enter that corner, their suspension is fully compressed and when they hit that very minor pavement irregularity the front wheel has no more suspension to take up that minor bump and they crash.

Anyways, what I've found with the Street Glide is the springs are decent, but it really needs compression and rebound damping adjustments. The FLHXS works well for smooth roads or ones with very minor irregularities, but even medium ones are jarring. And the proof of needing these adjustments is when I'm riding on concrete highways with expansion joints, the abruptness of those is just nauseating. And I know it's my Harley as the same stretch of highway on my BMW has not such affect...

Personally, I'm going to replace the rear shocks with something else with more adjustments, it might be Ohlins. Then I'll see what the front end is doing. I know from a experience, you need to "fix" both ends. If you fix the rear shock(s), it typically overworks the front end too...

Just my .02...

 

[pyuchem]

Wow, Fox suspension comes with Indian Dark horse.....now that's something Harley should be looking into.

Legend suspension needs to be tuned correctly, if you are not getting the ride that Legend promise you should reach out to the owner and he'll get you adjusted correctly. If you already have reached out to them and still not happy then I totally agree with you on moving on to another brand.

I don't get Harley & Indian, both increasing on cu in of their motors and HP is still way behind......WTH? 114 = 80.?HP and 116 = 76.?HP.....boy that's totally insult for those that are shelling out that kind of money...….they both need to step up with performance.

Thx. I’ve already switched legends at their factory twice when I went to sturgis but still don’t like the ride quality. It just doesn’t come any close to what I had on my Chieftain and Yamaha 1300 I had. On those bikes I would ride like close to 18 hrs a day and still didn’t get any fatigue. With Indian I used to get an headache bcuz of motor noise and that was a big deal for me trade it. On my stock Harley I’m riding at 80 MPH and I cannot even hear the engine. I luv this bike but hate the damn suspension. Legends is better than stock but not happy with it.

 

[BlkDragon]

Thx. I’ve already switched legends at their factory twice when I went to sturgis but still don’t like the ride quality. It just doesn’t come any close to what I had on my Chieftain and Yamaha 1300 I had. On those bikes I would ride like close to 18 hrs a day and still didn’t get any fatigue. With Indian I used to get an headache bcuz of motor noise and that was a big deal for me trade it. On my stock Harley I’m riding at 80 MPH and I cannot even hear the engine. I luv this bike but hate the damn suspension. Legends is better than stock but not happy with it.

I totally understand, that kind of money for Legend suspension and if it doesn't make you feel good you are smart to switch to something that will make you ride your bike more. That's all of our ultimate goal......keep us posted on which brand you ended up with and how it treats you while you ride.

 

[pyuchem]

I totally understand, that kind of money for Legend suspension and if it doesn't make you feel good you are smart to switch to something that will make you ride your bike more. That's all of our ultimate goal......keep us posted on which brand you ended up with and how it treats you while you ride.

Might try Ohlins next and see how they ride. But how the heck Indian managed to have 2 inch lower seat height than Streetglide and still have 4 inches of travel. That’s just amazing. Kudos to them for doing that.

 

[surfsup1955]

Thx. I’ve already switched legends at their factory twice when I went to sturgis but still don’t like the ride quality. It just doesn’t come any close to what I had on my Chieftain and Yamaha 1300 I had. On those bikes I would ride like close to 18 hrs a day and still didn’t get any fatigue. With Indian I used to get an headache bcuz of motor noise and that was a big deal for me trade it. On my stock Harley I’m riding at 80 MPH and I cannot even hear the engine. I luv this bike but hate the damn suspension. Legends is better than stock but not happy with it.

Did you get the 12” Legends?


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[pyuchem]

Yes. Im 5'5 and don't want to go with 13. I did try reach seat at dealer today while I was getting oil changed. It made me more feel comfortable and in control of the bike. But here is the funny fact, Chieftain has 2 inch less seat heigh and still manages to have plush 4 inches of travel. So longer shocks should not be a solution.

 

[pyuchem]

Yes. Im 5'5 and don't want to go with 13. I did try reach seat at dealer today while I was getting oil changed. It made me feel more comfortable and in control of the bike. But here is the funny fact, Chieftain has 2 inch less seat height and still manages to have plush 4 inches of travel. So longer shocks should not be a solution.

I do like everything else about this bike except suspension. And I hated everything on Chieftain other than suspension. Lol

Did you get the 12” Legends?


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[surfsup1955]

Yes. Im 5'5 and don't want to go with 13. I did try reach seat at dealer today while I was getting oil changed. It made me feel more comfortable and in control of the bike. But here is the funny fact, Chieftain has 2 inch less seat height and still manages to have plush 4 inches of travel. So longer shocks should not be a solution.

I do like everything else about this bike except suspension. And I hated everything on Chieftain other than suspension. Lol

Understand all that

It’s just that everything I’ve read about the 13” Legends seems to indicate the extra inch makes all the difference on our frames? I wanted to make sure I was comparing apples to apples regarding your review..

Thanks, and yea that slanted Fox shock seems to be the ticket. But man that Indian motor is fugly as Fido’s hind parts.


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[TomA]

Put the Ohlins on the rear of my bike n late summer and it rides oh so much better. Going to do the front's this winter when time allows. Rode today a bit chilly but it was wind in my face and felt really good.

 

[pyuchem]

Put the Ohlins on the rear of my bike n late summer and it rides oh so much better. Going to do the front's this winter when time allows. Rode today a bit chilly but it was wind in my face and felt really good.

What ohlins did you go with ? And will they increase the seat height ? I’m short and have to make sure seat height is not going to go up while also getting more suspension travel than stock or legends I’ve on there now. Thank you.

Man I love this 2016 street glide. And I’m not a Harley cool aid drinker. I’ve had close to 10 bikes in 5 yrs, including Goldwing, Indian Chieftain, victory cross country. Street glide and goldwing F6b are top notch on my list for my body frame and taste. Although goldwing is lil more taller for me and that is a bummer.

 

[TomA]

What ohlins did you go with ? And will they increase the seat height ? I’m short and have to make sure seat height is not going to go up while also getting more suspension travel than stock or legends I’ve on there now. Thank you.

Man I love this 2016 street glide. And I’m not a Harley cool aid drinker. I’ve had close to 10 bikes in 5 yrs, including Goldwing, Indian Chieftain, victory cross country. Street glide and goldwing F6b are top notch on my list for my body frame and taste. Although goldwing is lil more taller for me and that is a bummer.

The ones I installed are the HD159 for the street glide or ultra and are 13 inches. I didn't notice any difference in height but I can flat foot my bike being a little taller. I purchased mine from Big bear performance (909-478-7788) and they were all set up for me out of the box. If you call them you will talk to the owner of the business Kevin and he will set them up for what you need before shipping. These shocks are fully adjustable but if it's set up already no need to mess with them. Mine are perfect in stock or with my tour pak on and loaded down. If you have questions he is very supportive of his customer's freely answers your questions. These are not cheap so call and ask questions but I guess none of these shocks are cheap unless you go air ride.

 

[pyuchem]

The ones I installed are the HD159 for the street glide or ultra and are 13 inches. I didn't notice any difference in height but I can flat foot my bike being a little taller. I purchased mine from Big bear performance (909-478-7788) and they were all set up for me out of the box. If you call them you will talk to the owner of the business Kevin and he will set them up for what you need before shipping. These shocks are fully adjustable but if it's set up already no need to mess with them. Mine are perfect in stock or with my tour pak on and loaded down. If you have questions he is very supportive of his customer's freely answers your questions. These are not cheap so call and ask questions but I guess none of these shocks are cheap unless you go air ride.

Thanks TomA. I'll definitely look at Ohlins. Looks like I have no choice but go with 13 inch shocks. In that case I'll have to go for reach seat that will bring me down by 1 inch. I did try two up reach seat at dealer yesterday and I felt pretty confident on it. But it only brought me down by 1/2 inch and moved me forward a lil bit. For the first time in 3 years bike felt like a little toy riding it and was more fun. Lol. So might definitely go with reach seat.

 

[surfsup1955]

Thanks TomA, I was gonna ask the same question. I’m between the Olin’s and the Legends right now..


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[HawgRunner]

Yep, gotta agree with the Indian Chieftain, just come off one to a Street Glide Special, on smooth roads it's ok, but nothing like the Indian, not new to Harley's, but my 63 FLH that I had for 45 years rode better than this 19 I have now, just ordered a pair of Suspension Technologies 11 inch shocks, as I'm also on the short side and am eager to put them on, they have a promo deal going on right now till Dec 31.

 

[pyuchem]

Yep, gotta agree with the Indian Chieftain, just come off one to a Street Glide Special, on smooth roads it's ok, but nothing like the Indian, not new to Harley's, but my 63 FLH that I had for 45 years rode better than this 19 I have now, just ordered a pair of Suspension Technologies 11 inch shocks, as I'm also on the short side and am eager to put them on, they have a promo deal going on right now till Dec 31.

Why 11 ? Think that will not have lot of suspension travel. I'm going with low reach seat and add 13 inch shocks in back and lower front forks by 1 inch.

 

[HawgRunner]

Why 11 ? Think that will not have lot of suspension travel. I'm going with low reach seat and add 13 inch shocks in back and lower front forks by 1 inch.

Going with 11 inch because the 12 that come on the bike are too tall for me and already have the front lowered 1 inch and not looking to have the back of the bike jacked higher than the front, seat already out to mean City for double stack foam and lower 1 inch, also have the lowering blocks in the rear and is down 3/4 inch and still tall for me, rides like a 2x4, with the lowering blocks it kicks the shocks back on more of a angle and feel the shocks are not working as good as if more straight up and down like designed, got clearance, so only going down another 1/4 inch.

 

[pyuchem]

Going with 11 inch because the 12 that come on the bike are too tall for me and already have the front lowered 1 inch and not looking to have the back of the bike jacked higher than the front, seat already out to mean City for double stack foam and lower 1 inch, also have the lowering blocks in the rear and is down 3/4 inch and still tall for me, rides like a 2x4, with the lowering blocks it kicks the shocks back on more of a angle and feel the shocks are not working as good as if more straight up and down like designed, got clearance, so only going down another 1/4 inch.

Gotcha. I'm thinking of going with Harley low reach seat, and lower front suspension by 1 inch, however change my rear shocks to 13 inch. Do you think back of the bike will be higher than front ? Also what lower suspension did you go with in the front ? I'm looking at Harley's premium lowered suspension and Legends 1 inch lower front suspension.

 

[BlkDragon]

I have Legend front AXEO's 1" lowered but using 21" wheel/tire and Revo's 13" on the rear and the bike sits pretty much normal, I can plant both of my feet on the ground....I am 32" inseam pants size......

There are so many suspension manufactures out there, for the money we are spending on these suspensions I rather stick with companies that offer lifetime warranty on their product so if/when something goes wrong I don't have to worry about funding for them again.