Gear Review
By JOHN Ogden Jr
SUSPENSION
matter what you ride, sus-
is something that
NOpension
affects your travel at all times.
Modern bikes have come a long way
and suspension is no exception. Ride
most modern bikes and you never
even think about the shocks or
forks; they go unnoticed.
Suspension does more than just
hold the bike up.
If you notice when you hit a pothole
that it sends a shockwave
through your body, or if you grab
the front brake and the fork dives
instead of really stopping you, these
are signs that something needs to
be done with your suspension. I had
an ‘89 KLR with these issues and I
almost rear ended a car when I went
to stop and the front collapsed, but
the bike didn't stop very fast. That
was a wake-up call. I thought the
brakes were horrible, but after I put
firmer springs in the forks, it did
wonders for the braking ability.
Another area affected by suspension
issues is when you go into a
corner and the bike begins to wiggle.
I had this issue with my Harley
Super Glide. I wanted a more comfortable
ride, so I decided it was
time to address the suspension. I
also wanted to improve the handling
and ground clearance of the
bike. The first order of business was
to address the front forks. I have an
aftermarket fairing that the bike
wasn't designed for, so I needed a
stronger spring rate.
After some
calculations, I
decided on a
1.0kg spring and
verified that with
a custom spring
manufacturer.
Once the forks
were opened up,
I decided to help
the damping and
I chose a drop-in
cartridge kit.
Damping controls
the spring
and has the largest effect on how
the forks feel, while the springs hold
the bike up. There are several cartridge
kits out there from Racetech
cartridge emulators to Ohlins dropin
cartridge kits. With prices ranging
from $150 to $1200, plus install. I
went with a Cogent Dynamics DDC
valve which is about $180. Not only
did this address the feel of the bike,
but it also raised the front forks 2”
giving more cornering clearance.
Turning to the rear of the bike, I
went with 14.5” rear shocks. I had a
set left over from my dual sportster
build and I sent them to Cogent
Dynamics to be revalved for the
Harley. You have lots of options on
the rear shocks, anything from
$300 Progressives all the way up to
$1500 Ohlins, fully adjustable. You
get what you pay for with rear
shocks, but don’t need to get more
than you need.
Most people don't need fully
adjustable shocks and with all those
adjustments you can make a great
shock ride like junk. Talk to a suspension
specialist about what fits
your style of riding best when looking
for rear shocks. With the rear
shock I have, the rear raised 2” as
well which helps with cornering
clearance and has dealt with the
corner wiggles. The bike now handles
much better and the ride is nice
and plush. Those old wooden
bridges no longer bounce me off the
seat.
Is it worth it? Well that's up to
you and how you use the bike. If you
don't notice your suspension, then it
may not be worth it to you. But if
your bike is giving you fits on rough
roads and affecting your enjoyment
of the bike or the ride, then take a
look at the suspension. You will be
surprised at the difference. CMA
John Jr and Holly Ogden oversee
the South Central Region as
National Evangelist.
23⎪JUNE 2020⎪www.cmausa.org