Been trying to work out who makes good shocks for softails. Fournales seem popular here in Aust, but all reports say they are a "firm" ride and if you are a fairly light bloke like me they don't do much for soaking up the harsh road bumps....
Works Performance and Race tech in the States do a softail shock as well, but I can't find many reviews on these.
Any recommendations?
Cheers.
Shotgun shocks work for me
You get what you pay for. I'm a lightweight as well and Fournales work well for me, no more kidney jaring from speed humps and they handle corners well too. Ikon have a loyal following and are your standard Showa shocks with proper interals put in and done in Australia. You can be lucky and score a set of Fournales for $80 as they do not have much written on them, sometimes (F knows why) someone who does not know what they are, will sell them to put some chrome ones on, can you even see them? lol
Use the search function on this site.
Fournales are good.
You do not have to buy them in Australia as the Australian price is high and the distributer cannot stop you, or it would be against the fair trading regulations for non competitive behaviour.
That may be the case, but I've hit a couple of good deep ones on our "beautiful" WA roads which nearly knocked the wind out of me and they are still working fine. Wasn't fully loaded as there was only me on the bike at the time and no luggage or pillion, not that they would still have been there afterwards. Potholes can be hard to spot on a unfamiliar road when going through a patch of shadows from some trees.
Personal experience so far has been good with Fournales.
Its difficult to get good quality rear shocks for Softails because the numbers sold are low which also pushes up the price. One of the top European manufacturers tried making and selling some, but gave up as the demand did not warrant the production unfortunately.Tried for a few months to get a set but gave up when a set of Fournales came along and fitted them instead. Showa make some good gear and make the originals, but unfortunately don't sell better quality replacements either. Guess chromed, lowered or slammed ones sell heaps from a look at suspension sites or eBay. Would hate to hit a good pothole at speed with those ones on, scary thought at doing that.
Ikon also have a loyal following but have not used them myself yet. Would like to though, as the air shocks are very smooth and do not give as much feel about what the back wheel is doing as I'd like.
A few posts on the internet does not indicate something is bad as there may be thousands of cases of no problems which do not get posted, not necessarily about Fopurnales, it applies to just about anything.
The Fournales handle bumps and potholes significantly better than the standard Showa's. To the extent of being able to go over a speed hump at 60 km/hr when the standard rear shocks could barely handle 30 km/hr. Can't compare them to the other brands as have not used them on a Softail, which pulls on the shocky, not squashing it like a normal set up, which makes it difficult to swap something else in there.
Are shotguns the ones that can be raised or lowered while riding? Because if they are someone was trying to sell me a cheap a set in a cardboard box which were in two pieces from going over a speed hump or a bend in the driveway when it was lowered. Must have been an expensive crack ing noise.
http://www.jpcycles.com/harley-softail-parts/progressive-suspension/shocks
I had the original showa in mine i went to progressives after reading all the raves about them.I was dissapointed and they were made in mexico with poor qhality welds etc so they may have improved since.
I now have fournales they are still a little stiff they take a few thousand miles to break in apparently hoping they improve or i'll be going back to the showa stockers.
Not yet it says to leave it alone until you have put some k's on them i got a few more in today . I will let you know how they go once i have adjusted them.
