So I traded in my 2011 Wide Glide on my Breakout about a year ago.

Loved the Widey, but REALLY love my BO....... but both have Sh!t front ends!

Before trading my widey I was following a dyna thread on another site [google is your friend :-)], where the guys were installing Ricor Intiminators and single rate springs with very good results. Once I discovered how bad the BO front end was I had the "dyna-ricor-mod" in mind but didn’t want to be the first to try. I have a Bassani Road Rage II exhaust installed on my bike and when the heat shields (whole underside of the front header shield) started scaping the road before the pegs - I got really scared and pulled the pin and tried this mod.

It’s been 3 months since I tried the mod and I would rate this mod the best BO mod, completely transforms the BO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Parts involved:

·         49mm Ricor Intiminators

·         10Wt Amsoil shock therapy (1 quart per tube) - this stuff is really thin, therefore bypassing the HD/showa fork internals. I filled the tube to 130mm from the top of tube, before installing the spring. Dont over fill or you going to blow a fork seal.

·         Traxxion dynamics single rate springs - I weight 95-100kg and got the 0.95kg/mm springs (0.8, 0.85, 1.0 are also available and should be selected based on your weight (again google is your friend)). Springs are 380mm long or just as long as your stock springs.

·         Wide Glide fork tubes - this is optional but I would highly recommend this as the this raises the bike giving you more clearance and lean angle. WG tube are 2.5" (60mm) longer than stock BO tube

·         WG fork preload spacers

·         HD fork rebuild kit (probably not needed if the bike is near new but it’s not expensive!)

·         New softail jiffy stand, the stock BO is to short and the bike leans too far over on the stock jiffy stand (obviously only if you installed the WG fork tubes)

The secret to this mod is selecting the correct spring rate and then setting the correct fork sag. I used the Traxxion method of setting the sag http://www.traxxion.com/Fork-Spring-Installation-Instructions/. You are looking for a sag with the rider on the bike of 1/3 of total fork travel. You adjust sag by adjusting the preload fork spacer length. On my bike, with my weight and springs the stock BO spacer worked perfectly, however I have the longer WG preload spacer handy when I check it again (when I get a chance), now that everything has settled in.

Upgraded front suspension is brilliant, it is actually doing what it is intended to do, no more diving and bouncing around :-) "Similar" results would probably be achieved using Racetech Gold Emulators - but that would involve too much setting up IMO, so I choose the Ricor Intiminators.

 

Here some photos

 Stock BO spring

 

One down, one to go!

 

WG fork tubes 2.5" (60mm) longer

 

Single rate spring (much stiffer) vs stock BO spring. Stock BO fork preload spacer

 

Height difference is noticeable, if you know what to look for

 

My sag calc - near perfect with stock BO fork preload spacer!!!!

 

 looking good!!!!

 

Looking good!!!!

 

Stock BO jiffy stand, too short, way too much lean angle - easy fix with the installation of a stock softail jiffy stand

Very interesting stuff there 45 ... there`s another guy up Mt.Mee way who has just done a simular thing and he says the same thing that it has made a world of difference for the better .

Just chucking out a curious question ... I have a 08 Fsxtc and would love to chuck on the Chunkier front end of either a Break out or Wide Glide ... any idea if it is a doable job ... of course anything is doable but was wondering if there was anything that would prevent someone from achieving such a mod .

I was thinking along the lines of getting a complete Wide Glide front end for example and swapping out the head stems ... that is of course if the head stems are removable from the triple trees like they used to be on older models ... that way I could just slot my head stem in the Wide Glide triple tree and slide it into my frame ... does that make any sense or am I way off .

Tim .

Hi Tim

I'm no expert mate but here are my thoughts:

Changing front ends shouldnt be a drama, install the triple trees (replace the tapered steering bearings and races).

However the Breakout has a rake of 37 and the wide glide a rake of 34 degrees so when you install these forks on a bike with less rake the bike will be raised up in the front.

Hope this helps

45

Thanks 45 ... that does help ... i think a Softail has a rake of 36 but will have to confirm that .

Excuse my novice question but am i right in thinking the rake is in the head stem and not
The tripple trees ... so if i can find a Wide Glide front end for the right price then it should slot
Straight in .

Would you know if the axle size is the same ... if so then my 21 x 3.5 Ride Wright front wheel can
Be used .

One issue might be the brake caliper ... my 6 piston PM that is on my Softail front end has different
Mounting points compared to Wide Glide front ends ... i think ... i know the fender mounts are different .

Anyhow nothing like a challenge to keep me on my toes , Lol ... thanks again .

Tim .

Hi, I am just looking at upgrading my front suspension.  When ordering from traxxion did you put down your bike was a Breakout or Wideglide?  I am just asking as you change to wideglide tubes and was wondering how you ordered. 
Just trying to learn and not any help would be appreciated.
Cheers.

I was thinking about this upgrade for my Low Rider, but was looking at the gold valves as I had used them before on my Suzuki DR, which has similar 1940's design suspension. They were a huge improvement on the DR, it was so surprising. This issues was however I had to disassemble the wholes forks and drill extra holes in the oil passages for the gold valves did you have to also do this for the Intiminators

I've heard of the fork tube mod before.....but just the tube changeover.  Looks really good and the height difference will make it worthwhile.  Can I ask what the cost is for all the parts please?  Thanks

Best mod I have done -  but I've been told to got for the 5Wt amsoil fork oil - so I'm planning to swap the 10wt oil for 5 wt soon.

OK 45WL,

Great thread, good advise. I completed the RaceTech / Ricor Intiminator upgrade to my '14 CVO BO a few weeks back and have done over 400kms since. The handling is sooo much better and more predictable, on a dollar for benefit scale this is a mega bargain. I used 1.1kg single rate springs - I am 105kg, I measured the air gap with 5W fork oil in, slider down and spring out at 85mm rather than oil volume only, 20mm of PVC preload spacing (cut at 210mm) and changed the rear spring preload to 1-3/4 anti clockwise. I am still running the standard Dunlop tyres at 38/42psi but will look at changing them out to Avon Cobras over the next few months. I fitted EBC HH pads (FA457HH & FA458HH) the CVO uses the same as the standard BO take a little bit of bedding in but work a treat a lot less front end dive during braking events, worth every penny.

Just a tip for suspension newbies. The damping effect of fork oils has SFA to do with their SAE viscosity.