[noinfo]

Ok let the fat jokes fly! I put my wife on the back and we kept bottoming out. I gouged out a great ring around my rear pulley. I used to ride with my wife on my Sportster without an issue. My wife is feeling bad and I need a solution so I have two questions.
1. Is this what happens when you bottom out or do I need to adjust something?
2. Is there something I can do? Cheaply!
Oh and yes I did adjust my suspension up to 5. It made it better but I am still hearing the grinding noise on bumps. :sad:

 

[noinfo]

Oh ya. I can ride solo with the shocks set at 2 but I moved it up to three to be safe.

 

[v-robb]

Hmmm...

I understand completely. I cannot put my wife on the back of the 'Rod anymore until I get the Legend Air Shocks. Bottoming out big time without really pushing it. :hitfan:

Too bad, too. She likes to ride, just too much for the stock shocks to handle.

I ride on a 3 when solo, and was running a 5 when travelling to Milwaukee last year and that was just with a couple of small duffel bags, and the Sac on the rear.

:soapbox: Harley really should have more adjustable/better shocks on the bike. Even solo I find I can't corner as well as I'd like, hence the Legends when I can $$ them!!

 

[polizzio]

Buy you a pair of Progressive shocks with the heavy duty springs, higher spring rates. Or as an alternative, Skullman, the guy who cuts down vrod shocks for a very reasonable rate, could probably take your stock shocks and replace current spring with a higher rate one, I'd check them out. He charges like $60 to cut down the stockers, very reasonable, bet they have something they could do to increase shock load capacity pretty cheap. You guys have wives who enjoy riding with you, I'd get it fixed so they can continue to comfortably to share the time/experience with you.

 

[mjw930]

If you have it set on 5 and still hear a grinding noise then something is missaligned. The suspension should travel through it's entire range without grinding anything.

I ride 2 up with my wife all the time set on 5. Our combined weight is 330 lbs. Never bottomed out and never heard anything grind.

 

[VrodRick74]

Ok let the fat jokes fly! I put my wife on the back and we kept bottoming out. I gouged out a great ring around my rear pulley. I used to ride with my wife on my Sportster without an issue. My wife is feeling bad and I need a solution so I have two questions.
1. Is this what happens when you bottom out or do I need to adjust something?
2. Is there something I can do? Cheaply!
Oh and yes I did adjust my suspension up to 5. It made it better but I am still hearing the grinding noise on bumps. :sad:

We are doing a groupbuy on Progressive suspension, The 440 shocks with heavy duty springs have your name on them $405.95 shipped. This should help all your problems. Explain the noise, could it be the tire rubbing the inner fender.

 

[Derek]

I have just got back from a 250 mile ride with my wife and our combined weight is 345.
I have the setting at 3 and bottomed out just a few times travelling at a average speed of 80.

 

[VrodRick74]

I have just got back from a 250 mile ride with my wife and our combined weight is 345.
I have the setting at 3 and bottomed out just a few times travelling at a average speed of 80.

Time to get new shocks my man, I had my chick on the back after I got my new Rizoma license plate holding and smashed it twice. I put the order in Friday but we can add to it, $405.95 shipped to you door.

 

[Derek]

Time to get new shocks my man, I had my chick on the back after I got my new Rizoma license plate holding and smashed it twice. I put the order in Friday but we can add to it, $405.95 shipped to you door.

Thanks, but I still have room to go with settings. I can supply you with the same shocks cheaper. Maybe a group buy later.

 

[noinfo]

The grinding noise is awful. Painful even! I think it is from my rear pulley hitting something! Sounds like metal on metal to me. I have a gouge mark in a perfect circle on the outer edge. The reason I posted here was to see if this is a normal occurrence or if something is wrong.

 

[Derek]

If the gouging is on the pulley then you have a problem. I notice you have saddlebags on. Could it be that the saddlebag is coming down onto the pulley? Check you rotor at the same time.

 

[noinfo]

Here is a picture of what I am talking about. I will look at the bags... any other Ideas?

 

[Derek]

If you still have your guard on maybe the saddlebags have bent the inner part of it down and the edge is rubbing on the pulley.

 

[noinfo]

Could the guard cause that while I got the wife on the back?

 

[mjw930]

If the guard get's pushed in by the bag as the suspension compresses it could cause that. The guard is the only thing that I can think of that could come in contact with the pulley.

 

[noinfo]

That sounds reasonable. Tomorrow I will take the bag off and give it a try. Let’s assume it is the guard. What are my options?

 

[Derek]

Stiffer shocks. If you remove the belt gaurd you will really have problems with the bag hitting the belt.