[Vermonstah]

I've got an '04 1100 Custom and ride double most of the time, with a combined weight of about 360 lb., 200 for me & 160 for riding partner. I'd like to know if any of you have any advice/comments/etc. on improvements to the rear shock and or shock spring? I think it bounces to much and I'm not sure if a heavier spring such as the Eibach spring rated at 800 lb. in. would take care of it or do I need to replace the whole thing, maybe with an aftermarket unit or even an air system. The bike has 25,000 miles on it, don't know what the normal life of the shock is.

 

[linerdave]

rear shock

I wonder if a shock or shocks are bad? Doesn' seem like it should bounce

Dave

 

[Tonydtiger1971]

I have about the same combined weight with more in the drivers seat.

 

[Ol' Timer]

I have the same year classic and hauling 420 total with 140 on back with no bouncing.

 

[Vermonstah]

Thanks for your comments, sounds like I need to check into this closer. I probably should clarify the bounce I was talking about - it only bottoms on a very sharp, quick bump and the bounce is when I go over a quick dip in the road. Does anyone know what the average life of a rear shock on this bike is?

 

[DMTJOY]

Does it bounce more than once? If so the shock is getting weak. I have 67k on the original shock. I ride 2 up about 1/3 of the time. I did adjust the shock to max.I believe that the aftermarket springs are nothing more than a Roadstar spring. Maybe someone here has more info on that.

 

[Tonydtiger1971]

Has anyone heard a clicking or snapping noise when going over bumps? Where the driveway meets the road there's a 2 inch drop and every time I go off it makes a loud almost like a snapping sound but I see nothing broken.

 

[DMTJOY]

Has anyone heard a clicking or snapping noise when going over bumps? Where the driveway meets the road there's a 2 inch drop and every time I go off it makes a loud almost like a snapping sound but I see nothing broken.

Are you dragging your fender (only on a classic). I went off one curb and drug the engine case, but that curb was close to 5 inches high.

 

[SSC]

Thanks for your comments, sounds like I need to check into this closer. I probably should clarify the bounce I was talking about - it only bottoms on a very sharp, quick bump and the bounce is when I go over a quick dip in the road. Does anyone know what the average life of a rear shock on this bike is?

according to what I remember in the manual it should be check every 6 months to a year for wear. Now you can adjust the shock to make it firmer its should be set from the factory at the softest setting which is to soft even for 2 people at a combined 300 lbs or one of me.

Now a motor cycle shock is mostly controlled by spring pressure. The inner gas/oil shock is for controlling the rebound rate or how fast the shock will come back up when compressed. Usually you have to go over a huge bump to even get down the the oil/gas in a coil over shock before it has any effect at all. 90% of the time your riding on pure spring.

 

[Vermonstah]

In reply to DMTJOY's question... my bike only bounces once which is why I was leaning toward it being a spring issue. I have had my spring adjusted to the max ever since I started riding 2 up. I had heard 2 or 3 yrs. ago about people swapping their stock vstar spring to one for a bigger Yamaha to take care of problems lime mine but I couldn't remember which bike the spring was made for. Baron's sells one made by Eibach's that is rated at 800 in. lb. compared to 550 in. lb. for the stock piece. Anybody have any experience with this or thoughts?

 

[Tonydtiger1971]

Are you dragging your fender (only on a classic). I went off one curb and drug the engine case, but that curb was close to 5 inches high.

Nope, changed over to hard bags yesterday and saw where the soft bag mounts were pushing the belt guard into the sprocket, chewed a nice hole in it and wasn't too good for the saddlebags either. New cases are not as long so no danger of that continuing.