Two choices on Great rear shocks for Harley Trikes

[Jack Klarich]

Awesome, Thanks Kevin nice to talk to u today, Jack

 

[GoSlo]

I'm definitely interested.
I will be buying the Bitubos come spring. Don't want to buy it now since I wouldn't be installing them until April when I change over to my summer wheels anyway. No use using up the warrantee to soon. ThumbUp

Got the new Bitumo shocks and installation was pretty easy. Did NOT have to take off the rear box. Jack it up, remove the tire and swap out the shock. Now that they're installed, I have put about 250 miles on them. As others have pointed out, any new shock will feel better than thevworn out ones I was running, so the ride has improved. I think I had it built up in my mind that I wouldn't feel the smaller bumps in the road, but still feel them - hey, it's not a luxury car, right? Running the rear tires at 24 pounds and ride solo. To be totally honest, I don't remember what it ran like with the stock shocks new, so I really can't compare them to each other, but I'm happy and I guess that's all that matters....at least to me!!

 

[geezerglide11441]

Got the new Bitumo shocks and installation was pretty easy. Did NOT have to take off the rear box. Jack it up, remove the tire and swap out the shock. Now that they're installed, I have put about 250 miles on them. As others have pointed out, any new shock will feel better than thevworn out ones I was running, so the ride has improved. I think I had it built up in my mind that I wouldn't feel the smaller bumps in the road, but still feel them - hey, it's not a luxury car, right? Running the rear tires at 24 pounds and ride solo. To be totally honest, I don't remember what it ran like with the stock shocks new, so I really can't compare them to each other, but I'm happy and I guess that's all that matters....at least to me!!

GoSlo, to my knowledge there is not a shock made yet that will eliminate ALL bumps, be them large or small!! With the new shocks, you at least can adjust both the pre-load and rebound settings whereas the OEM Air System only allows the pre-load setting if you are lucking enough to find it and then try to maintain it!! On the Bitubo's, the rebound setting is at the bottom of the shocks (click stops) and is highly adjustable for your specific weight and smoothness of the "smaller bumps"!! IT WILL NOT ELIMINATE THEM, however, if you are not satisfied with the way it is handling the smaller bumps, you should try different settings (I believe on the Bitubo's there are 5 settings). My Pro-Actions came pre-set at 5 clicks and I am really happy and have not had a need to adjust them. I think I have read where some other riders have theirs set at 3 clicks and are extremely happy as well.

Take care, and good luck with "smoothing out the smaller bumps"!!

Roger

 

[Capt.Bob]

Very interesting thread and thanks Kevin for all of the testing and explanations. I am currently in the process of changing all four shocks on my Brunton Stalker which is a Lotus 7 clone kit car. They originally came with AVO shocks and unfortunately, the out of the box and long-time failure rate on these British shocks has been pretty high over the past 8-10 years. The manufacturer reportedly would require you to send the shock back to the factory and it was totally up to them if they would honor a warranty or suggest that you did something wrong that would invalidate the warranty. I am going to be putting on a set of GAZ shocks that are also made in Britain but have a much higher reliability rating according to my sources than AVO's.


As I see, it after experiencing these sketchy shocks that really are not supported well, I would opt for a USA based manufacturer with a Limited Lifetime Warranty than a 2-year option from an Italian maker. The reason is that you would conceivably have to send a defective shock(s) back to Italy and the warranty period is somewhat short. The Pro-Shock being US-based at least gives a person and easier possibility of interacting with an American firm that might be able to service a defective shock(s) more quickly and certainly for a reportedly longer period of time. A couple of hundred bucks will seem like small change if 2.5 years out, the Italian shock or shocks give up the ghost. Just my two cents worth on the subject. Not trying to humbug those of you that have decided on the Bitumo's.

 

[geezerglide11441]

Very interesting thread and thanks Kevin for all of the testing and explanations. I am currently in the process of changing all four shocks on my Brunton Stalker which is a Lotus 7 clone kit car. They originally came with AVO shocks and unfortunately, the out of the box and long-time failure rate on these British shocks has been pretty high over the past 8-10 years. The manufacturer reportedly would require you to send the shock back to the factory and it was totally up to them if they would honor a warranty or suggest that you did something wrong that would invalidate the warranty. I am going to be putting on a set of GAZ shocks that are also made in Britain but have a much higher reliability rating according to my sources than AVO's.


As I see, it after experiencing these sketchy shocks that really are not supported well, I would opt for a USA based manufacturer with a Limited Lifetime Warranty than a 2-year option from an Italian maker. The reason is that you would conceivably have to send a defective shock(s) back to Italy and the warranty period is somewhat short. The Pro-Shock being US-based at least gives a person and easier possibility of interacting with an American firm that might be able to service a defective shock(s) more quickly and certainly for a reportedly longer period of time. A couple of hundred bucks will seem like small change if 2.5 years out, the Italian shock or shocks give up the ghost. Just my two cents worth on the subject. Not trying to humbug those of you that have decided on the Bitumo's.

:Agree: Bob, my sentiments exactly! This was my comments to Kevin when I originally ordered my shocks from Pro-Action!! USA, USA, USA!!!epper:

Roger

 

[Capt.Bob]

:Agree: Bob, my sentiments exactly! This was my comments to Kevin when I originally ordered my shocks from Pro-Action!! USA, USA, USA!!!epper:

Roger

Roger, Trust me, I am not xenophobic:AGGHH: However, the Bitumo source which is Italy, is part of the EU that is experiencing some pretty heavy-duty economic problems. Being across the pond and in a region that is economically unstable, it just does not seem as advantageous to do business there when you can use USA-based vendors that will likely have a better shot at sustainability moving forward. Of course, the Limited Lifetime warranty is only as good as the solvency of the USA company but I suspect that Kevin did his homework in not only looking at performance of the Pro-Action shocks but also likely thought about the long-term viability or reputation of the company in deciding to offer their products for sale?

The thing that I wonder about is how much I would miss the adjustability via a simple air pump of my current mediocre OEM shocks? Kevin suggested that the new shocks seem to have a significant bandwidth in terms of different loads so that may not be much of an issue?

 

[DK Custom Products]

Awesome, Thanks Kevin nice to talk to u today, Jack

Jack, I enjoyed our chat. Thanks for the email!

Kevin

 

[Capt.Bob]

I think Kevin/Devin have hit a home run with the Pro-Action shocks. I went to their website and watched a detailed video of the features/benefits of the Pro-Action shocks:
http://street.pro-action.com/features

There seem to be some real advantages to buying the shocks from DK in that their price is slightly under list price, they have worked hard to experiment with the proper settings for our trikes and will be a great resource going forward for changing requirements. One of the things I noticed about the Pro-Action company info is that they are reportedly completely rebuildable and revalvable shocks which adds several degrees of freedom for the rider moving forward (pun intended).

When I watched the video, I realized just how poor a design it is to try and use air shocks for the complex demands of shock usage. I think folks like Mikey located near the former Republic of West Florida (see Mike, you are really a Floridian so remember the Battle of Miami) would greatly benefit from the shock upgrade since it is unlikely that there are better fixes in the offing for the TGU. I know my wife would sure appreciate a less harsh ride. Man, I am just going through the motions of changing my shocks on my race car so will have to save up some more money to get a pair of the Pro-Action shocks before Summer.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Got the new Bitumo shocks and installation was pretty easy. Did NOT have to take off the rear box. Jack it up, remove the tire and swap out the shock. Now that they're installed, I have put about 250 miles on them. As others have pointed out, any new shock will feel better than thevworn out ones I was running, so the ride has improved. I think I had it built up in my mind that I wouldn't feel the smaller bumps in the road, but still feel them - hey, it's not a luxury car, right? Running the rear tires at 24 pounds and ride solo. To be totally honest, I don't remember what it ran like with the stock shocks new, so I really can't compare them to each other, but I'm happy and I guess that's all that matters....at least to me!!

Great to hear you are happy with them. You may be happier if you move the lever at the bottom of the shocks.

Counter-intuitively, if you go one position Harder, it may make the smaller bumps less noticeable.

The lever adjusts rebound damping, and if it is too soft it will rebound too quickly and accentuate the feel of the bump.

There are 5 positions, I recommend trying each of the five, over the same stretch of bumpy road and seeing which setting gives you the best ride.

Also, don't hesitate to fine tune it even further by having one shock on "X" setting and the other on "Y" setting.

Hopefully with the easy moving of the levers you will be able to get it to a very nice ride.

If it is not exceptionally better, then you may need to adjust the preload to get it to that point. This is not as easy, but it is not a huge deal either.

We try our best to send them out with the preload at the ideal setting for your circumstances, however, you may benefit from making some adjustments per the instructions we sent.

Because of the unique shock bumper that Bitubo uses, we have found that the plushest ride is when the shock barely bottoms out on the bumper when hitting a big bump.

Feel free to write or call with any questions. We want you to have, not just a good ride, but a great ride.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

As I see, it after experiencing these sketchy shocks that really are not supported well, I would opt for a USA based manufacturer with a Limited Lifetime Warranty than a 2-year option from an Italian maker. The reason is that you would conceivably have to send a defective shock(s) back to Italy and the warranty period is somewhat short. The Pro-Shock being US-based at least gives a person and easier possibility of interacting with an American firm that might be able to service a defective shock(s) more quickly and certainly for a reportedly longer period of time. A couple of hundred bucks will seem like small change if 2.5 years out, the Italian shock or shocks give up the ghost. Just my two cents worth on the subject. Not trying to humbug those of you that have decided on the Bitumo's.

Bitubo has a large, well established, warranty facility in the USA. Nothing needs to go back to Italy.

Bitubo is a huge name outside the Harley market. In the racing circuit, a large % of the winning teams use Bitubo shocks. So they have a big following with the sport bike riders.

That said, what Roger says below, about buying USA, is a significant factor to consider, along with the Warranty.

:Agree: Bob, my sentiments exactly! This was my comments to Kevin when I originally ordered my shocks from Pro-Action!! USA, USA, USA!!!epper:

Roger

Roger, Trust me, I am not xenophobic:AGGHH: However, the Bitumo source which is Italy, is part of the EU that is experiencing some pretty heavy-duty economic problems. Being across the pond and in a region that is economically unstable, it just does not seem as advantageous to do business there when you can use USA-based vendors that will likely have a better shot at sustainability moving forward. Of course, the Limited Lifetime warranty is only as good as the solvency of the USA company but I suspect that Kevin did his homework in not only looking at performance of the Pro-Action shocks but also likely thought about the long-term viability or reputation of the company in deciding to offer their products for sale?

The thing that I wonder about is how much I would miss the adjustability via a simple air pump of my current mediocre OEM shocks? Kevin suggested that the new shocks seem to have a significant bandwidth in terms of different loads so that may not be much of an issue?

As noted in our report on Rear Shocks,

"You may ask, why don't we carry just the Bitubo since the ride quality is the same and it is less expensive. Simple answer, many folks will pay more for something Made in The USA, and/or that has a Lifetime Warranty."

The other thing to be aware of, with the recent election, the price advantage of the Bitubo shocks may go away, or become less. Time will tell.

Regarding adjust-ability...as you know, Mary and I ride a LOT. We're right around the 100,000 mile mark on Tri-Glides, many of those miles on not great roads. lol That is why we developed the MacAir (see it HERE) With it, we were able to have the very best ride with the stock shocks, all the time, with simple fingertip control as the load or road quality changed. It also doubles as a pump for tires.

We now have well over 10,000 miles riding with the PA & Bitubo shocks. We have 3 different load weights that we ride with.

200 solo
340 2-up
490 2-up and loaded for a trip

I have the shocks adjusted so that it is plushest when 2 up and loaded.

When I am solo, or 2 up without a load, it is not as plush a ride, but it is still a better ride than with the air shocks ideally adjusted.

If there were a greater disparity between solo and 2 up loaded, and the adjustment of the shocks was set for the best at 2 up and loaded, then it is possible that the solo ride quality might not be quite as good as the air shocks, if they were adjusted to the "sweet spot".

The last thing to be aware of when looking at how well the rear shocks feel (or don't feel)...It is amazing how much the front suspension can make the rear suspension feel better or worse!

See report on front Suspension testing HERE.

Kevin

 

[GoSlo]

Great to hear you are happy with them. You may be happier if you move the lever at the bottom of the shocks.

Counter-intuitively, if you go one position Harder, it may make the smaller bumps less noticeable.

The lever adjusts rebound damping, and if it is too soft it will rebound too quickly and accentuate the feel of the bump.

There are 5 positions, I recommend trying each of the five, over the same stretch of bumpy road and seeing which setting gives you the best ride.

Also, don't hesitate to fine tune it even further by having one shock on "X" setting and the other on "Y" setting.

Hopefully with the easy moving of the levers you will be able to get it to a very nice ride.

If it is not exceptionally better, then you may need to adjust the preload to get it to that point. This is not as easy, but it is not a huge deal either.

We try our best to send them out with the preload at the ideal setting for your circumstances, however, you may benefit from making some adjustments per the instructions we sent.

Because of the unique shock bumper that Bitubo uses, we have found that the plushest ride is when the shock barely bottoms out on the bumper when hitting a big bump.

Feel free to write or call with any questions. We want you to have, not just a good ride, but a great ride.

Kevin

Yep, to me that's pretty counter-intuitive to stiffen the ride to make it smoother, but it also took me a while to understand that putting more discs in the E-Series exhaust made it louder. Seemed like it would the other way around. I'll try changing the setting a bit when the arctic cold front moves out and the temps get back up a bit.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll let you all know what I figure out.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Yep, to me that's pretty counter-intuitive to stiffen the ride to make it smoother, but it also took me a while to understand that putting more discs in the E-Series exhaust made it louder. Seemed like it would the other way around. I'll try changing the setting a bit when the arctic cold front moves out and the temps get back up a bit.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll let you all know what I figure out.

Oh my...just saw this.

Yeah, it can be a bit of a puzzle...the lever adjust only the rebound damping, which controls what the shock does After hitting a bump.

It does not directly affect the compression, which is what occurs When you hit a bump.

Kevin

 

[gerald martin]

shocks

"Kevin, I have a few questions. I've always had a bike with stock shocks and always thought the ride was OK. Now that I'm a lot older it seems the TG has a pretty rough ride sometimes. I'm looking for something that will smooth out the harsh jolts, will these shocks do that? I read that you can pre adjust them for my application, but what if I need/want to change the setting for some reason(doubtful but)? Do I have to remove the wheels to do so and what else is involved?

Will these work with the lift kit? Do I have to remove all the air suspension components?

Like I said, I've always kept my bikes stock so I'm unsure about making modifications.

Is that price for a set or each?

What's the difference between the two? There is a large difference in prices.



Thanks"



***********

Yes, these shocks will take all the harsh jolts and "round the edges", making it seem more like a small dip.

The smaller jolts and dips that you feel now will not even be felt with either of these shocks.

The quality of the ride improvement is substantial.

We ask 7 questions, and based on the answers we adjust the shocks for your riding weight and style before we ship them to you. In addition to that, at the bottom of each shock is a small adjuster, that will let you easily fine tune it...softer or stiffer, without having to remove the wheels. Here is a couple of photo of the adjuster on the Bitubo shocks. It can be reached with the Trike sitting on the ground.

If, for some reason, you want to do a major adjustment, then it can be done by removing the wheel and reaching up to the top of the shock (the shock does NOT need to be removed), and turning the pre-load adjustment. See photo below.

This would only need to be done if there was a major change in the weights you give us in the 7 answers. Because of the valving and the extra travel in the shocks, there is a wide range of weight where the shocks will provide optimum ride comfort and stability. For instance, the weight difference between me riding one up and no luggage, and two up with luggage is almost 250 lbs.

I get a great ride out of the shocks, with the same adjustment, whether solo or two up and loaded.

Yes, these work with or without a lift kit.

They work best with the Comfort Lift.

You do NOT need to remove all the air suspension components...simply pull the hose out of each rear shock (and leave it hanging, they do not get in the way of anything) and then remove the two stock shocks and replace with these shocks.

The price is for a pair.

The answer to your question about the differences, also answers the question Trampas asked-

I presumed these are installed up side down so you can crawl under to adjust, am I correct on this?

I will answer that one first.

Both shocks have the major adjustment at the top of the shock, and both have the fine tuning adjustment at the bottom of the shocks.

The Pro-Action are an emulsified shock (single chamber) and can NOT be run upside down.

The Bitubo are dual chambered/internal reservoir design and they CAN be run upside down.

So if one wants to be able to make major adjustments without having to pull the wheels, then the Bitubo shocks are the way to go.

Before I list the other differences, I will say the most important thing we discovered: We ran both shocks on multiple bikes, with multiple people test riding them.

The ride quality is indistinguishable between the two.

We did blind tests, and it was impossible to say that one rode better than the other.

They both are immensely better than stock.

Differences:

Pro-Action are Made in The USA

Bitubo are made in Italy

Pro-Action have a Limited Lifetime Warranty

Bitubo have a 2 Year Warranty

Pro-Action has an option (no extra cost) for a stronger spring if you are going to be running OVER the 540 lbs rider/passenger/luggage weight limit that HD recommends on the Tri-Glide.

Bitubo does NOT have a stronger spring for going over 540 lbs combined weight

There is a significant price difference, most of that is USA made vs. Italy made.

There are significant differences in the technology of the shocks...the important thing is that they both provide an equally great ride.

The Pro-Action is an emulsified shock, and the Bitubo is an internal reservoir shock. An internal reservoir shock is traditionally viewed as a superior design in shocks, providing a better ride. However, Pro-Action has a unique valving system that gives their emulsified shocks just as good compression and rebound dampening as the Bitubo internal reservoir shock.

We tested a LOT OF SHOCKS, and these two stood head & shoulders above the rest. The only other ones that are even close are well over $1000.

You may ask, why don't we carry just the Bitubo since the ride quality is the same and it is less expensive. Simple answer, many folks will pay more for something Made in The USA, and/or that has a Lifetime Warranty.

Kevin

Kevin

What shocks do you use on your trike. are the ones in the above pictures pro- action or bitubo

 

[DK Custom Products]

Kevin
What shocks do you use on your trike. are the ones in the above pictures pro- action or bitubo

I'm running Bitubo's on mine currently. That is what is pictured above also.

I have run the Pro-Action also, and they are just as good. The two are indistinguishable in the ride they deliver.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

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