shocks on a ol softail

[michael133]

  i lowered my ol softail.about 1 1/2 in. well when i hit a bumb its like no shocks at all,hard bumb..new shocks ,i dont think will help cause it being lowered so much..? so im thinking bout a seat with springs,do yall think that will help,or just beating my head against a wall..i know its all due to lowering.its like my ol hard tail..am i just not going to get any more comfort due to lowering......86 fxstc.

[Hossamania]

A seat with a spring, or springs, will help, but it will also raise you up on the bike, maybe a little, maybe a lot depending on the set up. Also, the type of seat will determine comfort. A thin good looking seat will not be as comfortable as a thick, less stylish one.
Chasing comfort and style (and performance as far as ground clearance is concerned) can be a compromise.

[michael133]

you got that rite.

[SixShooter14]

I had this exact problem on my lowered '92 Softail.... It too was lowered about 1-3/4" and bottomed out on anything bigger than a pea-gravel. Mine came with a thin low-profile Corbin seat, it was sleek and low and hard as stone. I grabbed a Mustang wide solo and it made a ton of difference. More/softer cushion and more contact area with my backside. But still jarring when the bike bottomed out. Which it did often, SO........


I upgraded to a Road King   

[screem]

when i first lowered my softail, it to was to harsh, so i put a 1/4" or so back into the ride height, and made a world of difference.. i also switched to a wider and more padded seat. i had been running a LaPera barebones seat..

[Ironheadmike]

Did you adjust the preload ?

[Burnout]

Just a Note RE softail lowering.

EVO softail frames have compromised geometry in that the real axle is above the swing arm pivot.
Forward thrust pushes the axle over the swing arm pivot instead of pushing under and planting the rear tire.
The motor pulling on the belt tries to pull the tire over the pivot instead of planting the tire.
Lowering the bike makes this worse!

I hope they fixed this with the new mono-shock softie.