"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"
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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
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