Harley has a service bulletin out for the 2015 FLTRXS concerning detachables.
It seems that on certain 2015 Touring models, when trying to attach certain detachable accessories they hit the right side shock absorber. I know when I took delivery of my RG Special Friday night, I couldn't get the standard height sissy bar attached, because it was hitting the shock. The salesman thought it was a bad part and he went and got another bar out of stock and that one hit too. So today he showed me service bulletin M-1386A dated Nov 12 2014.
In short, what it says is to flip the right side shock, to provide room to install any detachable sissy bar or solo tour-pak mounting rack
Thats just wrong ! Someone on this site had a bike where that shock had been switched already. He thought it was a Friday bike.
The moco got to come up with a better fix , than just turning the shock upside down.
Couldn't agree more, especially when you could just grind a little material off what ever part your trying to attach. But then you would need to re-powder coat to prevent rust. Harley claims that there is no ill effect mounting a shock upside down. If that's true how come a shock has a top and a bottom?
Just trying to point something out to owners of a 2015. I was going nuts trying to get the bar attached last friday night, something that should never have happene
Just to play devil's advocate....explain how flipping the shock upside down would be a problem? I'm thinking that it'll be just fine upside down. All a shock is is a coil spring wrapped around a piston. It works on a compression motion like we all know...so who cares which way it gets mounted? The motion is still the same.
Just my two cents...although...I think the MOCO should have caught this during their R&D and changed things up properly from the get-go so we didn't have to flip that right side shock.
Just to play devil's advocate....explain how flipping the shock upside down would be a problem? I'm thinking that it'll be just fine upside down. All a shock is is a coil spring wrapped around a piston. It works on a compression motion like we all know...so who cares which way it gets mounted?
If it has internal valving and a remote reservoir this would be an issue. Obviously the factory shocks are simple coil overs without internal cartridges or you wouldnt get by with this.
I will have to check this out when I go in this week to hopefully finalize the deal on my RGS. So I am understanding, my detachable back rest wont go on the bike unless they flip the one shock upside down?
mine wouldn't, right side shock flipped, backrest fit fine
I got a copy of the service bulletin, was going to scan and post.
But it seems this is a well known issue.............
My bike was built 24th November, after the service bulletin, and came out of the crate with both shocks 'fat end' up and no problem fitting stuff so this may now be standard.
Something sounds screwy here. Not sayin' there's not a SB.....just sayin' I've got a Special and the shock is properly installed ( right side up ) and the sissy bar fits fine......
From what I gathered from the talk my dealer had with the honcho in Milwaukee, when you turn the right side shock over (piston end to the top) then it is correctly mounted. Not all RGS and SGS were affected. There were bikes on the showroom floor at the dealer that had them both ways (although more of them were "wrong" than "right"). I also took it that unless you need to mount detachables, then leaving the shock "upside down" isn't an issue as far as ride and safety are concerned. It has to be OK safety wise or a recall would have to have been issued and not just a service bulletin.
I would hope to think that after this "boo boo" was discovered that all subsequent bikes off the assembly line had the shock in the correct position if for no other reason than to alleviate the dealers having to take the time to switch every one at some point in time.
I don't have a new one but I'm kinda curious, didn't the MoCo figure this shit out with the 14 streetglide BEFORE they brought back the roadglide. Should've had enough time
LMAO @ Big_gary
Its snowing here now, not much, but enough to salt the roads. So I guess Iam done until we get a rain storm to clean the roads.
I was thinking about my only long ride last Monday. I opened the vent on top, and there was no, nada, shaking, buffeting,or even wind noise behing my KlockWerks shield
Same issue with the Progressive 940 Shocks. I installed them on my 12 FLTRX and I couldn't get the detached;e sissy bar to mount. It was hitting the top of the shock housing. I called Progressive and they said..Yup, that's an issue. You will need to mount your shocks upside down.....
Minus the few issues that are mentioned. after owning and riding both, I believe '15 in its stock set up is obvioisly better than the previous years' stocks setup in several ways . JMO
Id be very upset if I just spent $23k+ and was told to flip my shock upside down. Shame on the moco. They should be developing a new shock and doing a recall right away, and giving these owners a nice gift card for their hassle.
well know I no why the back rest didn't go on... this is a not what I expected buying the "SPECIAL" I would expect better for my money. my dealer told me I was basically stupid I cant wait to get there and raise HELL
Still an issue today. You would think that since it didnt matter back in 2014 they would have went ahead and flipped it over for you. Picked my RGS before it hit the showroom floor fresh off the truck. My dealer told me to just knock it on with a rubber mallet. I should have known better.
Still an issue today. You would think that since it didnt matter back in 2014 they would have went ahead and flipped it over for you. Picked my RGS before it hit the showroom floor fresh off the truck. My dealer told me to just knock it on with a rubber mallet. I should have known better. ]
Harley must be designing bikes so you have to whack them with mallets in order to make accessories fit; the designer must of got a bonus. What else has Harley designed-into their bikes that we will probably never see, and are also poorly designed or of poor quality? Don't know how they can keep asking such a high price for some of these bikes.
I'm pretty sure that if you mount one shock right side up, and the other one upside down, that they do, in fact, cancel each out....thereby giving you a rigid suspension! And, that hammer that was suggested is actually,when called by it's proper name, a Milwaukee Speed Wrench. Hope this clears it all up for everyone. On a more serious note, if these are the premium hand-adjustable shocks we're talking about, aren't both shocks the same as each other? The adjustment is only for spring pre-load so it would seem to be needed on both sides equally no??
Do you have a brand new tour pack rack ? My bud got a SGS 2015 and bought a new rack for it, using his older tour pack. He says it fits fine. He said his older rack had fitment issues On the new bike.
Edit: He does have the Tour pack mounted on the two point docking hardware .
Do you have a brand new tour pack rack ? My bud got a SGS 2015 and bought a new rack for it, using his older tour pack. He says it fits fine. He said his older rack had fitment issues On the new bike.
Its the backrest off of my 09 that I was told will fit the new bike. I am going to be pissed if it wont fit considering I just had it powdercoated to match the bike.
I guess it really does not matter. The backrest does not fit currently with the shaft side up so I will have to switch it and see if it will fit that way.
The shaft should be in the same position as your left shock (with the knob), which I believe is facing down. I had to switch mine, and the backrest fits fine now.
Does anyone have a copy of the Service Bull-etin ?
I got my MC a month ago, charged deal prep. Yet, shock is upside down.
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