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JRI Aluminum Body Adjustable Shocks.

11K views 39 replies 13 participants last post by  SIC_26 
#1 · (Edited)
Finally installed... Obvious differences are as seen in the photos all comparisons are with the original steal body vs the new aluminum body JRI shocks. A smaller diameter main shaft with a much larger bottoming cushion, different mount bushings, dampening adjusters, preload collar and aluminum body instead of steal. They were supplied with .050" spacers to allow torsional movement, I found this spacer to not be adequate and had to purchase 10mm washers and drill them out to 1/2" to allow the proper spacing the 10mm washers I found had the same O.D. as the bushing, the luggage rack front C mount inhibits movement in my case. I removed the factory lock washer from the mounting bolt to ensure proper thread depth for the mounting bolts and replaced it with blue lock-tite. I would like to note this torsional movement spoken about in the directions is undetectable, trying to wiggle the shock back and forth once mounted, when and if this occurs I would like to see it... Also on my bike the mounting bosses were properly alighned and checked as per instructions. There are 90 adjustment clicks and after setting preload and a quick road test (30 out from max was preset) I found that the shocks were bottoming out on normal bumps and dips I quickly gave 4 more clicks of compression dampening and road the same road they did not bottom this time. I really would not have noticed this had I not left the zip tie on the shaft from setting the spring preload. Due to rain here in Ohio I will not get a chance to do an extensive road test for a day or two. Initial impression is ok at this point but can not say much more than that till I have had a chance to ride more I'll post a few more photos and update after a much more extensive road test.
 

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#3 ·
Comparison note the shaft is not chrome I was told and I quote "I think the shaft is graphite base (the mix in the metal)" So it is uncertain of the compassion of the shaft. to me it look like it would rust however I would not assume that would actually happen it is unusual as so far as I am concerned. Supposedly this was done to prevent stiction.
 

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#7 ·
I see now how you can't compare new with old settings, my shocks only have 44 clicks on the sweep valve, I think the updates look like an improvement, bigger shaft, better (possibly) bushings, mine didn't come with any spacers or washers so I had to get my own anyway.

looking forward to your long term results.
 
#9 ·
Spent the weekend riding these... After getting them dialed in... I'm fairly pleased. The original steel body JRI's for what ever reason were not anywhere near the chore that these were to get them working properly... However after some frustration which is no fault of the shocks... A zip tie and a couple miles of highway back and forth adding compression dampening till they did not bottom got them damn close in a hurry wish I would have thought of that sooner I can not believe these guru's have not figured out what I have to get these things set up without a lot of guess work. I find the need to bolt the original steel body shocks on again and set them with the same method as I did these before I do a full comparison and review...

The new units are pretty nice riding I will say that.. so much so... bumps hit with the front end with new mono tubes installed (that I was previously pretty happy with) are not felt in the rear.... these are bumps/dips I would normally have avoided.... in short it's just odd feeling the bump in the front end and not the rear.. If you follow what I'm saying... The mono tubes will be gone this winter and thats a fact... There weakness's are shining with these new shocks.
 
#12 ·
Well as I stated I do not have a stock front end. I am running stock ride height Progressive Mono Tubes with 1 C clip.... I was previously "fairly" happy with them... I know I will be switching them out possibly with the Ohlins units or one of the other options available soon.... I have requested a little more time from JRI to evaluate the performance of the shocks now that I have them dialed in darn close.... I am going to copy and paste the e-mail I sent to them requesting time and further evaluation on how the bike now handles when ridden aggressively. Storms here in Ohio have made testing a longer process than it should be... The method I describe in the e-mail to JRI may help others in there setup I know it helped me... I will post more the results of handling after further testing I was apprehensive to ride the bike aggressively until I had them close... I experienced a few unsettling moments on the highway in a sweeper until I had the dampening set as described below.

Marcus, I wanted to update you with some info and results of the new shocks. I struggled a bit with the set up on these unlike with the originals. I ended up using a zip tie and a couple mile stretch of Ohio highway complete with some dips and bridge expansions bumps.... nothing too terrible just normal Ohio roads. Once the pre load was set I road back and forth the section of road at highway speed increasing compression dampening until the shocks were not bottoming out, normal seat of the pants method did not work at all for me, I spent a lot of time riding around and still when I was on the highway the in inertia at speed would cause them to bottom and actually in my opinion was down right dangerous... A couple times I thought I had them close and in a sweeper at speed the bike would wallow and wiggle way to much again that was rather unsettling. I did not encounter this with the other shocks. Since you have been so good to me I am sharing this info with you and others to help. After I had them set by the means of highway testing they came into there own even at slower speeds and I am certain they are close to as good as they can be... It was difficult to tell if I had to much dampening or if they were bottoming out initially... With that said and fighting with stormy weather I need a little more time with them... I would actually like to, if I could be allowed the time to actually reinstall the original shocks and adjust them using this same method I am not sure how much the seepage of oil from the one has effected there performance but there was a magical moment with them that I have been unable to recapture during break in of those shocks that I would like to retest now that I have learned something more so as a method that works in adjusting shocks for a Harley... my past experience was with mono shock sport bikes the Harley is so much different...

The ride with these new shocks has me questioning my opinion of them, the front end with new Progressive mono tubes installed now feels like crap... I won't upgrade this till winter but now realize I have to, however I was previously pretty happy with it... the question that is presented in my mind due to limited testing at this point is this... Are these shocks that good in the rear that now the front end with cheaper components feels that bad or is this something else? Like I said I did not feel this way with the other shocks... I simply need some time to retest the original steel body shocks and these also on some twisty roads so I can evaluate how the bike is going to handle... For me handling is what it is about and the side effect of a good suspension and handling is a decent ride when just cruising around... As I said I need to evaluate the handling of the motorcycle now if I have issues with the performance aspect of the shocks a comfortable ride means nothing to me.

Let me know your thoughts...

Best Regards, Frank
 
#14 ·
Just want to give you all a little update prior to the holiday weekend.... The jury is still out on the shocks there is absolutely no doubt that these are high quality great riding shocks that surpass the original JRI component despite the aluminum body. I have spoke extensively with JRI. I have found there H.D. rep Marcus to be extremely accommodating, helpful and knowledgeable... They want this product to be right and they want us the consumer to be satisfied...There is a huge market out there for these components they know it and are going after it... That's good for us.

We have come to an agreement to be allowed some time to work with this product and at no fault of the shocks try and match it better with the existing front end, Basically I need to take a great riding shock and stiffen it up to match cheap component (Mono Tubes) in the front... that actually seems stupid! The more I think about it the more I feel I may just do the front sooner than later... If I can achieve this for this summer non the less I may leave well enough alone till winter... I am fairly confident that with the broad range of adjustability these shock have I will be able to match them with ANY components I use in the front, after vacation I may feel like addressing the front end soon, that will remain to be seen. This is one of those situations where I feel the climb will be worth the view fortunately I am able to this work myself...

I believe and it is my confident opinion that these shock are that good that you will have to do something premium with the front end and if you do so.... the "Glide" in Road Glide will be much more meaningful... Has any one installed or used the Premium Ride Double Cartridge Fork Kit-45500106 it was suggested to me by JRI that it MAYBE a good choice either this or the Ohlins cartridges would likely be what I would go with...

Stock ride height mono tubes with 400 miles on them for sale! LOL~
 

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#16 ·
The biggest difference is ride quality cruising around, and as I previously stated I needed to do more testing... Problem is after extensive testing... there is a trade off for the great ride that I did not suspect. In high speed sweepers there is under dampening and wiggle... 2 more clicks and the wiggle is somewhat better, however the ride becomes harsh... 1 click on these shocks I was told is equal to 3 on the old style... JRI is working on this and we shall see... The ride quality was fantastic and I was really surprised that high speed loss of control (dampening) occurred, I real was... I will be changing them out next week yet again... You all have a great 4th of July! Cheers

There will be more to tell later!
 
#19 · (Edited)
To me it sounds like you need to slow the rebound alittle more to control the high speed sweepers
Frankie you know I think your exactly 100% correct... Rebound is none adjustable though... the sweep valve I think is mostly compression... After the extensive talking and testing I have had and done with JRI I am pretty sure they are going to have things sorted out very soon... I don't want to blow my own horn but I am pretty sure the combination of Ohio roads and riding style, I do really push the bike a lot harder than most H.D. riders and that is why this issue has surfaced... Took the same sweeper I encountered the problem in today with the original JRI's accelerating at 85... and she felt planted! I did discover that this "test road" has some pavement wave to it, I felt it with the old shocks but it was controlled and not exaggerated as with the others. I am to speak with JRI Monday like I said there on it and real close to getting it right... guys that cruise would love these shock the ride quality as I said is phenomenal. If JRI is selling direct I would further encourage anyone purchasing to go direct...The customer service has been outstanding and intelligent...
 
#20 ·
I thought I would do a little follow up on this old thread. Yesterday I FINALLY received my second pair of JRI's aluminum body shocks as you will previously reed I personally experienced problems with the new design initially. After a lot of testing and set up time we came to an impasse and they were returned. I carried on extensive conversations with Marcus at JRI and agreed to work with him to sort out the problems. In short after some initial testing today I have to say I believe JRI has totally nailed it in every aspect. The new shocks now outperform the original steel body units... Although I experienced oil seepage with the steel body shocks I was very pleased with them... I will do a full write up later but I would suggest and recommend these shocks for those of you that are considering upgrading... I would further recommend calling JRI directly and ordering through Marcus, you'll find his contact info on there website... He's been exceptionally knowledgeable and recognized there was a problem and fixed it, what else can you ask for? After newly coming on board at JRI and being dedicated to producing a top quality product for our bikes I will say he's nailed it in short order... If your a performance orientated rider with realistic expectations from 3"-4" of travel on your bike, looking for easy peasy setup I think you'll be satisfied also... My shocks that were not originally ordered direct had the wrong spring rate in our opinion.
 
#21 ·
I did a little follow up with Marcus at JRi... And I confirmed with him that anyone can order direct and the new JRI B's are now available for $880.00 retail. A fork kit is also in the works from JRi... It's still in the R&D stages and I hope to be testing it before the end of the season...
 
#22 ·
I'm glad you finally got this sorted out, my steel body version doesn't leak but they are due this winter for a refurbish, In your opinion are the new shocks better than what I have? I could refurb and sell and repurchase the new ones over the winter? I think I finally have mine dialed in after doing a spring change this summer.
 
#23 ·
Sound like the the self proclaimed guru of suspensions may have set you up with the wrong spring rate also... That's one of the many reason I suggest riders deal directly with JRI... I have made a previous post on how to tune these shocks that even JRI recognized as spot on... not to mention easy... If anyones interested I'll repost it or you may find it on JRI's website... They are interested in you being 100% satisfied they don't need to inflate there intelligence while discounting yours which is what I encountered with the original point of purchase "guru". SO back to the question. Properly set up I think it would be difficult to tell the difference in the 2 shocks. What is interesting Marcus suggested and also installed the heavier spring on the B's second time around after valving changes and I literally set sag and positioned the sweep valve 30 clicks out and had to only make 1 click of adjustment to use 99% of the stroke in normal riding conditions the compression dampening literally stopped the shock from bottoming 100% I believe I like a firmer ride than most... Also worth noting on the B's 1 click equals 3 on the originals... What I would like to do is install the heavier spring on the steel bodies and see how the performance is, I think that would be the only way to properly answer your question... But there's really no reason too because I'm totally satisfied with the B's.

The average rider shouldn't have a single ounce of apprehension in upgrading there shocks and you don't need a self proclaimed guru to hold your hand and walk you through ANYTHING, all you need is a zip tie a couple washers for alignment and spacing (that may not be necessary)... average intelligence... a mile or two of interstate and you'll have your shocks working quite well within an hour... This shit's not hard nor rocket science... once you set your preload it's as easy as adjusting the volume on your radio.... Don't let anyone tell you any different. I've read countless posts of riders struggling with set up... there is simply no need for that.
 
#24 ·
I did a spring change in the fall, and it made a huge difference! I had 23nm springs and went to the 25nm spring, when I bought the shocks my gf could ride with me but she can no longer ride due to medical issues so I went with the 25's not the 27's. I would say that I am happy with my shocks now much more than in the past, New York roads are pretty piss poor and I don't even think of it anymore.
 
#25 ·
SloGuy , you are a joke , I encourage everyone to read all his post and you will see he has no knowledge or understanding of suspension and like most forums is looking for a place to blame others for his lack of ability , if you want to buy JRi yes buy them direct from my understanding Howard dumped their line , why ? After the company changed hands the new owners started having everything made in China , the original black shocks are American made , secondly Tim and his crew that built the motorcycle division left for these and other reasons , I knew Tim , Chad and the crew , great guys , Now they hire Marcus and please research him as well , he had a racing team and suspension business in Texas , he is not very well respected or liked and doesn't have a good reputation except for SloGuy who apparently loves him , under Marcus most shocks sold wind up getting returned for various quality control issues , Howard had to replace some shocks 3 times to make it right , so now Marcus wants to blame his issues on others , believe what you will but a little research will show you Marcus is not a shock expert and SloGuy has no suspension knowledge , I hate post like this but SloGuy wants to keep taking shots at Howard on a open forum knowing Howard will not respond
 
#26 ·
TJ,

I don't know you, but you are right that Tim and Chad are good guys. In several articles I have written...I usually try to list my mentors as most suspension guys seem to forget that they learned from other people. Tim is mentioned as mentor in at least one article I have written.

I have been in the suspension business for nearly 15 years. Overall I have been in the motorsports business for 27 years as a racer, instructor, vendor, suspsension builder, etc. I have built road racing, drag racing, and street products for over a decade. This includes several thousand customers.

I have found that I will not convince one person of anything on a BBS, but if someone should read this, I would at least like them to know that your characterization of my background is incorrect. I hope it was not intentional, but I also realize this is a hobby for most and slinging mud is a fun way to burn time.

Over the last 15 years I have spent a tremendous amount trying to provide free help and information to make the sport more enjoyable. I am lifelong motorcyclist and passionately love what I do. Again, I didn't start to do this yesterday and was a top National Dealer over a decade ago. I have had 1000's of students attend classes and seminars I have conducted over the last 15 years.

Here are some articles that you may enjoy. I have put out many articles for many years that are free. We will also have our Harley Manual out for free shortly, which all suspension product owners will like as it is a thorough "how to guide" for general Harley Suspension setup.

http://www.rpsraceteam.com/#!how-a-shock-works/c11i7
http://media.wix.com/ugd/2307a0_424ad0e799f649e2af73ad36547f2789.pdf

Lastly, all Harley shocks we now sell (and since I have been here) are made in America...THEY ARE NOT MADE in China. Any other statement to that effect is not true.

I won't comment on anything else, my long experience is that any discussion of the nature of the items listed are not going to be discussed in any civilized manner. I am not offended in most cases of what anyone will say about me or the companies I have owned or worked for. I have learned (and yes for doing this a long time) that you will never win/look good/or even get constructive results from a "BBS Argument". At the same time, a quick Google search of my name "Marcus McBain" will prove almost all the statements made about me to be false and show my lifelong commitment to this sport of ours.

Marcus
 
#27 ·
Marcus , glad you joined the forum. This is a great forum and we don't like pissing matches on here but SlowGuy probably with some encouragement wanted to take it that direction. I'm not going to debate this issue or post on this thread after this , however I stand by my post. The racing world and suspension business is a small circle , I know many people in it . I also know many past and current JRi employees and what you feel your reputation is and what others feel are pretty far apart. Most shock companies do not make their shocks , they design and assemble them and buy the parts from suppliers. So made or assembled in America , just like a Harley is always questionable and up to interpretation . When a customer buys a JRi shock it is assembled and then shipped direct from JRi to the customer rather buying direct or through another source . So when people on this forum and other forums complain of leaking shocks , cosmetic damage done during assembly and the spring not matching the invoice etc. at least now they know who is responsible for these mistakes and who to contact to correct them .
 
#29 ·
SlowGuy this is now absolutely my last post but I will answer your jabs at me . If you came on here praising JRi and Marcus I would have never posted on this thread , but you didn't . It started out that way but as your post continued you started taking shots at Howard knowing he is not a forum sponsor and would not respond. You seemed empowered that you could fire shots without any recourse . I let the early shots go which now you seem to have deleted from this thread for some reason until you started with the suspension guru comments . Enough was enough , you weren't promoting JRi or Marcus you were slamming Howard and thought you were cute doing it. So I responded and that offended you. Well don't dish it out and you won't get it back. In the end I will say I've bought 2 sets of Ohlins , 1 set of JRi and a Ohlins front end from Howard , I find him to be a suspension expert and enjoy our dealings. I spoke to him about your post and lets just say there is your story , his story and the truth probably in the middle , and it is not as simple as you have stated . I raced for many years , held a professional license , know many people in the racing world and suspension people and stand by my previous comments . In the end you like JRi and Marcus , great lets leave it at that . I like Ohlins and Howard , great lets leave it at that . Don't slam others and you won't get it back. THE END
 
#30 · (Edited)
I speak the truth and have no reason to lie.... In fact if I had the energy to reiterate the entire dialog I had with Howard it would sound much worse. I wonder if he also told you abut the e-mail I received from him when I asked him if he had any recommendations on wheel and tire size for the best handling. I kid you not his response was. "Why don't you put a 27' wheel on it so you can be like the rest of the BOZO's out there" and he was even kind enough to attach a photo of Bozo the clown, I couldn't believe it... Then he stated "Didn't you learn anything about the effects of inertia in high school?" To speak to a customer that just spent 1000 buck with you like that is absurd! I promptly called him because I was pissed... He responded he was only joking... Joking or not it was a simple question that deserved a simply answer. it would have took less effort to respond appropriately. Howard also encouraged me to threaten JRI that I would post bad things about them in the forum if I didn't get a refund so I could purchase Ohlins shocks from him, this to me simply sounded pretty shady just as his so called "special discount" is if you post in a forum where you purchased your shocks does. I'm glad you have had a better experience and your pleased. My endorsement and review of JRI is based solely on the quality and performance of the product and the customer service I received... We had some problems and I did not sugar coat anything nor praise during that process and only stated the facts, I could have received a refund if I so desired because of the problems I encountered and elected not to because I could tell that JRI and Marcus were working to get things sorted out by the way I was spoken to, the new shocks were still in the development stage, in working together with Marcus and evaluating things I feel we nailed it and the shocks perform excellent now. Future customers will all benefit from this. I've made a few posts in the forums here only to give back for some of the excellent information I have received from others doing the same. No one benefits if the truth is not spoken.

One last word from me on this subject which may help define our differences as far as riding goes... and no disrespect is intended to you however it may sound that way but your the one bragging about road racing skills. If that's your bike in the photo, there is simply no possible way with ape hangers that you could evaluate a performance suspension the way I have. Performance suspension is about control at lean angles that can not be safely achieved with apes it's just not feasible to counter steer a motorcycle with bars that high. Of course your in Florida where the roads are straight and smooth... Here in Ohio there's plenty of curves not to mention our roads are less than perfect, we have few straight roads like in Florida and the ones we do have like that I tend to avoid them. I've rode Florida many times it's boring as far as technical riding goes and quit frankly a hard tail wouldn't feel all that bad on your roads. But the good news is a pleasant side effect of a great handling properly set up suspension is superior ride quality all around.
 
#31 ·
Let it go SlowGuy , BTW they are not apes , they hit me chest high like Heritage bars would . Here are two pictures for you of my rear tire after returning from North Carolina with my tour pak on and riding 2up with my wife . I run a 2-1 exhaust . Look at the left side of my tire where I have no exhaust , you see no chicken strip , on the ride side I have a 1/2" chicken strip only because I was dragging and wearing a flat spot in my pipe at that point . I simply couldn't lean the bike over any further. So if I'm using up all my rear tire that I possibly can , how much further can I go with shorter handle bars ? Give it up and let it lie.
 

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#32 ·
I have wasted entirely to much time communicating with YOU... I am glad you had such a great experience with M.M. I am sure you were also given a special discount for your endorsement just as he asked me to do... Fuel Moto sells the same product also...

With that said I remain entirely unimpressed with the photos of you tires and you ability to counter steer with ape hangers while dragging your muffler however I bet the sparks look really cool at night. If that floats your boat I'm happy for you! I'd recommend ridding over to Howard's house and showing him.

Good day!
 
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