Harley-Davidson® Motorcycle Suspension

Suspension is one of those parts on your motorcycle that you might not think much about, probably because it doesn’t require much maintenance. This is unfortunate, as suspension is one of the most important aspects for performance on your motorcycle. Harley-Davidson® has worked hard to develop some of the best suspension systems you’ll find. Read on to learn about how suspension works and why Harley-Davidson®’s suspension is so unique.

If you live in the San Diego, Carlsbad, or Encinitas area, stop by Biggs Harley-Davidson® to take a test ride of a new Harley today!

Performance

Riding a motorcycle without decent suspension is the pits. If it’s too rigid, it feels like you’re sitting on top of a jackhammer every time you find a patch of gravel, and if it’s too loose, you spend the whole ride bobbing up and down like buoy in the ocean. The ideal balance reduces vibration and bumps, but provides enough rigidity to keep the tires on the pavement. The closer a bike gets to this ideal, the better it will perform.

Suspension isn’t just about comfort, but a bike with comfortable suspension will almost always perform better. The reason for this has to do with maintaining traction. Suspension systems that strike the right balance between looseness and tightness are more comfortable, but they also help keep the wheels on the ground. The more time the back wheel spends in contact with the pavement, the better traction it will have. The more time the front wheel spends on the ground, the better steering it will have.

Parts of Suspension

Suspension on a motorcycle generally consists of two different types of system used in conjunction. In the rear, the most common suspension is the coil over system. In this design, the motorcycle has a shock absorber just like a car around which is a metal coil. The shock absorber may be connected to a reservoir to give better performance. Rear suspensions are often adjustable to accommodate riders of different sizes. Tighter suspension is necessary for heavier riders and looser suspension works better for lighter riders.

In the front, a telescoping fork design is very common. In reverse of the coil over, the coil used with a fork suspension sits inside the metal shock absorber tube known as a damper. The damper is filled with a low-viscosity oil, and there’s a plug with a small orifice that controls how much the oil moves around. This helps to reduce vibration but ensure that there is enough suspension travel to handle bumps. Bumpers inside the dampers prevent the suspension from bottoming out.

Harley-Davidson® Innovation: Suspension

Harley-Davidson® has a long history of innovating in the suspension world. Their Softail® bike marked real innovation in this field. It looks like a normal hardtail bike, but features a hidden shock absorber to give better performance. Today’s Harleys® feature rear emulsion shocks, inverted shock designs, and other forward-thinking designs. From the Street Rod®, to the Road King® Special, to the Electra Glide®, Harley® tunes the suspension for the type of riding each bike excels at. A touring bike won’t need the same type of suspension as a muscle bike or super bike, and each Harley® uses the system best suited for its design. Harley may have a reputation for big, powerful engines, but their suspension systems lead the pack. When you’re ready to take a new Harley® for a spin, stop by Biggs Harley-Davidson® in San Marcos, California. We proudly serve the areas of San Diego, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, Poway, Rancho Santa Fe, and San Luis Rey, California. Come see why our customers come back time after time with all their Harley-Davidson® needs.