I've had the new bike a close to a month and have fomulated a plan to remedy the deficiencies I noticed and adapt it to my riding style and tastes.

I bought a HD low sissy bar and pad with the bike so the boss would have a comfortable place to lean when riding and have ordered a Memphis Shade El Paso windshied with detachable hardware for the upcoming cool weather.

This bike has a truly crappy rear suspension. I bottom out riding single and doubled up it is impossible not to bottom out on even moderate bumps. I'll be replacing the stock shocks with heavy duty progressve 412s. I'm thinking of going an inch longer than stock to recapture that inch HD says they lowered the rear onthe XL50. What do you think?

I'm going to go with some type of slip-on muffler to get a little louder and deeper sound. I don't want LOUD so I'm kinda torn between Screaming Eagle and Cycle Shack. Any suggestions here would be appreciated.

I'm leaning toward the Hurricane air cleaner because I like the stock ham can shape and 1200 on the side. I'm thinking I want to change out the sprocket to lower the rpms at 70, but I won't make the final decision until the muffler and air cleaner are replaced so I can evaluate its performance. I'm hoping I can get by without an ECM remap.

Lastly, I'm going to chrome up a lot of bits and pieces, but I'm going to wait until the functional things are where I like them.

Does this sound like the way to go?

If it makes you happy and you enjoy your bike more, then yes it is the way to go.

Good plan don't forget the front forks.

Sounds like a good direction to go with

Good plan don't forget the front forks.

....uuhh what about the forks?

....uuhh what about the forks?

You're being informed you might as well plan on replacing the fork springs as well for you'll discover after you do the rear suspension the front is just as bad... HD's don't have 'truly crappy rear suspension', they have truly crappy suspension... part of their 'character'... :rolleyes:

You're being informed you might as well plan on replacing the fork springs as well for you'll discover after you do the rear suspension the front is just as bad... HD's don't have 'truly crappy rear suspension', they have truly crappy suspension... part of their 'character'... :rolleyes:

I agree. I didn't notice the front until I improved the rear.

I don't see how you would notice the rear bottoming out and not the front? My stock rear has never bottomed out with just me on it. Are you really heavy? The front however, bottom all the time, I even have heavy weight shock oil.

I think you can adjust the rear shocks on the bottom with a special wrench to different settings. From factory its set to the softest setting.:tour

A good plan is the plan you make. I haven't changed the suspension yet. It's the worst I've ever had in over 50 years on HD's. The dive in the front forks on braking is terrible and the rear shocks are butt busters. I only weigh 158 lbs and they bottom out for me. I will probably make the changes this winter.

This bike has a truly crappy rear suspension. I bottom out riding single and doubled up it is impossible not to bottom out on even moderate bumps. I'll be replacing the stock shocks with heavy duty progressve 412s. I'm thinking of going an inch longer than stock to recapture that inch HD says they lowered the rear onthe XL50. What do you think?

Definately change the shocks. Stock sucks period. Talk to Trak-Tek (cleger) to get his recommendation for your specific situation. And as said consider Progressive fork springs too.

I'm going to go with some type of slip-on muffler to get a little louder and deeper sound. I don't want LOUD so I'm kinda torn between Screaming Eagle and Cycle Shack. Any suggestions here would be appreciated.

I put my SEII's from '05 883 onto my new '07 1200. Noticably different sound between the two bikes. Not bad either way but certainly different in tone and pitch. And they are louder on the '07. No two ways about it. Not obnoxious and still well within reason but louder.

I'm leaning toward the Hurricane air cleaner because I like the stock ham can shape and 1200 on the side. I'm thinking I want to change out the sprocket to lower the rpms at 70, but I won't make the final decision until the muffler and air cleaner are replaced so I can evaluate its performance. I'm hoping I can get by without an ECM remap.

The NRHS Hurricane Flow a/c kicks ass. Ran one on my '05 and will be getting one for the '07 (one of the few parts I didn't get back). I'm a ham can guy too and there is simply nothing better for that set-up. You'll need the breather re-router too but Dan will hook you up. Decide now if you want the std center or the offset. It will stick out about a 1/4" more or so.

IMO, based on my own very limited first hand experience so far and talking to the dyno tech and head mechanic today, forget doing it without an SE Race Tuner (or aftermarket tunable ICM). With just the change in slip-ons my bike has subtle pops on deceleration. Lean. They come lean from the MoCo, just like the carbs did. Start letting them breathe better and they get real lean, real quick. The two techs both said the '07's are very picky and based on my bike I believe them. They will not install a new high flow a/c without a Race Tuner.

Dan may have a different take on this based on his '07 but that is what I've found. I will be getting the Race Tuner. Then when I get the HF a/c I'll have it dyno tuned.

Gearing is a matter of personal preference and riding style.

I don't see how you would notice the rear bottoming out and not the front? My stock rear has never bottomed out with just me on it. Are you really heavy? The front however, bottom all the time, I even have heavy weight shock oil.


I don't think I've bottomed out the front, but the back does it a lot. I'm not particularly heavy, a tad over 200 lbs and the wife weighs about 110 lbs. I changed the preload on the shocks and it helped over the smaller stuff like the washboard you get just before a stop sign on asphalt. It didn't help at all on the bigger "dips".

You're being informed you might as well plan on replacing the fork springs as well for you'll discover after you do the rear suspension the front is just as bad... HD's don't have 'truly crappy rear suspension', they have truly crappy suspension... part of their 'character'... :rolleyes:

Well okay, I can see that. How do you go about choosing fork springs?

Speaking of suspension.....I was looking at the specs for the 2007s and they all have the same tires and wheels, but different wheel bases. Do the different models all have different frames? How does changing the length of the shock change the geometry between the frame and wheels unless the swing arm is different? I am having trouble seeing how that works.

The NRHS Hurricane Flow a/c kicks ass. Ran one on my '05 and will be getting one for the '07 (one of the few parts I didn't get back). I'm a ham can guy too and there is simply nothing better for that set-up. You'll need the breather re-router too but Dan will hook you up. Decide now if you want the std center or the offset. It will stick out about a 1/4" more or so.

IMO, based on my own very limited first hand experience so far and talking to the dyno tech and head mechanic today, forget doing it without an SE Race Tuner (or aftermarket tunable ICM). With just the change in slip-ons my bike has subtle pops on deceleration. Lean. They come lean from the MoCo, just like the carbs did. Start letting them breathe better and they get real lean, real quick. The two techs both said the '07's are very picky and based on my bike I believe them. They will not install a new high flow a/c without a Race Tuner.

Dan may have a different take on this based on his '07 but that is what I've found. I will be getting the Race Tuner. Then when I get the HF a/c I'll have it dyno tuned.



I'm not famaliar with the people at NRHS, but I thought one of them said he didn't think the 07s needed a remap after installing the hurricane air cleaner based on fuel/air flow results.

Speaking of suspension.....I was looking at the specs for the 2007s and they all have the same tires and wheels, but different wheel bases. Do the different models all have different frames? How does changing the length of the shock change the geometry between the frame and wheels unless the swing arm is different? I am having trouble seeing how that works.

They don't all have different wheel bases but they do vary.

Wheel base is measured from center axle to center axle. The Customs and I think Lows have a different rake than the R's. Not sure on the XL50. In other words the forks kick our a bit further from the frame so the front wheel is out there a tad farther and this results in a longer wheel base. All the same frame and swing arm.

Changing the height of the rear suspension without changing the height of the front suspension to match (level it) changes the bike's rake and trail. In simplest terms raising the rear suspension will result in quicker turning and lowering the rear will result in slower turning. Though a lot of folks will say that an inch difference isn't much and certainly not dangerous.

As for the re-mapping with the Stage 1, like I said, I can only tell you what I have seen first hand on my 2007. My bike needs to be remapped.

They don't all have different wheel bases but they do vary.

Wheel base is measured from center axle to center axle. The Customs and I think Lows have a different rake than the R's. Not sure on the XL50. In other words the forks kick our a bit further from the frame so the front wheel is out there a tad farther and this results in a longer wheel base. All the same frame and swing arm.

Changing the height of the rear suspension without changing the height of the front suspension to match (level it) changes the bike's rake and trail. In simplest terms raising the rear suspension will result in quicker turning and lowering the rear will result in slower turning. Though a lot of folks will say that an inch difference isn't much and certainly not dangerous.

As for the re-mapping with the Stage 1, like I said, I can only tell you what I have seen first hand on my 2007. My bike needs to be remapped.

I'm gonna try an inch longer than I have now, at the angle they are attached it will only make 1/3" or so differencein seat height.

I think I'll need the remap too, but I guess the only way to really tell is to change the air cleaner and see what happens.

Well okay, I can see that. How do you go about choosing fork springs?

Put Progressive 11-1157 standard height fork springs up front with Bel-Ray 15w fork oil...

I adjusted the 5 position pretensioners from the factory setting (lowest) to 3. This solved the bottoming problem (I weight 230) but the ride deteriorated. Went to position 2 and it works perfect. Have never bottomed fronts.

Also, the highway trackability improved when I stiffened the rears.

Put Progressive 11-1157 standard height fork springs up front with Bel-Ray 15w fork oil...


Where did you get that part number, on progressive's web site I found 11-1527 for 2007 1200R.