[mikeadamczak]

Hello, I have a 2005 Wide Glide and was thinking about trying some Rigid Struts I saw on eBay for $30.00. They replace your shocks and lower the bike 4". Just wondering how they are and how is the ride. Is this bad for the bike making it into a rigid? I know it would look good, just would like to hear from someone who had tried em. Maybe any ideas to lower the bike for the haters of the rigid route.

 

[midcitysaint]

Depends on you, your seat, etc. Struts are prett rough though as they have 0% give. Some people have said even rigid frames have some amount of flex whereas struts do not. I will say that without a good seat or sprung seat a pothole can make you sorry you were born for a few minutes.

 

[strokerjlk]

if your bolting a wheelie bar to the struts and gonna drag race,go for it.
on the street??? why would you want to screw up a perfectly good scooter?

 

[wydeglyde]

Yeah, Your bike will ride and handle like shite, and your back will remind you for weeks how stoopid that idea is. Great if you want to park it and look at it, but if you want to ride, fuhgettaboutit.

 

[EasyWider]

Hello, I have a 2005 Wide Glide and was thinking about trying some Rigid Struts I saw on eBay for $30.00. They replace your shocks and lower the bike 4". Just wondering how they are and how is the ride. Is this bad for the bike making it into a rigid? I know it would look good, just would like to hear from someone who had tried em. Maybe any ideas to lower the bike for the haters of the rigid route.

Lower a WG 4" ??? thats a bunch, concidering I put 11 1/2" progressive 812 series shocks on mine. Stock shocks were 12 1/2". I still scrape the oil pan skid plate often. It's not a real comfy ride, but atleast I have some suspension for those pot holes. Not to mention by lowering an inch, I scrape the hell outa my pipes, and have even got the primary cover and left passenger foot peg bracket a few times as well.

P.S. if $30 is all you can afford to do a suspension mod, then go buy some beer. Your money will be better spent.

 

[mikeadamczak]

Thanks for the input

Okay, Okay...I'm sold...I'm not going to mess up my ride...But I am going to buy some beer. Thanks guys. :woohoo:

 

[frisco-rigid]

Man----

You give-in waay tooo easy........

You'll never know until you try it,, alota opinions there but I didn't hear anybody say they've ridden "rigid" for a few decades..

I have Never owned a Store-Bought or built a swingin-arm sickle,, only rigids for the last 35 years and have waaay well over 350,000 miles in the seat..

And you M'Man will never know till you experiment with a measly 30.00 dollar bill..

If you don't like 4" lower,, fab on a couple inches and try that..
Run a padded seat Not a spring seat and ride with good posture with a wee tension on your legs..
It'll be like riding a Stud instead of a Barka Lounger.. Heck, every time I gotta ride a swingin-arm for 5 minutes I gain 5 lbs of fat..
Ooooh jeeeze,, did I say that out loud..????

You're in for a treat Buck-a-roo..

 

[wydeglyde]

I'm not against rigids.

but if you drop the rear even a couple of inches without taking out an equal amount out of the forks (or add some rake), that bike will handle like a piece of crap.

Plain and simple

 

[filterless]

i don't think the struts would be a good idea on your bike. if the
swingarm was mounted to the frame maybe, but since it's mounted
to the tranny case which is connected to the engine case all the
jolts and hits from the road would transfer right thru those cases.

gotta be hard on motor mounts which can be a problem anyway. at
least a sprung swingarm has give. don't think the stock bike/framework
is designed for rigid struts.

04

 

[wydeglyde]

Good point filterless,

and all the shock would go straight to the swing arm bushings which would wear out prematurely

 

[filterless]

gotta say i totally agree with mike tho, a low wg would look badass, would
love to do that to mine but i know it would pound the chit out of me and
the bike.

i put 12" chrome covered progressives on mine, that'll do. your bike has more
drop when you're riding it, more so with a passenger behind you. you just
don't see it on the side stand in your garage.

04

 

[RydinFool]

Go for It!!!

If you have it in your mind to go rigid and can do it for thirty bucks, do and get it out of your system. It will be a cheap education. I think Wisconsin roads are like New York, some pot holes and ice heaves, ride a rigid over those about an hour and you'll know why they invented shocks.

I don't want to sound like a wise guy, cause I'm not. I bought a rigid chopper and it beat the crap out of me. I had to do it. I wanted a long bike since I was a kid. I still want one. But, it will have a softail frame. lol I've seen some guys put seats with springs and that may make a difference. One of my buds has a rigid and he loves it, but he has a seat with springs.

 

[06BlackWG]

Are you sure it says 4" because I'm thinking you'd be on the ground if the fender didn't hit the tire first.

 

[MouseGB]

Hmm, I agree the swingarm bushes would take a hammering they were never designed for, not to mention your spine. The beer is a much better idea

 

[sgmfisher]

Struts

You might live through the pot holes and learn to dodge them. Get out on the interstate and ride the expansion joints for 8 hours a day for 2 or 3 days, or even 1 day, and then tell me about struts. In the wind.

Pops

 

[claydbal]

your belt will grind the inner primary and cost you a ton when it breaks.
rigid ride sucks for handling, its not the bumpy, its the poor handling that kills ya.