Hagon Shocks, Shockingly Bad

Discussion in 'Bonneville' started by Cupoftea, May 24, 2020.

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  1. joe mc donald

    Dec 26, 2014
    13,874
    1,000
    slough / burnham
    I have used Hagons all my life and for ever. Never heard of them getting it wrong. I used the same progressive on all my Harley's and found them fantastic. The only bike i don't have them on is my 900 bonnie which i think the oem shocks are good.
    Regards
    Joe.
     
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  2. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
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    NEW FOREST
    Sadly my back disagrees, its been a struggle to move around my workshop these last 2 days and there's no way I'm refitting them. The position of the handlebars (which I am replacing) means my back is slightly leaning forwards and the jolting from the shocks trapped a nerve. Bloody suffering at moment so won't be doing that again.
     
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  3. Zoso

    Zoso Member

    Jul 18, 2017
    56
    18
    Scotland
    Can't help with the shocks but get your doctor to give you a prescription for Gabapentin - I had a trapped nerve in my back (sciatica) at the end of last year - absolute agony. Tried co-codamol, tramadol - nothing would touch it. Got a prescription for Gabapentin and it was gone in 2 weeks. It's a nerve blocker apparently.
     
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  4. joe mc donald

    Dec 26, 2014
    13,874
    1,000
    slough / burnham
    No Cupoftea
    I was not disbelieving you or making aspersions. Are you selling the shocks. If so let me know how much. And what they are set for also need to be the stainless or chrome.
    Regards
    Joe.
     
  5. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
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    NEW FOREST
    My misses takes those, not a pill popper me but had to resort to ibuprofen which is helping, thanks for the info though. Back ache is a horrible thing. My misses has fibro myalgia. She live with pain 24 7.
     
  6. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
    567
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    In my haste to change them I have stuck them on ebay. They are spring rated for under 16 stone. Stainless springs powder coated.
     
  7. tcbandituk

    Subscriber

    Apr 8, 2016
    2,763
    1,000
    Reading
    If the handling is fine but you still have the problem,it could also be the seat.
    The Bonnie seats always seem to have the consistency of a plank, both on bikes I've had and demo rides.
    I ended up with a King/Queen seat on my Bonnie to make it comfortable for any long distance.
     
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  8. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
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    343
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    I have comfort seat on mine, tried the oe seat, didn't last 20 miles. I did like the look of this seat. But mate of mine said it would make your arris sore

    Screenshot_20200526_181810_com.android.chrome.jpg
     
  9. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
    567
    343
    NEW FOREST
    It does look the part, think I'll rather buy one of those and forget the shocks.
     
  10. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
    567
    343
    NEW FOREST
    It does compliment the bike, bet its very comfy.
     
  11. Red26

    Red26 Member

    Apr 24, 2020
    35
    13
    Australia
    Mate you have to adjust the preload untill there is about 10 to 15mm or there abouts of free play at the top of the shock. Get someone to hold the bike at the front and from the rear grab the rear seat bar and pull up strongly untill you feel the shocks top out with a bump. If there is not at least 10mm of loose sag at the top then the shocks will of course catapult you off the seat. Its not the shock its how you have it set up. The further you wind the preload down the taller the shock will be and the less free plat at the top there will be. Take the preload right back to the softest setting and see how much free play there is and then tighten it from there on. The total lack of freeplay at the top is why the standard shocks will catapult you out of the seat at the top of the rebound. Once you have that free play right with the preload adjust then set the rebound dampening at about ten clicks in from zero and take it for a ride. You can then finely adjust things. If you are still getting slight thrown off the seat apply more rebound dampening.
    Dont forget if you change the shocks on the rear you have to adjust the front forks because they work together. If you dont have adjustment on the front forks then get some.

    I fitted YSS piggy back shocks with compression dampening and rebound dampening and a castle nut on a long thread for the pre load adjustment. I still needed to adjust the forks though and now the ride is pure bliss. I thought my bonny handled will after I put the top bolt preload adjusters and new progressive springs in and it did. But with these new shocks it goes around corners frighteningly fast now and is so much more stable and tight in the rear end. I never realised how much the stock shocks wallowed during hard cornering untill I put these YSS shocks on.

    Important note: Shocks will function differently in the cold and the heat because of the oil that is in them especially the fork oil so you will probably have to adjust the shocks and the forks for the seasons.

    STAY SAFE
     
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  12. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
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    Right, spoke to Tony at Hagon last week, advised me to do a few things, so today I swapped them over again and done the things he spoke about and went for a ride.
    Was a bit softer and still sprung me up when going over ripples in the road. So now I will try the roads that are just bad to ride on with the Hagons fitted last time, also I lifted the rubber bush on the rod of the shock to see where it ended up.
    Hit a large dip in the road and it jarred my neck, ouch! carried on and just was not happy with them.
    Once stopped found the rubber bush was at the bottom, so Ive bottomed out a few times.
    The OE shocks are only on the second tension so I cranked them up to the 3rd to see if they are too firm as they are slightly soft but comfy .
    Got indoors and popped a couple of pain killers, only hope the knee doesn't start up again, still limping now but with no pain.
    So its back to Hagon again.
     
  13. Brixton Steve

    Brixton Steve Member

    Sep 21, 2019
    38
    18
    Devon
    Fitted Hagon 2810s to my T120 about 6 months ago. After 4 spine surgeries I wanted better than crap Triumph shocks. Bike handles and is so much better for my back. Very pleased with Hagon. The preload adjuster ,the one with the spanner, goes on top.
     
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  14. Funnyfarm

    Funnyfarm Active Member

    Jan 3, 2020
    104
    33
    Hampshire
    I agree 100%! I've had mine fitted for a few months now the bike handles so much better especially if hitting undulations in the road mid corner the bike stays on its line different story with the OEM Shocks.
     
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  15. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
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    Just got them back from Hagon with an intermediate spring.
    Fitted them but off the road until a brake hose turns up.
     
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  16. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
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    Bike now on the road with new bars, will post results on the shocks tomorrow .
     
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  17. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
    567
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    Results are, still firm but better than the last set of springs. Softened the rebound so a little more comfortable.
    Think I let them will bed in and then say more about them.
     
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  18. Samz

    Samz Elite Member
    Subscriber

    Aug 7, 2016
    127
    743
    York uk
    Do you think Triumph are listening to all the complaints about their poor quality components? They seem to have been selling them for quite some time now.
     
  19. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
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    NEW FOREST
    Um no! It's like most bikes, manufacturers do the bare minimum these days, then offer highly expensive aftermarket items to boost their profits.
     
  20. Cupoftea

    Cupoftea Noble Member

    Dec 16, 2018
    567
    343
    NEW FOREST
    I spoke to Tony again, he suggested backing off the spring, set the damping to 1, try it. Still bumpy on this partitular stretch of road. I then started to add more pre load as I can't go anyway than up.
    5, 6,7, clicks each time trying it.
    Phoned Tony again and told him the results. Which were better with higher preload. He suggested that I tension the spring 1 full turn, back off preload by 1. Reason was that I felt it bottom out on a dip.
    When said i had the ride height and sag correct the first time, he replied with its a reference check, its how you feel on the road.
     
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