800 Drifter Air Ride

[gdrudd13]

That was my biggest concern. I found a couple people who had this brand and they said it was better than other brands. I also talked to a few that had the same type of system and they didn't think it was bad either. That helped, but I still wasn't completely convinced until I rode it. I'm sure that the higher end shocks that allow you to adjust the rebound as well are better, but I haven't had any issues.

[Troll]

Yes, that answers the question. Sometimes when this kind of thing gets done, damping and control take a back seat to "style"

[gdrudd13]

Ouch!   What if you went with a higher capacity gauge?  I realize you'd lose sensitivity, but if you went to, say, 300 lb, your sensitivity would only be reduced by half, which I would thing would still be OK to check your pressure??  Just a thought.

It's now plan C if my shutoff valve doesn't work or I don't like using it. I don't need it on all the time, just occasionally when I first get ready, or just after I mess with the air ride. And I may end up not needing the gauge at all.

The gauge and stuff is all interesting, but what about the actual function of the new suspension unit?

I'm still really impressed with the system. I think the ride and handling of the bike are far superior than they were stock. You get the nice soft comfortable ride that you would with the stock shock at the lowest preload setting, but you get the nice firm cornering that you would on the highest setting. The back end stays planted and doesn't get squirrely even when you hit a bump when you're leaned over pretty far for a turn. The pressure adjustments are fast too. Although raising the pressure can't be done when riding. You can while stopped when there is only person on it though, to a point at least. This has never been an issue for me though. Especially not once I had the gauge and knew the what pressure I liked. And since I've had other riders I know ask, there isn't any shock noise, or rear suspension noise. It's just as quiet as stock.

That answer your question Troll? Or is there something more specific? If so, just ask and I'll do my best to answer it. I don't mind.

As for the chain, with it being at close to stock height, I didn't need to adjust the chain over the original suspension, but when dropped all the way down, the chain has a lot less slack. There is still some, but if you were going to ride like that it would need to be loosened slightly. I didn't measure, but it is less than the minimum spec.

[Troll]

The gauge and stuff is all interesting, but what about the actual function of the new suspension unit?

[greenbarn]

Ouch!   What if you went with a higher capacity gauge?  I realize you'd lose sensitivity, but if you went to, say, 300 lb, your sensitivity would only be reduced by half, which I would thing would still be OK to check your pressure??  Just a thought.

[gdrudd13]

So, ran into a bit of an issue with the air gauge. I way underestimated the pressure the system would see during normal riding and over pressurized the gauge so it isn't reading anymore. My revised plan is to use a small shutoff valve and plumb it before the gauge so I can still check the pressure, but also isolate the gauge during riding. Not quite as cool, but oh well. Live and learn and adapt, it's all part of the game.

[gdrudd13]

Right now the seat at least is slightly lower than stock, I think 0.5"-1" or so. The chain slack is still within spec though. I checked after your first post.

[Troll]

Once you settle on a ride height, you will have to adjust your chain at that point. Chain adjustment is as much an art as a science.

[gdrudd13]

Oh you don't have to worry about that with me. It looks cool sitting all the way down, but I have no desire to ride it with it like that. Anyone wondering whether I'm going for looking cool or being comfortable doesn't need to look any further than my cupholder lol.

[Troll]

Keep this in mind: changes in suspension height change chain tension. Too low will probably mean the chain is WAY TOO TIGHT!!!!

[gdrudd13]

Okay so now for the important part, how does it ride. Well, I have no problem saying that it rides better than stock. While there is still some fine tuning to get the pressure just right, it manages to be soft enough to soak up the bumps, but still handles great without the rear end getting that mushy feeling. I haven't ridden a bike with a Progressive rear shock, but I'm guessing this is how it rides. That makes sense with it being an air shock. As the shock compresses, the air pressure goes up which in turn stiffens the suspension just like a progressive spring.

If you do like being able to drop it low, the good news is that it not only drops fast, but also raises pretty quick too. It drops like the fancy air ride bikes, but without having an air tank, it does take a few seconds to air up. But that's it, seconds. One thing to be mindful of though, is that with it at the lowest setting, it doesn't lean much when it's on the kickstand. Just something to be mindful of.

I haven't had a chance to get pictures of it raised and lowered yet, but with it at it's lowest setting, there is about 3" or so of clearance under the frame. So it gets low. That isn't why I got it, but it is a cool side effect.

[gdrudd13]

Gauge Mount

Okay, so now we get to the gauge mount. I've already shown/explained how it was made, so now just the install. Using the replacement bolts for the handlebars, bolt the mount, and the spacers to the bar mount. On the back is 1/8" NPT fitting. For this you'll use the push to connect elbow to attach the airline that runs from the T at the shock. Mine is threaded up underneath everything till it can be threaded into the cable/hose holders under the tank by the frame backbone. It then goes all the way to the front and curls around the lower triple tree. Then push it into the fitting and you're good to go.

A note about the gauge. Since the way this system works is to keep the entire line pressurized, as the shock compresses under load, or with bumps in the road, it will cause an increase in the pressure. So as you're riding, it might jump all over the place. For me this is fine. All I'm concerned about is the pressure when no one is on the bike. I want a consistent ride that would come from a consistent initial pressure setting. This doesn't mean you can't fine tune it as you ride, but I'm more concerned about it being consistent.

As another slightly off topic side note, that clock is just one of the auto parts specials. It is surprisingly waterproof, and is pretty nice to have. As an added bonus it's just held on by velcro so if you don't want to know the time you can just take it off.

[gdrudd13]

COMPRESSOR INSTALL

Okay, so the side panel that is part of the toolbox is where I mounted the compressor. Remember I had the california model, so that space was worthless/non existent anyways. No clue why they don't include a mounting bracket, but I probably wouldn't have used it anyways so for me it doesn't matter. Mine is held in with zip ties. There isn't anywhere for it to go, so it was just easy, sturdy, and wouldn't rattle. It also required zero fabrication other than drilling some holes. The compressor is held in with 3 heavy duty zip ties. 2 around the main body, and 1 more around one of the fittings. All the wires are inside split loom to protect them as they go out of the storage area. The hose wasn't routed in the first picture, there was actually a hole drilled through the side to route the it straight to the shock.

The "T" that was added to the parts list is a standard push to connect fitting. They're not very expensive. The guy helping me had leftover fittings and hose from a hotrod he built, and he donated them to my cause. There is a very short section of hose connected to the fitting on the shock (also push to connect) that the "T" is connected to. The two outlets running parallel to each other go to the shock and compressor, and the perpendicular one goes towards the front to the gauge. I also forgot to mention earlier, that the fitting on the shock points towards the front of the bike.

For the wiring, I actually didn't change anything. I found a place that was slightly hidden, and out of the way for the switch mount and we made a bracket to connect it to the frame. All the wires fit under the battery box cover and stay hidden. The bracket is pretty simple, just a piece of scrap light gauge steel bent to fit the frame that was conveniently already painted. For everyone who noticed the switch, and the two "on" positions, here is how it works. One way is temporary on. This works the pressure release. The other side stays in the "on" position when pushed and is what turns on the compressor.

[gdrudd13]

Update from last post: Received an email back from the company, and here's the answers. Got it all worked out, so I'm happy.

1- they sent the wrong adapter which then came with the wrong bolt. It does come with the correct hardware.
2- They said that the shock is supposed to be loose as it gives a better ride with a slight bit of play. I didn't notice any ill effects, so I'm just going to leave it.

All in all though, good customer service, especially considering they responded on a Sunday afternoon.

[gdrudd13]

Okay, first bit of the writeup, and with pictures.

Note: While I did run into some minor fitment issues, I contacted the company I bought the kit from to let them know. I haven't found anyone else that has put air ride on a Vulcan 800, much less a Drifter, so I was expecting to have to make a few modifications.

I'm not going to delve into the shock removal, it has been covered very well in other places, probably better than any write-up I would do. Here is a good thread about shock removal.

http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/index.php?topic=3993.msg47350#msg47350

The only change I would make is that I had to also remove the lower dogbone bolts. because the new shock is slightly larger than the old one and therefore harder to get in.

REAR SHOCK INSTALL:
Okay, here is where I ran into every issue I had. That being said, none were major issues that some drilling and a trip to the hardware store couldn't fix. So first picture show the top shock mount. It is slightly too narrow in relation to the stock shock. To fix this I used washers, making sure to add the same amount to either side to keep the shock centered. The stock hardware is reused for this part of the install. It also seemed like the hole in the bushing was slightly oversized, which would make me think I would hear it on the highway. So far I haven't heard anything, so it might be a non issue.

The lower shock mount is pretty easy, but requires some modification. First, the bolt and bolt hole were the wrong size. They should have been 12mm, but the included ones were 10mm. A drill press and the correct drill bit made short work of that issue. This led to the next issue. The included shock adapter is much thicker than the the stock shock. So the stock bolt cannot be reused. This is where the trip to the hardware store comes in. I ended up buying a new bolt that had the same thread pitch as stock so I could reuse the nut, and then I bought a few washers because the bolt was a standard hex head instead of a flange head. Unfortunately, I didn't write down the length of the new bolt. It is a hardened grade 10.9 bolt, so at least the bolt will survive nuclear war.  I added these to the parts list. To get the shock to bolt up, it required some cycling of the jack to get the bolt holes to line up since the shock was fully retracted (compressed). Then just retorque everything, and that part is done.

[gdrudd13]

Thanks for the offer, but it actually uses the standard handlebar bolts. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

I did find these:
http://www.probolt-usa.com/stainless-steel/stainless-steel-bolts-dome-head/stainless-steel-dome-head-bolt-m10-x-1-25mm-x-35mm.html#.U8crBPldUQg

Also, the air ride is installed, and it is awesome. Pictures will be added as I edit them. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a fitting that I needed in town, so the gauge is installed, but isn't hooked up yet. They're on order from amazon though, and should be here next week.

[greenbarn]

I think most of the SS bolts I bought at our ACE store were around $1.79 each, give or take a few cents.

I have a hundred (100) 6x 1.0 x 25 mm button head allen bolts coming from my bulk supplier, if you feel like waiting.  They're for another project for my son's truck mirrors, but I'll have plenty to spare.   It will probably be a couple weeks though....  But they're a lot cheaper than $20 - for the entire hundred....

[Tecumseh]

Okay, so it's getting close to the install day (Sunday) so I figured I'd get everything together. I got some pictures of the gauge mount with the gauge installed. I think it looks great. Took some pictures real quick with the bolts i'm using in there. Can't decide if I want to keep them silver or paint them black. Silver matches the screw covers in the handlebar mount, but they're not exactly pretty bolts. Also included a picture of the spacers now that they're painted black. Nothing real special about them though. Personally, I think the gauge mount turned out really well. I really like how the gauge trim ring pops with the mount being black. Fits too since most of the front end is blacked out.

Took the bike for a spin, it was running great, so it looks like I didn't screw anything else up getting rid of the evap stuff. it's also nice not to have to take it apart again...

That's lookin' Sweet! gotta' agree with greenbarn though, some SS button-heads would really give your work the finishing touch!

[gdrudd13]

My vote would be to use a couple of SS button-head bolts.  That would be a good look.

That's what I'm thinking. I need to try a few other places to see if I can't find any. If not, I'll probably just pop for the expensive ones I found online. I know they'll look better, and with the total cost of this system another $20 won't be that big of a deal. I may just order them and get it over with...

[greenbarn]

My vote would be to use a couple of SS button-head bolts.  That would be a good look.

My local ACE hardware has a pretty good selection of SS metric bolts. Kind of a shame - it seems like every time I go in there it's $50....

[gdrudd13]

Okay, so it's getting close to the install day (Sunday) so I figured I'd get everything together. I got some pictures of the gauge mount with the gauge installed. I think it looks great. Took some pictures real quick with the bolts i'm using in there. Can't decide if I want to keep them silver or paint them black. Silver matches the screw covers in the handlebar mount, but they're not exactly pretty bolts. Also included a picture of the spacers now that they're painted black. Nothing real special about them though. Personally, I think the gauge mount turned out really well. I really like how the gauge trim ring pops with the mount being black. Fits too since most of the front end is blacked out.

Took the bike for a spin, it was running great, so it looks like I didn't screw anything else up getting rid of the evap stuff. it's also nice not to have to take it apart again...

[gdrudd13]

It's all good. I thought it was supposed to be capped and was wrong. Live and learn. There are bound to be issues when you're doing something where there isn't much information available at all. I'm just glad it's running now lol. It doesn't help that the Haynes manual is kind of worthless when it comes to the carb.

[Troll]

I didn't have any carb hoses to change on my W, so I would have mentioned it if I did, and saved you grief...The only things I needed to mod were on the fuel tank and one vacuum hose to the valve.

[gdrudd13]

Okay, so an update. After a lot of troubleshooting, I found out I need to edit my post about what hoses to cap, or vent. It turns out, that the yellow hose at the carb needs to be left open to vent. This was after much troubleshooting... So not much got done on the bike other than trying to start it, tearing it apart to try to fix it, and then putting it back together when I finally got it to run correctly.

[gdrudd13]

Yup, I can pull into a parking lot, and drop it all the way down if I want. Although it would take a bit longer to air up that what you see on the really fancy bikes because I don't have an air tank for that instant volume. I didn't get the expensive version of the shock, so I can't adjust how firm the ride is for any given ride height. If you want a lower look, you have to make the suspension softer to it sags more with what I got. The good thing is that with an air shock, it acts like a progressive spring so the ride isn't compromised too badly. The cool thing about this shock is that it is actually designed so it can be ridden with all the air out for a really slammed look. Downside it you'll basically have a hardtail which doesn't sound very comfortable. Hopefully that's close to the answer you were looking for though...

As an update, I got all the evap stuff removed so I just need to put it back together and take it for a ride to make sure I didn't screw anything up. I also got the gauge mount and spacers painted. Just waiting on the paint to dry. The actual shock install should be this Sunday. I'll take as many pictures as I can in case someone else wants to tackle this.