Ikon Ride Report

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swooshdave

swooshdave

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Ikon Ride Report


So on Fridays drying the summer they encourage us to only work until noon. That’s all I needed to hop on the Interstate and test ride the shocks.

I didn’t know where I was headed. It was either south or west or a combination of the two.

Ikon Ride Report


It’s only about 75 miles to the coast so that’s where I ended up. Plus it was slightly cooler there. This bike hasn’t been on the Oregon Coast in about 25 years.

Ikon Ride Report


The shocks definitely help although the rear sets help a ton. They put your feet right under your hips. I do need to rotate the kickstarter forward at least one notch.

Ikon Ride Report


Ikon Ride Report


It was some 150 flawless miles or so. I think the next area to address is the seat. The old foam just doesn’t sit right.

Still it was great just to get out for a nice ride, beautiful scenery and a wonderful bike.
 
I was up your way years ago on business; I took an extra day to explore. I went first to the Bonneville power dam and saw one of the locations where a part of the movie "5 Alive" was shot, the fish ladder, which was designed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute's hydraulics research lab in Massachusetts. I left the dam and drove to Seaside, WOW! the Oregon coast is amazing; looks very prehistoric; great turf you live in.

Anyway. I use Ikons on my builds, doesn't hurt that I am one of their dealers. I have been very happy with the 7610 series which have adjustable rebound damping and 13" eye to eye center.

You say that change the Commando's riding stance? (not clear), if so what is the eye to eye dimension of your shocks?

Best
 
RoadScholar said:
You say that change the Commando's riding stance? (not clear), if so what is the eye to eye dimension of your shocks?

Best
Click to expand...

No, the rearsets chance the stance of you on the bike.

As a dealer have ever had someone say the bushing were the wrong size (poor tolerances)?
 
swooshdave said:
No, the rearsets chance the stance of you on the bike.

As a dealer have ever had someone say the bushing were the wrong size (poor tolerances)?
Click to expand...

The bushings have a bore that is intended for 10mm, which, as you already know, is slightly larger than 3/8", .393 vs. .375. There a number of ways to deal with this if you find that the shocks are moving around the 3/8" fasteners.

Best.
 
As the length of the rear shock changes, so does the rake on the steering head, thus the trail. If the rake steepens, the bike usually becomes more difficult to turn in corners. It can be like riding with a dragging front brake.
 
See if you can try an airhawk before buying a seat. It can not only sit you up but it seats you in the right position to be comfortable. A new seat doesn't. I've tried both in the past 12 months.
 
Nice scenery, but what about the shocks? Damping, rebound, stability in corners, rough road response? What spring preload position are you using? Would they accommodate a pillion? How much effort to adjust the springs?
 
maylar said:
Nice scenery, but what about the shocks? Damping, rebound, stability in corners, rough road response? What spring preload position are you using? Would they accommodate a pillion? How much effort to adjust the springs?
Click to expand...

You want information? How quaint!

Welcome to FaceBook.

Oh wait....
 
maylar said:
Nice scenery, but what about the shocks? Damping, rebound, stability in corners, rough road response? What spring preload position are you using? Would they accommodate a pillion? How much effort to adjust the springs?
Click to expand...

Oh, yeah. Too be honest it’s hard to tell. The bumps are much better and the rear end really feels planted. But with what I suspect are original isolastics and a front end that might need addressed it’s not easy to figure the magnitude of the shocks. Plus I don’t have a tuned butt for those types of things.

I’m around 200 lbs with gear on and I put it on the middle preload using the supplied tool. At the lowest setting it seemed too soft.

I don’t have a pillion so I can’t comment on that. I’d assume you’d want to talk to Nils or @RoadScholar about the setup.
 
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