'01 seems to bottom out

[deadweight]

Test driving an '01 RK the other day and hit a small dip in road, and bike bottomed out. Dealer said the air shock probably needed air.
Would swing arm cause the same bottom out condition?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[dbmg]

Depends..... Would start with checking air in shocks and if flat then check for a air leak. Has bike been lowered??? especially with lowering brackets. Are there lowered shocks on bike? What about air pressure. Why would dealer let a customer ride a bike that during their safety check the dealer did not pick up on shocks.
Questions I would want to know the answers to....::eam

 

[Breeze3at]

Depends..... Would start with checking air in shocks and if flat then check for a air leak. Has bike been lowered??? especially with lowering brackets. Are there lowered shocks on bike? What about air pressure. Why would dealer let a customer ride a bike that during their safety check the dealer did not pick up on shocks.
Questions I would want to know the answers to....::eam

Very good info., especially letting you ride it if shocks had no air.

 

[glider]

It's not surprising to see something like this. Many dealers are just in it for the $$$ and when it comes to going over a bike for sale, they do just the minimum required just to make the sale.

In this case I would consider this particular dealer off limits and find another one to do business with that would at least give you a fair shake.

 

[Rockdude]

When I picked up my '03 Road King from the dealer when I purchased it, same thing, rear felt like it was bottoming out. Air pressure in the shocks was zero. I pumped them up to the recommended pressure by the owner's manual and all was good for a day or so; no air. I tightened up the schrader valve, and it holds air really nice now ... hasn't lost any air in over a year.

 

[deadweight]

Very good info in these threads. I can replace an air shock ($$) wise, but
the swing arm is another story.

Thanks for the replies

DW

 

[glider]

Very good info in these threads. I can replace an air shock ($$) wise, but
the swing arm is another story.

Thanks for the replies

DW

I see no reason to replace the swing arm unless I missed something.

 

[deadweight]

I see no reason to replace the swing arm unless I missed something.

glider, I've looked the bike over, can't see anything to worry me, but
it does bottom out easily. It has been lowered, but not sure
if lowering brackets were used.

 

[glider]

Lowering usually has no bearing on replacing a swing arm unless it has been altered in some way. The bottoming out is usually the result of lowering or bad shocks/low air pressure in the shocks.

The lowering kits could look something like this or any other configuration which would be at the bottom of the shock where it mounts to the swing arm. It may also be a shorter shock too. Does the bike have air shocks?

 

[deadweight]

Yes, it has air shocks.