Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Accessories Hagon shock saga

I ordered a set of 2810 Hagon shocks from one of our Triumph specific vendors to replace my Progressive 412s...looking to take that sharp edge off the smaller bumps in the road that the 412s are famous for. Got the shocks really quickly, drop shipped from the Hagon folks in CA. Put 'em on, and the bushings seemed too large but I wrenched anyway.


(this is a different shock but the same result of an over-large bushing)

By the time I got close to torque the bushing was way outside the washer, just like the photo above. So I write Hagon and the Vendor, separate emails at the same sending.

Hagon says, "I am sorry about the bushes being the wrong size. The vendor requested 14x24 bushes for you, so that's what we gave you.
I can send you out some 14 x 20 bushes. That is what we typically send out to customers with Bonneville." And, they send me replacements free of charge. Good customer service.

The vendor reply, " The "squish" as you describe is correct! The bushing should mushroom out on both sides of the steel rings on each end of the shocks. It's not critical to get a 50/50 division of the bushing peeking out on each side as the shock body will "float" back and forth and eventually find it's own "sweet-spot."

Okay, I'm not the world's leading expert but the bushing covering the washer up to the bolt head at torque can't be right. And, the manufacturer recommends a shorter bushing...what's up?

Part 2: Once I get the sag set properly I realize I'm at the top of the spring adjustment with nowhere to go. I write the vendor to tell him that I feel the shocks are undersprung for my 220 lbs. I actually made an extra note at purchase that it was an 04 America with a 220 lb. rider. No response.

Email exchanges with Hagon tell me that the vendor ordered shocks with springs for 75~100 kg. rider. 100kg is 220 1/2 lbs. Hagon recommends the next spring rate up for me. So, $25 shipping later I now have Hagons with the recommended springs for my weight with their recommended bushings. Kudos to Billy and Christina at Hagon for staying with me and setting things right.

Why would a vendor knowingly bypass the manufacturer's recommendations if the client had sent the info at purchase? It's beyond me, but now I'm out days of riding time along with $25 for no apparent reason.

BTW: I did really enjoy my first ride on the under-sprung shocks as the damping control is a very nice feature. I can't wait to get the proper set up back on the bike so I can really dial these puppies in. And, Hagon has my business for life...they were responsive and solved the situation without drama or extra fees.

So, whats the best way for me to order the Hagons for my 2011 Speedy? Can I buy directly from Hagon?

Don't know who Ed dealt with but Mike at Bella Corse sold the Shocks to me for Wendy's bike. He spent the time with me on the phone to determine the load on the bike and and ordered them for me. Had them in no time and couple years later still good.

Both Stacka and myself had similar problems with the vendor here in Australia (supplying springs way too soft). I suspect Hagon has (or did have) the wrong weight info for the America (vs the Bonneville) that they supplied to their vendors.

I sounds like Hagon is a good company. Glad you got it sorted out with the manufacturer!! I'm looking at Hagons for my bike so this is good to know.

I got my Hagon Nitros from this place in CT: Dave Quinn Motorcycles They did ask about my weight, riding style (1 or 2-up), etc. It sounds like there were some issues before, as I was well warned by several people (including Stacka) to be sure I got the proper springs.

In the end run, I am happy with the shocks and have had no problem with them. I haven't had the need to change any of their settings either, although I try playing around with them.

I only offered this post as a cautionary tale, not to slam the vendor but to point out that we have to be very specific about our needs for these bikes. The stock 20 kg springs are only good up to 220lbs...so 30kg are in order for heavier riders like me.

This bushing looks correct to me now:



and I can already tell, pre-ride, that the springs are correct as well as the sag is perfect at the lower setting. All's well that ends well

I weigh in at a svelte 235 lbs (trying to get it down to 200 if I'm ever lucky). When I got my Hagon Nitros, the people at Dave Quinn's said they (Hagon) were now recommending 26 kg/146lb springs for average loading on the TBA's.

Yeah it looks like they finally corrected their spring weight recommendations. I weigh 194 lbs (naked) and I am on the 26kg spring set to 9 revolutions of preload (about half way). I wind it down about another 5 revolutions when I have a passenger (3/4 of preload). If you weigh much more you would want to go to the 30 kg spring.

I forgot to say that the above settings are with measured preload of about 30%

shocking

The Truth be told. This problem started in about 2007 when everyone was buying "progressives" but being a big believer in "you only get what you pay for", I decided the Hagon Nitros appeared a better option.

At the time though I didn't know of anyone who had bought the Nitros so I realised I was going out on a limb somewhat if I didn't do my research.

I then talked to the Aussie rep who just happened to be an ex-pom looking for a better life but the big thing was, he had actually worked for Hagon having grown up with old man Hagon's boys and had raced bikes together, meaning he knew the family very well. So I was pretty satisfied after a number of phone calls and emails this bloke was trustworthy enough to give these shocks a go. Well they are if you've got correctly rated springs that is.

Anyway at the time, Hagon's specs manual at the time was recommending 20kg rated springs for my 90kg weight and not 26kg as I've got now.

Well, six months of riding later I became convinced something was amiss when on a big ride around country NSW, one back country pothole felt like it nearly dislodged my prosthetic lumbar disc. I'm not kidding.

So I get back to Canberra and get onto the rep again and tell him I'm not happy. He of course said thev specs sheet or whatever they use was saying he had sent me the correctly rated springs.

Anyway, to his credit he offered to exchange the 20's with a set of 23kg springs and he paid for all the freight. Fair enough. Again, no good cos over a period of riding as with the other springs, I had gradually wound down the pre-load collar to where there was no adjustment left.

Again, he agrees to exchang but this time the 23's for 26's. Now where talking. I mean they say you don't know what you don't know but it was at this point in time the Nitros gave me the ride I was hoping for.

Well, since that time back in 06 I had a number of people here in Aus, the U.S. and G.B confirming with me what rating my springs were cos their hagon rep was suggesting 20kg for a 90kg rider and they knew I had 26's after reading of all the dramas.

So I remember saying to myself at the time, "I told the Aussie rep to get onto Hagon cos their tech manual needed amending. Don't tell me they haven't done it"?

Then I hear from a Canadian member who's user name escapes me but his Christina name is Don (haven't heard of him for a while actually. Well he tells me the U.S. rep had spun him a yarn saying he had always sent the 20 kg springs for 90 kg riders and hadn't had one complaint. I found it hard to believe actually.

So I'm thinking, you're either a bullsh#t artist or every U.S. rider who haw bought these shocks havn't a clue. After hearing of this last episode which I thought had been put to bed years ago, the latter appears more logical.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, after getting enough evidence from riders around various parts of the globe, with all mentioning the same sad tale, I and a couple of other members emailed Hagon directly with the said info, mentioning to them amongst other things,

Quote:

---

You're reps are supplying incorrectly rated springs for riders of speedmaster and americas.

---

Then not so long afterwared the Aussie rep contacts me to say he received an update from Hagon saying the specs he had been using were incorrect and to use the new specs. Derrr

One other thing that sticks in my mind though was getting an email (from Don I believe) with a copy of what the U.S. rep had said at the time. Namely, the bit about not having any complaints etc.

I also remember emailing the U.S. rep myself and no word of a lie, the bloke replies back with words to the effect that said:

"This isn't an exact science you know. There are a lot of factors that come into it and many times one rider may find the shocks feel great, whilst another doesn't"

Yeah right I'm thinking. I wish that back jolt I received was a subjective with it feeling like it had been hit by a sledge hammer up my spine.

One other thing you may find interesting, I remember back when I bought my Hagons and the amount of people predominantly from the States who said Hagon's were rubbish and most had returned theirs for progressives. No wonder if the reps were using the wrong springs.

I should add amongst all this, the U.S. rep like every other was only using the info Hagon had given them but if for some reason he's still using the wrong specs, it beggars belief something hasn't twigged all is not right

It does make me wonder though whether those people who were complaining about the Hagons had simply been issued the wrong springs or rated shocks for their weight and a U.S. rep back then re-assuring them they were right.

Actually, maybe the whole thing in it's simplicity may well be a typo in the specs manual, but the ripple effect wasn't that simple.

This makes me feel a bit better about the whole business. Now I suspect the vendor was ordering off an older spring rate listing by Hagon and not just pursuing a whim. The bushing bit is a different story but was easily solved with a knife...

Hi again Edward, I'm really glad you feel better about your experience cos the fact of the matter is, the shocks themselves are an excellent product. Of course they are only as good as the Pre-load settings cos dialed incorrectly, they have the potential to be a worse ride than the oem's.

Btw, because my last post was so long, I deliberately left out the fact that I too was given the incorrect bushes when I first received my nitros. Maybe the original specs manual had been the culprit after all I don't know. It certainly wouldn't surprise me, but I am fascinated how such a simple mistake can have such a dramatic impact.

Btw, if you really want to improve your overall riding comfort Ed, I'd strongly suggest you look at the intiminators for your front forks.

Stacka

Yah, I was thinking that the fronts will be lacking once I get the rears dialed in...and I was intrigued with the Works concept of different rate springs for small and large bumps...seems so sensible.

I'm giving the vendor a pass on the whole mess because I believe now the mistake was built in by faulty info from the maker. They may have updated their internal specs but they need to broadcast that in a major way to their vendors...it's very hard to stay current when you're scambling for business and the manufacturers need to stay on top of the game.

That said, the 24mm bushes were so completely wrong it's hard to understand how anyone who had handled the product once wouldn't know that.

some story about hagons here
hagon nitro

That's a great thread!
You guys do the actual testing, give them the results,
and they still don't listen??????????????
You can lead a horse to the trough,
Uncle Charlie

Still here Stacka....just lurking a bit now. Don

Hey Don, I was wondering where you went and even thought you may have left for some reason. Mind you, maybe Ive just not realized you've posted at times too. Anyway, having read the thread from before which would've been a lot easier to post instead of working from memory, I wasn't too far off the mark. I can understand blokes being scared away from the Hagon's though given their admin side needs a severe overhaul. Shame considering how good the nitros are though.

Cheers Don.

I'm still very pleased with my decision to go with the Progressive 440's. Can ride all day and never give a thought to the bumps along the way. That wasn't the way it was with the stock shocks and even the Progressive 412's I first tried. Very happy with the 440's! Nice hearing from you Stacka.

The first set of after market shocks I bought were the Hagons bottom of their line shocks,black springs. Rode very good and out performed the stock ones big time. They were pretty shot at about 25,000 miles. Then I put some lower end Progressive shocks on it. They ride good and are better than the wore out Hagons. When the Progressive ones wear out I am going to try the Hagon Nitros,I was more impressed with the Hagon shocks that I had ordered from Dave Quinn.