E.C.C. and AirTail Compressor Kit For the Airtail Suspension System Setup Instructions

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1 E.C.C. and AirTail Compressor Kit For the Airtail Suspension System Setup Instructions Note: Please read and follow the Installation Instructions first, then read and follow these Setup Instructions completely before riding the motorcycle Caution: The use of lowering kits on Progressive Suspension AirTail shocks is not recommended or necessary. Use of a lowering kit may void the warranty or damage the shock/motorcycle. Progressive Suspension AirTail shocks are designed to work on the OEM (Original Equipment) frame and swingarm. Use of these shocks on a frame or swingarm other than OEM may produce an unsatisfactory ride and void the warranty. Lowering your motorcycle will decrease initial ground clearance. The motorcycle will be lower to the ground and care should be taken, especially over bumps or in turns. Lowering a motorcycle can change the handling characteristics. Always use extreme caution when riding after a change is made and take time to get accustomed to any handling change. How it works Progressive Suspension s Airtail suspension system is like no other motorcycle suspension. Though the dampers used on this system have vastly improved damping, what really makes this system unique is the dual air chamber design. One air chamber, referred to as the Bottoming Control chamber, holds the bike up and keeps it from bottoming out (see figure 1). The other chamber, referred to as the Ride Height Control chamber, pushes the bike down lowering the ride height (see figure 2). To vary the pressure you can use compressed air such as that produced by an aircompressor (not exceeding 150 psi), or a high-pressure low-volume manual pump (such as Progressive Suspension s part number GP3-200). Figure 1 Page 1/5

2 Figure 2 The Electronic Control Center or E.C.C allows for an even easier set up and adjustment of your Airtail suspension system. The convenient location puts endless suspension settings at your fingertips. Using the mode button, the E.C.C. allows you to easily toggle between the two chambers of your Airtail suspension system by selecting the appropriate one. They are marked as Load, which controls the bottoming control chamber, and Height, which controls the ride height chamber. The + symbol refers to adding pressure to the selected chamber where as the - button refers to releasing air from the selected chamber. Note: Always follow the set up procedure before riding the bike. Riding with no air in the system may produce a rough ride and cause damage to the shocks and or motorcycle. Another thing to note is due to the high-pressure, low-volume nature of this system, each time you check the pressure in either one of the chambers (manual fill or E.C.C. systems only) it will appear as though the pressure has dropped. This is due to extra volume of the internal pressure gauge which can show a pressure drop of approximately 5 10 psi each time it is toggled between chambers. By varying the pressure in these chambers you can generate forces that far exceed those generated by a conventional coil type spring. For this reason, it is extremely important that you follow the proper, two-step, set up procedure to achieve the maximum performance from the Airtail suspension system. Page 2/5

3 Step 1: Set the Bottoming Control This is the most important step and needs to be done first. Ideally, with the rear wheel off the ground and both Load and Height chambers empty, take a measurement from the axle straight up to a fixed point on the fender (assuming the fender is mounted on the frame and not the swingarm). Then, with the motorcycle back on the ground, using the E.C.C. pressurize the Load chamber until you get the same measurement less 1¼ to 1½ with rider weight on bike. For example, if your first measurement was 10.0 inches then your ending measurement should be between 8.50 and 8.75 inches. The difference between the two measurements is referred to as sag, and it should equal approximately one third of your total wheel travel (see figure 3). Now, with the bike unloaded and the rear wheel off the ground, use the mode button, toggle to Load and tap the + button; note the position of the L.E.D. lights. This will give you a reference point for future setups. Simply follow the procedure and pressurize the Load chamber until you reach the correct L.E.D. position. Another method of achieving the proper sag is to start with the bike resting on it s side stand with no rider or load on it. Using the E.C.C. pressurize the Load chamber to the highest pressure you can without exceeding 150 psi (Progressive s compressor does not produce pressures high enough to damage the shocks). Release any air that has built up in the height chamber. At this point the rear suspension should be topped out and you need to measure from the axle straight up to a fixed point on the fender as described above. Now, take the same measurement with rider(s) on the bike ready to ride. The second measurement should be 1¼ to 1½ less than the first. If it isn t, then bleed off the pressure in the Load chamber until the proper sag is achieved. Now, with the bike unloaded and resting on it s side stand, use the mode button, toggle to Load and tap the + button; note the position of the L.E.D. lights. This will give you a reference point for future setups. Simply follow the procedure and release ( - ) air from the Load chamber until you reach the correct L.E.D. position. If you intend to ride the bike at this full height then make sure you still put some air (at least 1 L.E.D. light s worth) into the Height chamber anyway. This helps the piston that separates the two chambers to move more freely producing a smoother ride. Page 3/5

4 Step 1: Alternate setup The alternate setup is ideal for a one person sag setup. The precision of this setup is not that of the recommended first setup, therefore, the ride quality may not be as satisfactory initially. With the bike on side stand, pressurize the Bottoming Control chamber, by pressing the + button while in load mode, until the shocks top out and the bike no longer rises. Be sure to bleed off any air that has built up in the height chamber. Lightly lift up on the rear end of the bike to ensure shocks are indeed topped out. If for any reasons the shocks have not topped out, continue to pressure the load chamber while bleeding the height chamber. Now that the shocks are completely topped out, stand bike upright and release air from the Load chamber until you see the rear end of the bike begin to drop. Check the L.E.D indicator lights of the Load or bottoming control chamber for a reference and note current position. Now with E.C.C. in height mode, add 1 L.E.D. light worth of air to this chamber. This helps the piston that separates the two chambers to move more freely producing a smoother ride. Finally after test riding and finding your most satisfactory ride, note the L.E.D. positions in the chambers. This will help you find this same quality ride faster for your next trip out. Step 2: Set the Ride Height After you have set the Load you can now adjust the Height chamber. This is a much simpler adjustment to make. Simply pressurize the Height chamber until the bike is lowered to the desired height. To raise the ride height back up, release pressure in the Height chamber. Remember, the pressure in this chamber holds the bike down the more pressure the lower it goes. Though the bike may feel stiffer the lower you go, do NOT re-adjust the Load chamber. Essentially what s happening here is as you ve reduced your wheel travel, you ve proportionally increased the forces that keep you from bottoming out with what wheel travel you have left. If you do need to re-adjust the Load due the addition (or subtraction) of a passenger or extra load, release the pressure from the Height chamber first, then repeat step 1. Page 4/5

5 Fine Tuning It has always been important to have the spring preload properly adjusted on the Softail chassis a little too much and the ride is stiff and you top out everywhere, not enough preload and you bottom out rolling out of your driveway. Adjusting the preload on standard Softail shocks is neither convenient nor easy. However, the AirTail suspension system with E.C.C. allows for virtually unlimited adjustment when it comes to spring forces and it s much easier to adjust. Small adjustments can make a big difference. We suggest making changes in small increments. For the smoothest ride, you ll want to run the least amount of pressure in the Bottoming Control/Load chamber as possible that is, without bottoming. This may produce a slightly lower than stock ride height even with minimal pressure in the Height chamber. Everyone s different and has their personal preference. It will be worthwhile to do some experimenting to find what works best for you. If you know and understand how your Airtail suspension system with E.C.C. works, you ll be able to easily adjust it to yield the best possible ride for you! For a balanced suspension, we highly recommend installing a pair of Progressive Suspension fork springs or fork lowering kit. Page 5/5

Progressive Suspension Airtail I.A.S.

5572 Fresca Drive, La Palma, CA 90623 714.523.8700, FAX 714.523.3220 Progressive Suspension Airtail I.A.S. Installation Instructions for Harley Davidson E.C.C. with Compressor Kit FLH/FLT Models with and