Featured New Hagon Shocks On My T100

Hi,


Just fitted today some new Hagon Nitro rear shocks and Hagon progressive fork springs plus, after 15000 Kms and having a flat-tyre on the weekend, a well-deserved Michelin Pilot Activ rear one, to fit the front as well.


Meanwhile just to confirm what many people said: Hagon has an exceptional customer service. I called them explaining my needs and they sprung and shipped the shocks to my hands within one day, already adjusted to my weight and driving. The Nitros looks and feels a great piece of top quality items. Solid, well machined and beautifully strong, really matching the Bonneville style.

They also warned me the shocks would take up to 500 Kms to settle and break in, meanwhile they may feel slightly stiffer.

Well, today my first kilometres through the city jam were already showing a much better behaviour on breaking distance (although with a new tyre I did not want to test too hard). Driving over some potholes and irregularities I can say they are noticed through the bike and handle, but not anymore through the spine up to my mouth. Also, the fork is not “kneeling down” the bike in every traffic light.


Could not really test them yet, but I will try to find a slot of time over the weekend and I will post my first impressions. Meanwhile here you have some pics!

 

As they told you, Hagon is well known for their good customer service. Call them and explain what you need.
In case you are using central stand just beware if shorter shocks would make more difficult to rise the bike on it + potential impact also on side stand? Guess I rode something on this regards somewhere.

Good luck!

 

Thxs! Black and Cherry Red T100 2016 Type. One of the last air cooled made.
My previous bike was a Norton Commando with stock fork springs and 20 year old Hagons (much simpler ones) and handled WAY WAY BETTER than the Bonnie so far. I expect things will be different now! May have some time tomorrow for a 2 or 3 hrs. ride test on twisty roads and I will tell you.

 

Thxs for the feedback! 10.000 miles is much more than what they told me bu I rode some other informatons around pointing also to such long run-in period. We will see. I guess type of road, conditions and pilot weight may play some role on the result.
And yes, Nitros made me feek that itch...

 

Well ladies & gentlemen,

Just back from a 100 Km test on back twisty roads and open bend A-roads (kind of 50%-50%), with a small stop for a BBQ bacon and blood-sausage with a small beer (pilot also needs petrol from time to time).

On the motorway little bumps are more noticeable although that does not disturb the bike's moving vector so much as before. But it is on the twisty road where WOOOOOOW! I can tell you +1 gear on some bends. She feels much more stable and precise through the bends. The old tendency to exit too open from the bends has totally disappeared, also the wallowing when pushing her a little hard on open bends.

It is just my taste but I would not hesitate if the current stiffness stays. Make me feel much more connected to the road and on command of what's going on. It feels just the same difference when you compare a French and a German car (if you know what I mean).

The T100 handles now how it should!
At last... my Triumph is comparable to the Norton handling!

Honestly, I would say the 4 best upgrades I did to improve the Bonnie handling are (from most noticeable to less):

1- Block the air injection hose with a metal bearing ball to stop that stupid and dangerous jerking at low speed.

2- Replacing the complete OEM system by Hagon Nitro shocks and progressive fork springs.

3- Change the OEM Metzelers by Michelin Pilot Activ

4- Changing the OEM handlebar by NH M-Bar


Well, I may come back in some thousand Km to give another update.



Salut i força al canut!

 

Hi! You have good taste choosing your bikes' colours...


As I posted before in this thread the modifications I did to improve m T100 handling are:

1- Block the air injection hose with a metal bearing ball to stop that stupid and dangerous jerking at low speed --> If you have not done this yet, I would say it is something to really try and takes 5 minutes to do it with instant result (almost no cost and you can go back to original conditions immediatelly also with no cost). Remove seat, remove air hose coming from the top of the airbox. Push a 14mm metal bearing ball into the hose so it totally blocks it. Place the hose back to the airbox hole. After this I started the Bonnie and left it without touching anything (even throttle) for 20 minutes so the ECU adjusts itself. Result no more jerking at low speeds. Before this going through a round-about or going out from a narrow bend it was a nightmare (mostly on wet!) See this post I did on Triumphrat.net
http://www.triumphrat.net/air-coole.../836226-ai-full-removal-vs-hose-blocking.html

2- Replacing the complete OEM system by Hagon Nitro shocks and progressive fork springs. --> This is what this thread is about. The difference is highly noticeable! The bike is not kneeling on the front and no more erratically wallowing towards the outside of the bends on twisty roads. Also, more harsh feeling (which I like, but this is my taste).

3- Change the OEM Metzeler by Michelin Pilot Activ --> Also an instant big change. Feels like you have been carrying a pig on the pillion and suddenly it falls off the bike. Much lighter going down and up and quicker to react to your "body language". I described this as the Metzeler feels like square section tyres (like car tyres) and Pilot Active are round section ones.

4- Changing the OEM handlebar by NH M-Bar --> Stock high bars gave me the feeling of too light steering, guess by the old "lever law". The longer the lever the more power it applies to the steering. This may be also very much a question of taste and riding style. I was riding a Norton Commando with lower and narrower bars for about 20 years, and the Triumph stock bars are not of my taste.

Well... In regards of the Hagons I just can say it is worth and it changed the bike (for good).

 

Hi there,


After 4.000 Kms. on the new Hagon system (fork springs and Nitro shocks) just a brief update on how they develop.

Over the last 4.000 Kms my problem was not anymore, the erratical and wallowing vector the Bonnie got me used to, but my long feet touching the ground on the bends. I am seriously considering rear-sets now...

After a while (could not tell you when but many Kms. ago) some of the harshness disappeared while the bike still feels as in-control as first day I fit them.
Today I put some little more pre-load on the springs and all seems back to 1st day feeling. I guess the whole shocks took some kilometres to settle down to my (considerable) weight and the adjustment was needed.

So, all in all, I can keep my initial statement: Hagon progressive springs + Hagon Nitro are the way to go for the Bonneville (unless you leave on Flatland with no twisty road nearby).