Traxxion Dynamics (TD) thoughts
I'll start by saying: I don't own an F6B. I'll conclude that thought by saying: it is a definite down the road. I ran into another 1800A in FL that I couldn't pass up the other day, or I'd be looking for one now. I fragged to say that in the near future my GL1800A will be a little to cumbersome, and my '14 Valkyrie is a straight out balls-to-the-walls day-rod monster. After taking Steve's F6B-D across FL and back (and thanks for the test-run, bro Steve), it impressed me that the F6B it is an excellent cross-over: lighter, hence quicker in all senses than the 1800, and closer to the 1800 in comfort by a lot more than the Valk is. The Valk is 100lbs lighter and again, MUCH quicker than both of it's brothers. Just not long-haul comfy. I'd rather pretty soon trim down to one 'cross-over'. F6B-D, here we come.
It seems like, and I could get stuff thrown at me here: the F6B is a GL1800 with some parts missing, and a couple tweaks. The handling geometrics are pretty much the same. Hence, I'll relate the following, in answer to some of the questions in this thread.
I think the Traxxion system is best put on by Traxxion themselves, and if I were within 1000 miles of them, I wouldn't go to a dealer (and technically, I am one of them). I'd make a date, like Steve did, have a nice road trip, one stationary day, and the trip back, whooping like a banshee at the improvement. Seems they can do it quicker, cheaper, and better at the 'factory'. After all: they designed it. And just a side-note: I work slow and meticulously on my Goldwings. It takes me 4 hours to swap out the rear shock, although probably 1 hour of that is detailing odds and ends on the re-install of the fuel tank through to the shelter trims. Were I to do the Mega Monty, it would be another 4 hours for the front end. It would definitely be done right, but there's a flat book-rate that is expected on these. I wouldn't make a lot per hour for the full 8 hour day, so I simply refer it to the guy in the next town who needs the work.
Overall, it sounds like the home team at TD can do it in about 4.5 hours, and it is done. Methinks maybe there's a couple guys on the job if it is done that expediently. That's good value for the bucks you pay for the labor there.
Re: the handling: You would have to be sheer nuts to try and stay on my butt on an 1800 through the Rockies back-roads when my throttle gets glued to ON. I do not have the Mega Monty, nor the Full Monty: I have the forks, brace, neck-bearings and the TD rear shock setup, but not the triple-tree-yoke. Nevertheless, I've been in at least one situation with this suspension where I didn't even have the time to pucker up to kiss my butt goodbye-- I was already through the mess without a wobble or hitch of any kind before the pucker was half formulated. Had I been on a stocker, it would have been up to sheer ability and experience to stay on the road, adding a touch of luck to both of those.
I have a good friend who rides a lot like me in the canyons: cutting driver's pegs off and needing peg replacement once per year on a stock GL1800, every year, and occasionally rashing a engine guard/crash bar hard-braking into a corner. He did go the Mega Monty last summer, and hasn't stopped grinning since. Neither of us are burning up pegs anymore--well, yeah, but now it's a good two years or more before pegs are needed, after the TD setups. The bike just stays where it is supposed to, instead of diving or 'flattening' into the suspension. Hence: more ground clearance/better lean angle. Even without their triple-tree there is no slow-speed wobble on mine, no flex. In any even, if I sell my 1800A, the suspension does NOT go with it. (Gotta check and ensure that'll splice into my forthcoming F6B :-) )
Re: Progressives: I bought a 'flip' GL1800 last June, and after getting it home, I chatted with the previous owner on a couple trifles I had noticed. One of the aspects was that it handled, at 131k miles, better than any stock GL1800 I had ridden (which is dozens of them). He told me then that he had installed the Progressives in the front end, had forgotten to mention it to me. (??)
I did NOT have the chance to get it out into the hard twisties, but what pushing it that I did do on it convinced me that the Progressives, although *perhaps not up to par with Traxxion, are a really decent step towards a better suspension on the 1800. I think they are very good value, based on my admittedly limited experience with them, and it is less labor to install them. That particular bike also had an after-market higher-rate coil spring on the otherwise stock rear shock, so that may have made a little difference as well. It handled very well in comparison to a 'stocker'.
If your budget can't handle the Mega, you can diminish the Mega Monty cost by getting decent neck bearings, the TD fork-work done (just remove your tubes and legs and send them in), the TD rear shock (which you can install yourself easily with a proper Honda service manual), keeping the stock triple-tree/yoke setup, but getting the best fork-brace money can buy (which I think is the TD issue). Probably net out at about $2.2k as a 'do-it-yourselfer', and have a *great* suspension under your butt.
Comfort: You are not riding a cushy machine any more. You are riding a racing suspension. If you take the rear shock down to 3-4 on the dial, it'll be softer, but you will feel everything on the road under you. They are not cushy. They are tight. You feel the road.
IMO they are a great setup, in spirit only diminished by the cost of it and the fact that Honda could do the same thing, but doesn't. Perhaps, down the road, it won't be like a 1979 Goldwing having to rely on Craig Vetter for a fairing. They may smarten up and make their own do-dads.
Ride safe.
Set up the appointment for mine today
Just set up an appointment with RMR suspensions to have the Traxxion setup put on my B. One question for you Driver, RMR didn't recommend the brace saying with the new triple tree it was unnecessary and not something they needed to sell me, why did you get the brace on the Traxxion system? I'm just curious and wondering if I missed something important...Suspensions are a bit out of my wheel house :icon_biggrin: