Recently realized my Progressive 412's may be the heavy duty series...and it's making my bike ride like a rigid!

Adjusted them all the way up and I still can't get any compression on them when I sit on the bike. I'm also pretty small at 5'9 130lbs and never ride two-up, so it may be time for the shock treatment...

What do you guys suggest? I had the Burlys on my old sporty and liked them fine...but I do a lot more riding on my Dyna

 

I have the 11.5" Progressive 444's and I like them alot. On the softest setting they ride nice (IMO). Second reference mark they're getting stiff to me and I weigh 165lbs but happy medium between handling a bit better and still soaking up bumps without beating the crap out of me. Any further down I don't even mess with until my wife is on the back. Don't know where my factory shocks were set at off the showroom floor but these ride a little bit better than those do. Longer shock you go with obviously the better your ride is going to get. I like lowered but still have some ride so I went with these. I have no complaints.

 

I have the 11.5" Progressive 444's and I like them alot. On the softest setting they ride nice (IMO). Second reference mark they're getting stiff to me and I weigh 165lbs but happy medium between handling a bit better and still soaking up bumps without beating the crap out of me. Any further down I don't even mess with until my wife is on the back. Don't know where my factory shocks were set at off the showroom floor but these ride a little bit better than those do. Longer shock you go with obviously the better your ride is going to get. I like lowered but still have some ride so I went with these. I have no complaints.

 

Just to make sure I read it right. You turned the collar up. Not down. In order to make it softer you have to adjust them down to take some of the pressure off the springs.

 

I couldn't find my spanner wrench so I went to my local indie for help. I told them I wanted it softer and I watched them click the shocks upward...the shocks expanded. Is this wrong?

 

if you do have the heavy duty shock you have too stiff of a spring rate for your weight.

if by "the shocks expanded" you mean the shocks got longer and raised the bike a little when they turned the adjustment, it means they increased the pre-load... the exact opposite of want you want. I'm willing to bet that you do have the HD shocks if you have a very harsh ride. Only solution to that is by new shocks with the correct spring rate.

The HD series are made for heavy guys and those who ride 2-up more often.

 

There no reason to get new shocks. Just get the standard springs for your 412's to replace the HD springs.
Send them to Progressive to get softer springs.
Or, it's real easy to do yourself.
Well... maybe not if you can't adjust them yourself. Or figure which way to go for a softer setting. Maybe just send them in or have you indie do it.

 

The 444 stock (regular) spring is set for 180lb rider. I keep mine all the way at the top; and I'm 198lb.

I think you might be better off with shocks that have a spring better for your weight, for the best ride. JMHO

 

the 412 heavy duty springs are very stiff, if that is what you have i dont think you will ever be happy. you need another 100 lbs for those HD springs

 

I was wondering the same thing. You might make sure you're shocks are adjusted right before you're throwing money at new ones. Like was said before if they are "expanded" all the way it will result in the stiffest ride. With your weight you will want it set low. You can pick up a spanner wrench at the dealer for like $10-15. I would that first. Do you have a pic of the setting by any chance?