I recently installed the stock height Progressive monotube fork system and a set of 13.5" 444 shocks on my '14 FLHTK. These are my first impressions.

The quality, fit and finish of the parts appears very good. The anodizing and coatings on the bodies and springs are flawless. The monotube and the shock bodies are rebuildable and come with a "Limited Lifetime Warranty".

The front fork installation was fairly easy. The only "special" tools I needed were a 19mm Allen socket for removing the stock fork caps and an extra long 12mm Allen socket for the lower fork leg bolt. I rigged the 12mm Allen socket by cutting the end off of a 12mm Allen key and sticking into a 12mm hex socket. A couple of long extensions made getting the spring seat in the sprung leg torqued down easier. I got one of the cups in one of the fork legs flipped over and it took a few moments to get it flipped back, I was more careful disassembling the other fork and didn't have that issue. I rigged up some jaws with some 2x4's and wood blocking in a bench vise to hold the forks while wrenching on them.

The sprung leg on mine was, as the instructions stated it might be, a bit longer than the damped leg. I used a block of wood and a hammer to tap the axle in. It made me cringe to do it but nothing was damaged. Once the front axle is torqued down everything lined up properly.

The front end feels much better planted now. Brake dive is noticeably improved. The bike reacts much more positively to steering inputs but at the same time doesn't steer itself on bumps and cracks in the road. It holds a line in corners much better.

I ordered the shocks with the HD springs hoping they wouldn't be over sprung. Far from it they were still under sprung in my opinion. The HD spring is wound to 105/150 #/in. Simply preloading the shock to get 1-1/4" of sag with just my 230# in the saddle totally compressed the 105# portion of the spring. The ride and handling were much improved over the stock air shocks but they weren't quite what I was looking for.

Less than a week after I ordered the shocks Progressive rolled out a "Super Duty" version of the 444s that used a 165/210 spring. I contacted them and was able to order the SD springs for $108 for the pair.

I installed the SD springs last night. The spring rate on them is 165/210 compared to 105/150 for the HD springs. I get 7/8" of sag one up with no preload added. That's just what I was looking for. I was able to ride the bike in to work this AM. My route to work has plenty of patched up pavement, potholes, misaligned bridge expansion joints and even 2 railroad crossings.The ride seems just as good to me as it was with the HD springs but the ride height and corning clearance is a bit more, again a plus in my opinion. Even with the added expense of the SD springs I still came in under $600 for the shocks so I am satisfied with the result vs the cost.

Total cost of parts, including Progressive's spring compressor tool, came to $985.

 

This weekend my wife and I put over 300 miles on the bike over a variety of roads in all kinds of repair and/or disrepair. With the Super Duty springs on the 444s I didn't have to adjust the preload at all. (with the SD springs I am running with the preload adjusters all the way off.) The ride from the rear shocks is night and day compared to the stock air assist shocks. The big hits that would have launched us from our seats previously were noticeable but not spine jarring. The "Frequency Sensing Technology" damping control in the 444s along with having a high enough spring rate really does get the job done. Riding one up at 230# plus gear the spring rate is on the edge of being too high but it's perfect for two up. For the money I'm more than satisfied.

 

Good review of 444's

 

I put 444's on my 2016 Road King. I wouldn't say they were night and day different over bumps and such, but marginally better. My bike does feel a lot better in turns though. I can go faster and feel more secure.

 

I added Progressive 444 on the rear of my 2015 Limited and generally satisfied with the update. I have more control than I had with the stock HD air shocks. I did noticed on curves the bike appeared smoother and more stable. I have it set on the third ring from the bottom and thinking of moving back to the 2nd ring. Overall, pleased with the change.

 

I missed this when you originally posted. Good write up - thanks.

I'll never understand why the Progressive reps push the standard spring rate so hard. You would have to be under 175 to not eat up all the initial spring rate with preload.

For us the HD springs are working well. At 5 turns the bike is compliant, but takes the big hits pretty well.

Did you have any exhaust clearance issues? I had to beat the crap out of the Super Trapps. The stock muffs actually fit okay.

 

I am running the stock mufflers. With the 13.5" shock length the axle bolt on the right side was contacting the muffler so I gave it a bit of the ball peen hammer treatment. I think I'll have to drop both mufflers to do a tire change rather than just the right muffler. No big deal.

 

Yeah, I definitely have to remove them to pull the wheel.

 

Question - on the cartridge front, do you still add oil to the forks, or is it self contained in the Progressive cartridge?

 

Oil is still required to lubricate the sliders but it's far less oil than the stock forks require. The cartridge itself is self contained and sealed.