Because it's not half *** if that's the look you want. It IS all about personal opinion. Some people like the raked/chopper look, and slamming just the rear of the bike does add some rake to it. The mods you've made to your bike look good, but going by your comments in this thread you kind of come across as an arrogant @sshole. It's obvious that you painted your tins yourself. Maybe you shouldn't have "half @ssed" that and let professional put a nicer paint job on your ride. Just sayin.

 

It isn't. So "Slamming"(I'm sorry but adding a cheap $20 factory HD bolt mod to to lower the shocks does not constitute a "slammed" look or anything close to it)the rear while keeping the stock front ride height is not half @ssed? Looks real "custom" right? If some people like the "raked/chopper" look, then why not PONY UP the cash, have the neck CUT and rewelded, rake the bike out the PROPER way? You spend 10-15-20K on your scoot, then get cheap with garbage 20 spot bolt on parts to drop the rear mexican style a whopping inch or 2 at most? Do you like your headlight pointing up in the air? Or the @ss end of the bike looking like the rear shocks are broken? LOL! Make your short 32 degree neck rake look like a full blow raked out 45 degree "OC" chopper now with 6 over lowers? LOL! Lets be real here. With the mony spent to buy the bike, why not put a few extra grand into it and do it up the right way? Want your bike to look like a chopper? Spend a few extra grand, do it the right way. Want to "slam" your bike and do a worthy mod? Do it the right way. Spend the money and really "slam" it. Modify the fenders, suspension(front AND rear etc.).

And BTW, your right, I did do the paint job myself(like everything else) with a good compressor and an HPLV gun. No orange peel, but a very simplistic single color factory paint job. Should I have put flames on it or done something extravagent? Maybe I just went for the no nonsense single color paint job, since my bike isn't a garage queen and is ridden 24/7 year round, unlike most of the people who own these bikes today. Should I have kept the silly "Harley" tank logo thats stamped onto every bloody part they make now too? LOL! Maybe someone won't know its a "Harley"/status quo............my biggest fear, LOL!

Did you get your 20% at the parts counter today my friend?

 

If you read his message I quoted in my reply, you'll see I replied letting him know it's not as simple as the progressive states on our bikes. You just can't unscrew a fork cap and drop the new springs in, which many people think. I didn't say the install was not easy, but it wasn't easy as Progressive Suspension advertises. Lots of people buy those front drop-ins thinking they can undo the fork cap and bang they're done, but many end up taking it to the shop because they realize they can't. Not everyone has the tools, bike lift, loctite, etc available to tear down and rebuild the front suspension, so I try to give them a heads up to prepare.

Dale

 

After actually doing the rear mod first, I rode it for a couple days and did not like the feel at all. My front end was a bit more squirrely, balance was a little off, and handling was not as nice in corners. I could really feel the difference. Now I could have rode like that, but I didn't like it one bit. I ended up getting the Progressive drop-ins for the front and tore my whole front end down and installed some chrome lowers too. WOW, what a difference. My ride changed completely. Bike felt more stable, solid, balanced better, and handling in corners was way better. I'm definitely a believer in lowering the front and back, but I'd imagine you don't have to do the front.

Man, but a world of difference it made on my bike!

Dale

 

Not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend on mods. Some people really can't afford these bikes, but they want one so bad they scrape together enough money to buy one or maybe just enough for a downpayment on one. Once they have it after the payment and the maintenance costs (which even when you do the work yourself can get expensive on any motorcycle), there isn't much money left for mods. Now, I don't know the OP or his situation, but that could be his case. He wants to lower his bike but couldn't afford an expensive air ride or aftermarket shocks.

Anyway, I kind of see where you're comming from on your opinion about "slamming" a bike. If you really want a bike slammed it would be best to do both the front and rear. Some people aren't going for the slammed look and just want to lower their bike a little. But, the thread title is "slammed". So with that in mind your advise is sound. Although, I don't think you're going to make many friends with the way you express your opinions. You come across as a jerk, atleast to me.

Two wrongs don't make a right though, and I shouldn't have insulted your paint job. Although I personally like flames, I wasn't suggesting that you should have done some kind of wild paint scheme. I like single color paint jobs. But, atleast from the picture you posted your paint job is kind of dull. It may not have orange peel but it certainly doesn't shine like a factory paint job, or a professional one. I'm just saying if you're going to throw stones your own mods better be spot on. Everything else you've done to your bike is bad @ss I have to admit.

 

Your absolutely right, not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend. Many people make payments etc. Have bills to pay and are just happy to have what may amount to a "stock" Harley(And hey if I had a choice between a stock Harley or no Harley, I think we all would take the stock bike instantly, myself included!).

That being said, my modification suggestions honestly dont take much money at all to do. More time and labor than anything. Not every has acess to the tools I have, but still, in the old days people didn't go to the Moco parts counter to buy one of a trillion "bolt-on" part thats now available. They would do it themselves and alot involved hand fabrication and modification by trial and error. And my idea on lowering the look of the bike requires some time patience and practice with the fender modifications/relocation. But its not rocket science and most people here are capable of doing it without too much trouble. And concerning the front. Its also not a hard job, only requires you to lift the front of the bike up, pull the rim and drop the tubes out of the trees.

Now as for my paintjob, Im not insulted by your words at all. The picture was taken on a heavily overcast day. Its the factory 03' Gunmental paint from Harley. Its dark looking in the pic I had taken, but it isnt dull. And guess what? One piece on the bike actually came prepainted from the factory. Look over the pic carefully.......I'd say my paintjob was a perfect match and blend to the factory pre painted piece.

 

then what is it false advertising on progresses part then?

 

Yep. It is a drop in kit for some, but not our Trains. Well, it's still a "drop in" I guess, you just have to do a little more work to drop them in

 

that's kind of the boat that i am in. i don't have a ton of money laying around the throw in my bike. my wife just had our 1st baby 1 month ago and she's not working or getting paid right now so it's only my pay check (we've always had 2 before, so it's tight for another month or 2 till she goes back to work since she makes more than i do). so we don't have a lot of extra money laying around. the money i had to spend was from selling an old set of pipes laying around. so i still have alittle over $100 to spend and i'm debating weather or not to lower the front of buy a solo seat. i'm leaning towards lowing the front and buying a solo seat sometime down the road.

 

Never even considered that and don't really care; however, I did call before and told the technician I had a Softail Night Train and he assured me that all I had to do was take off the fork cap and drop them in. He had me convinced until I took off my fork cap and kind of chuckled and then proceeded to tear the front end down to do it all with sliders.

DK