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So I tore apart my Progressive rear shocks on my 89 Softail to find that there is no rebound damping left in the shocks, and oil in the cans. That explains why I have been bottoming out so often.
Now, where can I buy just shocks? The rest of the parts are fine. Springs, collars, snap rings etc.. Seems silly to buy everything when I only need one thing. That, and I am debating a set of stiffer rear springs to hold me (250#), so buying new complete units just to toss out the springs seems silly too.
So, I called Progressive . I was not sure I had Progressive parts or not since they were not chromed like the pics online, they appear to be yellow phosphate coated, but is sounds like I have the older 413 setup, not the new shiny chrome 422's.
Per the technical rep's request, I took some pics of the model numbers stamped into the bottom of the shocks and emailed them to him. I guess we'll see what turns out.
Thanks for the feedback. I want to like this bike, motor is running strong, trans shifts fine (hard to find neutral though), but the suspension has been ticking me off. This is my first HD, and maybe it's the 23 year wait, but I'm a little down on it. I'm sure that will change once I get my forks (spewing oil from seals and the top plug, no damping) and rear springs working right.
So I shipped my shocks to Progressive, and they came back with a $350 repair bill plus $20 shipping.
I found a set of Airtail shocks New in box on ebay for $340 delivered. I sketched out the plumbing for a compressor/switch setup on the bike. Looks like I can build my own compressor/switch setup for about $100 in parts. The hardest part was remembering how to do pneumatic controls. I used to do it as a student engineer 16-17 years ago.. but I'm a little rusty. Once I get going on it, I'll probably start another thread, I'm sure others would love an onboard compressor option for less than $450-$550.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.