i have an 07 883 hugger that i bought about 6 weeks ago. it's my first bike and i love it to death. put about 2,000 miles on it so far and can't seem to keep it in the garage.

anyhow, my girlfriend and i weigh about 500 lbs together, which puts us right at the max load for the bike. the problem is that we bottom out the shocks on most bumps. it's funny, but when i talked to the service guys at the dealer, their response was, "oh, it can take a lot of punishment, don't worry about it." needless to say, i was less than impressed with their advice.

so, i'm looking for after market shocks so that we can ride comfortably. we don't ride 2-up very often, but i would like to be able to hop on the bike with her to go out for the evening to dinner, etc. without worrying about tearing up the bike.

so, what size shocks would be good and where could i get them? being new to the world of motorcycles, i don't even know where to go for after market parts. i would really appreciate any help you folks can give.

 

Progressive Heavy Duty, stock length, don't know what is stock length on a Hugger is, measure from "eye to eye centers".

 

dollar for dollar, the best shocks for the money, you won't be disappointed

 

where could i buy these? and thanks for the help !!

 

There is no such thing as an 07 Hugger (HD does not make the so called hugger model anymore as the low I believe repl. it), its either a std., R, low or custom. Std. and R models have 13.25" shocks and the low and I think now has 11" while the customs still have 11.75. In any case 11.5" to 12" in the heavyduty should do it if you've got a lower model like the low or custom.
Though they make 11" in HD I would not recommend it for your wgt. riding 2-up. Think of it this way...if you don't mind taller shocks the longer they are the better the travel and the more comfortable the ride.
You can get them for a good price from one of the site sponsors http://stores.ebay.com/EASTERN-PERFORMANCE-CYCLES. I've purchased a couple pairsfrom them as well as bunch of other stuff and they have great prices and free, fast shipping.

 

hugger is obviously the wrong term. someone mis-informed me, though i'm sure it's a forgivable offense. anyway, it's the 883xl.

thanks for the help.

 

If its just an 883XL and not the Low or Custom then stock is 13.25" and progressive 412s are available up to 13.5 (they run in 1/2" increments).
Eastern has the best deals but seldom carrys shocks over 12.5" usually. You might also try www.mawonline.com as they too have good deals on Progressives and will usually carry an assortment. Actually, any size from 12" up will give you a great ride and be around stock hgt.

 

How noticeable is it going from factory shocks to Progressive 412's?

 

Progressivesmade a BIG difference in the ride quality on mine, especially when 2up.

 

i read something about gas cylinders (i'm probably using the wrong term. ppl on this forum seem to be pretty sensitive to using the wrong terms) not being as good as just springs (is that the alternative?). is one better than the other?