Progressive Shocks
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Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 116
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Progressive Shocks
Some of you guys have replaced your stock shocks with custom shocks. I have a 2010 1200 Custom and would like to know why you changed them and how much difference it makes in the ride? Also what brand did you use, I see Progressive is popular, and was it worth it?
Thanks,
Jack
Thanks,
Jack
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,599
Likes: 11
From: Colonial Beach, Virginia
Wood, I am one who cnanged from the stock 11.75" stockers to 13.5" 440 standard Progressives. The stockers were the proverbial immoveable object, the 440s move when I gently lean on the bike to unplug the BatteryTender. To my mind the Progressives made my bike a pleasure to ride. I run Progressive fork springs and left the spacers at the full 3" along with 7w BelRay fork oil, front and rear work in perfect harmony.
Last edited by 1200Cdriver; Oct 7, 2010 at 08:49 AM.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,718
Likes: 1
From: manhattan beach
replaced mine with works- expensive but worth it to not have to hear my +2 complaining all the time! (she tells me "happy wife, happy life")-
they look good too and are very easy to adjust. i can adjust them with my fingers.
they are custom made to the rider and bike. went about a half inch longer than the stockers. i think this is the key to a better ride.
they look good too and are very easy to adjust. i can adjust them with my fingers.
they are custom made to the rider and bike. went about a half inch longer than the stockers. i think this is the key to a better ride.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,718
Likes: 1
From: manhattan beach
works performance shocks :
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php...age&img=729809
open pic then click on it again and it will open larger so you can see the shocks
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php...age&img=729809
open pic then click on it again and it will open larger so you can see the shocks
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,077
Likes: 1,600
Personally, I think they're (Progressive) over rated. My bike came w/ 11" Progressives on it when I bought it and I HATED them. They were stiff, underdamped and bottomed out constantly fro mlack of travel despite my relitively trim 180lbs. They also made the bike slow to turn in (too short- made for lazy steering geometry) and the bike would drag parts WAY too easy in the turns.
I ended up trading them to my Dad for a set of 13.5" progressives he had in the back of the barn and the difference was pretty substantial. They are still underdamped and the lack of dampening adjustability is aggrivating but they are a big improvment over the previous ones. The ride is much better and the steering sharpened up considerably from the rake change. That being said, they are still a mediocre shock and I'd gladly chage them out if I had the money. Just my
I ended up trading them to my Dad for a set of 13.5" progressives he had in the back of the barn and the difference was pretty substantial. They are still underdamped and the lack of dampening adjustability is aggrivating but they are a big improvment over the previous ones. The ride is much better and the steering sharpened up considerably from the rake change. That being said, they are still a mediocre shock and I'd gladly chage them out if I had the money. Just my
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 606
Likes: 2
Progressive makes many different models of shocks.
I got the dirt cheap 412's heavy duty. About $200.00.
The stock shocks are a joke, small, weak, little damping.
The 412's were beefy and much better in every respect.
The big thing is having usable wheel travel. No matter what shock you get, if you have 3 inches of wheel travel or less, you are not going to get a good ride.
With the stock shocks on my bike (11.6 inch long), we could not ride 2 up at all, solo was VERY rough.
With 12 inch progressives, we could ride 2 up ok, the ride was better, but still rough.
12.5 inch progressives were very nice, 2 up or solo, so I said 'I want more of this!' and got 13 inch ones, REALLY nice, plush, ground clearance in turns, two up never bottoms out, really nice ride.
I know I could spend a LOT more for a really good shock, but its not worth it to me.
If you have 12 inch shocks and replace them with 12 inch progressives, the improvement wont be big. You might be able to do 2 up better without bottoming, the ride solo will be a little better, but no big improvement.
They make the 412, and the 412 heavy duty, depending on the weight of you and the passenger, you need to pick the right shock.
I am 200, the wife is 150, the heavy duty works really well for me. Soft position solo, position 4 for both of us.
The regular 412 would not cut it for us 2 up.
If I was 160 pounds, the heavy duty would be too stiff.
Brett
I got the dirt cheap 412's heavy duty. About $200.00.
The stock shocks are a joke, small, weak, little damping.
The 412's were beefy and much better in every respect.
The big thing is having usable wheel travel. No matter what shock you get, if you have 3 inches of wheel travel or less, you are not going to get a good ride.
With the stock shocks on my bike (11.6 inch long), we could not ride 2 up at all, solo was VERY rough.
With 12 inch progressives, we could ride 2 up ok, the ride was better, but still rough.
12.5 inch progressives were very nice, 2 up or solo, so I said 'I want more of this!' and got 13 inch ones, REALLY nice, plush, ground clearance in turns, two up never bottoms out, really nice ride.
I know I could spend a LOT more for a really good shock, but its not worth it to me.
If you have 12 inch shocks and replace them with 12 inch progressives, the improvement wont be big. You might be able to do 2 up better without bottoming, the ride solo will be a little better, but no big improvement.
They make the 412, and the 412 heavy duty, depending on the weight of you and the passenger, you need to pick the right shock.
I am 200, the wife is 150, the heavy duty works really well for me. Soft position solo, position 4 for both of us.
The regular 412 would not cut it for us 2 up.
If I was 160 pounds, the heavy duty would be too stiff.
Brett
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Joined: Aug 2010
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Personally, I think they're (Progressive) over rated. My bike came w/ 11" Progressives on it when I bought it and I HATED them. They were stiff, underdamped and bottomed out constantly fro mlack of travel despite my relitively trim 180lbs. They also made the bike slow to turn in (too short- made for lazy steering geometry) and the bike would drag parts WAY too easy in the turns.
I ended up trading them to my Dad for a set of 13.5" progressives he had in the back of the barn and the difference was pretty substantial. They are still underdamped and the lack of dampening adjustability is aggrivating but they are a big improvment over the previous ones. The ride is much better and the steering sharpened up considerably from the rake change. That being said, they are still a mediocre shock and I'd gladly chage them out if I had the money. Just my
I ended up trading them to my Dad for a set of 13.5" progressives he had in the back of the barn and the difference was pretty substantial. They are still underdamped and the lack of dampening adjustability is aggrivating but they are a big improvment over the previous ones. The ride is much better and the steering sharpened up considerably from the rake change. That being said, they are still a mediocre shock and I'd gladly chage them out if I had the money. Just my
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Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 116
Likes: 0
Brett when you talk of wheel travel do you mean the total up and down travel that the shock allows? If so how do I measure that, by pushing the back fender down and seeing how much travel there is?
Thanks,
Jack
Thanks,
Jack