Flame on guys if needed. Here is my experience with the progressive 412 HD 12" shocks and the screaming eagle heavy fork oil in my 2010 Road Glide Custom. Got the bike a few months back and until then was riding my 2005 RK custom that road nice with stock 12" rear air shocks that I put 10w belray oil in. The front was untouched from me and road smooth but had front end dive. Before that had an 06 SG all stock never touched shocks nothing. Had front end dive and rear rode fine but came from a lowered NT so to me it rode like a caddy at the time. Anyway fast forward to my RG. Got it and the guy before me had a rear lowering kit installed on it looked cool but with the stock air shocks it rode like a lumber wagon. Also front end nose dive bad and rode like ****. So at the suggestion of countless forums I swapped out the front stock dirty cat **** oil to clean screaming eagle heavy. It still has A lot of front end dive at stops and still rides like a clunky lumber wagon school bus. I then read countless reviews on how amazing the Progressive 412 shocks are so at 6'4" and 255 and ride 2 up often , I got a set of the HD 12" shocks and ditched the lame lowering brackets. Test rode at the lightest setting. Bottomed out hard on little bumps ok #2 setting next rode better but bottoms out still on some bumps that aren't even that big. Ok #3 setting no bottoming really but my god it rides bad. Feels like stock air shocks back there. No need to try #4 or #5 setting as it will only ride harder. I get these are not the top of the line shocks out there but also don't see how we should spend hundreds on shocks on a TOURING bike to get it to ride smooth. And not sure why all the hype and praise these 412's get. Are they kinda better then stock? Sure. Are they $300 better hell no. I have a west Coast Chopper CFL hard tail as well. And these roads in MN are garbage but even that is ok yet my RG seems to ride like crap for a Touring bike. I think I just wasted $270 on shocks when an oil change in the air shocks would have been better. Am I missing something? Like said I read countless reviews on the 412's many times read how night and day they are. Sorry guys thats a lie.

 

There's a good reason why this forum is stuffed full of threads about suspension because, unfortunately, our Touring bikes don't come with good quality stuff! Other brands of shocks and fork units are available and get good reviews.....

 

Sometimes ya win...sometimes ya lose...sometimes ya just get rained out...


What can I say?

 

Play Ball ...............

 

With your 2-up combined weight & 12 inch shocks, you can expect a harsh ride. The more suspension travel you have (both front & rear), the better the ride can become. That said, you can get a good ride, but not w/o making a real investment for upgrades.

I had a 1991 FXRS that I put 2" taller suspension front & rear (required changing the jiffy stand because taller suspension caused too much lean when on the stand). Changed the character, ride & handling to become the best handling/riding bike I had ever ridden. My current ride is a '14 FLHTK that has H-D's cartridge front end & Ohlins HD-159's on the rear.

If you plan to keep this bike, you should consider a serious upgrade, possibly including taller suspension front & rear (although many have made the lower suspensions work well for them).

Any good shock upgrade should include both preload & rebound adjustability.
A custom built shock will include a correct spring rate based on your load weight. That will allow correct sag setting which is very important for proper shock operation. The 412's do not fall into this category.

If you trade often, it may not make sense to invest the amount required to make it ride/handle like it can.

 

Thanks for a real answer!

 

Using taller suspension is a catch-all when the subject is raised, however is misleading IMHO, as it assumes the same mediocre quality of damping on both stock and replacement parts. It doesn't take into account the far better quality of aftermarket suspension parts available to us now, if we make a discerning choice. I have 3" travel rear shocks and stock length travel forks, but both with Ohlins components.

 

Showa makes the shock. Showa is Honda, and it's the same shock used on their Goldwings. A bike noted for its ride quality and surprisingly good handling. So no, it's not a junk shock, no matter how many forum members insist it is.

Harley tells people it cannot be rebuilt or serviced in any way. Honda sells the parts to rebuild it right from their dealerships.

You can tune the stock Showa shock with different oil viscosities. You can change the progression rate by changing the oil quantity. You can change the overall spring rate by changing the cool springs.

None the less, many insist the stock Showa shock is junk, can't be repaired, and that anything is better. So be it. Some has to drink the kool-aid.

There's a psychological term, who's name escapes me at the moment, for when people justify their expensive purchase as being wonderful. Folk will even do it for minor and inconsequential purchases. My loup pipes make my bike faster (rarely true). My super rich fuel mixture makes more power (never). And, my expensive shocks ride better (maybe).

So yea, there's a lot that can be gained for almost free just by tuning the stock setup. It will rarely be done, and folk that have spent a lot more money are very likely to insist their setup is better. So be it.

 

And then there are those who claim a silk purse can be made out of a pig's ear! So be it, as you say. I wonder how many oil and suspension threads there are on GW forums?!

 

You go ahead & play with oil viscosity & level for your Showa shocks. I wish you well. And maybe you could share you rebuild & tuning secrets with the rest of us?

For me, I ran Showa on 2 previous baggers & never could get ride of the wallowing in bumpy corners. Upgrades on my current bagger have resolved the wallowing. I had the H-D premium hand adjustable shocks on the current bagger, but they "went away" at about 28kmi. Never found any information regarding rebuilding them, so I replaced them with shocks that were custom built for my requirements & were "serviceable" ie rebuildable.

When I purchase my next ride, if you'll share your sources & tuning knowledge, I might actually have to try it. Save some money to buy more gas!

Thanks for the philosophy, waiting now for the specific information.