I am in the same boat right now. I have changed the rear to Bitubo's and am now researching to front options. I hear good things about PAS.

 

Interested in front fork options/results here.

Legend Axeo's just didn't live up to the expectations I had.

 

I'm installing the Progressive Monotube Cartridge kit in my Street Glide soon.
Hoping it lives up to their hype.

 

So DJ grabs the lift and wrenches....off come the shocks. He asked me if I wanted to try the next heavier-rated springs. I asked him what he would do if I was family, and he promptly said “I’d be changing out springs for you to try...so we’re doing it”. And with different springs and a readjustment, the shocks went back on the bike. Off we went to test ride.

Ride #3. It was immediately apparent that going to the (10 pound) heavier-rated springs didn’t hurt the ride any. In fact my wife was instantly commenting on how good the bike felt through the rapid bumps and irregularities of a poorly paved and hilly road. I didn’t spare the bike and tried my best to spot and hit every hole, hump, bump, patch and manhole cover I could. At speed. The front took everything in stride, eating the road imperfections and delivering a stable feel back to the bars. As before, I was aware of the hits, but they weren’t bothersome or distracting. I felt no shock back to my hands or arms, and of course the dreaded brake-dive was completely gone except for the absolute most severe braking test which produced just a little acceptable compression.

Meanwhile back in the rear, the shocks were just simply champion bump-killers. I hit the familiar ‘twisted dip’ with the hammer down and nailed the hole. Our G forces were enough to compress the shocks considerably before hitting the hole, but the shocks handled it fine without bottoming or hammering us. We both actually laughed after launching out of the dip and up the hill. Truly exhilarating to ride so comfortably. I suppose the smiles on our faces told the story to DJ and Terry when we arrived back at the shop.

 

I told them not to touch anything.....completely superb on the last ride. Everyone was grinning and feeling good as I put the bags back on the bike and got ready to load up. My wife was waving the credit card and thanking them for helping her so much. DJ spent some time with me, going over possible adjustments to the shocks and how to optimize them if needed. All the takeoff parts were cleaned up nicely and returned to me in boxes. A couple of t-shirts handed to us, and we hit the road home.

Epilogue: We are completely thrilled with the suspension overhaul by Pro Action. I don’t think there’s any point trying to better describe the ride and handling benefits, as I’ve tried to do that already. I think the only thing I really questioned going in was the (potential) differences in front end handling by going with the Pro Action damper rods and springs, versus what a set of cartridges might offer. My research led me to be convinced I would be very happy with the PA upgrades. I also became convinced I would very likely not see enough....if any....additional performance benefit in any set of cartridges for the way we ride. I’m sure some will not agree with this, but that’s a matter of what’s best and right for them. I got exactly what I was hoping for....front and back....without having to push the $2k button.

Maybe....for me....one the biggest and most important benefits received in this deal was the hands-on / eyes-on experience of the PAS crew. Being there for the test rides and having DJ change out shock springs allowed us to achieve a truly customized setup. Instead of cranking more pre-load into the original springs and asking them to perform at the higher end of their adjustment range, the change-out allowed the spring pre-load setting to be in the sweet spot, with plenty of additional adjustment remaining. Another level of benefit was found in dealing directly with the guys building the products. If issues arise, there’s no need to consult an intermediary.....just go straight to Pro Action for questions, warranties and rebuilds if ever needed.

All in; I simply can’t find any reason not to give the people, the product and the experience 10 out of 10 points. Of course we still need to ride and put many miles on the bike, but the best news for us is knowing we’ll be riding comfortably. That’s really all we could ever ask for. Whatever direction you go, I hope you come away as satisfied. It’s a great feeling!

 

Outstanding write up, well done sir. Ive been looking at shocks also, for a while. Seems like you are 100% happy and spending that kind of money you should be. Well done Pro-Action

 

Thanks for the excellent write up and review.

A question about the front forks: I have one of those "curb at the end of driveway" like lips. About 2.5" tall, so not a smooth entry/exit from driveway. Not a smooth entry. This was always my annoyance. Stock, forks felt like mush. Heavier oil, stiffer mush. Mono-tube cartridge felt like it's skipping after hitting that lip at low speed. Made for some 'WTH?!?!" moments if I turned into driveway with a little too much speed.
Have you encountered this scenario of a small-ish lip at low speed? If so, how doe it feel in straight line and turning?

 

Yeah, this has been one of the better discussions and direct feedback from the individual on suspension upgrades I've seen. Thanks a lot!

Paul

 

Well first of all, I'm not really sure what 'low speed' means in this case. Under 5 mph? Closer to 10 mph? Are you hitting that 2.5" lip in the middle of a turn....or straight on? My experience has always been that suspensions which are set up to handle rough roads and bigger bumps at highway speeds often don't exactly 'eat' those very low speed hits. There just isn't enough kinetic energy to produce adequate suspension action. The lip feels rough at 5-10 mph but might actually be better handled at 25 mph, where the suspension does a better job due to more activation. I realize you probably aren't going to do 25 mph in your driveway of course.

If you're hitting the lip at an angle or during a turn (in or out) that's a whole different ball of wax. The 2.5" lip is always going to want to redirect the front wheel at low speeds when contacted at an angle. Think about crossing a moderately bumpy railroad track at angle. If you slow down to under 10 mph you'll feel every last bump and irregularity, plus the track or grooves may cause your front wheel to twitch rather noticeably. At faster speeds the suspension takes up some of the bumps and the speed actually helps prevent the wheel from redirecting. Does this make sense?

By my experiences, there simply isn't a suspension out there which doesn't involve compromises. You give up some of this to get more of that. But the better suspensions do cover a wider range of speeds, conditions and irregularities. Some situations (like a 2.5" driveway lip) may always involve some degree of discomfort and just having to live with it. Grab the grips and hold the bars firm. I hope some of this helped.

 

not sure if I missed part but are you using the stock oem shocks with just different weight springs?