Originally Posted by MRFREEZE57

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

Originally Posted by Dillbilly Bone

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!

Originally Posted by Dillbilly Bone

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.

Originally Posted by Illinois_Minion

You asked some good questions that made me think.

Low speed is under ~5mph. As I have a rather narrow street to turn off of into my driveway, most times, I'm fairly upright, but turning a rather hard right angle (left or right). Leaning - not much if any. My displeasure is best described as the fork will compress rapidly, but extend slowly - "hang time" if you will. If the village wasn't so uptight, I'd get eh 'curb' shaved to lessen the abruptness of the transition.

You are right in that its a compromise. Just not clear on what/where I am to compromise for the front forks. I'd like a slightly stiffer front end, that doesn't dive so readily when braking. The drop-in emulators are holding my interest as both cheaper and maybe closer to what I want. Obviously a spring rate change up front is a factor that I need to decipher.

Test drives are likely what I want to do, to sort out ride qualities.

Originally Posted by Dillbilly Bone

I understand what you're experiencing based on this description. To me it sounds like you want/need a front suspension capable of absorbing the 2.5" lip at slow speeds (while turning)...while still performing well at highway speeds. The likely issue would be whether a soft-enough front end would be likely to experience nose-dive under braking. After riding on the Pro Action front end components (namely upgraded springs and better damper rods) I experienced almost no brake-dive except under very hard braking. At slower speeds I didn't notice any additional feedback or harshness with bumps. But I honestly haven't (yet) put it through or over something like a 2.5" curb while turning or angling. My typical reaction to those scenarios involves trying to hit a significant lip as straight-on as possible, and with as much speed as is safe and practical. I expect to feel a significant reaction, and I'm ready for it. The slower the speed and greater the lean or bar-angle...the worse the curb or lip crossing will feel to me. I would assume any suspension which dramatically softens that low-speed hit would probably be too soft for optimal highway performance.