Progressive mono tubes, problems or failures?
I'm 180lbs and two clips was down right harsh. Feels better with one just not sure I like the reduced ride height. Going to consider other options after the season ends. Perhaps Ricors with Race Tech springs.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: Florida
When you went to one clip, how much was the drop?
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 843
Likes: 43
From: Louisiana
The Pros are: They're relatively cheap, no special tools needed (spring compressor and related tools), no scheduled fork oil changes and a great warranty.
The cons are: They're a gas charged unit so either it's all good or all bad. The cylinder is so small that any leak will soon render that fork leg ineffective. That won't happen with a conventional hydraulic cartrige fork. While the warranty is great it's a fair amount of work to go back inside and replace, especially if you have to pay someone else to do it.
Both the Progressive mono tubes and Harley's Premium cartridge fork kit seem to offer an equilivent improvement over stock. Less dive under braking and a firmer but less harsh ride.
Harley kit
The Pros are: They're relatively cheap if you buy online from a 20% off dealer. Being totally hydraulic the cartridge should be bullet proof with regular fork oil servicing.
The Cons are: You'll need several special tools. The most important being a spring compressor and a extraction rod to thread onto the cartridge piston rod for bleeding and assembly. You don't need to buy the Harley tools to do the install but if you don't you'll need decent McGiver skills. You will need to do periodic fork oil changes.
It's not hard to see why so many buy the mono tubes, lots of happy campers. As for me I went the Harley route. I don't mind the occasional fork oil change. The real kicker for me was I don't care to use hard to access parts that can fail without warning if I can avoid it. The thought of being 2000 miles from home and having a mono tube take a dump made the little extra money and effort with the Harley kit worthwhile. FWIW I've got about $500 into my Harley kit install which includes over the counter and McGiver tooling.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,143
Likes: 11,214
From: San Diego, CA
Why is this bad....!?
If someone is asking for opinions and/or experiences it's good to hear both sides. Just because someone's experience or opinion is not in the majority, doesn't mean it shouldn't be heard.
Wouldn't it suck if you asked for opinions and heard nothing but good.... then had a problem? I'd rather know that problem was not the norm, and possibly be aware, before hand, how to handle the problem.
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Former Sponsor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,968
Likes: 54
Another fan of mono tubes here. However, if you are looking for a plush Cadillac style ride these are not for you. These are a mod for performance minded people who are seeking better handling characteristics than a a stock damper rod and super soft spongy spring can give a 900 pound bike.
Aside from brake dive, the added stiffness off the mono tube cartridge keeps the front wheel planted on the ground much better than the stock setup ever could. I run 2 clips on mine as well. Stock height. Problems? Nope. Complaints? Not for a few hundred dollars. Now if I wanted the absolute best handling Harley out there (I bear in mind this is a Harley, not a sport bike) I could spend a lot more and get much better handling, but for this bike I see that as pointless as dropping a couple of grand on suspension is not something I'm willing to do at this point in time.
I would not call the ride of monotubes harsher, I would call it sporty. It is a night and day difference. The mush is gone and along with the the terrible handling abilities of a front end designed 50 years ago.
Regardless, it is what it is. There is no way to know if you will like it until you have them installed and have ridden on them and formed your own opinion. The internet can be deceiving in this way as what one guy likes another guy hates. I have no stake in this either way, just trying to help people understand the difference so that they might be able to get exactly what they are after.
Many sales people in the industry will tell you exactly what they think you want to hear or what they need to say to sell a product. We do our best here to get the truth out there. This is difficult as no two peoples truth is exactly the same, however it is a starting point for those who seek info.
Aside from brake dive, the added stiffness off the mono tube cartridge keeps the front wheel planted on the ground much better than the stock setup ever could. I run 2 clips on mine as well. Stock height. Problems? Nope. Complaints? Not for a few hundred dollars. Now if I wanted the absolute best handling Harley out there (I bear in mind this is a Harley, not a sport bike) I could spend a lot more and get much better handling, but for this bike I see that as pointless as dropping a couple of grand on suspension is not something I'm willing to do at this point in time.
I would not call the ride of monotubes harsher, I would call it sporty. It is a night and day difference. The mush is gone and along with the the terrible handling abilities of a front end designed 50 years ago.
Regardless, it is what it is. There is no way to know if you will like it until you have them installed and have ridden on them and formed your own opinion. The internet can be deceiving in this way as what one guy likes another guy hates. I have no stake in this either way, just trying to help people understand the difference so that they might be able to get exactly what they are after.
Many sales people in the industry will tell you exactly what they think you want to hear or what they need to say to sell a product. We do our best here to get the truth out there. This is difficult as no two peoples truth is exactly the same, however it is a starting point for those who seek info.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 17,145
Likes: 6,168
From: SE Michigan
I weigh 175, I used 1 clip, *very* happy, and I'm not a terribly aggressive rider. Its a firmer ride, and as many have stated much less front end dive.
I wouldnt call it harsh at all
I wouldnt call it harsh at all
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