Lots of you Bagger guys swapping to 21″ front wheels, we love the look, too and are quite often asked what should be done to the front suspension once the taller wheel is installed.
The HD Touring model chassis is not a fan of the additional rake the tall wheel creates and will feel floppy (wants to fall into turns), es…pecially at slow speeds.
We recommend lowering the forks 1 inch (two if you are riding a Street Glide or have installed lowered rear shocks) to level the bike out. The cost is nominal ($129 for Drop in style lowering kit) and you’ll find that once leveled out, combined with the new rubber up front, the machine will handle nicer than stock (it really is just a giant sportbike tire!).
Hop into a new car and all it takes is a click to adjust your reach to the pedals. Swing your leg over a new bike and you may be in real danger of doing the tip-toe topple at your next gas station visit.
Motorcycles simply do not have the real estate to add the level of adjustment that a car can and the fine tuning is most often left to the aftermarket. Not a bad thing, as once a bike is set up for a rider, it is unlikely to be ridden by anyone else (unlike a car). A 600-800 pound motorcycle is certainly not something to monkey around with and a flat footed, firm stance is best. This is where suspension can come in handy.
An inch or two lowered shock and/or fork is often all it takes turn an ungainly beast into a chariot of pleasure! Next time you’re at a light or on off camber asphalt ponder how much more confident you might be if your feet where solidly on the ground.
Riding today, just a little putt to return a test bike, but it was warm out and I was on the gas and was reminded of why I love bikes so much. A hot day on a hot road, nuthin’ but the sound of an angry motor turning fossil fuels into noise and speed. Kinda seeps into your bones and each inhale is followed by a slower e…xhale that seems to take with it the challenges of day to day life. I could feel the tension leave my body and my shoulders relax as I slouched down into the bike. Maybe other vehicles can do that for you, but I haven’t found one yet.
Hello. I thought you might want to hear some positive feedback regarding my experiences with Progressive Suspension and, specifically, Juston Barber. Last Wednesday night, I went to adjust my “adjustable” shocks installed by a HD dealer when I got bike new in 2005. To my horror, I found one shoc…k damaged (verified at time of installation). I have running on one shock for the past 17000 miles and 11 states this year. To make matters worse, they would not help me in time to make my local rally (Lone Star Rally in Galveston) which started Thursday. I live close by but had arrangements to stay in Glaveston for the rally. After trying to get 422’s from many sources, I called Progressive Suspension at 1:00pm n Thursday. Justin Barber deiscussed the matter but said there were no 422’s ready for shipment. He understood my dilemma. He offered to personally build me a set, have them on a UPS truck by 3:00pm, and I would have delivery by noon on Friday. I took him up on the offer. On Friday, I rec’d the shocks at 9:30am, had them on the bike, rode-tested and adjusted by 10:30, and by 11:30, my wife and I were on the road to the rally. we had a great time. I told everyone about my poor treatment by HD and the great service I got from Progressive Suspension. I want to thank your company and Mr. Barber. It’s not cool to be going to the largest rally in the country in a car. I will be looking for front springs to compliment my excellent ride on the rear.
What’s the right way to lower a sportbike? Or any other monoshock bike? Well, it’s certainly NOT links. Lowering links are a compromise that often degrades teh performance of the suspension, decreases the spring rate when just the opposite is needed and allows the tire to contact inner fender and other parts of the bike. So what’s the right way to lower a sportbike? Glad you asked. Above is a spy shot of a ZX14 shock utilizing our latest “drop in” style lowering kit. The stock spring is replaced with a shorter main spring and an additional “compensation spring” that compresses under the weight of the bike and drop the rear end, yet still allows full droop travel! The result is a lowered suspension without any of the compromises of links! Look for more info soon!
True high performance front suspension has finally made its way to the HD Touring line. Progressive Suspension’s state of the art Monotube Fork Kit represents the pinnacle of bagger front end handling. High performance specialty components replace the sloppy open bath damping found in HD forks. The kit features a set of gas charged Monotube dampers and a set of custom tuned fork springs.
Monotube style damping improves ride comfort, resistance to front brake dive as well as improving front end stability, cornering and bottoming control. The kit fits 1997 though 2010 HD Touring model forks, and replaces all of the internal parts. Converts dual Damper rod, AND Damper rod / Cartridge forks found on 02-2005 models, to true high performance Monotube damping! No mods are required and install is relatively simple. Check it out on their website, or contact your local Progressive Suspension dealer for more information.
Often overlooked, street bike shocks have one hell of a tough job and this video is a small example of just that. This was shot on our secret test loop on an 09 Street Glide and running a set of our AirDragger shocks.
This is a pretty cool deal, for the month of September, pick up a set of 440 Sereis shocks from your favorite dealer, send us a copy of the receipt and we’ll mail you out a FREE set of progressive rate fork springs (stock or lowered)! That’s up to a $118 savings!
Lots of you Bagger guys swapping to 21″ front wheels, we love the look, too and are quite often asked what should be done to the front suspension once the taller wheel is installed.
Hop into a new car and all it takes is a click to adjust your reach to the pedals. Swing your leg over a new bike and you may be in real danger of doing the tip-toe topple at your next gas station visit.
