Sportster shocks for handling

[Osco]

Im probly beating a dead horse here but I gotta ask.
I got a 2008 roadster and I dont wanna lower it But I want to be able to adjust compression AND rebound damping. Preload will not help me. I am not bottoming out, I ride solo ,,,215 lbs me and gear.
Am I asking too much ? would the Progressive 440's serve me well?
Also the forks,,I want to keep my droop near stock and not raise the forks more than maybe an inch,,they seem awful low and when I transfer weight they dive a bit too low,again I assume the progressive fork springs will fix some of this. Im hoping I don't have to get into BIG money shocks. Im Not going to push the bike too far into the danger zone I just want to improove the handling some. The stock setup works ok Its just that the Bike is Talking to me asking for more. ,,,,Any thoughts ??

[Dave63]

Progressives are not "Performance shocks".

You need to look at Penske, Ohlins or a performance company, if you want full adjustment.

[Tennjack]

my 883l rides like a hardtail no matter what i do to the shocks my springs are bigger than the ones on other 883`s ive seen . ive rode my brothers 08 883l his rides a lot softer im wondering if theres a chance they put the wrong springs on mine ? pondering a spring change before long i love the way it sits but my ol` ass is getting a tad old . and since they sent all the jobs around here to mexico i cant afford $300 shocks thease days.

[Osco]

Tennjack My 1200R rides fine,,,plenty of shock travel cause its not a low model,,Im just looking for a bit more feedback from the tire contact patch. Im getting good corner traction and the Bike is very predictable. Tons of shocks to look at out there,,also they gotta look natural on the bike if possible. I did feel the brick materialize under my tailbone about the same time the fuel light came on during an Interstate cruize. Oh and BTW,the tach,,RPM at 75mph was 3500.
I found that a bit strange cause I was Expecting 3750 or so. 70 to 90 mph roll on was very smooth. I wont take it beyond that ever,,Its just I had to feel how she handled things. Im bettin that If you guys who ride "Low" models got shocks that were just one inch longer your ass would thank you XD
P.S. Tennjack The dealer told me to run 40 psi rear 36 front,,,book said 36 rear 30 front,,,40 in the rear with my 200 pound ass was a bit harsh...Im running 31 F and 37 rear,,,BIG Diff,,,try it depending on your weight. wife says I got no ass,,lol

[Tennjack]

lol have a friend with a 1200 custom he ran the higher tire pressures his back tire was slick in the middle at around 8,000 miles . the pressure just seems to work for me ive ran 28 in the back of the 77 for over 15 yrs. i think the roads have most of the effects on the tires. on the poker run yesterday i hit a tight left hand turn noticed it was bouncing on the sidewall instead of the shocks wasnt real bad but got my attention for a minute glade the pack was spread out it was a tight 2 lane road . had a good ride tho.

[trispeed]

I like the Hagons. You can buy different spring and damping rate shocks and they also make adjustable damping models. Just do a google search for Hagon shocks, The distributor is on the east coast. I've purchased 5 or 6 sets from him over the years, good stuff.

[Monk]

Noticed something interesting along the lines of this thread...
My ambient temp here is about 25° cooler now than just a coupla' weeks ago.
My suspension loves the cooler weather. Took a nice longish ride today, out to beach, daughter's softball tourney, etc. The handling was something else! Bike felt wonderful, responsive, took bounces better, lots of factors.

I'm thinkin' in the spring I need thicker shock/fork dampening oil to get ready for hot weather.

I had been considerin' changin' a bunch of stuff suspension-wise, but not now.

[Osco]

[quote=Monk;175228]Noticed something interesting along the lines of this thread...etc,etc

Yeah same here,,cooled down some,
Bike feels,,,smoother,,

[vlade]

Check HD site "New Products" "Sportser" Osco thought I saw a set of performance shocks in there, no idea if theyd fit your model

[Monk]

Err... OSCO... I live about a half hour south of you. So I'm not too surprised your weather is cooler too. LOL

Big difference in handling, though, no?
Kinda tough to put one's finger on, but it just felt right somehow.
Ridin' in to work in an hour or so, I'll be payin' attention, you bet. See if it's anything new on the road I take most everyday.

BTW - that "Stoplight changer" magnet I bought for the turn lane signals seems to actually work.
Good investment (~$25.00), I think.

As far as the suspension goes, I'm still planning to add 2" over front tubes and probably 13" rear shocks, but now it's more to raise the bike than improve handling.
I'm just too damned tall... :