Smart upgrade. I have an 05 Super that I put 1" taller Ohlins rear shocks on and it's the best thing that can happen to a Dyna. I get the cruiser look but I commute on my bike on public roads. I matched the Ohlins with Progressive stock ride height springs in the front. If you don't have these, get them. I scored a pair over the winter on Amazon for $70 shipped. Replaced fork fluid with Lucas hydraulic fluid (seal and anti foam additives) and couldn't be happier with the set up. With the rear up higher, not too noticeable with my bags on, my body is shifted to a position where I feel like I have better control. Bike also stays much flatter in moderate to heavy braking. I also put on brand new tires with the suspension upgrades so it's been a great summer so far!
Progressive 444 shock install
I have a 2009 Dyna Super Glide with 53.5k on the odometer. Right after buying the biker new I put progressive springs in the forks with Progressive 412 shocks on the rear. It has been a good riding bike with excellent handling characteristics.
Yesterday I replaced the 412 rear shocks with a pair of Progressive 444's. The new shocks are 1/2" taller than the 412's that they replaced. I chose the standard springs instead of the heavy duty versions. I never ride two-up.
Installation took about an hour. The most time consuming aspect was getting the sleeves inserted into the rubber bushings where the shocks connect to the frame. Finally a little Balistol and a pair of channel locks got the job done.
I don't know exactly what I was hoping to achieve, other than possibly a more refined ride on harsh road surfaces and possibly slightly more responsive due to the decreased head angle. Late in the afternoon I cleaned up the tools and headed out to try to determine if there was much of a difference between Progressive 412's and their considerably more expensive cousins - 444's.
It did not take long to figure out that there is a big difference between how my Dyna rides and handles with the 444's. First of all, the change in the head angle (fork angle) didn't make the bike feel twitchy at all. Steering was as precise as it had always been. I didn't have to make any change to how I set up for corners or how the bike tracked in a corner. Straight-line tracking was predictable and controllable. It was nearly impossible to say that steering had changed much.
Road defects and bumps felt a lot different with the 444's. It took a while to get used to hitting bumps and barely feeling them. These were the same bumps that used to jar the hell out me with the 412's on the bike. The overall ride was very smooth with the new shocks. There was no sense of floating (I set the preload on the second notch without taking the time to set the initial sag.)
The shocks handled well going west on I-40. I hit 85 mph passing a wobbly truck and they suspension felt great. Heading home on Old-18, out of Marion, NC the 444's handled every bump and pothole with ease. Old 18 is one of my favorite country roads. It is like a roller coaster for motorcycles - lots of turns, up and down a lot and it is free of gravel and other hazards that plague some of the roads here in western NC.
The only downside that I could find, and this was predictable when I ordered a taller shock, was that the bike is about 1/2" taller when measured from the saddle. It was not a big deal for me, but it could be for some other riders. Then again you could avoid this issues by simply ordering the stock shock length or shorter.
There was one anomaly that I have yet to get my head around. I was taking corners at speeds where I would have normally been dragging the pegs and that was not happening. Ok, you say, the pegs are now higher off the road because of the longer shocks. That is correct, but it does not explain why the bike was taking some pretty harsh corners in a noticeably more upright posture. The bike was not leaning anywhere near as far as it did with the old shocks on it.
These were roads that I have ridden on for six years or more. I know just were I need to set up for every turn on Old-18 and I know where the pegs should hit the ground as well as the angle of the bike going in and coming out of the turn. I am guessing that has more to do with the altered head/fork angle than with how the shocks were doing their job. Whatever the case, I really the improved handling in turns.
All of that said, I have never been a big fan of putting high-performance race shocks on a cruiser. Most race shocks do not deliver a very comfortable ride and they don't perform well at cruiser/touring speeds. Most cruiser riders will never ride at the speeds that are necessary to truly take advantage of a high-performance racing-style shock absorber.
The Progressive 444 is a great compromise between a more comfortable touring shock and a high-performance shock at a more affordable price (though definitely not cheap). I think that the 444 delivers everything that cruiser/touring rider could ask from their rear suspension.
I could see the 444 being a great replacement shock for the touring/bagger crowd too. You can adjust the preset without any tools, and yes Ethyl, you have to take the bags off to adjust them, but how long does it take to remove a saddle bag.
Would I go back to my previously beloved Progressive 412's? No! The 412 is an improvement from stock Harley shocks. But it can't hold a candle to the 444's.
Pete
Yesterday I replaced the 412 rear shocks with a pair of Progressive 444's. The new shocks are 1/2" taller than the 412's that they replaced. I chose the standard springs instead of the heavy duty versions. I never ride two-up.
Installation took about an hour. The most time consuming aspect was getting the sleeves inserted into the rubber bushings where the shocks connect to the frame. Finally a little Balistol and a pair of channel locks got the job done.
I don't know exactly what I was hoping to achieve, other than possibly a more refined ride on harsh road surfaces and possibly slightly more responsive due to the decreased head angle. Late in the afternoon I cleaned up the tools and headed out to try to determine if there was much of a difference between Progressive 412's and their considerably more expensive cousins - 444's.
It did not take long to figure out that there is a big difference between how my Dyna rides and handles with the 444's. First of all, the change in the head angle (fork angle) didn't make the bike feel twitchy at all. Steering was as precise as it had always been. I didn't have to make any change to how I set up for corners or how the bike tracked in a corner. Straight-line tracking was predictable and controllable. It was nearly impossible to say that steering had changed much.
Road defects and bumps felt a lot different with the 444's. It took a while to get used to hitting bumps and barely feeling them. These were the same bumps that used to jar the hell out me with the 412's on the bike. The overall ride was very smooth with the new shocks. There was no sense of floating (I set the preload on the second notch without taking the time to set the initial sag.)
The shocks handled well going west on I-40. I hit 85 mph passing a wobbly truck and they suspension felt great. Heading home on Old-18, out of Marion, NC the 444's handled every bump and pothole with ease. Old 18 is one of my favorite country roads. It is like a roller coaster for motorcycles - lots of turns, up and down a lot and it is free of gravel and other hazards that plague some of the roads here in western NC.
The only downside that I could find, and this was predictable when I ordered a taller shock, was that the bike is about 1/2" taller when measured from the saddle. It was not a big deal for me, but it could be for some other riders. Then again you could avoid this issues by simply ordering the stock shock length or shorter.
There was one anomaly that I have yet to get my head around. I was taking corners at speeds where I would have normally been dragging the pegs and that was not happening. Ok, you say, the pegs are now higher off the road because of the longer shocks. That is correct, but it does not explain why the bike was taking some pretty harsh corners in a noticeably more upright posture. The bike was not leaning anywhere near as far as it did with the old shocks on it.
These were roads that I have ridden on for six years or more. I know just were I need to set up for every turn on Old-18 and I know where the pegs should hit the ground as well as the angle of the bike going in and coming out of the turn. I am guessing that has more to do with the altered head/fork angle than with how the shocks were doing their job. Whatever the case, I really the improved handling in turns.
All of that said, I have never been a big fan of putting high-performance race shocks on a cruiser. Most race shocks do not deliver a very comfortable ride and they don't perform well at cruiser/touring speeds. Most cruiser riders will never ride at the speeds that are necessary to truly take advantage of a high-performance racing-style shock absorber.
The Progressive 444 is a great compromise between a more comfortable touring shock and a high-performance shock at a more affordable price (though definitely not cheap). I think that the 444 delivers everything that cruiser/touring rider could ask from their rear suspension.
I could see the 444 being a great replacement shock for the touring/bagger crowd too. You can adjust the preset without any tools, and yes Ethyl, you have to take the bags off to adjust them, but how long does it take to remove a saddle bag.
Would I go back to my previously beloved Progressive 412's? No! The 412 is an improvement from stock Harley shocks. But it can't hold a candle to the 444's.
Pete
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Hi- I am stuck at trying to manage the "two shoulder sleeves per eye" stage for my 444s on my 2014 fat bob. I stumbled across your post while searching for a solution. How in the heck did you get the two sleeves in - did you just put one shoulder sleeve in one side and then the other side put another shoulder sleeve? And then gently squeezed with the channel locks? Did you have to worry about having them perfectly in the eye at equal amounts?I have a 2009 Dyna Super Glide with 53.5k on the odometer. Right after buying the biker new I put progressive springs in the forks with Progressive 412 shocks on the rear. It has been a good riding bike with excellent handling characteristics.
Yesterday I replaced the 412 rear shocks with a pair of Progressive 444's. The new shocks are 1/2" taller than the 412's that they replaced. I chose the standard springs instead of the heavy duty versions. I never ride two-up.
Installation took about an hour. The most time consuming aspect was getting the sleeves inserted into the rubber bushings where the shocks connect to the frame. Finally a little Balistol and a pair of channel locks got the job done.
I don't know exactly what I was hoping to achieve, other than possibly a more refined ride on harsh road surfaces and possibly slightly more responsive due to the decreased head angle. Late in the afternoon I cleaned up the tools and headed out to try to determine if there was much of a difference between Progressive 412's and their considerably more expensive cousins - 444's.
It did not take long to figure out that there is a big difference between how my Dyna rides and handles with the 444's. First of all, the change in the head angle (fork angle) didn't make the bike feel twitchy at all. Steering was as precise as it had always been. I didn't have to make any change to how I set up for corners or how the bike tracked in a corner. Straight-line tracking was predictable and controllable. It was nearly impossible to say that steering had changed much.
Road defects and bumps felt a lot different with the 444's. It took a while to get used to hitting bumps and barely feeling them. These were the same bumps that used to jar the hell out me with the 412's on the bike. The overall ride was very smooth with the new shocks. There was no sense of floating (I set the preload on the second notch without taking the time to set the initial sag.)
The shocks handled well going west on I-40. I hit 85 mph passing a wobbly truck and they suspension felt great. Heading home on Old-18, out of Marion, NC the 444's handled every bump and pothole with ease. Old 18 is one of my favorite country roads. It is like a roller coaster for motorcycles - lots of turns, up and down a lot and it is free of gravel and other hazards that plague some of the roads here in western NC.
The only downside that I could find, and this was predictable when I ordered a taller shock, was that the bike is about 1/2" taller when measured from the saddle. It was not a big deal for me, but it could be for some other riders. Then again you could avoid this issues by simply ordering the stock shock length or shorter.
There was one anomaly that I have yet to get my head around. I was taking corners at speeds where I would have normally been dragging the pegs and that was not happening. Ok, you say, the pegs are now higher off the road because of the longer shocks. That is correct, but it does not explain why the bike was taking some pretty harsh corners in a noticeably more upright posture. The bike was not leaning anywhere near as far as it did with the old shocks on it.
These were roads that I have ridden on for six years or more. I know just were I need to set up for every turn on Old-18 and I know where the pegs should hit the ground as well as the angle of the bike going in and coming out of the turn. I am guessing that has more to do with the altered head/fork angle than with how the shocks were doing their job. Whatever the case, I really the improved handling in turns.
All of that said, I have never been a big fan of putting high-performance race shocks on a cruiser. Most race shocks do not deliver a very comfortable ride and they don't perform well at cruiser/touring speeds. Most cruiser riders will never ride at the speeds that are necessary to truly take advantage of a high-performance racing-style shock absorber.
The Progressive 444 is a great compromise between a more comfortable touring shock and a high-performance shock at a more affordable price (though definitely not cheap). I think that the 444 delivers everything that cruiser/touring rider could ask from their rear suspension.
I could see the 444 being a great replacement shock for the touring/bagger crowd too. You can adjust the preset without any tools, and yes Ethyl, you have to take the bags off to adjust them, but how long does it take to remove a saddle bag.
Would I go back to my previously beloved Progressive 412's? No! The 412 is an improvement from stock Harley shocks. But it can't hold a candle to the 444's.
Pete
It's Friday and Progressive doesn't open until Monday. Thanks for your response.
Nice write up. But are you really comparing 412s with 444s? Keep in mind the 412s have 53K miles on them like you stated and with all those miles, they could have deteriorated a small bit at a time and you never notice until you buy a new pair. Just like when I replace tires with the same model tires, I feel a world of difference from the new to the old. I'm just a little suspect that they make that much difference. Be nice if someone could test new 412s with new 444s.
There was no discernible difference between the 412's from when they were new to when I replaced them. I never even had to adjust the preload once it was set. Fluid and valves in shocks tend not to wear out. Most shocks have to be replaced once they start to leak.
The Progressive 444 shock has much more sophisticated dampening than the 412. They dampen on both compression and on rebound; 412's do not dampen on rebound. I have Rikor valves with Traxion single rate springs in the front forks. Rikor valves dampen on rebound, unlike the stock Harley forks. The difference in how a suspension responds when it is not pogo-sticking on rebound is absolutely incredible.
In addition to that, the 444 shocks use Progressives 'Frequency Sensing Technology.' What that means is that the valving can adjust to road conditions and how hard you are riding the bike.
The 444 has a threaded preload adjuster - the 412 does not. With the 412 you have a very limited number of preset preload settings. Preload on the 444 is infinitley adjustable. You can set it just where you want it.
A lot of riders do not set their rear shocks preload where it should be. They find a notch that is comfortable without experimenting to find the best setting for the road conditions, load or how they like to ride. What even fewer riders know is that fine adjustments to preload can make a lot of difference in how your bike rides and how it handles.
Most riders never set the sag for their front suspension. They just ride whatever the factory settings are and never consider that it could be better. I have fork caps that let me adjust the preload on my front suspension. You would not believe how much difference it makes when you adjust the spring preload by just .25 inches.
The Progressive 412 is a good shock absorber. It is a definitely an upgrade from the stock shocks that come on Harley Davidson motorcycles. The 444's are in an entirely different league than the 412's. The 444's also come with a lifetime warranty.
Pete
The Progressive 444 shock has much more sophisticated dampening than the 412. They dampen on both compression and on rebound; 412's do not dampen on rebound. I have Rikor valves with Traxion single rate springs in the front forks. Rikor valves dampen on rebound, unlike the stock Harley forks. The difference in how a suspension responds when it is not pogo-sticking on rebound is absolutely incredible.
In addition to that, the 444 shocks use Progressives 'Frequency Sensing Technology.' What that means is that the valving can adjust to road conditions and how hard you are riding the bike.
The 444 has a threaded preload adjuster - the 412 does not. With the 412 you have a very limited number of preset preload settings. Preload on the 444 is infinitley adjustable. You can set it just where you want it.
A lot of riders do not set their rear shocks preload where it should be. They find a notch that is comfortable without experimenting to find the best setting for the road conditions, load or how they like to ride. What even fewer riders know is that fine adjustments to preload can make a lot of difference in how your bike rides and how it handles.
Most riders never set the sag for their front suspension. They just ride whatever the factory settings are and never consider that it could be better. I have fork caps that let me adjust the preload on my front suspension. You would not believe how much difference it makes when you adjust the spring preload by just .25 inches.
The Progressive 412 is a good shock absorber. It is a definitely an upgrade from the stock shocks that come on Harley Davidson motorcycles. The 444's are in an entirely different league than the 412's. The 444's also come with a lifetime warranty.
Pete
Nice write up. But are you really comparing 412s with 444s? Keep in mind the 412s have 53K miles on them like you stated and with all those miles, they could have deteriorated a small bit at a time and you never notice until you buy a new pair. Just like when I replace tires with the same model tires, I feel a world of difference from the new to the old. I'm just a little suspect that they make that much difference. Be nice if someone could test new 412s with new 444s.
That was a pain in the ass. I used channel-locks pliers and some Ballistol for lubrication. Dish soap and water should do the trick too. I don't think that you have to get them perfectly in the eye.
Pete
Pete
Hi- I am stuck at trying to manage the "two shoulder sleeves per eye" stage for my 444s on my 2014 fat bob. I stumbled across your post while searching for a solution. How in the heck did you get the two sleeves in - did you just put one shoulder sleeve in one side and then the other side put another shoulder sleeve? And then gently squeezed with the channel locks? Did you have to worry about having them perfectly in the eye at equal amounts?
It's Friday and Progressive doesn't open until Monday. Thanks for your response.
You used the original washer & lock washers right? Other than that did you use 4 spacers, one for each mounting bolt. Anything else?
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
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