Harley shocks are $15 a set shocks. The BEST Progressive shocks are worth about $100 compared to Fox, Ohlin's, Works, WP, or Penske. Air shocks are a joke also. Good suspension and brakes are the most important things you can set up on your bike. Adding Chrome is the last thing you should even think about. Most will not understand but the ones that do will find their money better spent and ride their bikes more and further.

 

OK, great... nice write up.

So when does Howard let us all in on the secret and where to get these "mystery" shocks?????

 

This thread is ridiculous.

 

[The story takes an interesting twist. Howard Messner, always interested in educating us in the vagaries of Harley Davidson suspension issues, called me and said he was sending me a set of shocks to test. No charge. He wouldn’t accept anything except the cost of postage.]

So who the hell is Howard Messner and how did he know you blew the shock in the first place?

 

one thing for sure, if you never adjusted the 440's from their initial settings, I can see why they would have blown out on you.
Matter of fact, if you were riding the progressives with them adjusted incorrectly this comparison is null and void. Can't really compare an ill adjusted shock with a correctly adjusted one .

 

I don't believe you. Have Howard send me a pair of these mystery shocks so I can check this out to verify your findings.

 

Maybe he can sell you a pair.......

Respects,
Ed

 

Rounder, I didn't make my point clear- the Progressive's were better than the OEM's, but they only provided one kind of adjustment- spring preload. I adjusted for my riding and found the right setting on the preload for me. My wife and I took several trips- Deals Gap, Lake Michigan Loop, etc from Chicago, and we hauled camping gear. On those trips I increased the preload so we were riding on shocks that worked the majority of time in the "middle third" of their full travel ranger and didn't bottom out. That's roughly what the goal is with any shock, though as I learn more about suspensions I suspect that rule will get thrown out the window, too. The only adjustment Progressive HD 440's permit is spring preload, and it helped. It just wasn't as good as can be, and that's the point for me. To find the best ride I can for the ride I take. I'd be on the bike 12 months out of the year, if I didn't live in Chicago! but I push it as far as I can, and I want the best ride I can afford.
Hope this helps explain where I'm comin from. Ride safe. Jay

 

Howard Messner is the one that originally developed the dual brake system that JayRisk is using on his bike. He owns Motorcycle Metal, is a site sponsor, and works on and upgrades Harley suspensions for a living.

 

Very interesting posts. The Progressive HD440s on my bike have been a great improvement over the original shocks as everyone here have said; so good that I installed Progressive springs on the front. Even though the 440s have a lifetime warranty it only replaces the shocks, which wouldn't help much if you'd have lost it and gotten hurt when your shocks failed.