It only took 4 try's and a ton of my bullheaded nonsense, but I have finally come up with a effective solution to my shock issues. Alot of us have tried progressives in a number of styles to lower our bikes and most of us were unhappy. A few holdouts can live with them but I'm old school and don't want something on my bike thats I'm not 100% happy with. I've always liked and had good luck with progressives, so I wanted to figure out what the deal was. Well I figured it out. The 12 inch 412's only have 1.89 inches of travel, while the 12.6's have a much wider 2.53 total inches travel. I know there are a heck of alot better shock than progressives, like Works and Penske (which I happen to own on my Buell), but I wanted to prove that progressives are a good alternative to the high end, very expensive shocks for a heck of alot less money. Well, I'm totally convinced. Heres how my saga worked out and heres why I now have progressive 412's in the 12.6 length and am very happy with them:

First, take a bone stock Low Rider and realize they sit too high and handleing is spongy at best..........




Then do the internet thing and install Progressive drop in fork kit and 12 inch 412's in the rear:




Then get pissed, pull the progressives off the rear, buy a set of lowering blocks and reinstall the stock shocks. In my case, install a set of chrome covers 'cause I like the look.



Then come up with an great idea. Do some research and find out why the 12 inch 412's ride so rough, talk to progressive and order a set of stock length progressives and install them with the lowering blocks. Viola!!!! A well built AMERICAN shock with decent travel and great ride quality.



Anyways, so thats my tale. If your just an old school Shovelhead guy like me whose always like progressives, but don't like the 11-12 inch 412's but "NEED" a lowered bike, this combo really works well. At least for me. Buy the 12.6 412's (I paid $209 deliverd) and install them with 1 inch lowering blocks. Very nice ride, good quality shock and alot more affordable than almost any other top shelf shock. Sure, there are better shocks than the 412's, but with this combo, I don't think there's a shock out there thats this good for this cheap.

 

Sounds like a good set up, thanks for the write up. I've been wondering if I should go with 11's or the 11 1/2's...so maybe 12's with the lowering blocks...still looking and thinking I guess.

 

Well, whatever makes you happy and fits your budget. I have 11" 412's, and they are not that great. They are good for what I need however.. which is just city/highway riding. I don't have many twisties around here, so its fine. They look nice as well...

BUT! If I had the money, I'd have Works or Ohlins thrown on here.

 

I considered trying some FXDX take-offs (13.5" IIRC) with lowering blocks, but ended up finding a great deal on some basically new Ted Tine shocks for the same money, so I went that way. Some say the blocks put too much stress on certain parts, but others have nothing but good things to say about them. Glad you got yours sorted out to suit you.

 

what did you do with the chome covers?

 

My stock Showa's with the home made covers are just sitting in the garage. want them??? J.K.

But like I posted, a quality shock in the proper length is always best, but for the schmucks like me always trying to save a buck, this system worked out best for me and my bike. And $270 is a heck of alot less than the $900 I spent on the Penske thats on my Buell. Thanks for the replys.

 

I'm waiting for a set of 11.5" 440's ,I thik they will be good. I'm taking advantage of the fork spring promo.
Bikerlaw any Idea how much travel the 11.5's have?. I only weigh 185,and rarely go 2 up so I think I'll be fine.

 

I have been running the lowering blocks with the 12.6 412's for over a year. I didn't know that this combo was such a secrect, but I don't get on this site much.
Get the black lowering block, they blend right in. The chrome kind of stick out.

 

Maddgohst: heres progressives tech sheet. Says those 11.5 have 1.55 total inches of travel. Not very much to say the least. But in all fairness, the 440 is their top shelf shock.

http://www.progressivesuspension.com/pdfs/7100-105.pdf

06SuperG, It must be more of a secret than we know. I got all kinds of flack about these lowering blocks. Mostly from people that have never tried them and simply repeat internet fodder. Very few run the combo we run of stock length 412's and lowering blocks. I suspect its because most of the bikes on this site are newer and people aren't replacing shocks here because the shocks are junk, more so to lower the bikes. Still, I stick by my statement that 12.6 412's with lowing blocks has been the "best combo for the least amount of money" I have found, in the situation where you need or want to replace the stock Showa's and want to lower the bike all at the same time.

 

Shock travel is everything!
CB