Why do a lot of guys lower there bikes??

 

That is not essential, especially if you want a more comfortable ride. My Hagons are an inch longer than stock.

A few riders here aren't guys, but petite gals, which is a good reason for them to lower their rides. I've actually raised my SuperLow, to try to improve ride quality, which is seriously lacking with the stock set-up.

 

Because of what grbrown said and also because a lot of guys think it looks cool. Like me :-)

 

OK, lets get some opinions on how to proceed.
I am a big guy, 265lbs. so what I was going to do:

Change the rear shocks out with progressive heavy duty shocks:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PROGR...ht_1263wt_1165

Change the front fork oil out using heavy weight 20 weight oil.

And possibly add progressive fork springs also:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PROGR...ht_1263wt_1165

 

Changing your fork oil is the best and cheapest place to start for the front. The weight isn't as important as the amount of fork oil. Adding a little more than stock will reduce the volume of air at the top of your forks and effectively increase your spring rate. If you go to a heavier weight of oil, you will risk over-dampening the suspension and your wheel will 'hop' over bumps, loosing contact with the road... not good if you are in a sweeper. A lighter oil will allow the suspension to rebound quick enough to maintain contact, while more oil will 'stiffen' the springs by reducing the compressed air pocket at the top. Just be careful you don't add TOO much oil, else you risk blowing the seals. Progressive springs are a nice luxury, but you can get much more by properly tuning your fork oil. This can be a little tedious, but relatively easy when following good instructions. Find a serious dirt rider to help you, they know all about tuning forks.

My set up is Progressive springs, and BelRay 10W oil, 5.7 inches down from the top of the tube. This is what works for me.

 

My advice is DO NOT buy shocks in a box off the shelf, get them from a dealer who will ensure they have the correct springs for you and your weight. And don't guess! Do it right, then you are much more likely to have an improved ride. Same applies if you replace the fork springs.

I have Hagon shocks and RaceTech springs up front with Emulators on my SuperLow. Stock Harley fork springs are soft and sag too much, so your replacements need to hold you up better. Companies like Hagon take a set of dampers off the shelf and fit springs to suit each customer. That means YOU, not John Doe!

 

My indy really helped me wade through this same issue on my '02 sporty. He recommended the Works Performance brand because of the total build to specs deal. I really could not afford that set. The next recommendation was a set of Progressive 440 in heavy duty version for the rear. They look very similar to the first pic posted in this thread. We also switched out the front springs to hd progressive springs.

I don't care what you get brand wise, just sharing some info from another big guy (235) who rides two up a bunch with all the lil woman's stuff...which makes quite a load. For the two of us, I set the rears shocks to about half way and for just myself I back them off completely. The roads we have around here are horrible, we no longer bottom out on the potholes I fail to miss, the railroad crossings, and the curbs going into gas stations. I love how easy these shocks are to adjust with no tools required.

I am no technical wiz, have no brand loyalty, or care about the brand names. What impressed the heck out of me is how the suspension changes dramatically improved my ride quality. Good luck with your decisions.