I just installed the adjustable shocks that are standard on the FLHX Screamin" Eagle and they're great. No more bone jarring impacts when you hit the slightest bumps with the standard air shocks. It now rides more like my softail, solo & two-up. They feel more like the front suspension and match quite well. Still sporty while keeping the low 12" stance, they soak up the bumps without the sharp impact of the factory air shock . Trust me I really tried these out on some pretty rough Aussie roads and I'm still smiling, and so is the missus.
I'm not sure of prices in the States but this was a no brainer at $700 and the new Progressive around $1300 to $1400 AU... if you can get them.

 

You won't be dissapointed with Ohlins. Bought them from a forum Sponsor, they bolted right up in 10 minutes and were set-up perfectly. Best investment I ever made in a bike. The ride is fantastic!

 

I put the 12" progressive 412's on my RKC and it rides awesome, now my husband wants to put them on his '10 SG cause my bike rides so much nicer than his.

 

I ,too, was tired of the shoddy ride, particularly when riding two up w/tourpak. I picked up a pair of new takeoff 13" shocks from eBay and cobined them with a set of lowering brackets. Terrible idea. Looked great, rode horrible. Now I'm back to the standard 12" Street Glide shocks and running them with 25lbs solo. When the wife's along I pump it up to 35lbs. The ride's ok, just not as good as with the 13"ers. I'm thinking of sending the 13" shocks to bitchin baggers to have them worked for $175 + shipping. They say that can even lower it 1/2" more AND improve the ride. Hmmm....

 

Finally got to ride (WI winter)the Progressive 940 that have been on the bike for months.
They are a HUGE improvement over the 12" HD stocker air shocks. Especially on the really hard bumps, compression and dampening is much smoother.

Shop around and there are fairly decent deals:
Progressive Suspension 940 Series Ultra Touring Shocks - Touring ...
$524.95 new - Phat Performance Parts

 

I couldn't live with the 12" shocks on my SG, so I bought some 12½" Progressive 440's. These were an improvement although finding the sweet spot for ride and bottoming was difficult, but I wasn't quite satisfied. After hearing favorable reviews for the Ohlins sold by Motorcycle Metal I decided to make another change, and they did the trick. Very smooth ride, excellent control, and no bottoming (yet) even when loaded. I bought the 13¼" #2-3 last September and I'm still amazed at how these absorb bumps, enough to make it less important for me to attach my backrest when on long rides. Howard may still be giving a nice discount if you mention HDForums when ordering.

 

Glad to hear the shock treatment was a success. Should be able to get my bike out of service dept this Saturday - thanks for the report - Hap06

 

If I found a set on eBay that said Eye to Eye Measurement 12 3/4" is that the longer ones?

 

You have the exact problem I always had on my 07 SG. Get enough air in the shocks to keep from bottoming, and it rode like a brick. Get a decent ride, and it bottoms over every little bump.

What I wound up doing on that bike was to put 13" stock shocks on, with 1" lowering blocks to keep the ride height the same. Worked great for me.

The 09-10 SG shocks, IMHO, are a huge improvement over prior years. They are still more touchy to get the pressure right (lets face it, you got 1" less of travel to play with) but they are light years ahead of the 08-prior low profile shocks. Haven't felt the need to replace them on my 09 yet.

 

Can you adjust the preload on those without pulling the bags off?