Progressive 944 installed today
#1
Progressive 944 installed today
Ordered from Cycleplicity on Monday and they arrived today
2013 SG, I'm 205lbs and Progressive recommended standard springs. I ride about 90% solo, but these will be fine with wife on also.
Install (including setting sag) took about 45 minutes (includes finding my torque wrench, walking over to get my neighbor and waiting for him to finish dinner). So, actual time to remove old shocks and install new ones was only about 15 minutes.
I have 1 1/4 turn…which just barely shows one line. This gave me a sag of 1 inch. I have my razor pak on--not in solo configuration like my sig pic.
Pros
Upon riding, I found the rear end to feel tighter in turns, felt more planted, less moving around, and not as bouncy as before. I actually liked this a lot. I felt like I could take the curves a lot better. Before, if there were irregularities in the road, they would move me around a little as I was leaning in the curve. Not so anymore.
All in all, I felt more feedback. Felt like my Bimmer set in "sport mode" whereas stock shocks felt like "comfort mode." I don't say that to say they're uncomfortable, but if plush, soft, pillowy is what you want then I wouldn't buy these.
I could feel the bike riding over most of the normal bumps and irregularities in the road. I went over a few rail road tracks that normally bounce me around a bit and the bike road right over them with limited disturbance.
There is one speed bump type irregularity in the road---it's pretty ferocious. Normally, the bike bottoms out as the shocks compress after hitting it. It normally sends a shock up my spine. I'll admit---with these new shocks, I was thrown up as I hit this spot. My butt literally came off the seat...but no bottoming out at all as the shock compressed. I'm okay with that because, as I said, it's a pretty ferocious spot---like the road has buckled up into a speed bump.
The cons
Front end now feels loose---the rear is so planted right now and provides so much feedback, the front end just feels weird. This means I'll probably drop in some monutubes soon. I'm sure it'll be fine as is--but I deliberately paid a lot of attention to it.
Lastly, I'll put a lot more miles on it as is. Hopefully, I can get out on a good ride Saturday. If I do feel that I need it softer, I can back it off from the 1 1/4 turn. My concern was making things comfortable for wife--I had some bottoming out with her--just too much softness/mushiness for my liking. I think I'll like these for 2-up also.
2013 SG, I'm 205lbs and Progressive recommended standard springs. I ride about 90% solo, but these will be fine with wife on also.
Install (including setting sag) took about 45 minutes (includes finding my torque wrench, walking over to get my neighbor and waiting for him to finish dinner). So, actual time to remove old shocks and install new ones was only about 15 minutes.
I have 1 1/4 turn…which just barely shows one line. This gave me a sag of 1 inch. I have my razor pak on--not in solo configuration like my sig pic.
Pros
Upon riding, I found the rear end to feel tighter in turns, felt more planted, less moving around, and not as bouncy as before. I actually liked this a lot. I felt like I could take the curves a lot better. Before, if there were irregularities in the road, they would move me around a little as I was leaning in the curve. Not so anymore.
All in all, I felt more feedback. Felt like my Bimmer set in "sport mode" whereas stock shocks felt like "comfort mode." I don't say that to say they're uncomfortable, but if plush, soft, pillowy is what you want then I wouldn't buy these.
I could feel the bike riding over most of the normal bumps and irregularities in the road. I went over a few rail road tracks that normally bounce me around a bit and the bike road right over them with limited disturbance.
There is one speed bump type irregularity in the road---it's pretty ferocious. Normally, the bike bottoms out as the shocks compress after hitting it. It normally sends a shock up my spine. I'll admit---with these new shocks, I was thrown up as I hit this spot. My butt literally came off the seat...but no bottoming out at all as the shock compressed. I'm okay with that because, as I said, it's a pretty ferocious spot---like the road has buckled up into a speed bump.
The cons
Front end now feels loose---the rear is so planted right now and provides so much feedback, the front end just feels weird. This means I'll probably drop in some monutubes soon. I'm sure it'll be fine as is--but I deliberately paid a lot of attention to it.
Lastly, I'll put a lot more miles on it as is. Hopefully, I can get out on a good ride Saturday. If I do feel that I need it softer, I can back it off from the 1 1/4 turn. My concern was making things comfortable for wife--I had some bottoming out with her--just too much softness/mushiness for my liking. I think I'll like these for 2-up also.
#3
#4
I love my 944's. Solo I leave them set all the way up and the ride is very smooth. Wife on the back I crank them up to the first line and all is good. She doesn't complain now so that is good enough for me. We are 200 solo and 400 two up. (standard springs)
I also went ahead and installed the mono tubes in the front end. Now the bike rides so dang nice it's a real joy to cruise.
I also went ahead and installed the mono tubes in the front end. Now the bike rides so dang nice it's a real joy to cruise.
#5
**Follow up***
Rode to Ray Price in Raleigh yesterday on my initial 1 inch sag setup, which is 1 1/4 turn for me. Things were really smooth and nice, but then I got on I40 and things got a little ruff in some areas and although I never bottomed out, I felt that if I had things a bit stiffer, I would have ridden over the ruff areas a little better.
Keep in mind, Progressive told me that though 1 inch sag was too soft and they recommend 3/4 inch sag. I had two technicians tell me this which I thought was strange because most of the forum recommend 1/3 of the travel for sag. Anyway, I had already measured out the number of turns it took to gain 3/4 inch sag just in case. I got to Ray Price, cranked it up to 2 full turns (3/4 inch sag)…and the ride back was even better. It wasn't as soft and buttery as before, but the ruff spots--the bike didn't dip as much on them. I actually like the two full turns even better--bike seems to go over irregularities even better…..so, I'll leave it as is for now. I'm thinking this may be my solo setup, even if loaded up for a solo trip.
My wife doesn't ride much, but I'll crank it up to 3 or 4 turns for our first ride to figure things out.
Rode to Ray Price in Raleigh yesterday on my initial 1 inch sag setup, which is 1 1/4 turn for me. Things were really smooth and nice, but then I got on I40 and things got a little ruff in some areas and although I never bottomed out, I felt that if I had things a bit stiffer, I would have ridden over the ruff areas a little better.
Keep in mind, Progressive told me that though 1 inch sag was too soft and they recommend 3/4 inch sag. I had two technicians tell me this which I thought was strange because most of the forum recommend 1/3 of the travel for sag. Anyway, I had already measured out the number of turns it took to gain 3/4 inch sag just in case. I got to Ray Price, cranked it up to 2 full turns (3/4 inch sag)…and the ride back was even better. It wasn't as soft and buttery as before, but the ruff spots--the bike didn't dip as much on them. I actually like the two full turns even better--bike seems to go over irregularities even better…..so, I'll leave it as is for now. I'm thinking this may be my solo setup, even if loaded up for a solo trip.
My wife doesn't ride much, but I'll crank it up to 3 or 4 turns for our first ride to figure things out.
Last edited by sfcmo357; 08-17-2014 at 09:36 AM.
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