2014 and newer Harley-Davidson Baggers’s suspension can be improved with the new True high performance front suspension from Progressive. The suspension experts have combined their road smoothing Frequency Sensing Technology (FST) damper with a progressive rate spring to create a state of the art fork cartridge kit for the late model baggers.
The way it works? An asymmetrical layout places a progressive rate spring in one leg and an aluminum bodied, sealed cartridge damper on the other. The result is superior damping via the internal bypass of the FST valve, increased ride control and a new benchmark for high performance front suspension.
Monotube cartridge style damping improves ride comfort, resistance to front brake dive as well as improving front end stability, cornering and bottoming control. No mods or special tools are required for install. Available in stock or lowered version. MSRP $499.95. Check it out on their website at Progressive Suspension or contact your local dealer for more information.
Improvement of motorcycle suspension is getting extremely sophisticated. Same for cars.
Does not get much better than Progressive Suspension
Wayy better than stock
Nuff Said !!!!!
Must have. Added to FLRX and eliminated nosedive and improved response in steering.
Badams,
Question, how did the for springs improve the response in the steering on your bike? From your post it sounds like your bike has a steering wheel.
Not trying to be a wise ass, I’m just curious as to exactly how Mechanicly the product improved the steering? From the little bit I am aware of with bikes, when rolling above about 15mph or so, for all practical purposes the front wheel might move 1/8″ left or right.
any info on this would be great
Steve Carr
Steve Carr,
You raise a valid point.
The article cites “front end stability, cornering and bottoming control”, bar marketing propaganda, it can basically mean anything.
That in mind, you would ask, compared to what? The “existing one dummy” – would be the immediate response from the peanut gallery.
Well, for a heavy touring bike, the only REAL improvement will be with HUD-END STEERING or something similar to BMW’s Telelever/Duolever – anything else is simply dressing a monkey in silk…
We love hard question like that! Baggers, and really most cruiser format motorcycles are under sprung and poorly damped, in a corner that lack of control translates to chassis oscillation. Meaning, the front suspension compresses and then rebounds an inappropriate amount while cornering. Why do you care? imagine your favorite corner, you come in with a good head steam, apply a little brake and tip into the corner. You’ve now transferred weight to the front of the bike. Your stock suspension will likely compress far too much which will then force you to correct to hold your line. The poor damping will then allow the fork to return too quickly forcing you to correct again. That’s oscillation and not a great way to enjoy one of the things a motorcycle does best. Now imagine the same corner, a little braking and you’ve set your line through the corner, your bike now holds that line and you accelerate cleanly out of the apex. That is improved front end stability and cornering control.
As for bottoming control, we’ve tuned the spring as well as damping curve to ramp up as your bike moves through the suspension stroke. Why do you care about that one? Well, sometimes you hit big stuff and the better the bottoming control is, the less of the energy of that hit is translated to your body.
Not really sure how to explain your silk monkey issues.
Progressive Suspension,
Not sure this message will get to you, but your response is greatly appreciated, nonetheless.
I think Steve Carr is asking you for some of your I.P. secrets and getting those are not likely.
Briefly I would observe, you have separated the spring and dampener, into two solitary units (operating as a unit through clamped via a single triple-tree at one end and the axle at the other). This allows for the space to make both function better, thus according to you guys (and I am sure you know your stuff after being in the business some time) it functions better as a whole, under demanding load conditions (ie both for compression and dampening – ie control – to negate the unduly oscillation of the motorcycle body).
I am sure this has merit and equally that your product does offer improvement over the SHOWA items on the stock Harley (with respect, SHOWA is not the worst, there was a time when the stock HD fork was SHOCKING – excuse the pun).
VERY BRIEFLY MY SILK ‘N MONKEY RETORT:
High performance motorcycles have progressed (again no pun intended) from a dual shock (spring and dampener) arrangement at the rear to a single mono-shock (I hardly have to tell you guys why).
A notable exception is your alma mater Harley Davidson (that marches to a different beat period). Their touring model retains the dual rear shock (despite effectively hiding it behind the bags). Strangely its least ‘sporty’ model – the Softail – effectively has a single shock (irrespective the fact that it is served by two pieces).
Yet most of the industry stubbornly clings to two shocks up front – where the loads/demands are even higher than at the back. The general exception is BMW – who (strangely) are the ones who invented the telescopic fork. And you ask yourself why motorcycling attracts a strange breed…
My 2 cents worth is, until there is a single shock up front, you are limited to single digit percentage points improvements.
The message did indeed get to us! Thank you for a very thoughtful reply.
For the record, the Softail twin shock arrangement is different than the Bagger set up in that it extends under load instead of compresses. BOTH swingarms see the shocks as one suspension system. The same for modern day forks.
Nothing wrong with a twin shock setup for a street bike, nor a traditional fork arrangement and both can be improved DRAMATICALLY with proper components.
Swing by, we’ll take you on a few of our test loops!