Progressive rear shocks best price

[lockwoodjohn]

Hi everyone,
Want to upgrade my stock rear shocks with Progressive shocks. where is the best place to purchase them. The cheapest price. I know I can get them right from progressive.

Thank You Lockwoodjohn

[voyager55]

www.google.com

[ghostler]

Previous owner replaced the rear shocks with a custom air shock ($$$), so I haven't messed with the rears, this is academic.

Amazon has a pair of rear Progressives for $67.68 with free shipping. Says they are compatible with my 2001 XII. I think I bought my front ones from the same seller, they worked out well. However, I'd verify just to be sure they are the right ones.

https://smile.amazon.com/Progressive-Su ... 000UKCQ2A/

[lockwoodjohn]

thank you for all the information!
Lockwoodjohn

[voyager55]

Buy the entire shock assembled. 2 bolts and they are on.

[Barry]

Both ebay and amazon are currently at $269 with shippping. I couldn't find them anywhere cheaper. I did call a few places, but gave up and just ordered them. Progressive 412-4221C

[cranky]

.... just curious, do you know the inch length rear shocks to get with front
progressive springs, as they DO raise the front end up!!! Might hafta do
that also... The Progressive front springs really lifted it up!!! I think
one of the previous owners also took some front spacers out for an
inseam problem.... cause I had to re-cut my windshield again after
the change!!! 2 1/2'+!!!!!

[ghostler]

With my bike, the Progressives up front restored normal height. The original springs had the spacer there, but they behaved as though they were worn out. I'd think that is what happened to your bike. The backs use higher air pressure and as a result, I'd think that if it were aired up to max would give an idea whether rear springs are shot or not.
(But that is just a conjecture.)

[Barry]

I'm pretty sure the rear shocks should be 13 inches.
Regarding suspension sag: In a perfect world, with no one sitting on the bike, the front and rear suspension should be at the top of their travel. Hypothetically, say you had 5 inches of suspension travel. ( I think we have less travel) When you sit on the bike the suspension front and rear should drop at least an inch or more, so when you're riding there is suspension travel both upwards and downwards, always keeping the tires in contact with the road surface. The only reason that progressive front springs would raise the front of the bike would be if the original springs were shot.

[Nails]

Regarding suspension sag: In a perfect world, with no one sitting on the bike, the front and rear suspension should be at the top of their travel. ... When you sit on the bike the suspension front and rear should drop at least an inch or more, so when you're riding there is suspension travel both upwards and downwards, always keeping the tires in contact with the road surface.

With respect, the springs would be fully extended only with the wheels in the air. When you put the wheels on the ground, the suspension compresses some. It compresses some more when you sit on it. And a little more if you bounce on it and let it settle.

This is preload. With dirt bikes, I shoot for about 28% of the suspension travel. (AFAIK, this is true for all bikes.) You might be able to get that with a preload adjuster, if available.

Otherwise, you might just need stiffer springs. Or springs that haven't become noodles.

When you sit on the bike the suspension front and rear should drop at least an inch or more, so when you're riding there is suspension travel both upwards and downwards, always keeping the tires in contact with the road surface. The only reason that progressive front springs would raise the front of the bike would be if the original springs were shot.

Just as you say. (I'm making a distinction without a difference.)

For dirt bikes again (where this actually matters a lot), I measure the height of the suspension as fully compressed (such as when you have the springs out/off). When it's back together, measure the length with the tires off the ground. (Use whatever reference points you like best, with some allowance for geometry that isn't normal to the ground.) This is the total suspension travel (or just look it up).

If you like, measure the lengths after you put it on the ground (static load), but honestly I don't know what to do with that, other than as a proxy for how fat I'm getting. Then measure the length when sitting on it (yeah, need someone else to measure it). This is preload. Some folks make a fuss about stiction: how much shorter it gets after you bounce a bit and let it settle, versus just sit in it and call it good. But I don't have much use for this, either (the seals &etc certainly are sticky, though). I just have a friend measure after I bounce some.

Now do some advanced arithmetic and calculate the percent of the total suspension travel taken up by the non-stiction preload. If it's, say, 20%, then I want springs that are about 8% softer. If my springs are 100 lb/inch, then I want to replace them with springs that are about 92 lb/inch.

And then you can get silly-complicated with damping rates &etc. Cartridge forks, or add-on emulators (like Race Tech), allow getting silly like that.

No, I haven't measured this stuff on my XII, either. I'm just spurting what I think I know. (An "expert" is a spurt under pressure.)

[Barry]

Nails,
I agree with all you said. I've only met one vxii rider that installed Race Tech Emulators on his vxii. He says it was one of the best modifications to his vxii. I can also say that he was hard to keep up with in the twisties. But now he rides a 1700 and is on the board of directors.

[cushman eagle]

When my left OEM shock started leaking oil,I researched progressive 412 shocks,and saw they were charged with nitrogen.With the high failure rate of the nitrogen charge in the struts for doors and hoods in our farm equipment,I decided to buy progressive 416s so I could recharge them at home in a couple minutes.I find no advantage of the 416s over the OEMs after I changed the OEM oil to lo-vis ATF accept the 416s do not leak.

[Nails]

and is on the board of directors

They only accept Emulators on this BoD?

[Neal]

Nails,
I agree with all you said. I've only met one vxii rider that installed Race Tech Emulators on his vxii. He says it was one of the best modifications to his vxii. I can also say that he was hard to keep up with in the twisties. But now he rides a 1700 and is on the board of directors.

But in his 'previous life' his hobby was road racing.