Progressive springs?

pancakecircus

pancakecircus

Member
has anybody tried using progressive fork springs on their bikes? i've used them on other bikes (Hondas) and it makes a big difference in the handling, especially in braking.

i'm trying to do a little research for my 03 Husky and this is what i got.

the official word from Progressive is "That is a model bike we do not list nor do we recommend parts for it. But I have attached our spec and tech sheet for you to compare what you have to what we make." Maybe they are trying to cover thier asses.

from JP Cycles i got this "No one lists exact fitment for Big Dogs but I'm pretty certain the springs linked to below would work just fine for you."

Progressive Suspension Stock-Height Fork Spring Kit for 41mm Forks | 230-456 | J&P Cycles

thanks..
 
standuprick

standuprick

Active Member
Yes, on my 04 mastiff I did. Actually, just sold them about a month ago. Well worth the money. Basically, just look for 41mm wide glide progressive springs. Figure out the weight of your bike and find a Harley(wide glide front end) around the same weight and you will be golden. The springs come shorter than the stock ones since they are progressive. Read progressives installation instruction on their website so you kinda know what to expect when doing them. You will need a couple feet of 3/4 pvc pipe for preload spacers. Cut them to length according to their instructions. You might have to have less preload since their springs are much better. There is alot to suspension. I am very picky with mine. You can adjust oil height, oil weight and preload spacer to dial in the suspension better than stock. Bottom line I think the stock fork springs are junk. Get progressive. My chopper came with them in it.
 
pancakecircus

pancakecircus

Member
glad to hear that they will work.. thanks. maybe the ones JP cycles suggested will work, i'll double check the version with the Wide Glide ones. At 90 bucks a set it was the best money i spent on my hondas, my Husky dives pretty hard on stops and sometimes won't return at the stop untill i rev the engine and the torque pops it back up. doesn't seem like a good place for a bike company to skimp on.
 
standuprick

standuprick

Active Member
Progressive springs. Have a tighter wind. The work for smaller bumps in "progressively" increase tension the more they are compressed. I talked with progressive. For liability reasons they wont give you a spring model number for Big Dog or American Ironhorse bikes. Since they did not personally have those bikes in their shop to test. Even my AIH legend had them on there stock but AIH ordered springs from progessive to their specs. AIH did their own testing on what they needed. Basically, weight of bike (weight on front end) rake and rider weight are the factors you need to look at when buying springs. On my old big dog I had the forks apart 20 times to get them just right. If your not doing an oil change you can just lower the forks to the lower tripple and pull the springs out from their and do the swap. Adjusting the preload spacer can be done the same way. You want about 3/4 to 1" race sag.
 
pancakecircus

pancakecircus

Member
thanks, i figured it was some kind of liability issue.

i'm going to use the springs for a '05 FXDWG, progressive #11-1131. i think this bike is about 30 pounds heavier than mine, i'm not sure how the rake compares though. i'll be changing the fork oil while i'm at it, for 8 bucks it's to cheap not to. i'm planning on using the recommended 15wt, Maxima (for not other reason than that i use their 2 stroke oil).
 
standuprick

standuprick

Active Member
Thats the same number I used for an 04 mastiff. Look on amazon. Might get a better price. If the forks rebound to quickly you might need to up the fork oil weight. I used belray 30 wt with mine even though the manual for 04 said to use 10wt. When you put the springs in measure your fork cap. Probably 1 1/8" I would set your preload spacer about 7/8" below the top fork tube to start.
 
pancakecircus

pancakecircus

Member
Good to know, also thanks for the tips. i ended up getting the springs from Motorcycle superstore, i had a 10% off so they ended up being only 75 bucks. of course it forced me to buy a bunch of other stuff too.
 
JeffM

JeffM

Active Member
Standuprick is correct on all counts.
I did my 08 K9 the first week i rode it, but i got a little sneaky.
I adapted some damperning valves on the bottom of the springs, that combined with the progressive springs and 30 wt oil gives a slow and controlled feel.
Can't remember where i got the valves from, i have had them for 20 years, they restrict the amount of oil that goes past the spring allowing the fork to move slower in both directions, feels a little spongy when you sit on the bike and put the front brake on and push the bike back and forth, but on the road i love it.
I don't have a pic, but they are basicly a plate with hole drilled that sits in and on the springs above the METAL spacers, i would never use pvc. Exhaust tube fits fine and is very cheap.
Good luck
 
standuprick

standuprick

Active Member
your welcome, Pvc pipe is supplied from progressive. Just make sure you clean all the shavings before you install them. I personally dont see a problem with pvc but is you want to use metal spacers it wuldnt hurt.
 
pancakecircus

pancakecircus

Member
the steel spacers from the Honda might be the right size and i have plenty left. i was amazed at how short the honda springs were in comparison. weak. Tweaking the damping valves is a little beyond me at this point but good to know that it's an option. i'm still getting use to the bike too, especially the amount of lean to the left that i can do.. but i'm not expecting it to be as nimble as a sport bike.
 
Th3InfamousI

Th3InfamousI

Administrator
Staff member
I wanted to bring this back up to the top there isn't much talk on this subject which is interesting.

Can anyone confirm what they have gone with other than a stock straight spring replacement? Seems to be progressive #11-1131 for the springs but this was on a Mastiff? Not sure if the spring length will change on a K9? They also make a Heavy Duty Version which is part # 11-1536 which is recommended for riders +250Lbs or have luggage. Since I tour with the K9 and ride two-up sometimes that makes a lot of sense.

I like the idea of putting in Progressive Springs on my next fork seal change. during front braking on the K9 I'm getting a lot more movement than I would like and Progressive spring seems to be an ideal design.
 
TapioK

TapioK

Well-Known Member
Th3InfamousI said:
I wanted to bring this back up to the top there isn't much talk on this subject which is interesting.

Can anyone confirm what they have gone with other than a stock straight spring replacement? Seems to be progressive #11-1131 for the springs but this was on a Mastiff? Not sure if the spring length will change on a K9? They also make a Heavy Duty Version which is part # 11-1536 which is recommended for riders +250Lbs or have luggage. Since I tour with the K9 and ride two-up sometimes that makes a lot of sense.

I like the idea of putting in Progressive Springs on my next fork seal change. during front braking on the K9 I'm getting a lot more movement than I would like and Progressive spring seems to be an ideal design.
Click to expand...
Thinking of K9 geometry I would think it puts most of the rider/passenger/luggage weight to rear tire, so I wonder how much it really changes with more weight(except on hard brake sure), thus does it need heavy duty... on the other hand you are rather fat bloke
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top