Progressive 465 Shocks — Harley-Davidson Softail Heritage Classic, Softail Fat Boy, Softail (1983-2026)

Great upgrade for touring or sport

I installed the HD - 13.1" long version of this shock on my '18 FLFB. This shock is .5" longer than the stock replacement that would normally be installed on this bike. The shock installed quickly with no issues, however I did have to re-adjust the drive belt because of the new ride height. <br /><br />My Wife and I do a lot of day trips and we are trying to get out once a month for 4-5 day tours. By the time we got luggage and our butts on the bike, the rear shock was inadequate in both spring rate and dampening. And I was getting real tired of grinding everything when the road got a bit zesty. This shock cured all those woes.<br /><br />When it's just me and no luggage (260lbs) I run no preload on the adjuster and the handling is much improved. The ride height is taller than stock, but the fender edge sits right at the tread to sidewall junction of the tire, which I think looks perfect. This setting happens to be the recommended sag distance that you will find in most books related to setting a bikes suspension for sporty riding (I used the recommended measurements in an Ohlins manual). And I really have to hustle now to drag stuff.<br /><br />When we are loaded up I give the adjuster 8 to 10 full turns. That sets the ride height back to where it was solo and the rides is much the same as solo, just heavier but with almost no bottoming.<br /><br />Fact is I never really knew how bad things were when we were loaded. The rear shock bottomed constantly. This transferred the rest of the motion to the front end which cause it to feel harsh and sometimes bottom. This action would really take a toll on the Wife and I and limit our miles and the roads we were comfortable on. The addition of this shock (with the increased spring rate and added ride height) has increased the comfort, handling and safety of the bike may times over. This has allowed us to ride quite a few more miles in comfort. <br /><br />Because of these benefits, I would recommend a replacement rear shock to anyone who is going to use the new Softail chassis for two-up touring!

Progressive Suspension 465 HD Mono Shock with RAP

Just installed, certainly looks and feels like a well made high quality product. Only travelled 15 miles and while the shock felt like it was doing its job, I cannot comment on performance as I have not yet had the opportunity to properly test this product. Installation was straight forward. The one thing I am not over-the-moon about is the RAP does not have adequate feel (it's suppose to click each half turn but it does not) so you cannot tell what the preload setting is unless you remove the seat off the bike and take a measurement - which defeats the advantage of having a RAP. I had to place a mark on the RAP knob and count the turns from zero preload to set the required sag for different loads.

Great shock fully loaded bags with passenger still smooth