[O5HOG]

I’m looking at lower my 05 Road King Classic when I put on the front-end chrome kit. They are 2 options; one says it gives you the ride similar to the Ultra Cassis, Classic and Road Glides @ 194.95 (HD P/N 54599-02). The other simple states it lower the front end about an inch for $99.95 (HD P/N 54614-05). They both lower the front end about an inch; does any one know if the extra $100.00 for the more expensive one that the catalog states is a better ride is worth it? I think my Road King rides pretty good now. Also does anyone know if the less expensive kit will make the ride not as good as stock?

 

[YankeeBob]

I lowered both the front and rear of my 04 RKC with the HD equipment. If I were to do it again, I would use Progressive. Others on this board have nothing but good to say about Progressives kits. I have no bad, but also no good to say about the HD stuff. I did have to exchange the fork oil for SE fork oil because the front end was too "squishy".
Do your homework before buying the HD gear. Also, I wouldn't recommend doing just the front without doing the rear. The bike geometry will be changed by just doing the front.

YB

 

[YankeeBob]

Also, without looking, I am guessing the difference between the two kits you mention is one is a conventional spring/bushing setup and the other is a cartridge setup. I may very well be wrong on this so take it with a grain of salt.

YB

 

[fxrflh]

Another vote for Progressive. I've used their shocks and fork springs on all 15bikes I've build and ridden over the years. Their stuff simply works great.

Progressive has a fork spring replacement lowering kit that cost less than the HD stuff for your 'glide and offers matching rear shocks that are world's better than the factory air shocks.

It's best to make sure that your final ride hieght of the rear is compatable with the lowered front ride hieght when you go to make the mods.
Lowering just the rear of the bike will increase the rake and add to the trail and that will make the bike more stable for high speed straight line running. Leaving the rear high and just lowering the front, will reduce the rake angle and "can" make the bike more twitchy.

Also, my last .02 is that once the bike is lowered, take some time to get used to the fact that you will not be able to lean it over as far into the turns now because the floorboards will scrape sooner than they did before.

Lowering the bike, means that there is less travle for the forks/and or shocks to cycle thru thier suspension cycle, so yes the "ride quality" will not be as "plush" as the stock ride hieght because you'll have lees suspension travle available to soak up the bumps.

 

[timd]

My bike was lowered at the stealer using new cartridges in front and short shocks in the rear. Like many ohters, I have a nice round depression in my front fender where it hit the light bar. I hit a 4X4 at highway speeds. That extra inch would have made all the difference. Not sure that the Progressive set-up would have fared any better? I like the look and ride of the lowered bike, just be aware of the issues.