Progressive 430 Series Shocks

Yes, once you choose your year/make/model, then color, you will be prompted to choose standard or heavy duty spring rate. Heavy duty would be recommended for any rider over 220 lbs or who is riding with a passenger/loaded down more than 50% of the time.

The best option in my opinion for going as low as possible without sacrificing ride quality would be the Progressive 944 Series Ultra Touring Shocks, which you can search for on our site. They offer a heavy duty version in their "Ultra Low" length which would lower you down 2" on that bike.

These shocks would lower that bike about 1" from stock ride height.

I would recommend the stock height 13" length heavy duty shocks. That should give you the best ride quality for your setup.

Yes, the 430 would be an upgrade as far as ride quality and looks.

It's not so much the shock model that you choose, but rather the spring rate you choose on your chose; standard or heavy-duty. With Progressive shocks, heavy-duty springs are best suited for solo riders over 220lbs. If you ride two-up and/or with a full load of luggage at least 50% of the time, heavy-duty shocks are also recommended. That said, between the two shocks, the 430 and 444 - the main differences are in the quality of the valving. The 444 shocks use a floating piston design whereas the 430 uses a working piston to damped suspension movements. If you're really after the best feel possible, then the 444 is the obvious choice. That's not to say the 430 is bad either - because that's not the case when compared to the stock suspension components. You'll get improved feel with either shock, but if you're a particularly fast rider, go with the 444! Just be sure to choose the correct spring rate to fit your needs as that'll have a significant bearing on how your bike handles in a given situation.

You would have no problem installing these shocks to your 2009 Harley Davidson FLTRSE3 CVO Road Glide. For your weight, I would recommend the Heavy-Duty spring rate. Just be sure to measure your current shock length center-to-center on the mounts to determine the length you need. We have them available in lengths from 11.5" to 13" in .5" increments.

The 1997 Honda GL1500CT Valkyrie Tourer came with 13" long shocks. So for your needs, just choose the 13" long Valkyrie Touer shocks from Progressive and you will retain stock suspension geometry for your ride.

Progressive's 430 series shocks are only slightly larger, in diameter, than the OEM shocks on the 2002 Road King. So long as there's at east a 1/4" of clearance between the OEM shocks and the saddlebags on your machine, you should have no problem fitting these shocks to your bike.

Typically, if the OEM shocks don't interfere with the saddlebag brackets, then you won't have a problem with these Progressive Sportster Hugger shocks.

Depending on your weight and riding habits, you may need either the standard rate Progressive Fork Springs or the Heavy-Duty Progressive Fork Springs. Standard rate springs are recommended for those that ride two-up less than 50% of the time and happen to weigh under 220lbs. If you're above that weight, or you ride two-up quite often, then we suggest the heavy-duty rate springs. The same can be said for the shocks you choose. Matching front and rear spring rates is critical if you want to get the most out of your suspension upgrades.

Each set of Progressive shocks comes with bushings that are designed to work with the OEM shock bolts on your VTX1800R. You are to re-use the OEM bolts in order to complete the installation.

Standard rate shocks are designed for solo riders of 220lbs or less, so you'll want to go with the heavy-duty rated springs for sure. Also, to get the most out of your bike's suspension, we'd also recommend upgrading your fork springs with a Progressive Heavy-Duty Fork Spring kit. In this way, you'll match the spring rate of the front of the bike to go along with that of the rear shocks to keep things nice and balanced. In doing so, the bike's tendency to wobble on faster corners or when the pavement gets rough is eliminated since both ends will react the same way to whatever forces they encounter. Considering your needs, we'd implore you to upgrade the fork springs as well.

These shocks in a standard duty spring rate would be best suited to your needs if you spend most of your time riding solo. If you spend most of your time riding two-up, then yes, you'll want to go with the heavy-duty spring rate shocks.