Progressive 944 Ultra Touring Suspension - Tested

Testing Progressive's bagger shocks on a H-D Road Glide Ultra

Progressive 944 Ultra Touring ShocksStaff

When it comes to customizing a new touring bike, the first things most people will touch are handlebars and seat. That makes plenty of sense, as these are the things that will make the biggest difference in rider positioning and are two of the main parts of the bike that you interact with directly. But when it comes to changing up the RIDE, the way the bike actually goes down the road, suspension needs to be towards the top of your list.

We were out riding the Hot Bike Tour through the Smoky Mountains last week with Progressive Suspension, when they suggested we swap out the stock shocks for a set of their 944s and go hit the twisties, seeing how they handled. We loved the idea and rushed right over to install the new shocks and then hit the road to test them out.

The Road Glide Ultra with the bag off to show the Progressive shocks mounted upStaff

To put it simply, they were smoother in the straights and more stable in the turns. These shocks were designed specifically for touring models, so they are set up for more weight, bigger bikes and riding two-up. Progressive's Frequency Sensing Technology means that this shock will be able to determine whether the bump your hitting is a large one or a small one, and dampen accordingly. The ring around the top of the shock is easily adjusted by hand and doesn't require any tools to fiddle with. This shock also sits an inch lower than most models stock shocks, both when riding and when on the kickstand.

The only negative part of the experience was when I had to switch back to stock shocks. It made the difference so much more apparent, and just went that much further to show how much the 944s were really doing. One thing I did notice after swapping out the shocks was that the front suspension could no longer keep up. No doubt that these shocks would be going on my personal project, and the fork cartridge kit would not be far behind.

Progressive 944 internalStaff

For more info, check out ProgressiveSuspension.com