Traxxion Dynamics suspension on my Valk
Peteg:
Valker, have you loaded her up yet for touring? If not I think you'll be smiling even more when you do. I only have the YSS shocks on the rear. My bike only has 55,000 and I'm still happy with the front. I'm sure I don't ride as aggressively as you either. The springs are really stiff progessives. I think they're 45-60 anyway it's stamped on the side. I believe the conversion is something like 250 / 350 (I have the exact numbers in a file if you care) while an interstate spring is 140 / 200. The available preload adjustment for load sag on a 5 step interstate shock is less than 5/8" and that's assuming level 1 unloaded sag is good for you. Your rear shocks probably came setup with about a 1/4" of preload over unloaded length. Easy to check if you care. Jack her up and back off the adjusting collar until the spring is loose - 4 turns = 1/4". So you could probably add an 1 1/8" more preload for 2 up heavy load riding. Bring your spare bearings and tools LOL. If the load is tight and you dial in the rebound damping to kill the spring bounce I think you'll find she handles almost like the loads not there. Be careful if you ever really add 1 1/8" of additional preload as you have infinite adjustment and you don't want to add so much preload that the spring coil bottoms before the bump stop. I found mine continued to get better for about 2,000 miles. I have lower back issues and found for the first 2,000 miles I needed to pretty much back off those initial 4 turns. Once things loosened up I probably put 3 turns back. I dial the rebound damping for comfort - I back it off as far as I can and turn it back up if there's bouncing on the bumps. I find the rebound follows preload - so if you really tighten down the springs for load you will need lots of rebound damping to stop the stiff springs from catapulting you after the bump. I carry a pair of the rubber coated knit work gloves with my shock tools. If you keep the threads lubricated you'll probably be able to grab the adjustment collar and spring with both hands and make your preload adjustments without the bar. Sometimes the rebound will turn so always verify and adjust rebound after preload. I typically adjust the preload in my shop with a jack under the bike before a trip. If she begins to bounce or wander in the curves with all the weight I just add a few more clicks of rebound damping and the world is good.
Have fun, ride safe!
Joe333x:
I had a 12.5 inch 412 blow out on me today going over one of those stupid man hole covers that sank into the ground. They were the standard, not heavy duty ones. Do I go with a 412HD or the YSS? The ride height of the 12.5 was absolutely perfect for me, progressive is being stingy on the warranty because I bought them last year on Amazon, even though the seller was Amazon, not a third party seller.
Nightflight99:
I've had Progressive shocks on multiple bikes, but always found them to be rather mediocre. In my experience, Ohlins, Penske, and K-Tech shocks have been phenomenal, but they are pricey and to my knowledge none of them seem to produce units that are compatible with the Valkyrie. When I redid the suspension on my Standard, I went with shocks from Shock Factory [https://shock-factory.fr/en/], along with RaceTech fork springs. This setup significantly improved the handling of the bike without breaking the bank (too badly).
In fact, I liked it so much that I went with the same brand of rear shocks for two other bikes, including my Interstate. My Rocket III still has Progressive shocks on it (a relict from the previous owner), but I plan on replacing them as well.
Joe333x:
I just looked them up, what's the height on them?
Nightflight99:
Quote from: Joe333x on August 13, 2025, 07:44:02 PM
I just looked them up, what's the height on them?
They should be stock height (either 12.5" or 13" -- I have bags in the way that keep me from taking an accurate measurement).
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