REVIEW: DK Customs Combo Pkg - 14" Harley Trike Pro-Action Shocks & Comfort Lift

[Rooster57]

REVIEW: DK Customs Combo Pkg - 14" Harley Trike Pro-Action Shocks & Comfort Lift

I have a 2016 Harley Tri Glide with stock air shocks...months ago I installed a standard rear lift kit and lowered the rear tires pressure to 22 lbs....went many miles riding 1 & 2 up and was very happy with improved trike handling and ride quality........"UNTIL" I talked to a nice dude and his wife at a gas station last summer who advised me to dump the Harley air shocks and get some Pro Action shocks if I wanted a really good ride! (They were also on a Harley Tri Glide and had traveled many miles with these shocks on their machine) .

........and so I pondered.:xzqxz:

............Finally, I decided to take the plunge and bought these expensive 14"shocks combined with a comfort lift kit from DK Customs....(understand that I do not have any ownership, investments or relations of any kind with this company).

............a couple of days ago I installed this combo kit right out of the boxes to the trike without making any tuning tweaks to shocks and went for a test ride.........My reaction was "WTF!!!!!"

........I could not believe how much better the trike rode with just 1 up!!! .

....so much smoother than the stock air shocks and standard lift kit that the difference was compelling!

...... Then I rode around 2 up with the wife....She was blown away at how much smoother the ride was on her seat too! We were both amazed.

And so my personal review is: This combo pkg is likely the best improvement that I have made to this trike since I bought it! Really.

...Whether its just the comfort lifts, or the the long 14" reach of the Pro Action Trike shocks in combination with the comfort lifts that creates the smoother ride, I cannot say............But this combo PKG works!!!!

 

[TGCarol]

Thanks for the review Randy. I’ve been dreaming about these for a while. Just have to save my pennies for a while

Enjoy the new, smoother ride.

 

[ultrafxr]

I added the pkg to my 2018 TG within a few weeks of ownership. I am fortunate to live within 50 miles of DK and Kevin and his crew were awesome in showing me the product and helping with the install. It truly does transform the ride and handling quality of the TG. Best bucks I could have spent. Not cheap but worth every penny.

 

[rchays57]

Put a lift kit and Pro Actions on my 2015 and it is the best thing I have ever done to it. Ride is 1000% better. Well worth the money.

 

[Rooster57]

Hey Crazy!

.........."Told You!"..............glad you like'em

 

[desertclassic]

Thanks for the review. I ran across DK Customs, on line, when I first bought my 14 triglide. I entered the contest where they were giving away a lift kit, I am the winner. After installing the kit, I was sold on DK Customs. I have added many of the products from DK Customs. The wife and I had the pleasure of visiting the shop when I was in the SE. What a great group of individuals. The shocks are my next addition. Jim

 

[1dn5up]

Lift and shocks

Replaced both early last year. However at that time the shocks were only 13”. Took me a month or two to get the spring adjustment to my liking. Also wondered why they weren’t at 14”. That extra inch would make a huge difference. Don’t notice much rebound effect on that adjustment. But a hole lot better than the air shocks for sure. After ya dial them in.

 

[Rooster57]

Reply to desertclassic

Hey Jim!

..............You and your wife (especially) will thank you for the softer ride as she's the one that sits virtually on top of those rear wheels!

..................but these shocks and custom lifts are damn sure expensive, but really worth it if you want a smoother ride in my opinion.

........but don't just take my word for it before you buy, check with others for reviews too.

.................I now know the dude I met at that gas station that advised me to get these shocks is a member of this forum.... He Is Posserider.

Be safe!

 

[Rooster57]

reply to 1dn5up

Hey Frank!

......I have no idea how long they have been offering the 14" shocks......but "I think" they still offer a 13" shock for the harley trikes as well...........anywho, I hope you have the newer "Comfort Lifts" that they now have (I don't know how long they've been making those either).

..........so far, riding around 2 up on the trike has been cushy smooth compared to the Harley stock air shocks..........But, I haven't loaded down the trunk with a heavy load such as what my wife always stuffs inside for our long trips...It is unbelievable what she can cram in the cargo area (and she has no regards for the weight!)

............It could be that I have to give the top collar rings a turn or 2 to stiffen the tension to find a perfect compromised adjustment for all occasions when that time comes...............But for now, I'm just enjoying that fine easy ride just the way the shocks came with their preset adjustment configurations.

Be safe!

 

[DK Custom Products]

Wow! Just saw this thread.

Thank you for posting up your experiences.

We worked long and hard to get the HD Trike suspension sorted out so that it would give a truly plush ride, and it is very satisfying to hear others are experiencing the same amazing improvement that we have.

btw Rooster47, when your wife loads up the trunk, you probably will have an even plusher ride than you do now (with no adjustments needed).

That is one of the benefits of the 14" shocks. The extra travel, combined with the valving and springs, allow for heavier loads with no adjustment needed.

Kevin

 

[kubotajim]

Thanks for the review Randy. I’ve been dreaming about these for a while. Just have to save my pennies fo

Enjoy the new, smoother ride.

So how many Pennies would I have to save???

 

[DK Custom Products]

So how many Pennies would I have to save???

A lot of pennies!

LINK to Details

Kevin

 

[ultrafxr]

A lot of pennies!

LINK to Details

Kevin

While the shock / lift kit is not cheap it is a good value. Premium shocks are costly and these are about half the price of the Legend Air shocks I had on my last several two wheelers. And the fact that they have a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer and for DK's support made the decision to purchase these a no brainer for me. Absolutely, positively without question the best $$ I've spent on my new trike - or any of my previous bikes as far as that goes. It's a shame that H-D doesn't have better shocks standard but many owners of bikes and trikes simply do not ride them as much as many of us do and the cost to H-D (and hence the higher cost to us) I think is the reason for the marginal (at best) stock shocks. Save your pennies, nickels and dimes and get these shocks. You will not be disappointed!

This is an unpaid and unsolicited endorsement. I have no connection with DK other than as a satisfied and enthusiastic customer who met them after I got my trike last fall.

 

[TGCarol]

So how many Pennies would I have to save???

About 90,000 pennies if I have my decimal in the right place

 

[kubotajim]

Ok I have DKS lift kit now so guess its time I quit throwing my pennies away and start saving.. I think I can I think I can

 

[Rooster57]

Reply to Kevin with DK Customs!

Hey Kevin!

You are correct trike is certainly smoother when loaded down......Wife and I took the trike to Costco the other day for the first real load test after installing this combo 14" pro action shocks/comfort lift kit....no adjustments were made to the shocks as they were installed just the way you tuned them prior to shipping........I told the wife that because the ride was so plush without a weighted trunk, I would likely later have to adjust them a little stiffer to prevent the trike from "Bottoming Out" with a heavy load........So we went to Costco.

..........purchased 2 cases of ENSURE meal supplements (wife says that my fat ass must get on a diet.....again!). We also bought appx. 15 lbs. of meat, and an assortment of other stuff......I didn't think all of the stuff would fit in the trunk and top cargo carrier, but it did......There had to be well over 50lbs total weight added to the rear load. I couldn't carry another item unless I held it or strapped it to the luggage carrier.......Then we rode the long way home while purposely traveling some unsavory roads.......It was my intent to put these shocks to a nice load test.

..............To my surprise the trike did "NOT" bottom out once!!!!!

(My HD air shocks certainly would have - unless they were pumped up to at least a pressure 40 psi (broomstick riding pressure).



.....Maybe I was just lucky not bottoming out on this test, but I don't think so.

....In short: Kevin, you got a hell of a great shock/comfort lift combination here! You should be proud!

Be Safe!

 

[DK Custom Products]

Hey Kevin!

You are correct trike is certainly smoother when loaded down......Wife and I took the trike to Costco the other day for the first real load test after installing this combo 14" pro action shocks/comfort lift kit....no adjustments were made to the shocks as they were installed just the way you tuned them prior to shipping........I told the wife that because the ride was so plush without a weighted trunk, I would likely later have to adjust them a little stiffer to prevent the trike from "Bottoming Out" with a heavy load........So we went to Costco.

..........purchased 2 cases of ENSURE meal supplements (wife says that my fat ass must get on a diet.....again!). We also bought appx. 15 lbs. of meat, and an assortment of other stuff......I didn't think all of the stuff would fit in the trunk and top cargo carrier, but it did......There had to be well over 50lbs total weight added to the rear load. I couldn't carry another item unless I held it or strapped it to the luggage carrier.......Then we rode the long way home while purposely traveling some unsavory roads.......It was my intent to put these shocks to a nice load test.

..............To my surprise the trike did "NOT" bottom out once!!!!!

(My HD air shocks certainly would have - unless they were pumped up to at least a pressure 40 psi (broomstick riding pressure).



.....Maybe I was just lucky not bottoming out on this test, but I don't think so.

....In short: Kevin, you got a hell of a great shock/comfort lift combination here! You should be proud!

Be Safe!

Thank you! Yeah, it was a long journey, close to 100,000 miles of Tri-Glide riding, with many evolution's along the way, until we finally got the suspension for HD Trikes where it really is a pleasure to ride.

No, you did not get lucky. With the extra travel there is enough room for the shock to handle the little and the big bumps well.

Usually with shocks there is always a compromise....feels nice on little bumps, but not so good on larger bumps, or vice-versa.

Compression & Rebound damping, spring weight, stroke (travel) and mounting angle all play a part in how a shock responds to a bump or dip.

Typically if a shock is soft enough to absorb the small irregularities, it is too soft for the large irregularities and you feel it bottom out.

With the extra travel, the staged valving has more room to work (damping), and of course there is more of a stroke before bottoming out.

Anyway, lots of technical stuff we learned along the way, and we're very happy with the end result....AND we're ALWAYS encouraged to hear other Riders are just as happy!

Kevin

 

[Firewrench22]

Just pulled the trigger on a set of these shocks. My justification was that Mama got a $1000 set of shocks for her Slingshot, and they made a world of difference...

I have other DK products, the external breather system and the remote oil filter mount. Their stuff is skookum, I'm happy with both.

Can't wait to put them on a try them out..as soon as these Seattle monsoons let up!

 

[Rooster57]

Reply to Firewrench22

Yeah!

.....I'm sure you'll like'em! (be sure and get the comfort lifts too if you don't already have'em for MAX travel on those shock shafts)...but I'm sure you already know that.

Cheers Dude!