VTV Project Lowrider ST-R Build: Swing Arm and Rear Suspension

We are starting out our project Lowrider ST-R build out back with an as-machined raw Speed Dealer Softail  Swing Arm coupled with a Progressive Suspension 465 Series Shock. 

The Speed Dealer swing arm ($2800) is a thing of non-ferrous beauty comprised of billet aluminum and made as well as assembled in Joplin, Missouri USA. These swing arms come arrow-straight and are a breeze to install with no shimming, grinding, or any sort of pain in the ass to get it on the bike. We have installed many of these swing arms with zero issues and nothing but reliability 

The Progressive 465 shock ($1099) has a thing called R.A.P. (Remote Adjustable Preload) which is a state of the art high pressure gas monotube shock design for the new Harley-Davidson M8 Softail models. It utilizes a large 46mm bore with deflective disc damping, preload adjustable threaded body and a 5 position rotatable rebound damping adjuster. If your rear suspension feels too soft or bottoms out on bumps you can rotate the R.A.P. dial clockwise to stiffen the shock. To soften the shock for a smoother ride turn the R.A.P. dial counter-clockwise. The R.A.P. is ideal for quickly tuning your ride with a passenger vs riding solo.

We tore this bike down to build it back up better at the VTV Garage. Here’s how it all went on on the bike.