Progressive Suspension Airtail Suspension System

Here's the bike with the suspension up at its highest ride height position.

Riding High & Low
Did you ever want the best of both worlds? Plenty of ground clearance for when you are on the highway hitting potholes and at the supermarket hitting speed bumps, then at the flick of a switch, you are draggin' ass and lookin' good while doing it. We sure did, so Progressive Suspension Inc. supplied us with one of their Airtail I.A.S. suspension systems to mount up on our pal Lionel's bitchin' blacked-out Road Glide.

Here's the progressive air ride kit slammed. It drops the bike a good 61/2 inches below the highest ride height setting.

Here's the progressive air ride kit slammed. It drops the bike a good 61/2 inches below th

The PSI Airtail is vastly different from any other air-ride system on the market today. The I.A.S. has a two-chamber system. One acts as a bottoming chamber that holds the bike up and keeps it from bottoming out. The other chamber is for ride height control and pushes the bike down, lowering the ride height. That's right; the Airtail sits at ride height when the air is out of the system and lowers the bike when air is added to the system. Progressive did this so that if the bike experiences any sort of system pressure failure, the bike returns to its normal ride height, meaning you can still ride the bike. With many other air-ride systems, when there is a failure, the bike drops to its lowest setting, leaving both the rider and the bike stranded.

The Airtail I.A.S. kit comes complete with shocks, compressor, air lines, wiring, switch manifold and gauge. It is a simple installation that pretty much any rider with a good knowledge of their bike and a so-so toolbox could get the job done in a day.

(1.)Here's a shot of the bike sitting at its stock height waiting for the Airtail install.
(2.)The full PSI Airtail I.A.S. kit at a glance.
(3.)We start by pulling off the saddlebags to gain access to the rear shocks.

(4.)The old OE shocks are removed, and all swingarm pivots and threads are checked.
(5.)The new PSI Airtail shocks are mounted and torqued to factory specs.
(6.)The battery is removed to gain access to where the compressor will be mounted.

(7.)The compressor is now mounted in the frame under the battery box.
(8.)The switch manifold is now wired to both the compressor and the battery.
(9.)Now the air gauge is fitted to its location beside the fuel tank.

(10.)The air lines are now plumbed from the rear shock under the seat where they will all meet.
(10.)The air lines are now plumbed from the rear shock under the seat where they will all
(11.)We now fit the air lines to the system's pressure gauge.
(12.)T-fittings are installed to each of the chambers on both the right and left shocks.

(13.)The air lines are now fitted to the switch manifold control valve.
(14.)The wiring from the air compressor is now brought up to both the battery and the switch manifold.
(14.)The wiring from the air compressor is now brought up to both the battery and the swit
(15.)Once the wiring and air lines are correctly routed, the battery can now be reinstalled.
(15.)Once the wiring and air lines are correctly routed, the battery can now be reinstalle

(16.)At this time, both the compressor and switch manifold wiring are attached to the battery and tested.
(16.)At this time, both the compressor and switch manifold wiring are attached to the batt
(17.)Now all of the air lines are fitted to the T-fitting and checked for leaks before being secured to the frame with zip ties.
(17.)Now all of the air lines are fitted to the T-fitting and checked for leaks before bei
(18.)Once the system was prerun and all the lines and wires were rechecked, the bike was put back together.
(18.)Once the system was prerun and all the lines and wires were rechecked, the bike was p