I tried a set of 444-4218C 13" heavy duty shocks intended for a V-max. The 13" shock length really sharpened up the handling on my 07 SM. There are no clearance issues presented by the longer shocks. And the center stand is far less likely to touch down on hard/slow/cambered left turns with the 13" length.
The spring rate on these 444's would be perfect for a big guy or 2-up. The spring rate spec is 120/170. On my bike, however, for me, the above 444's are not as plush as the 440-4214C 12.5" shocks they replaced. While those 440's also have the same listed spring rate as the 444's, the 12.5" 440's ride far smoother with proper preload for my situation. Wthe 13" 444's, even with zero preload the spring rate is too high.
I'm not sure if the existing 444 springs can be replaced with something lighter, however I'm going check into that with PS on Monday. If not, someone may get a great deal on the 444's.
