I rode both stock dampers when they were new, HD Bilstein I installed two years ago and now these KYBs and definitely KYBs offer a better ride. They have more damping than the original Bilstein shocks, which dampen significantly less on rebound, but offer a smoother ride than the yellow/blue HD Bilsteins. Maybe not suitable for heavy terrain, but for everyday traffic a great alternative at half the price. I also installed KYB GR-2 Front Stays (331016) at the same time, great ride overall.