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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Put on my Progressive shocks today /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1126562337 Message started by babbalou on 09/12/05 at 14:58:56 |
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Title: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by babbalou on 09/12/05 at 14:58:56 VERY satisfied with the results. No more "mechanical bull" rides! ;D It 's rides smoothly now, even plush. Just way better dampening. At 70 mph it doesn't feel skittish, it feels stable, like a 500 pound bike. In hard corners it doesn't bob & weave & try to pitch me off. Bopping around the neighborhood it doesn't bounce me up & down. I got the 12.5" Progressive 412-4207C shocks. They come with a few sets of bushings & the thinwall ones fit. Putting the bike on a cinder block & taking off the old shocks was easy. Dropping the wheel enough to put the longer shocks on was, well, 1/2" from being easy. A few taps with a hammer to compress the spring & they snapped into place. Took 20 minutes, including 5 minutes looking for my lost tools. ;) |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by torque on 09/12/05 at 16:17:12 if u had to stop fast wouldnt the back wheel come up? |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by babbalou on 09/12/05 at 16:28:33 No, the front brake's too weak to do a "stoppie", at least sitting down. :) The longer shocks did raise the back some but it still sits lower than a trailbike or supermotard, so it would take a lot more braking power to lift the back tire off the ground. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by GaThumper on 09/13/05 at 14:50:09 How much did they cost & where did you get them? Thanks. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by babbalou on 09/13/05 at 16:04:41 I paid $321.45 at the Suzuki dealer, including shipping & tax @ 8.25 %. They can be bought cheaper elsewhere but I didn't have the cash on hand soon enough so I just put them on my Suzuki credit card. Lookin' forward to paying that off, someday. :-/ I should add that these might feel a little stiff for anyone under 170 pounds or if you ride the stock shocks at the lowest preload setting. I'm over 200 & ride at the lowest preload with these & they're just right for me. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 09/24/05 at 22:44:30 I just got a pair of the 412-4214C models. They are the heavy duty version of the 4207C and at 200 lbs., I figured heavy duty couldn't hurt. They are 12.5" also. They went on easily though I now have a slight rub by the belt on the belt guard when I'm not on the bike. I'll either modify the guard or remove it. Instead of tapping them to get them on I used the handle of a mallet as a lever between the tire and fender to gain the extra 1/2" necessary to slide 'em right on. Haven't ridden with 'em yet; I want to alleviate the belt rub before riding. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Greg_650 on 09/25/05 at 07:19:34 Savage_Rob wrote:
How much, Rob? Do different shocks help the monkey butt? |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 09/25/05 at 08:01:59 Greg_650 wrote:
Shocks are $200 at MAW and slightly more at BikeBandit (though the AMA member discount at BikeBandit makes them about the same) but I can't report on 'em yet. I'll let you know. I'm expecting something similar to Babbalou's findings above. They are definitely higher. They look something like Lancer's so far as clearance in the back goes. It'll be easy to put the saddlebag supports back on and the larger rear tire is in absolutely no danger of rubbing - even on the softest setting. After putting a larger tire on a while back, I had to use the stiffest preset on the stock shocks and remove the saddlebag supports. I was looking mainly for better clearance and a softer ride. Of course, I have to use a spanner wrench to adjust them now but it came with the shocks. So far as monkey-butt goes, the gel seat delays that quite a bit by insulating away a large part of the vibrations. A pulled lower back muscle may keep me in the cage for a few days but I'll let you know soon. Update: I did have to modify the belt guard because of the changed angle with the higher shocks. I removed the lower guard plate (the small one) and cut a section out of the larger guard to keep the belt from rubbing. The belt might be a touch loose. I'll check that more closely later. Based on a twist by hand, it's not bad. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by bentwheel on 09/25/05 at 19:44:12 So Rob, I guess this means you have given up on those air shocks. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 09/26/05 at 06:59:57 bentwheel wrote:
Well, here's the story... I was trying to locate the proper bushings to mount the air shocks and give 'em a go but I started thinking that I wanted some with a higher clearance than stock at it's highest preset but a softer ride. The air shocks are 10.5' eye-to-eye unextended while the Progressives I got are 12.5" at the softest/lowest preset. I've recently heard a lot of good about the Progressives and thought they'd fit the bill. I think you can tell by the angle in the image above that the clearance change is significant. I'll try to get a full pic of the bike up in a day or two. If I decide to make it lower again, I'll use the air shocks rather than the stockers. I believe the bushings that came with my Progressives will work with the air shocks too. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 09/28/05 at 17:43:16 These are really intended to give you an idea of the clearance using the 12.5" Progressive shocks at their lowest/softest setting. http://www.bikepics.com/pics/pics/suzuki-savage-98-bikepics-439953.jpg http://www.bikepics.com/pics/pics/suzuki-savage-98-bikepics-439933.jpg http://www.bikepics.com/pics/pics/suzuki-savage-98-bikepics-439937.jpg |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by oatmeal on 09/28/05 at 18:16:23 What's a progressive shock? How is it different from what came on my stock '06? (Which is described by the Suzuki website as "Twin shock, 5-way adjustable spring preload.") Hold on... I think my inexperience is showing... :o ::zzzziip:: |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 09/28/05 at 18:49:35 oatmeal wrote:
Progressive Suspension (http://www.progressivesuspension.com/) is a manufacturer of suspension products - a brand name. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by oatmeal on 09/28/05 at 19:07:29 Savage_Rob wrote:
Aha. Got it. ::hangs head in n00bish shame:: |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 09/29/05 at 05:37:42 Well, I must say I like the ride but the raised seating position will take a little getting used to. It feels more like a motard than it did before and I'm definitely going to need to adjust my headlight. Being higher in the saddle, I was wondering if I'd feel the wind more than usual. Today's not a good day for comparison though; we just had our first fall weather front come through last night and it's quite a bit windier than normal anyway. I'm not about to complain about that though. It's only supposed to reach 79 F today and stay in the mid 80's to low 90's for the next week or so... which is as far as any meteorologist could hope to possibly beat a coin-flip anyway. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by lancer on 09/29/05 at 06:42:35 Very nice looking bike. I really like the black/chrome theme. That is what I want mine to be like as well. I am planning to repaint mine with a pearl type black paint. I will wait for the middle of winter to do that though. You have definitely earned a GOLD STAR today. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 09/29/05 at 07:00:42 Thanks Michael. Just for comparison's sake... Stock shocks at highest setting: http://www.bikepics.com/pics/pics/suzuki-savage-98-bikepics-414631.jpg Progressive 412-4214C shocks at lowest setting: http://www.bikepics.com/pics/pics/suzuki-savage-98-bikepics-439953.jpg Oh, and for anyone that is wondering, that is a .50 cal ammo box on the back. It's painted with rustoleum hammered metal black and padlocked. It may not be pretty but it's tough, waterproof, and just about the right size for some tools, basic spares, flashlight, first-aid kit, etc. It's mounted to the luggage rack with neoprene washers between the box and rack. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by lancer on 09/29/05 at 19:17:20 Talking about black...two weeks ago when I went on the March of Dimes Ride there was a guy who had his Harley painted with the TUFF STUFF/RHINO LINING coating that is sprayed in the back of pickup trucks. It was very different seeing it on a bike but I liked it...a lot. That is one tough coating. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by vroom1776 on 09/30/05 at 08:49:50 Rob, that is a nice looking savage! I bet blacking out the fork lowers would look pretty good too. A lot of folks with rats also use the rhino hide stuff. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 09/30/05 at 10:52:17 vroom1776 wrote:
Thank you. That might look good. However, I'm considering some black fork boots and if I put those on, I'd definitely want to keep the lowers as they are. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by vroom1776 on 09/30/05 at 11:44:47 Savage_Rob wrote:
I agree with you there. I am still very much thinking about the fork boots, but my lowers are already black... |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Greg_650 on 10/01/05 at 10:50:12 Savage_Rob wrote:
Well, yeah, but "progressive" was also a type of spring/shock setup that was born in the early 80's with the popularity of off road and dirt bikes, I believe. Sort of a performance thing to have springs with progressive compression rates. Anyway, your bike is looking good there, Rob. Looks like you could get a 24" tire in there now :P |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by torque on 10/01/05 at 11:21:17 Greg_650 wrote:
I beleive your talking about the mono-shock |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by bentwheel on 10/01/05 at 13:56:11 I beleive your talking about the mono-shock Not necessarily. Sure, some of the early single shock set-ups used progressive wound springs, but they were also prevelant in the traditional dual shock set-up as well. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Greg_650 on 10/02/05 at 07:20:34 bentwheel wrote:
Yep. That is all that I was talking about. I wonder if that is where the Progressive Insurance company gots its name....not :P |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by klx650sm2002 on 10/02/05 at 07:55:49 The mono-shock I got for my SR500 project has a progressive wound spring. Clive W :D |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/02/05 at 14:59:32 Yeah, that's why I capitalized Progressive to indicate a name rather than just an adjective. Another note: Beside the need to adjust the headlight, I'll need to modify my homemade bike lift (http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1100379341). It's now too narrow to lift the bike with the new height. I've realized just how often I use it instead of the actual hydraulic lift now that it won't work. I think simply adding a 2x4 to the side should do it though. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 10/03/05 at 18:27:20 These are progressive shocks made by Progressive - the 4207 is 105/150lb/in and the 4214 is 120/170lb/in 105 or 120 lbs to compress the first inch and 150 or 170 lbs to compress the last inch. Rob, can you try to measure the lift the 12.5inch shocks produced over the stockers - looks to be 3 to 4 inches |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/03/05 at 21:10:37 Reelthing wrote:
I'll see what I can do. It'll be pretty close anyway. I won't be able to be completely accurate without swapping back though. I'll say this much: It was sure easy to get my hands inside the fender to reinstall my saddlebag supports with the bike leaning on the sidestand. The first time I did it, it was a knuckle scraper. If I'd lifted the bike the first time it would have been easier than on the sidestand - but not nearly as easy and it was this time on the sidestand. ---------------------------- Edit: The lift is almost exactly three inches. However, that's the difference between the stockers' highest setting and the new shocks' lowest setting. The ride is very different now. Bumps are not transmitted directly to your spine anymore. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 10/10/05 at 12:09:00 thanks rob - been trying to figure out which part number would lift the bike very little if any and still give us some better shocks - I believe the stock spring rate is between 90 and 100 closer to 90 as best I can tell by coil count and wire diameter with about 2 inches of travel. If you measure your stock shocks at rest (or just laying on the floor) are they 10" or 10.5" ? |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/10/05 at 12:38:22 Reelthing wrote:
I'll measure them tonight and let you know. I used the VS800 Intruder in Progressive's application finder (http://progressivesuspension.com/appmakeselect.asp). For the 412 series shocks, they list the following: Standard 11" 412-4233C Standard 11.5" 412-4201C Standard 12" 412-4228C Standard 12.5" 412-4207C Heavy Duty 11.5" 412-4236C Heavy Duty 12" 412-4238C Heavy Duty 12.5" 412-4214C The last is the set I bought. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 10/10/05 at 13:14:52 Savage_Rob wrote:
here's the spring rate on those shocks |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Greg_650 on 10/10/05 at 20:46:49 Reelthing wrote:
What is the travel on these shocks versus the stock ones? I'd like more travel with the same load over that distance. Not just taller or stiffer, but taller and the same load rating. Thereby, a more cushioned ride without bottoming. Is that what we are talking about? Thanks. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by lancer on 10/10/05 at 21:23:18 Mine are the 13.5" model, and I think they have about 1.5" more travel than the stock units. Remember that the shocks sit at about a 45 deg angle, so for every inch of shock length there will be 1/2" of lift in the rear of the bike. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 10/11/05 at 05:30:43 Greg_650 wrote:
That is it - eliminate the bottom out of the stock shocks which happens quite a bit and sends the impact to the seat. It takes a much higher load on these progressive shocks/springs for the last inch of travel so even with the same length bottom out is less likely. In reading the stats on these models they seem to be the same shock body ~11" with ~2" of travel and every inch over 11 adds about an inch. Lancer - the lift is going to be more than that, in all these models the initial compression of the shock due to the weight of the bike and the rider is less because of the stiffer spring. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/11/05 at 05:55:18 Reelthing wrote:
Okay, I measured one this morning and it was 10.5" eye-to-eye (center-to-center, to be specific). They were still set at the highest preset also. At rest, I don't think it should matter because I'm thinking they should be fully extended no matter which preset but I thought I'd mention it anyway. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by lancer on 10/11/05 at 06:13:22 Lancer - the lift is going to be more than that, in all these models the initial compression of the shock due to the weight of the bike and the rider is less because of the stiffer spring. [/quote] I was refering to the "unloaded" height of the bikes rear when a different length shock is installed. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/24/05 at 10:31:43 Just thought I'd mention: I did need to add a 2x4 to the side of the homemade lift/stand for it to be able to function again. While it's obvious that the increase in height puts the engine at a forward tilt, I thought it pertinent to state that the new angle also changes the oil level sightglass' position noticeably. I'm not really sure how much of a difference it makes but it's worth noting. I used the lift to make the bike more level to check the oil level. Has anyone else with higher shocks noticed this? |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by bentwheel on 10/24/05 at 10:57:27 Hi Rob; I can't help but think your bike is too high in the rear with those extended shocks, especially if it effects your sight glass. I see you opted for the heavy duty springs as well. Do you see that as a good choice? Can you adjust for sag with the shocks in the softest setting? How many preload settings are there on the Progressive shocks and what setting do you find best? If you set them to the stiffest position does the rear wheel chatter when brake skidding the rear tire? Like yourself Rob I too am looking to upgrade my suspension and any help you can provide would be super. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by jbrough7 on 10/24/05 at 11:00:14 That is one deadly looking bike, Savage_Rob. I can see a bit of the Kawa klr in it...you know, I just spent a whole mess of time friggin' around to get the seat higher and that's probably what I should have been doing from the get go-I know my shocks are gone, anyway. My bike with the higher seat is more comfortable for me but I just don't like the feel; it's almost as if I'm riding up on top of the bike now instead of IN it, if you know what I mean. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 10/24/05 at 13:09:26 bentwheel wrote:
Been on the fence too long on this one - I'm going to toss a coin and order in the 11" shocks today - looking for about the stock rear height - either model 412-4233c (115/155lb) or leaning toward the 412-4232c (90/130lb) both have the same travel and the 90lbs is about stock spring strength and 130lb should slow it down before bottom. www.phatperformanceparts.com - $198.95 w/shipping |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by babbalou on 10/24/05 at 13:26:22 Savage_Rob wrote:
I hadn't really noticed but I'm glad you mentioned it. My driveway is inclined some & I probably ought to check the sight glass with the bike pointed up the incline now with the 12.5" Progressives. I always checked it in the garage where it's flat. I need to get one of those long stem mirrors too 'cause I hold the right grip & lean down to look while trying to keep it verticle & nearly drop it half the time. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by bentwheel on 10/24/05 at 20:17:58 Reelthing wrote:
Say Reelthing, let us know how the new shocks work for you when you get them mounted. It sounds like the 90/130 spring rate is the closest match for a Savage offered by Progressive. Do you use a 140/90 15 rear tire and do you currently have any tire interference problems? |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 10/25/05 at 03:59:32 Ok ordered the 90/130 shocks - the rear tire is 140/80 metz 880 - no clearence problems - I'd like to stuff a 150/80 but the wheel width is below the minimum spec for a 150mm tire |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/25/05 at 07:00:05 I think there are five settings; I don't remember. I have mine on the lowest/softest preset. The regular shocks would probably be just fine. I just figured that being 200 lbs, the heavy duty couldn't hurt. They are probably a tad stiiffer but I don't have another set to compare them to. I got the 12.5" set since Babbalou had done so well with his. I actually like the extra clearance but do need to alter the incline to check the oil. If I were doing it over, I'd probably opt for the 11" or 11.5" versions. I knew my stockers were 10.5" and I figured a 2" longer shock might raise the rear of the bike 1" or 1.5" at most. It's weird how simple geometry didn't seem to apply though and 2" at an angle raised the bike by almost 4". |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Ed_L. on 10/25/05 at 16:45:07 Could be you old shocks were pretty beat and riding a little low while the new ones are still tight and need to settle a bit. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/25/05 at 17:49:40 Ed_L. wrote:
It's possible but I don't think so. The bike really has pretty low mileage and I checked the eye-to-eye measurement of the shocks after removing them and they were 10.5". Unless the springs are just really wimpy in comparison the heavy-duty Progressives. Again, this is just with the bike's frame weight, etc... no rider. The new shocks raise it a lot. I am happy with the feel and the ride though. There are just some oddities to be dealt with. They may settle a bit with a little more saddle time. Well see. Either way, I'm satisfied. I just wanted to put the info out there for anyone considering these so they could make a more informed decision. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by jbrough7 on 10/25/05 at 17:54:40 SavageR: You might have already said this but I couldn't find it - What did you put on your pipes? Love the whole ensemble, btw. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/25/05 at 18:03:41 It's a flat black rattlecan paint that's supposed to be good to 2000F available at AutoZone. I think it was called Flame-Proof or something similar... and thanks. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 10/25/05 at 22:06:06 http://www.savageriders.com/reelthing/pics/savage/shock.jpg I hate to do such things in public as I always botch it up. If we use the right triangle formula A² + B² = C² stock measurements C =10.5" A ~ 6 - 6.25" (let's use 6) 110.25 C² - 36 A² = 74.25 B² B is 8.616" long stock if we use a shock 12.5" long C=12.5 156.25-36=120.25 and the sqrt is 10.96 10.96-8.616 = 2.34 Everything else being equal you should picked up 2.34 inch of lift, but since the shock is fixed the angle changes as the swing goes down it also goes foward in relation to the top mount point and A becomes shorter, how much so with 12.5" shock I do not know. Maybe the stiffer springs make up the rest - If this holds true a 11" shock should - 121-36=85 sqrt 9.21 9.21-8.616 = .60 So I should endup with a bit over a half inch of lift and may close to 3/4 , I'll measure it before and after when they show up. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/26/05 at 05:47:22 I hate doing it in public for the same reason (especially since my Euclidean geometry is quite rusty) but here it goes... I used the Pythagorean theorem too. I didn't measure each leg as I knew both A and B would lengthen to some extent when the hypotenuse (C) was lengthened. That said, I simply took the difference in the hypotenuse (2") and figured each of the legs would be 1" if it was a right Isosceles (A=B) triangle. That would mean 1" of additional height. Since I doubted A and B would be equal, I figured the additional height would be somewhere between 1" and 1.5". |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 10/26/05 at 06:00:30 The problem is A will shorten as C gets longer because of the swing arm. I need a cup of coffee |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 10/26/05 at 06:15:16 Reelthing wrote:
I took that into account by figuring up to 50% more lift (1.5" instead of the theoretical 1" if A and B had both lengthened equally) I think you're right about A shortening a bit but I still don't see how it's possible to pick up 2.34" in B when C was only increased by 2". |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by lancer on 10/26/05 at 09:43:39 I have 13" Progressive's on my bike now, and the vertical "B" measurement is 11.5", with the horizontal component "C" being 7.5". This triangle is therefore 13x11.5x7.5 The angle mount of the shock, from vertical, is close to 30 deg, certainly not 45...which was my first consideration, but after checking I now know it is about 30. That being the case this is much closer to being a 3x4x5 triangle than an equalateral triangle. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 11/01/05 at 22:33:39 Ok, installed the 11" 90/130 shocks tonight looks like it results in a 11/16 inch lift over the stock shock in the 3rd preload setting with the Progressive in the 1st preload and 3/4 inch on the 2nd preload when measured like this ..... http://WWW.savageriders.com/reelthing/pics/savage/DSCF0160.JPG Before the install from the lock to the red mark - about center of the axle measures dead on 11 inches http://www.savageriders.com/reelthing/pics/savage/DSCF0157.JPG after the install the same measurement is 11 11/16 http://www.savageriders.com/reelthing/pics/savage/DSCF0159.JPG |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 11/02/05 at 05:24:52 Thanks for taking the time to do the before and after measurements. I wish I had. I guess the stock shocks must be quite a bit softer and compress more just from the bike than the replacements seem to. Otherwise, the vertical increases we're getting don't makea lot of sense. Oh well, I like my shocks a lot. Keep us posted on how well the 11 inchers do for you. I have a feeling the 11" or 11.5" are probably the best all-around choice for replacements to improve performance but keep a similar overall appearance. The 12.5" work great but they do alter the look and feel of the bike somewhat. No complaints on that score but I think it's important for others to note if they're considering the Progressive shocks. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 11/02/05 at 05:54:40 I have the preload set to the 2nd click - the 90/130's may be light - the 11" shocks only have about 2" of travel and on the 1st preload my 180lb arse used about 1/2 inch of that - so I went to the second click - packing the span wrench with me case i hit bottom on these back roads - I'll know by the end of the day - the bike stance changes a little but not much. http://www.savageriders.com/reelthing/pics/savage/DSCF0165.JPG |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by bentwheel on 11/02/05 at 08:21:21 Excellent post Reelthing, with good details. I think you have your shocks dialed in the best so far. I'm looking forward to your road test. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Reelthing on 11/02/05 at 20:12:55 There is a major difference in the way the bike handles in all cases - tight curves with a little twist on the throttle on the way out, flat road 45mph over less than ideal concret joints road patchs and such. as well as something i didn't expect in the least -75 mph highway speeds - at higher speed it feels far better planted. It's not that the shocks jump through hoops or do tricks but they eliminate or greatly dampen undesireable bike movement. The old shocks may have been flat worn out and for the most part I was riding on springs getting a pogo stick effect far more than I thought as they did have 10 years and >22k miles on them. I never moved from the 2nd click on the pre-load as the only time they hit bottom was over a speed bump while sitting down, for my weight and the roads I ride the 90/130lb springs feel about right. Need some more ride time - think I'll spend a week on the 2nd before I try the 1st and 3rd pre-loads. Really enjoyed day 1 with the Progressive 412-4232c installed and the fancy drilled rotor seems broken in - it's low carbon steel completely zinc plated so it took a few miles for the new pads to sand it down. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 11/03/05 at 07:14:16 I have to agree on all points (except the new disc - as I don't have one). I would doubt it's mostly due to the old shocks being worn out unless that happens very quickly. Though my bike was 7 years old, it had only 5,000 miles on it when I changed my shocks and I saw the same differences. I now have 5,800 and still love the feel. When it comes to improving the actual feel of the ride, the SuperBrace and the Progressive shocks have been the frontrunners. In fact, I'm giving some thought to replacing the fork springs with Progressives at some future point. |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Mr 650 on 11/03/05 at 07:57:50 A while back Greg & Torque mentioned progressive shocks as being 1 or 2 dampers. I recall "progressive" being/getting more shock travel vs. wheel travel. Back when dirt bikes all had 2 shocks, (wow! Look a Yamaha monoshock!) about '73 or ‘74 I recall my "old school" dirt bike racing buds cutting the upper shock mounts on a Kawy and moving them forward to install longer shocks... ta...da they had "lay-down shocks". Using the previous chart as reference, move the shock mounts such that angle AC was more acute, for every change of length "B”, "C" was required to change more. This allowed experimentation w/ longer springs, rates. (at some point the shock mounts begin to bend :) ) I picked up a complete swing arm on eBay. Sometime I figured to modify it for a fatter tire and lay down shocks if I can't find a shock size to work. Or being a tight-wad, just make a taller tab and fit it to lay down the existing, cheapo. Gotta be careful, there ain't much shock to work with (the stocker). I was considering moving the rear mounting tabs on the Savage rearward this would allow the use of the taller P shocks, lower the ride height back toward stock and make the suspension more "progressive"(?) Oh yeah thanks for the dimensions Reelthing, and photos Rob, good info there. 8) http://www.off-road.com/dirtbike/machines/vintageguide/img/TRI-BSA500.jpg http://www.vmxktm.net/pics/1974%20KTM%20250%20Photo%207.jpg |
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Title: Re: Put on my Progressive shocks today Post by Savage_Rob on 11/13/05 at 14:07:47 Just an added observation. Though I thought I was being pretty careful and estimating closely, I've discovered it is indeed beneficial to make the bike as "relatively" level as possible by raising the front appropriately or working on a slope, etc. I managed to very slightly overfill my oil because I thought she was a bit low. It turns out she was not low. Anyway, the excess comes out the breather into the airbox and manages to drip out that drain. Since it was only a very small amount, I was thinking I had a minor leak someplace. Anyway, I tracked it to the airbox drain tube. Just thought I'd mention it to anyone using long enough shocks to affect the sightglass as I have. |
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