Alternative shocks...

madmax-im

Yamaha...Go your own way...
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I see lots of different alternatives for shocks. Being budget minded i need not to spend or over spend on new when something used will be more than adequate...
Case in point..a fellow here is selling his Triumph Bonneville shocks with the bushings modified to fit our bikes...they are 13.5 " as well..They might be a little taut for my skinny butt , The current owner being a big guy has all the preload dialed up.....so they're pretty stiff for him...I'm thinking if i dial down the preload these will be alright for my 150#(with gear on)
So I am seeking out similarly experienced folks here who have used these shocks. Did they work well for you? What were the pros and cons of this retrofit?
I know cost is a major factor for me.. I have yet to ponder this machine in a state of readiness ..tires..shocks..chain and swingarm need attention to be fine tuned...until then I dont know if i will really want to keep it and ride/wrench on it. So not going over the deep end on buying replacement components at this time...
TIA...:smoke:
 
Watching.

I've been looking into this for a while now and it seems the YSS brand has a good reputation for quality for its price.

https://www.yss-webstore.com/RD222-320P-09

It can be spec'd in a black or chrome and you can spec different types of caps too.

I'm interested to see if there are other reasonably priced options out there.
 
I have heard good reports on the Triumph shocks. I have an identical pair mounted on my '75, but I have not put any road time on them yet. They feel pretty good to me, but I am a bit on the husky side, north of 200#. I think they will be a definite improvement over stock worn out units. And price wise i think your next step up will be in the 2-250 range. Just my 2 cents...
 
So you didn't score on those used Progressives after all. Maybe those were sprung too stiff. You seem reluctant or hesitant to invest in tires & chain and doing the swingarm maintenence. ?
You should start with those items because shocks are easy to add at anytime later. You are light enough that "good" stock shocks may be fine for you.
:twocents: -R
 
So you didn't score on those used Progressives after all. Maybe those were sprung too stiff. You seem reluctant or hesitant to invest in tires & chain and doing the swingarm maintenence. ?
You should start with those items because shocks are easy to add at anytime later. You are light enough that "good" stock shocks may be fine for you.
:twocents: -R
no didnt score on the Progressives..Not reluctance..I'm retired it takes time to gather all my resources..plus it helps to research it first...
Once I have everything i need..then i will do it all in 1..or 2 days IDK
As far as the chain is concerned it looks like it still has some life..i have to measure it but it appears that I can cut 2 links out of it for now...
Tires are going to be Shinko 712s..not great but a huge improvement over worn out Dunflops..A pair of triumph shocks and we can be on our way..Oh and adjusting the swingarm..when everything else is already apart...makes sense to me...
 
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Holy shmoley, just had a quick look on ebay and bonneville shocks are cheap!!!

Anyone know what model years fits the xs?? Are they a bolt in replacement??
 
If you look up Triumph Bonneville reviews, you’ll find the air cooled Bonneville did not get high marks for suspension. I’m sure good take-offs will keep your tire in contact with the pavement. Also, the Bonneville is fairly heavy. Skinny ass, XS650 with Bonneville shocks might ride like a buckboard. I’m hypothesizing. I have not tried them. Jim can tell you just how they work.

Hagon is a business that appears to be going away. I understand it’s all in the hands of old folks with out of date business practices. I know someone having difficulty obtaining their shocks. More hassle than most of us will put up with.

I got a recommendation from RaceTech’s Matt Wiley when I told him I wasn’t going to put $1200 shocks on a $800 motorcycle. He pointed me toward YSS. I have yet to spring for a set, but they’re on my short list.
 
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Marty..You're prolly correct about the triumph shocks..but at this price point i am going to try them..I need to upgrade what is on there now. So the Triumph shocks may not be a permanent solution but a temporary fix so that i have a fairly safe riding motorcycle..If i determine that the bike is a keeper then i can and will upgrade to more appropriate equipment..but if not then at least the bike is ready to go as is forsale....
 
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I went with Bonneville shocks because they are longer than stock and I needed to get the rear end of my Special out of the dirt. They look very much like stock XS650 shocks but are an ~1" longer IIRC.
As far as appearance, they look great! The inch will quicken steering. NC has smooth pavement anyway. It’s not like the third world roads here in Mississippi.
 
I've always had good luck with used Konis. Not so easy to find anymore, or as cheap as they used to be, but well worth getting if you stumble across a set. For 650 use, I like offset bottom eyes. They mount up fine and provide more clearance on the chain guard side .....

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I just scored a used set of S&W's off eBay for about $40. They are 13.5" and have offset bottom eyes. I'll be trying them out this season hopefully .....

yREqpiV.jpg


VZ6z6c6.jpg


mdiQQnK.jpg


They need a good cleaning and one is missing the bushings, but I happen to have a set of rusty junk S&Ws I can scrounge the missing parts from. They came on a parts bike I acquired .....

otBH3SQ.jpg


Yep, this is how I found it, sunk up to the axles in dirt out on some farm. $50 and it was mine, lol.
 
I've always had good luck with used Konis. Not so easy to find anymore, or as cheap as they used to be, but well worth getting if you stumble across a set. For 650 use, I like offset bottom eyes. They mount up fine and provide more clearance on the chain guard side .....

0wE2Vpa.jpg


I just scored a used set of S&W's off eBay for about $40. They are 13.5" and have offset bottom eyes. I'll be trying them out this season hopefully .....

yREqpiV.jpg


VZ6z6c6.jpg


mdiQQnK.jpg


They need a good cleaning and one is missing the bushings, but I happen to have a set of rusty junk S&Ws I can scrounge the missing parts from. They came on a parts bike I acquired .....

otBH3SQ.jpg


Yep, this is how I found it, sunk up to the axles in dirt out on some farm. $50 and it was mine, lol.

Konis are now IKON here in the US: https://www.ikonsuspensionusa.com/ GREAT shocks


I'll be running some cheap Thruxton shocks on my free.99 build, they're longer than stock and will hopefully work ok. Next step after that would likely be IKON's or Hagons should these not work out.
 
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