CB360 Shock Upgrade
- Thread starter el barto
- Start date
). Is there any reason not to go as far as 14" shocks? Or would the slight increase of 13" be better overall?
mydlyfkryzis
当有疑问时踢你的敌人在生殖器上，你可以道歉后
You m,ay run into the chain rubbing on the swingarm pivot area. When I am on my center stand, my chain barely clears the pivot and I have 13.5 inch shocks (Stock from Honda).
You have to measure the chain clearance with the bike on it's wheels to get the proper picture (so the swingarm is "loaded")
If you run into chain clearance issues it's possible to run larger front and rear sprockets to "lift" the chain but we're talking pretty small amounts here.
If you run into chain clearance issues it's possible to run larger front and rear sprockets to "lift" the chain but we're talking pretty small amounts here.
what makes the chain most rub is the fact that it will have more slack in it up until you reach travel of where the stock shocks put things then it will have the normal amout of slack in other words when you adjust your chain say with the bike on the sidestand,it will need to have a lot more slack than with shorter stock shocks because of the dropped swingarm there is no way around that and in off throttle braking situations when the rear of the bike is light the chain will be slapping around a bit
a carefully located skateboard wheel,up under the bottom run of the chain mounted to the frame just below the swinger pivot will help,a lot, that is what i have done
a carefully located skateboard wheel,up under the bottom run of the chain mounted to the frame just below the swinger pivot will help,a lot, that is what i have done
mydlyfkryzis
当有疑问时踢你的敌人在生殖器上，你可以道歉后
Mine are original and are 13.5 inches. That is full extension.el barto said:
The bike was one season of riding old when I bought it in 1979. It was completely stock.
The rear wheel is off the ground when on center stand and the kick stand is the correct height.
Pretty sure the dimension is correct.
mydlyfkryzis
当有疑问时踢你的敌人在生殖器上，你可以道歉后
I think there is a lot of confusion over shock length. The measurement is taken at full extension, which is not a factor of soft or hard settings. It is the piston rod fully extended to the stop. This can be measured on the bike witht he rear elevated, like on a center stand, or just take a shock off and measure from the center of the upper eye to the center of the bottom clevis bolt hole.
Most cafe builders want to lower the bike, and the most common shock is a 12 inch or 12.5 for this purposed. Sometimes knowingly, but it seems to me, most times unknowing, this affect the handling of the bike, changing the geometry of the swing arm, and changing the front front rake and trail. When combined with the front end lowering, the result is usually not considered, and often, cafe racers either have wobbles at speed, or have trouble with handling....Fat tire exacerbate this issue.
When buying an OLD motorcycle, you cannot be sure if someone has changed the shocks to a longer or shorter style.
If you look at my sig shot, you can see the angle of the swingarm at full extension....If you put a ruler on it (I did), it is exactly 13.5 inches from bolt center to bolt center. If I rote the wheel in that shot, the chain lightly touches the swingarm pivot. Another half inch would cause even more rubbing. The longer travel of a 14 inch shock would also mean the chain will need to bebe looser at full extension or it will be too tight when the swingarm is centered in it's travel. Not usre how dangerous it will be, but another factor to consider. A looser chain is even more likely to rub and saw through the swingarm pivot. Not a fast thing, but still not a good thing.
Keep in mind also that a shorter shock has less travel, and you may bottom out more frequently. Longer shock has longer travel, but still might hit the bottom of your seat loop. You need a shorter travel shock in reality, not a longer one. Less suspension travel...
A lot of work for a look if you ask me..... I always wonder why anyone compromises handling and usefulness for looks. Most brats (with a couple of exceptions) have hard seats, no fenders, and are lowered, reducing ground clearance and suspension travel, so when you ride, the dirt is on your face, on your back, the seat hurts your bum, and don;t hit any bumps with the thin seat either.
So with some exceptions, a typical Brat is not a bike for riding more than a very short time..... Not my cup of tea.
But good luck with it....I am looking for the correct length and spring rate for my bike....Looks like Hagons are the minimum shock that works properly and fits properly. The cheaper one seem to be too short, oversprung, underdamped, and really not suitable. If the shock lists compatibility with anything bigger than a 360, it has too stiff a spring, and will be as back as a hard tail. Most of those RFY shocks list a 750 as compatible with the ones for a 360. A 750 is a bit heavier Over 100lbs, so the springs will be too strong.
Most cafe builders want to lower the bike, and the most common shock is a 12 inch or 12.5 for this purposed. Sometimes knowingly, but it seems to me, most times unknowing, this affect the handling of the bike, changing the geometry of the swing arm, and changing the front front rake and trail. When combined with the front end lowering, the result is usually not considered, and often, cafe racers either have wobbles at speed, or have trouble with handling....Fat tire exacerbate this issue.
When buying an OLD motorcycle, you cannot be sure if someone has changed the shocks to a longer or shorter style.
If you look at my sig shot, you can see the angle of the swingarm at full extension....If you put a ruler on it (I did), it is exactly 13.5 inches from bolt center to bolt center. If I rote the wheel in that shot, the chain lightly touches the swingarm pivot. Another half inch would cause even more rubbing. The longer travel of a 14 inch shock would also mean the chain will need to bebe looser at full extension or it will be too tight when the swingarm is centered in it's travel. Not usre how dangerous it will be, but another factor to consider. A looser chain is even more likely to rub and saw through the swingarm pivot. Not a fast thing, but still not a good thing.
Keep in mind also that a shorter shock has less travel, and you may bottom out more frequently. Longer shock has longer travel, but still might hit the bottom of your seat loop. You need a shorter travel shock in reality, not a longer one. Less suspension travel...
A lot of work for a look if you ask me..... I always wonder why anyone compromises handling and usefulness for looks. Most brats (with a couple of exceptions) have hard seats, no fenders, and are lowered, reducing ground clearance and suspension travel, so when you ride, the dirt is on your face, on your back, the seat hurts your bum, and don;t hit any bumps with the thin seat either.
So with some exceptions, a typical Brat is not a bike for riding more than a very short time..... Not my cup of tea.
But good luck with it....I am looking for the correct length and spring rate for my bike....Looks like Hagons are the minimum shock that works properly and fits properly. The cheaper one seem to be too short, oversprung, underdamped, and really not suitable. If the shock lists compatibility with anything bigger than a 360, it has too stiff a spring, and will be as back as a hard tail. Most of those RFY shocks list a 750 as compatible with the ones for a 360. A 750 is a bit heavier Over 100lbs, so the springs will be too strong.
sav0r
Coast to Coast
There are three commonly available springs on RFY's. There are a 7mm wire spring, and 8mm wire spring that is short, and an 8mm wire spring that is long. The spring rates respectively are 100lbs/inch, 140lbs/inch, and 120lbs/inch. The 7mm wire shock generally comes in 320mm (12.5"), but it can get extended to 13.5" pretty easily. A word of caution, tou have to be careful when purchasing, otherwise you get the wrong stuff. And they will need rebuilt immediately should you go that route.
