Shock Heights - want to lower one and raise one.

[peshkabz]

I am tall and heavy - 265.

My wife is short and medium.

I want to put on a more comfortable shock on mine, but do not want to raise the seat too high. How much would the 285 shock raise the seat height - and inversely, what size shock should I put on my wifes to lower hers about two inches. Thanks for your answers!! ;D

I will be buying from the Battlescooter store!

[tedsmini]

Look a the pic, this is the 270mm chrome(of course) shock. I am 6' 250 and it won't bottom anymore. It raised it about
1". The tire is no longer clear of the floor when on the center stand. If you raised it any higher the stand wouldn't fully deploy and hold up the scooter. To lower your wife's I think you would use a standard aftermarket shock or just use the factory shok and install the lower seating frame.

[chuckwagon]

Thanks to tedsmini for his installation advice. I just installed a white 285mm on my 04 Ruckus this morning, and it was a breeze. It is just about one inch longer, than the painfully pitiful stock shock. I am a heavyweight too, and was able to easily bottom out the stock shock, just sitting on the bike in my garage. I have the new shock, adjusted to the lightest preload, and no more bottoming out, front forks doing a better job now too for some reason, and the ride quality is very good. To give you the height information you need, the back tire touches the ground now, when the bike is on the centerstand at this preload position. No problem starting the bike with the wheel touching, however, there is a slight amount of rocking while sitting on the centerstand. Nothing to worry about at all.
For installation however, it's not necessary to remove the entire floor panel. Just take off the seat frame assembly, removing only the bolt on the back, and the top one on the front, the front bottom hole is slotted through, so just loosen that one on each side. Then remove the two rear bolts in the rear of the plastic floor panel, and it's easy to lift it up for the clearance one needs to install the shock. Loosen the airbox assembly with the three screws, remove the crummy shock, and replace with a good one from Battlescooter store! Torque the top bolt to 28 lb/ft, the bottom one to 20 lb/ft, put the airbox back on, the seat frame back on, voilà. No clearance problems at all, works just fine.
Don't have any first hand information on the shorter ones..
Chuckwagon

[abe]

;D

[peshkabz]

Hey - thanks for the great information! I like the look of the chrome shock, but since it is half the price of the others, I wonder how good it is? Will it take my weight as good as the more expensive showas'?

Does showa make a shock for the Ruckus in a yellow color?

[tedsmini]

Peshkabz: the chrome shock set on the third step up is more than sufficient for my 250lbs. It rides great and doesn't get close to bottoming; and what you see of it looks great.

[Vishnuk]

You could save some cash and put some risers on the wife's shoes...just a thought.

[abe]

Good idea. That's what my mom does. Yes my dear OLD mom
rides a motorcycle. She did make the switch to a lower
bike this last year though.