How and What To Look For When Buying Motorcycle Shocks

There are many things you need to consider when you are buying motorcycle shocks.

First, the front two telescope forks are the shocks that will isolate the bike frame from the bumps of the road or trail you are traveling on. These fork shocks are typically filled with oil and are under constant pressure. They will also have an internal coil spring shock that is an additional help lessen the effects of the bumps you will be driving over.

The telescoping forks have two major types for motorcycle shocks. The usual ones are the ones where the forks have a main body at the bottom by the front axle of the motorcycle. The other type is one that has an inverted body of the shock and is on the top, which is closer to the handlebars. This second type of fork is better for handling as its setup lends itself to reducing un-sprung weight

Touring and cruiser bikes all have this standard telescope fork setup. The inverted type setup is most often seen on sporting bikes because riders of these bikes are looking for excellent handling and ultra performance from their motorcycle shocks.

Now, onto the rear motorcycle shock setup. These come in many different arrangements.

The basic rear motorcycle shock has a swinging arm that is attached to the frame of the motorcycle by an axle bolt arrangement that gives the swing arm the ability to move in an up and down motion.


This swing arm is then manipulated by: a single shock or double (dual) shock. These types of motorcycle shocks typically use an external and in some cases a coil-over spring.

The dual shock components use two motorcycle shocks; one placed on either side of the motorcycle swing arm and is attached to the bike at the top of each shock.

If your motorcycle has this dual shock setup you must be sure that each of the shocks is adjusted in the exact same way so that it is reliable and has consistent handling while riding.

The one shock component uses a one lever-type part that will connect it to the single shock as well as the motorcycle swing arm. This motorcycle shock is typically attached to the center of the bike where the front of the swing arm is located under the seat.

Single shocks typically will provide you with much better handling as well as braking your motorcycle. Another advantage to installing single motorcycle shocks is that they can be quicker and easier to adjust. This decreases the need to match your adjustments to each individual shock to make sure they are equal.