Buddy 125 shock absorber upgrade

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buzzvert
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Joined: Sun Jul 28, 2019 11:44 pm
Location: Longmont, CO

Buddy 125 shock absorber upgrade

Post by buzzvert »

I felt compelled to report on a very worthwhile and cost-effective upgrade. To preface, I have the luxury of having an essentially new Buddy 125 next to one with nearly 10K on the clock, so I get immediate perspective on performance, what's worn, what's fine, and items to address on the older one. This week's experiment was shocking. Pun. Intended.

I did notice that my wife's bike, stock, was super nifty over bumps and mine felt pretty OK, but squonky and a little loose. I really didn't think much of it, but figured I'd replace the stock shock absorber anyway. I went with this Gy6 "FORSA" unit, based on forum recommendations:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GY6-FORSA-Perf ... 2690565759

Installation was simple- two bolts after putting on center stand. Standard shock de-installation procedure- removed bottom bolt first, let the engine drop a bit and then the top bolt. What was notable about installation (reverse of disassembly, fancy that) is that this shock was a solid 3/4" longer than what the worn shock in the 10K Buddy had become. (EDIT: upon whacking the disused stock shock a couple of time before disposal, it seems to have been stuck a little short of full extension. This means the aftermarket shock was more like... maybe... 1/4" longer than stock.) In fact it bolted in position exactly where the motor dropped to after loosening the bottom bolt, and I didn't have to prop anything up. Curious. Also, the lower shock mount was 2mm wider than stock, which I fixed with two washers on each side.

In any case, I left the stock settings on the shock as-is, and did not expect such an improvement in ride. The slightly longer aftermarket shock in combination with the increase firmness gave me an additional one inch (!) of ride height. I like it. The firmness did not translate into ride discomfort however. as a 200 lb. rider, the stock setup was plenty firm for me and would be fine 2 up.

Ride quality now surpasses that of the new Buddy 125. I recommend the upgrade if you can swing it at 60 bux shipped.
scootERIK
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Post by scootERIK »

How adjustable is this shock(pre-load, rebound, compression?)

Is there enough adjustment to soften it up from the stock settings?
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DeeDee
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Post by DeeDee »

Forsa makes great shocks. I find them better than YSS. You can't beat their prices.
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buzzvert
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Post by buzzvert »

scootERIK wrote:How adjustable is this shock(pre-load, rebound, compression?)

Is there enough adjustment to soften it up from the stock settings?
...I'm not sure. I see the preload / compression ring that is adjustable. I'll do some research. I assumed it'd come with an instruction manual, but here I am.
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