Hey all, i want to change the shock on my bike and was wondering if all i need is the new gen shock or is there more parts i need to change it?

I've put the shock from an '08 onto my '89 EX250 with good results.

You'll need some form of adjustor to change the preload.

choneofakind has one on his as well.

The shock is a straight swap. I bought the OE adjuster tool for the newgen from cheapcycleparts.

All you have to do is take off the old shock and then bolt the new one in its place. The coolant reservoir is even shaped correctly to allow you access to the top bolt without removing anything.

Also, keep an eye out for new shocks off the 300. Rumor has it they revalved the shock for a little more damping. That's a straight swap as well, and it will have many fewer miles than an 08-12 shock (most likely)

choneofakind has one on his as well.

haha it's funny how I would've paged chone as well..lol.

...Rumor has it they revalved the shock for a little more damping...

What would the increase in damping do?

More damping will make the shock resist compression/rebound. So if you notice issues with your bike pogo-ing, you might look into a 300 shock.

Or I guess I should say different valving for different damping. Not sure if it's more or less damping but reviews of the suspension seem generally positive in comparison to the newgen (and the pregen for sure!)

:pop2:

300 shock works well on my bike. Don't have a new gen shock to compare against, but I have heard the same rumors that Chris heard.

Sorry for hijacking the thread but i didnt wanna start a new one.
I just put the newgen shock on my pregen, went for a ride and didn't notice any difference...the little handle is at the middle (3rd?) right now
which setting am i looking at for riding solo and 2up? should I move the handle higher for stiffer rear?
edit: opps forgot to mention, im 135lbs btw

Sorry for hijacking the thread but i didnt wanna start a new one.
I just put the newgen shock on my pregen, went for a ride and didn't notice any difference...the little handle is at the middle (3rd?) right now
which setting am i looking at for riding solo and 2up? should I move the handle higher for stiffer rear?
edit: opps forgot to mention, im 135lbs btw

Change it to the 5th(stiffest) setting..

You didnt notice any difference? It was pretty apparent to me when I made the switch. Not perfect, but a definite improvement as far as smooshyness goes.

I'm also 135 without gear.

You didnt notice any difference? It was pretty apparent to me when I made the switch. Not perfect, but a definite improvement as far as smooshyness goes.

I'm also 135 without gear.

I guess i just didnt know where to look at to see the difference, i ran over a couple bumps but couldnt tell
btw how do you adjust your shock on the pregen? I cant find any way to fit my hand and the wrench without taking off the chain guard everytime...

The spanner wrench fits under the undertail, but just barely. I pointed the spanner wrench directly at the rear wheel and turned from that position. No jamming on the chain guarg. I currently have trimmed that plastic flap off to get some more clearance for my hugger (see my photos) but I was able to adjust the preload without removing anything before I installed my hugger.

Be sure to use the centerstand (if you have one) or put the bike on the sidestand to get some weight off the rear wheel. This will make the adjustment much easier.

Be sure to use the centerstand (if you have one) or put the bike on the sidestand to get some weight off the rear wheel. This will make the adjustment much easier.

Oh that's genius! why didn't I think of that yesterday. I did manage to find enough room to adjust after taking off the left knee fairing though.

So i installed a new gen shock on my bike this weekend successfully. It was super easy, hardest part was taking off the bolt/nut because it was locked in tight. But, used wd40 and a pipe as leverage n it came right off. Put the new gen shock in its place n retightened everything n now i ride smooth. Thanks for the help guys.