HELP! - Need Shocks MotorTrike Solid Axle

MotorTrike has discontinued the Shocks for their Solid Axle 1800 GoldWing trike.

Have any of you replaced your shocks with a different shock other than the MotorTrike shocks?

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Motor trike shocks

If you can take one of the shocks off, go to a parts house and maybe someone can match them to a after market shock. Be sure to check travel fully extended and fully collasped.

HPJ said:

MotorTrike has discontinued the Shocks for their Solid Axle 1800 GoldWing trike.

Have any of you replaced your shocks with a different shock other than the MotorTrike shocks?

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Click to expand...

Does your bike have the progressive style air shocks or the coil over shocks with an external coil spring?

If you have the "old style" air shocks, they have been discontinued by progressive for almost 15 years; up until about 4 years ago Progressive still made them as a "custom shock" specifically for Motor Trike. Unfortunately Progressive won't offer any kind of support for the air shocks anymore.

If you have the coil over style shocks you've been misinformed; they are still "offered" but are a special order item that are "built to order" for MT by Progressive. Because they're a custom order shock lead time averages 8-12 weeks when we're out of stock on them (which we have been out of stock for several months).

Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 mandates in California Progressive suspension has been closed so there are no lead time estimates at this time for any suspension components made by them (I do believe they opened back up for production last week from what I've heard through the grapevine). I'm sure the lead time & backlog created by them being closed is going to push times for most products well beyond the typical though.

Now for the "not what you want to hear part" - To the best of my knowledge there aren't any "off the shelf" shocks that will work on a solid axle MT because of the configuration, valving, & spring rates, etc. Add to that MT uses an air bag system as a "helper" in addition to the shocks which makes this even more tricky.

HPJ said:

MotorTrike has discontinued the Shocks for their Solid Axle 1800 GoldWing trike.

Have any of you replaced your shocks with a different shock other than the MotorTrike shocks?

Click to expand...

What broke?

Choice: 120/170 original springs - or - 170/200 springs??

For those of you that have put a lot of miles on your GL1800 GoldWing Solid Axle MotorTrike, do you think the Original Shocks were a great ride? Or should they have been a little more heavy duty??

I can buy the exact same shocks, but can get a little heavier spring.

The original springs are 120/170.

I can get the shocks with 140/200 springs... or get them with the original 120/170 springs.

What are your thoughts about getting the 140/200 springs?

Or should I stick with the original 120/170 springs?

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HPJ said:

For those of you that have put a lot of miles on your GL1800 GoldWing Solid Axle MotorTrike, do you think the Original Shocks were a great ride? Or should they have been a little more heavy duty??

I can buy the exact same shocks, but can get a little heavier spring.

The original springs are 120/170.

I can get the shocks with 140/200 springs... or get them with the original 120/170 springs.

What are your thoughts about getting the 140/200 springs?

Or should I stick with the original 120/170 springs?

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Click to expand...

What kind can you get? Being I don't have a tour case on my Honda Valkyrie I would probably stick with the stock 120/170 being I also ride mostly solo. If you ride 2 up and load up your trunk I would think about the heavier springs. JMO

David

The original MotorTrike shock leaked its oil out and is not a rebuildable shock.

Trike Tech, you are correct, to order them through MotorTrike through one of their dealers will take very, very likely till the end of September or October, and perhaps could take forever, and may never be shipped out and received, possibly ever.

That is unacceptable, the wait would be too long, and might never happen.

I can buy the shocks off the self with 140/200 springs instead of 120/170 springs.

Or, I can buy the exact same shocks and just install my 17 year old original 120/170 springs.

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I believe the quality of the modern day coil spring material of the original springs is such that they would not have gone bad, and the 120/170 springs can be installed onto new shocks and be fine.

(?)

This whole problem is because the right side shock leaked all its oil out and the air bag leaks as well. Hard to tell of course which went bad first. So, I will end up having to replace both sides, shocks and air bags, eventhough only the right side is bad.

So the question is...

Do I just buy a pair of slightly more heavy duty shocks with 140/200 springs?

Or, install the original 120/170 springs onto new shocks?

It will be helpful if any of you can tell me if the original 120/170 shocks were a wonderful ride, or could the trike have use a little heavier 140/200 spring shock.

Thanks in advance.

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Traxxion Dynamics is a specialized m/c shock builder an is capable of building most any spring shock. You might contact them. Spelling might be a bit off, but I'm sure your broswer an find them in Marietta GA.

Now ya got me thinking and that is dangerous.

So, I've got an '03 GL1800 with a solid axle CSC kit and 64,000 mi. It is a one year old trike to me but it has always seemed to ride like a truck in the rear end. Yeh, I know, solid axle and all that but this thread got me wondering, how do I find out what spring rating I have? Numbers like 120/170 etc are mentioned but, how do I find out what I have? Emails to CSC seem to go into a void some where never to be seen again.

I'd like to soften up the ride a bit without a lot of lean/sway in the corners.

controlu said:

So, I've got an '03 GL1800 with a solid axle CSC kit and 64,000 mi. It is a one year old trike to me but it has always seemed to ride like a truck in the rear end. Yeh, I know, solid axle and all that but this thread got me wondering, how do I find out what spring rating I have? Numbers like 120/170 etc are mentioned but, how do I find out what I have? Emails to CSC seem to go into a void some where never to be seen again.

I'd like to soften up the ride a bit without a lot of lean/sway in the corners.

Click to expand...

First check rear tire pressures (20-22psi).

Call them for shock information.

Your email may have fallen into the SPAM hole.:Shrug:

controlu said:

So, I've got an '03 GL1800 with a solid axle CSC kit and 64,000 mi. It is a one year old trike to me but it has always seemed to ride like a truck in the rear end. Yeh, I know, solid axle and all that but this thread got me wondering, how do I find out what spring rating I have? Numbers like 120/170 etc are mentioned but, how do I find out what I have? Emails to CSC seem to go into a void some where never to be seen again.

I'd like to soften up the ride a bit without a lot of lean/sway in the corners.

Click to expand...

SAs don't have to ride like "trucks", IRS don't always ride better, trikes always have three wheels on the ground whether IRS or SA (unless airborne, not good) …

...and your SA should not be leaning or swaying in the corners no matter how soft the shocks or springs. IRS are the ones that can lean. What psi do you run in the rear tires?

I recall a buddy complaining about his trike riding like a rock truck, I thought it looked to be sitting low in back so I asked about air in his suspension. He said he didn't use any as he wanted a soft ride. I talked him into trying 50-60 psi in the suspension, his wife later said it was much better, but he wouldn't admit it.

So is there a part number for these super secret squirrel shocks that I can change the springs out on or what?

I have a 1999 yamaha royal star venture with motortrike, ford 7.5in solid rear axle. I am in the process of rebuilding the trike suspension. what i have learned over the years is that motortrike used the same set up on my bike as is on the older goldwings. thanks to the posts here, I found the info I needed for the air bag/air shock replacement. For those who are looking for the coil over shocks, I found the replacement Shock on amazon. It is a progressive 13.5in, 140/190 spring wt. 412-4223c chrome heavy duty shock. I believe it is a harley replacement shock. the bottom eyelet is off set just like the stock shock. I got the chrome because the black was not available through amazon. cost is $269.00 for the set. perfect fit. Looks damn good too. to bad you can't see them under the body,lol.

ps. you will need to retain the old mounting bushings from the old shocks or find bushing that will fit. I hope this helps those with older motortrike setup.