New guy to old bikes

KX514

KX514

PR Member
So I'm new to this vintage bike business. I was given a 1976 Honda elsinore cr 125 about 10 years ago and I'm just now getting around to making it run. I can handle the engine and things like that, but my biggest question is what is my best option for rear shocks? It seems like there are some options out there for every budget, but I don't want to buy junk. I don't want anything real crazy in price though either (for now). I figured that maybe some of you guys would know a general direction to point me in. I'm a total noob with vintage motocross bikes. Just looking to make the bike function decent this year. Something better than stock, but not a grand either. Any help at all would be awesome.
 
It all comes down to how much you want to spend. You can get Progressive Suspension shocks somewhat cheap, I have no idea how they work. Works Performance are good but can still be like 5-600 bucks a pair.
 
Works for B rider work fine but fast A or B riders run Ohlins as pricey but u get what you pay for. Welcome to Vintage racing as you will have as great time! Maico Mark
 
Anyone I have ever heard that bought progressive regrets it-looks fine but performance???. WP is actually a good shock and well worth it from what I have read. I would make that my minimum for sure. Might want to post on marks vintage(google it) and see if someone has a good set. Whatever you do, new or used, make sure you get something you can rebuild. Also I think the key is the eye to eye length that the bike needs to A.meet the travel rules for vintage and B.not throw off the balance. The good stuff, especially used, may not specify 76 CR 125 so make sure you know what that range or number is. Good luck and we will look forward to seeing another rider added to the addiction.......
 
Thanks guys. I'm thinking for this year I'd like to stay under the 7-800 dollar range just to get my feet wet. Then next winter if I'm not satisfied, maybe I'll go with some of the more expensive options. I saw that Race Tech sells shocks for vintage bikes. The "IFP" model looks like it would be a good starting point for me (700 bucks). I really don't want to spend $1300 on external reservoir shocks right now. Anyone have any experience with race tech?

http://racetech.com/page/title/G3S Dual Shocks
 
Go with good shocks to start with or you will end up like me. I put progressives on my old bikes so now I'm gonna have $1000 dollars in each bikes rear suspension could have almost gotten one set free if I'd done it to start with.


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I'd suggest Works shocks and Race Tech's emulators and springs in the forks. I have them in both my bikes and they really work good. I have a Works shock on one of them and have been real happy with it. The Vintage bike may have to wait until next year for it's Works shocks but it will get a set.
Anyway, doing both would probably be a grand or a little less if you put the emulators in. They're pretty easy to do. That would give you a pretty good suspension to start with.

KRH
 
If you are in the price range for the Race Tech shocks, then I'd say go for it. I have never used their replacement shocks but I have RT products in every bike I race and I love them.

I consider RT Fork Emulators a must as well.
 
I'd agree with Vet261 on the Race Tech suspension. I've had Works Performance shocks on two bikes and both those experiences were pretty disappointing. The most recent Works P shock was for a 1981 YZ250 and I sent it back due to it being soooo far off from where it should have been. Different folks have had better experiences with WP, but I personally wouldn't go down that road again. After returning the shock and letting them know how far off it was...it was only a few days later when I saw my returned shock on Ebay selling for very close to the cost of what I had paid for it new and it was a non-refundable item on ebay. I felt sorry for the Ebay buyer who put out good money for that thing.
 
I'm surprised they wouldn't or couldn't make right for you, Mooch, they had to have made hundreds of shocks for the YZ's. You'd think they'd have them figured out. I put the Works shock on my '81 KX250 and it was/is excellent. Set the sag, adjusted the compression and it was off to the races, literally. Mine came with way too much preload screwed into the spring, but other than that it was good.
Race Tech's shocks are pretty pricey, last time I checked, and I've not talked to anyone that has run them. Marty Tripes/Noleen is another lower cost shock option but I don't know anyone that's run those either.

Kevin
 
KRH, I too would have thought they would have made many, many, many shocks for 81 YZ250s!

What made me lose all confidence in them getting it right was when I called to try to have them set it up correctly, I talked with the son of the guy who started Works Performance and he came across as having zero knowledge on the bike. When I said something about how surprised I was over the shock having gobs of compression and hardly any rebound damping, his response was something like..."We have a customer in Michigan who has the same set up as your shock and he's not had any problems and HE RACES HIS BIKE". Sheesh, I felt like saying "oh, I only ride mine up and down the driveway, that must be why mine doesn't feel right". They had also messed up by mounting the reservoir in such a way that I would have had to mount the reservoir on the swingarm rather than in the stock position...and that was after I specifically told them I'd be mounting it in the stock position. Back in the day, I bought a pair of their high end magnacrosser shock sets for a 1980 CR125 and I sold those to someone else as they were worse than a pair of S&Ws I had on it (yeah, I know that's ancient history and has nothing to do with today).

After retuning the YZ250 shock, I ended up sending my stock shock to Race Tech and for a bit less money than the WP shock, RT anodized the body, rebuilt and revalved it and also did their 2 spring setup on it and it worked great from the get go!

Again though, I know of a lot of folks who've been happy with WP.
 
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