KymcoForum.com
Scooters - Big Bore => Xciting 500 => Topic started by: JustWantToRide on January 11, 2012, 05:27:34 PM
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The shock absorbers on my 09 X500Ri are comperable to mid 70's motorcycle shocks. Has anyone tried Kymco's nitrogen shocks for the Xciting? Has anyone fitted other aftermarket shocks?
(http://kymcousa.com/access/images/xciting/NitrogenShock_G52400-LBA2-E00-B0-and-E10-B0.jpg)
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The shock absorbers on my 09 X500Ri are comperable to mid 70's motorcycle shocks. Has anyone tried Kymco's nitrogen shocks for the Xciting? Has anyone fitted other aftermarket shocks?
(http://kymcousa.com/access/images/xciting/NitrogenShock_G52400-LBA2-E00-B0-and-E10-B0.jpg)
Can't answer about the aftermarket shocks you asked about but you might find comfort in the fact that the Xciting
has A LOT better suspension then what my 2007 Kawasaki ER6F had (650R). While it might seem harsh at times, it
works great at keeping the tires planted and you safe, and is a lot better then having the bike wallow like a boat
(the 650R again) at 6 out of 7 preload settings.
I've seen a lot of people go for Bitubo replacement parts for Italian scooters, most often on the Beverly/BV500
which is too soft for it's own good, but I've never seen anyone upgrade suspension on a Kymco since it usually
works rather well.
It would be great to hear from people who HAVE done this mod and tried any other aftermarket parts though.
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Does one have to have a bottle of nitrogen to be able to adjust or "recharge" those?
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I think those are self contained. The nitrogen is just a marketing thing. What's the cost on those? I would be curious on a review by someone who has them as well.
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Can't answer about the aftermarket shocks you asked about but you might find comfort in the fact that the Xciting
has A LOT better suspension then what my 2007 Kawasaki ER6F had (650R). While it might seem harsh at times, it
works great at keeping the tires planted and you safe, and is a lot better then having the bike wallow like a boat
(the 650R again) at 6 out of 7 preload settings.
I've seen a lot of people go for Bitubo replacement parts for Italian scooters, most often on the Beverly/BV500
which is too soft for it's own good, but I've never seen anyone upgrade suspension on a Kymco since it usually
works rather well.
It would be great to hear from people who HAVE done this mod and tried any other aftermarket parts though.
I want to feel comfort because my scoooter stops doing the hula while leaned over a bit at 70mph... The ride isn't too harsh - there is insufficient damping (if any), and insufficient spring rate. Most shops have a nitrogen tank now - and recharging shocks is cheap - not that you would need to. Nitrogen compresses differently than air, doesn't contain oxygen or mosture (both of which compress differently and corrode and can react with the oil in the shock). Nitrogen also doesn't change pressure with temperature, and it is much better at maintaining a charge (which is why airplane tires are all filled with it).
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I want to feel comfort because my scoooter stops doing the hula while leaned over a bit at 70mph... The ride isn't too harsh - there is insufficient damping (if any), and insufficient spring rate. Most shops have a nitrogen tank now - and recharging shocks is cheap - not that you would need to. Nitrogen compresses differently than air, doesn't contain oxygen or mosture (both of which compress differently and corrode and can react with the oil in the shock). Nitrogen also doesn't change pressure with temperature, and it is much better at maintaining a charge (which is why airplane tires are all filled with it).
A lot of people (myself included) filled their car's tires too.. ;D
I'm surprised your ride is too soft, you're probably pushing it a bit more then most people are in corners, and it's no
sport bike.. OR.. your rear shocks are maybe shot.
Most regular shocks need a rebuild ever 2-3 years or so, but people tend to ignore it and since it's a progressive
degradation and most don't even notice their suspension going softer over time.
You obviously need better quality shocks probably because of your riding style so just
bite the bullet and buy them. :D
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They look really nice. I'll bet they work much better wile riding 2 up and or loaded. :-*
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They look nice - but that doesn't mean they perform well. The upper parts of the springs look very close together to me, and I don't see any mention of being able to adjust the rebound (damping). I was hoping someone knew of an aftermarket model of Performance Shocks or some other brand that I've used before. Some rising rate springs and a valve kit for the front end would help too - but it need the shock the most.
The shock has been this way since day 1. I cranked the spring preload all the way up after the first test ride and that helped. The sag is set right. The problem is that it has no damping. When the suspension compresses and then goes back up - it bounces down a bit again before settling down. I changed the front fork oil to a heavier weight and they no longer go up and down - the hula dance at speed is all coming from the rear end... I could use my press to take the shocks apart and add washers to increase the spring preload - if that were the problem.
The stock shock gives a comfortable ride which isn't bad for commuting in town. But for handling purposes - when you compress the shock it should return to it's original position in a controlled manner - and not bounce from it.
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My 07 can do one mean hula at freeway speeds. I have almost 30,000 on it now, so I could use a new set also? The biggest compliant I have is how hard the front forks are, I mean when you hit a bump, or on a ruff road. The front end sends a shock up through the bike as if you just hit a small curb. Would lighter oil fix or help this problem? I would hope that at the cost of the nitrogen shocks, that they would work better all around? But who knows unless someone bites the bullet and buys them. Hmmm, lets see now, who has been spending alot of $ on their bike lately? How about that independantly wealthy Hoolander guy! ! ! ! ;D
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Oh, forgot to say. There is an adjustment knob (I think)? On the bottom end back side of the shock. What is this adjustment for? :-*
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I'd love to try them, believe me, but I don't ride hard enough to justify it. And I'm not wealthy by any means. ;) Fixin to have to go back to work to pay for all these upgrades!
Seems to me we have or had a member who got these. Maybe one of the South African guys? Try a search, cause I know we've talked about them before.
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They look nice - but that doesn't mean they perform well. The upper parts of the springs look very close together to me, and I don't see any mention of being able to adjust the rebound (damping). I was hoping someone knew of an aftermarket model of Performance Shocks or some other brand that I've used before. Some rising rate springs and a valve kit for the front end would help too - but it need the shock the most.
The shock has been this way since day 1. I cranked the spring preload all the way up after the first test ride and that helped. The sag is set right. The problem is that it has no damping. When the suspension compresses and then goes back up - it bounces down a bit again before settling down. I changed the front fork oil to a heavier weight and they no longer go up and down - the hula dance at speed is all coming from the rear end... I could use my press to take the shocks apart and add washers to increase the spring preload - if that were the problem.
The stock shock gives a comfortable ride which isn't bad for commuting in town. But for handling purposes - when you compress the shock it should return to it's original position in a controlled manner - and not bounce from it.
Yeah, it should, but like I said, I've ridden 70-100hp motorcycles that cost 30 to 50% more then the Xciting that had EVEN WORSE rear
suspension, with my Kawasaki ER6 at the top of that pack.
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This may not answer any of the above questions, but this site lists these:
http://www.nhrc.com.tw/e-live/front/bin/ptdetail.phtml?Part=NR-36R-01-380BO-LR&Category=107453 (http://www.nhrc.com.tw/e-live/front/bin/ptdetail.phtml?Part=NR-36R-01-380BO-LR&Category=107453)
..as a kymco downtown 300/xciting 250/500 replacement racing part, and I use the word racing loosely.
This suggests that the DT300 has the same shocks as the XC500 which might help looking for replacement
parts.
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Certainly looks the part..............
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Certainly looks the part..............
Yeah..
I think it's a rather safe bet that any aftermarket shocks will be better, I don't remember ever reading
about people who made the swap to any aftermarket shocks and not being happy. Even with the stock
shock, if you only had the full range of adjustments, it might be good enough.
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try to search RPM shocks in taiwan. They have nitrogen shocks for the x500. Asked a local dealer 2 yrs ago and it would cost $200, not sure how much to ship it over there. RPM sells aftermarket parts for scooters.
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try to search RPM shocks in taiwan. They have nitrogen shocks for the x500. Asked a local dealer 2 yrs ago and it would cost $200, not sure how much to ship it over there. RPM sells aftermarket parts for scooters.
$200/each?
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Yeah, it should, but like I said, I've ridden 70-100hp motorcycles that cost 30 to 50% more then the Xciting that had EVEN WORSE rear
suspension, with my Kawasaki ER6 at the top of that pack.
... and at much higher speeds than with scooter.
Take a look at the tacho how slow through corners you are... and suspension is at its limit.
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... and at much higher speeds than with scooter.
Um, no.
Every scooter or motorcycle I got for more then a few hours I went to the same
roads and used my Kawasaki as a reference of when the rear end starts wallowing
around, and there's no hard accelerating out of corners involved here, just going
rather fast.
I could more then match the speed of my kawasaki on the the same corners, usually
taken at 60-70mph on ALL of the maxi scoots I had there except the Beverly 500 which
felt a bit too detached from the road at those speeds.
The Downtown felt more planted on the same road then my kawasaki, doing the same
speeds. Everything up to 80mph and the DT was fine, the frame starts bending after that
when the throttle is wide open at speeds around 80mph and above, and that's almost
at the bike's top speed. IMHO, that's a lot more performance from the suspension then
I expected.
The People 300GTi was usually comfortable at 5mph less then the DT300 at any given
corner. After that, the flat floorboard (IMO) comes into play.
The only maxi scoot that was a bit worse there then the DT300 was the Peugeot Satelis
500, which didn't like when you opened the throttle when leaned over. The Geopolis 400
was better, and every single of the scoots mentioned had better suspension at the back
then my Kawasaki.
But ok, the Kawasaki could take some corners at 100mph and still accelerate out of them,
even if the rear suspension wasn't acting the way I wanted it too. It was never unsafe,
but it was way below any other bike from the competitors in this segment, and I did not
expect being able to outhandle it on a mid-range scooter.
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Just joking around Hoolander. ;) I pretty much think were all working slobs here. If not we would be talking about Mv Agustas, Bennelies and Burgmans!!!! :-*
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Just joking around Hoolander. ;) I pretty much think were all working slobs here. If not we would be talking about Mv Agustas, Bennelies and Burgmans!!!! :-*
As far as I can see, a lot of people here
HAD bigger and more expensive bikes
before a kymco scoot.
I also joined when I got my agility 125..
but at that point I had a 650cc bike for
2 years already.
Sometimes it's not about money.. just
knowing what fits your needs.
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Um, no.
Every scooter or motorcycle I got for more then a few hours I went to the same
roads and used my Kawasaki as a reference of when the rear end starts wallowing
around, and there's no hard accelerating out of corners involved here, just going
rather fast.
I could more then match the speed of my kawasaki on the the same corners, usually
taken at 60-70mph on ALL of the maxi scoots I had there except the Beverly 500 which
felt a bit too detached from the road at those speeds.
The Downtown felt more planted on the same road then my kawasaki, doing the same
speeds. Everything up to 80mph and the DT was fine, the frame starts bending after that
when the throttle is wide open at speeds around 80mph and above, and that's almost
at the bike's top speed. IMHO, that's a lot more performance from the suspension then
I expected.
The People 300GTi was usually comfortable at 5mph less then the DT300 at any given
corner. After that, the flat floorboard (IMO) comes into play.
The only maxi scoot that was a bit worse there then the DT300 was the Peugeot Satelis
500, which didn't like when you opened the throttle when leaned over. The Geopolis 400
was better, and every single of the scoots mentioned had better suspension at the back
then my Kawasaki.
But ok, the Kawasaki could take some corners at 100mph and still accelerate out of them,
even if the rear suspension wasn't acting the way I wanted it too. It was never unsafe,
but it was way below any other bike from the competitors in this segment, and I did not
expect being able to outhandle it on a mid-range scooter.
Somebody here said that Kymco scooters (and no only Kymco) have suspension of 70s bikes.
Generally, in the end that is my impression too.
I did not drive bikes and scoots you mention, but suspension on my ZR-7S was miles away from any scooter, even though it was too wobbly and soft for my weight and driving style too.
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This may not answer any of the above questions, but this site lists these:
http://www.nhrc.com.tw/e-live/front/bin/ptdetail.phtml?Part=NR-36R-01-380BO-LR&Category=107453 (http://www.nhrc.com.tw/e-live/front/bin/ptdetail.phtml?Part=NR-36R-01-380BO-LR&Category=107453)
..as a kymco downtown 300/xciting 250/500 replacement racing part, and I use the word racing loosely.
This suggests that the DT300 has the same shocks as the XC500 which might help looking for replacement
parts.
That's the manufacturer that Kymco gets theirs from - and look like the same gas shock with different colors... Good find though - knowing as many compatable bikes as possible helps.
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My 07 can do one mean hula at freeway speeds. I have almost 30,000 on it now, so I could use a new set also? The biggest compliant I have is how hard the front forks are, I mean when you hit a bump, or on a ruff road. The front end sends a shock up through the bike as if you just hit a small curb. Would lighter oil fix or help this problem? I would hope that at the cost of the nitrogen shocks, that they would work better all around? But who knows unless someone bites the bullet and buys them. Hmmm, lets see now, who has been spending alot of $ on their bike lately? How about that independantly wealthy Hoolander guy! ! ! ! ;D
That sounds like the dampers are clogged or the damper rod is bent. While sitting on it put the front wheel against a wall and push on the handlebars to compress the forks. Just shove it down and let it come right back up. If it compressed and returned smoothly then switching to a lighter oil (or just replacing the oil) should help. If the movement isn't smooth - then something in there is binding.
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anybody got a price on these shox...............
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Found this as I was perusing the web... Price is $199 a pair. If I could get some feedback by someone who has them I may consider the upgrade. Otherwise, the ride is not too shabby in my opinion. :)
http://uswrf.acrtk.servertrust.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Nitrogen+Shocks+KYMCO+Xciting (http://uswrf.acrtk.servertrust.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Nitrogen+Shocks+KYMCO+Xciting)
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Found this as I was perusing the web... Price is $199 a pair. If I could get some feedback by someone who has them I may consider the upgrade. Otherwise, the ride is not too shabby in my opinion. :)
http://uswrf.acrtk.servertrust.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Nitrogen+Shocks+KYMCO+Xciting (http://uswrf.acrtk.servertrust.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Nitrogen+Shocks+KYMCO+Xciting)
TX!! :)
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Yes I think my X500 rides pretty good. But it can wallow at higher speeds, so these would be really nice to have. Are you sure that's $199 for a pair? That's less than 1/2 price from Kymco! :-*