Cdogman
Bad Boy
[SIZE=12pt]Penske Ride Report[/SIZE]
Let me say before I start that installing a Penske Shock in a 06AE was a challenge. :dribble: I was shipped the upper spacers two times and they were too big (wide) to fit into the upper bracket. :angry2: This is a two piece spacer instead of the one piece spacer on the stock and Wilbers setup. Finally last night I modified one of the spacers with a Dremel tool so I could put it on. Anyone wanting to do this let me know, I have a few tips. In fact, later I will do a write up on how to do it on an AE. The first set was 15 milimeters too wide, the second was 5 milimeters to wide. I did not shorten them but made one of them the same diameter as the stock thrust washer that goes under the bolt head and inserted it from the outside
NOW on to the shock. I installed the Penske 8981 series remote reservoir motorcycle shock.
It is set about 1/2 inch higher that my stock shock. The second I sat on the bike in the garage I knew I had mucho more ground clearance. The bike did not "sag" when I put my fat ass on it. It moved about ½ - ¾ " according to my but sag ruler. Prior it settled about 1-2 inches, more if I had to take a dump or a piss
I took the bike first to the carwash to wash off the blood from my hands that got on the bike from 4 days of trying to make something fit that did not fit.
Some of you who rode with me at WFO will recognize these roads. I took Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons and Guardsman's pass as my first ride. Instantly the bike was different in an insane way. Due to the increased rear height the bike would tip in much faster. Before the Penske under spirited cornering, the bike would feel like it was wallowing and flexing at lean. It would kind of squish around as the corner entry was initiated, finally stabilize once I had it settled but squat and drag.
Now, It all but falls into the corner and there is no movement at all!!!. ITS ON RAILS!! The bike is completely transformed!! I have a ton more ground clearance now that it is a tad higher and not squatting to carry my fat ass around (for those that wonder, I am about 275ish)
The first few corners I took pretty easy getting to know my NEW!!! Bike. Then I pushed it a little and the pegs touched down but I was not leaning off at all, I was just amazed at how it felt and just sitting on the bike as it went around the corners to feel for movement and attitude
I then started hanging off the bike just a little. I rode about the same pace as I did on the WFO Ride (for those that were there I was dragging everywhere) and with my ass a bit off the seat and my leg locked on the tank my pegs were not even close to the ground!! SCHWEET!!!
I stepped it up a little but not much as there were cagers around and they are always trying to get me. I did learn my bike has much more to give now and her limits are FAR!!! Beyond what they once were.
Money well spent. The shock cost me about 1200 bucks and took 5 days to finally get installed. That means I had to buy about 3 - 12 packs of beer for the install and that was of course an added expense. I gave about a pint of blood from trashing my hands (I finally cut those dam little studs off that held the hard soft mechanism and life got a lot easier)
[SIZE=12pt]That is my report and I am sticking to it. I have a NEW~~~~~~ SCHWEET~~~~~ BIKE!!!!!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: ![/SIZE]
Cdog
Let me say before I start that installing a Penske Shock in a 06AE was a challenge. :dribble: I was shipped the upper spacers two times and they were too big (wide) to fit into the upper bracket. :angry2: This is a two piece spacer instead of the one piece spacer on the stock and Wilbers setup. Finally last night I modified one of the spacers with a Dremel tool so I could put it on. Anyone wanting to do this let me know, I have a few tips. In fact, later I will do a write up on how to do it on an AE. The first set was 15 milimeters too wide, the second was 5 milimeters to wide. I did not shorten them but made one of them the same diameter as the stock thrust washer that goes under the bolt head and inserted it from the outside
NOW on to the shock. I installed the Penske 8981 series remote reservoir motorcycle shock.
It is set about 1/2 inch higher that my stock shock. The second I sat on the bike in the garage I knew I had mucho more ground clearance. The bike did not "sag" when I put my fat ass on it. It moved about ½ - ¾ " according to my but sag ruler. Prior it settled about 1-2 inches, more if I had to take a dump or a piss
I took the bike first to the carwash to wash off the blood from my hands that got on the bike from 4 days of trying to make something fit that did not fit.
Some of you who rode with me at WFO will recognize these roads. I took Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons and Guardsman's pass as my first ride. Instantly the bike was different in an insane way. Due to the increased rear height the bike would tip in much faster. Before the Penske under spirited cornering, the bike would feel like it was wallowing and flexing at lean. It would kind of squish around as the corner entry was initiated, finally stabilize once I had it settled but squat and drag.
Now, It all but falls into the corner and there is no movement at all!!!. ITS ON RAILS!! The bike is completely transformed!! I have a ton more ground clearance now that it is a tad higher and not squatting to carry my fat ass around (for those that wonder, I am about 275ish)
The first few corners I took pretty easy getting to know my NEW!!! Bike. Then I pushed it a little and the pegs touched down but I was not leaning off at all, I was just amazed at how it felt and just sitting on the bike as it went around the corners to feel for movement and attitude
I then started hanging off the bike just a little. I rode about the same pace as I did on the WFO Ride (for those that were there I was dragging everywhere) and with my ass a bit off the seat and my leg locked on the tank my pegs were not even close to the ground!! SCHWEET!!!
I stepped it up a little but not much as there were cagers around and they are always trying to get me. I did learn my bike has much more to give now and her limits are FAR!!! Beyond what they once were.
Money well spent. The shock cost me about 1200 bucks and took 5 days to finally get installed. That means I had to buy about 3 - 12 packs of beer for the install and that was of course an added expense. I gave about a pint of blood from trashing my hands (I finally cut those dam little studs off that held the hard soft mechanism and life got a lot easier)
[SIZE=12pt]That is my report and I am sticking to it. I have a NEW~~~~~~ SCHWEET~~~~~ BIKE!!!!!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: ![/SIZE]
Cdog
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