what do you think of i-shocks

[austin20]

Hey guys,
i was wondering if any of you guys know any thing about the i-shocks front end packages or shocks. Also i am on a tight budget so if ya know of some good but cheap shocks please tell me, or if u want to sell some.

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by austin20
Hey guys,
i was wondering if any of you guys know any thing about the i-shocks front end packages or shocks. Also i am on a tight budget so if ya know of some good but cheap shocks please tell me, or if u want to sell some.

Hornetgod13 has the whole I-shock setup. He might come around and answer your questions about it or you can go pm him and ask him.

[08400EX]

Originally posted by austin20
Hey guys,
i was wondering if any of you guys know any thing about the i-shocks front end packages or shocks. Also i am on a tight budget so if ya know of some good but cheap shocks please tell me, or if u want to sell some.

The iShock products are definitely nice and they have available one of the few "complete packages" on the market. Plus they have a cool website!

I was considering getting the iShock package, but there are a few things I personally couldn't get past for my needs. The biggest hurtle was the lack of a +1 option (which is not an issue for most people).

This prompted me to do more research into other options. In doing so I looked closer at the Houser A-arms. One of the things I liked best about them(other than the obvious great reputation) was their arms seemed to me that they would be stronger than some others I observed. This was due to the extra cross brace they put on both the upper and lower a-arms (see pic). This not only makes the arms stronger and more rigid, but they also put less stress on the a-arm bushings/bearings. To me this is simply a smarter way to make the arms instead of mimicking the stock weaker design without the cross braces.

When I was researching shocks I was also all hot to trot on getting the iShock F-8 shocks. After seeing they could be had at Motosport for $699 (vs.. $995 from iShock direct) I was really ready to get some. My only concern was the lack of "personalized setup" when buying from Motosport. I did some research by calling Motosport who did confirm that they shipped out a "standard" tune. This wasn't what I had hoped for so I called iShock directly and asked them how to get around that. They said in all honesty that they only had one setup anyway and went on to explain that their spring and valving selection was so good that it worked for all rider weights and types of riding.. WHAT??? Of course he did say they had a satisfaction guarantee and that you could ship them back for changes if you weren't happy. I didn't feel comfortable with this and was disappointed as it made no sense to not set them up for the rider to start with. This would potentially save shipping charges and down time for me. Anyway after hearing that I started looking elsewhere.

During this time of research I wanted to try the Triple Rate Springs from Works Suspension on my 450R shocks. After the great personalized service I received from them I started looking closer at their other products. I started checking the specs between their Black Widow shocks and the iShock F-8 shocks which both retail within a $100 or so of each other. What I saw was the Black Widow with Triple rate springs and High AND Low Speed compression adjustment vs. the iShock Double rate Springs and Low speed compression only was a better value for me.

When I add up the prices for the Housers ($459) the Black Widows ($960) and extended brake line kit ($65) I feel I am getting a better end result for ME than if I got the iShock kit at $1800+ for their packaged system.

Of course, as disclaimer I am only speaking from researching the specs etc and not from direct experience with either one yet. In reality any of the name brand arms and shocks are probably going to be miles better than the stock setup and you can't go wrong with any of them.

Just passing on some specs and pricing info from my research the past few months.

[austin20]

thanks guys if anyone has more information please post

I feel the same way. The new i-Shock are some ofthe best looking shocks I have seen. But in my case and many others there isnt a +1 option which doesnt really support XC or trail type riding. Also I think you could get a much better setup for much less. I like their idea of the complete package but if you get individual products from different manufactures it could equal out the same. I like housers idea of the extra support. Yesterday I hit a stump and bent/cracked my a-arm where the welded on portion for the shock mount is and such. My dad was talking to my neighbor and he brought up about me bustin my a-arm. He said that it sounds like it was previously cracked from jumping and not noticable but when I hit the stump it further progressed the crack and bent it like that. He knows his stuff because he knows all about race cars and their parts. Race cars have a-arms too and he knows his mechanical stuff. After all his son is a NASCAR driver and he owns the car and such.

[hornetgod13]

I have the i5500 set up on my 416EX and I think it's fantastic. I bought my kit directly from HDUSA and they did set them up to my riding style and weight and they didn't ship them until they had that information. The shocks also come with free adjusting if you are not happy with the ride.
Most everyone on here will have differing opinions on shock and a-arm set ups but, you asked about iShocks and I have to say I'm pleased and I feel that it was money well spent.

[TheNewn]

My thoughts on the Ishock kits mimic 08400EX's. While im sure they're miles ahead of stock just like every other after markets (in most cases) i think there is better to be had for as much or less than one of their complete kits. In my opinion they're not AHEAD of any company in performance, the complete package just saves you time for the most part because it all comes from one company with one warranty.

If you shop around you could probably find the kit (new version with the multi rate springs) for less than 1800.

For 1800 bucks you could put together a nice package of fully adjustable Elka's and Houser's. Which in my opinion (even with Elka's sketchy valving reputation) would be better than an Ishock set up.

While at first glance it looks nice/convenient i think once you research more and look at different prices you'll realize you can get better for the amount of money.

Also 08400EX where are you finding Housers that cheap?

[08400EX]

Originally posted by TheNewn

Also 08400EX where are you finding Housers that cheap?

PM sent

[Phillburt57]

The iShocks are great the kit rocks. They give you everything you need from brake lines to pre load wrenches.

[08400EX]

Originally posted by Phillburt57
The iShocks are great the kit rocks. They give you everything you need from brake lines to pre load wrenches.

I like their brake line kits too! I found the iShock Spyder +1 Brake Line/Grunt kit on Ebay for $65.95. I find it ironic they sell a +1 brake line kit for the 400EX, but not a +1 A-arm .. weird!!

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q230/66gs/ATV/iShock_spyder_lines_w_grunts_web.jpg

[TheNewn]

Wow that brakeline package does look pretty nice and looks like a good deal too. I'll have to look into that. Thanks for showing me.