[Cycler_13]

I love my CTX700N. I’m a bigger guy ~270 lbs. I had adjusted the preload on the OEM shock to the bottom. The ride was better. No bottoming out. But, now my wife (~150lbs) is starting to ride with me on the back. We don’t seem to be bottoming out (been out on about 5 rides), but on our last ride the biker following us said we were sitting quite low…. So it is time for an upgrade. I get 3 different responses when trying to find a solution: 1) Get a bigger bike. Not helpful. 2) Get the Wilber 640 with the hydraulic preload adjuster. It is ~$1128. Note: I have been told the YSS Shock will not handle our weight. And 3) Get stiffer springs in both the front and rear, but use the same rear shock. I have a local shop looking into this, and they thought it would be much more affordable (~$600), but they have little experience in the CTX suspension.
My questions for the forum are:
If I go with the Wilber (option 2), it will allow me to adjust for different preload settings for riding solo vs riding with my wife (I like this since she rides with me ~50% of the time), but will I have to update the front springs as well? I currently do not notice much nose diving on hard braking with two up. Will this put the bike out of balance and/or drive me to get heavier front springs?
If I go with the option 3), has anyone else done this? Or is the OEM shock design not adequate? This is more affordable, but I do not see much info of others doing this. Has anybody gone this route? Any information would be appreciated.
Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[TLeventry]

Can't see a stiffer spring in rear working with stock shock IMO.

 

[Loose Chain]

People have overloaded these bikes in the past. Honda says 388 lbs is the allowable load to carry so keep that in mind. Also keep in mind the amount of braking you are going to have. Also if you get into an accident and a cop happens to check how much weight your bike can legally carry then you're insurance could be void. With mods your bike will carry you and your wife but it is not legal at the end of the day.

 

[rpw00mirage]

would the weight of the factory cases be included against that 388?

 

[Loose Chain]

From what I remember and I could be wrong, it is 388 lbs no matter if it is a Naked bike or a bike with fairing and bags. It may not make sense but I seem to recall that is the way it is written. The bikes are great as a single rider but i don't care for it with two people.

 

[Professor*76]

I think that if you are only riding two-up occasionally, and the rear shock is not bottoming out, you are probably ok. On the other hand, if you plan to do a lot of two-up riding, I think, from a safety standpoint, I'd be looking to upgrade to a full sized bike like a used Goldwing, rather than cobbling something up. The CTX is a mid sized bike, and with the weight you're toting, you also need to think about that 670 cc engine, with acceleration and hills. Also braking. Good luck with your decision.

 

[huklbery]

The OEM shock is lacking in every aspect.
While having external preload adjustment is great is it worth an additional $700 vs a simple YSS adjusted on the stiff side? (If your riding with the OEM shock the YSS gives way more preload & dampening in comparison)
Personally I would not hesitate to ride at 400lbs as Honda is clear its within spec. (needing more engine, 40HP is fine by me but I'm ok with small bore scooters & VW air cooled buses)

The forks can be improved, as you note they will seem to be less balanced with a shock upgrade, that said for me at least they would be ok as they are. Since I wanted to ride this bike till they legislate these off the road, I went with springs and cartridge emulators... very plush. I did run them on hardpacked dirt brake ripples last weekend and that did defeat the upgrades, still not a dirt bike ;-)

 

[jdbrot]

The weight rating is based on the factory tires and total bike weight. Add both tire ratings and subtract the bike weight including all accessories and fluids to get the load rating. Different tires and bags, etc. can change the number. When ordering a new rear shock the spring rating will need to be the actual load (you and your passenger).

 

[huklbery]

The weight rating is based on the factory tires and total bike weight. Add both tire ratings and subtract the bike weight including all accessories and fluids to get the load rating. Different tires and bags, etc. can change the number. When ordering a new rear shock the spring rating will need to be the actual load (you and your passenger).

While tire capacity is a significant factor, even if it indicates a significant increased margin it would be prudent to keep Honda's 419lb in mind.

 

[TLeventry]

The weight rating is based on the factory tires and total bike weight. Add both tire ratings and subtract the bike weight including all accessories and fluids to get the load rating. Different tires and bags, etc. can change the number.

That can't be right. The suspension is a huge factor in load rating.

You definitely need to upgrade the suspension to increase load capacity, but I'm certain Honda would point to any mods in the case of an accident/ lawsuit

 

[jdbrot]

Just speaking about how manufacturers determine load rating. Suspension is subjective, hence the continued existence of hard tail bikes.