How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

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How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by maddiedog »

Mel46 had me install some new shocks on his wife's scooter, so I figured I'd make a how-to out of it. This how-to outlines how to install aftermarket rear shocks on the PCX. All suspension for the 2011 125 through the 2013 150, including the eSP 125, is the same. I am unsure if the suspension is the same with the 2014+ PCX 150 (if your PCX has LED headlights, you have the 2014+ model).

The suspension being installed in this tutorial is a Takegawa set of lowering suspension. It'll provide over an inch of drop, great for shorter riders. These shocks have several rebound settings, which is nice for adjusting for rider weight, but lack the dampening adjustment that the high-end (roughly 200 Euros) YSS suspension has. These are also the only lowering shocks that I know of -- the YSS suspension sets, the NCY set, and other brands all provide roughly the same ride height as stock.

A quick primer on suspension -- skip this paragraph and the one after it if you know how suspension works, or only care about installation. Suspension soaks up the bumps in the road, keeping your tires more solidly on the ground, and maintaining better traction and control of the bike. If you ever feel like the rear end is floating, or the bike isn't "planted" and lacks traction over bumps or around hard corners, your suspension isn't properly adjusted or is inadequate. Proper suspension makes a HUGE difference in ride feel and handling, allowing much better control of the bike. While the suspension on the PCX is okay, it is very soft and has very little dampening. It tends to bounce over ruts or bottom out on potholes, and leaves you floating around corners.

There are two main factors to suspension, rebound and dampening. Rebound is how strongly the suspension responds to a bump. "Stiffer" suspension typically has much more rebound, "Softer" suspension has less. The ideal stiffness of suspension varies with rider weight -- when you're looking for suspension for your PCX, make sure you buy a model that is appropriate to the weight of the rider(s) of your bike. Too stiff of suspension can lead to violent recoil after a bump, and a really rough ride that can leave your butt sore. Too soft of a suspension will bottom out constantly, and do next to nothing if riding two-up. Rebound is determined by the strength and length of the springs on the suspension. The other factor, Dampening, is how quickly the bounce from impact is absorbed. Dampening is provided either by gas and hydraulic fluid in the middle of the suspension on high-end shocks, or just through hydraulics on most suspension. Too much dampening won't allow the suspension to recoil fully, and the suspension will be ineffective. Your bike will bounce, but it will be a jarring bounce of the actual bike (not just the swingarm) bouncing. Too little dampening will make the bike bouncy and feel like it's floating, almost like you're piloting a jetski. You'll hit a bump, bounce from it, and keep bouncing over and over afterwards. Typically stronger and stiffer rebound requires more dampening, which is why having a shock that adjusts both is ideal. Without adjustable dampening, you risk a bouncy ride. Really though, the PCX is a scooter, not a dirt bike. Most of you people will be fine without adjustable dampening, and will notice a huge improvement from any suspension upgrade at all.

Here is the suspension being installed in this tutorial:
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And Freddi's PCX that will be getting the suspension. It's a 2013 PCX 150.
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A comparison of the stock shocks to the new shocks. The new ones will lower the bike more than an inch.
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To start the process of installation, we have to expose the top mounts for the shocks. Pop the seat open and start to remove the rear wing cover. There are two Philips-head screws that must be removed.

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Once the screws are removed, gently pry the rear wing cover off. The two front clips pull off by pushing them away from the center of the bike, directly left or right, and the rear one just pops up once the front two clips have been removed.
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Removing the rear cover exposes the back of the underseat bin and the rear support. Remove the rear support next. There are four bolts that hold it in place.
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Once the bolts are removed, gently lift at the back and unclip the rear side fairings from the front of the rear support on either side.
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The underseat bin must be removed next. The seat attaches directly to it, but can remain attached through the procedure. Remove the four bolts at the bottom, noting that the two in front are different than the two towards the back.
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Remove the two Philips-head screws on either side of the seat hinge.
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Remove the battery cover. To remove it, push the button in the middle down, then gently pry off the round clip.
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Unclip the battery -- the clip attaches to the underseat bin.
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Remove the last two bolts holding the underseat bin in place, just above the battery.
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The underseat bin is still underneath the left and right rear side panels -- gently pull them back while lifting the bin from the back.
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And lift the seat and underseat bin out.
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Remove the exhaust. This is necessary to access the right-side suspension lower mount. The exhaust has 3 bolts on the swingarm, and two bolts up front underneath on the engine block. The 3 bolts on the swingarm are WAY overtightened from the factory -- you may need to use an impact wrench or breaker bar to loosen them. The two bolts underneath the engine block are difficult to access, you'll need a 3/8" ratchet with an extension and the proper sized socket (standard metric, I don't recall the exact size).
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We'll remove the suspension next, but need to support the front of the bike or it will flop forwards. I chose to do this using a floor jack, a piece of wood, and a rag. You can also use one of the metal bars on the frame to hang the scooter from the ceiling by a strap. You still want some weight on the front wheel, but you want to have the majority of the bike supported by the jack, so don't go lifting the bike a foot in the air.
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Now that the bike's stable and won't flop forwards, time to pull the suspension. All the weight of the scooter is on the centerstand and the jack, so you can just take the shocks all the way out. Start with the two top mounts.
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And then remove the two bottom mounts. You'll need to use an extender to reach the lower mounting bolt on the left side.
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Slide the shocks off the top.
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Now that your suspension is removed, compare the stock and new suspension. Good drop on these. Springs look thicker and more substantial too.
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(optional) Have the dog inspect your work so far, and get a beer. You're halfway there, and it's all downhill from here.
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Slide on the new suspension:
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And attach it. If the suspension is a different length than stock, you may have to lift the rear swingarm to get it in position to mount the shock. It is a good idea to have someone help hold the front of the bike, just in case it gets bonked off balance. I did it solo though, my wife was too busy taking pictures for you people. :)

You can optionally put some grease on the bushings where the suspension mounts. Honda does not do that from the factory, but it can't hurt. Torque the bolts down about as hard as they were torqued to begin with -- sane, but not ridiculously tight. I used a bit of locktite blue to keep the bolts from rattling loose, I highly recommend you do the same.
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Once the suspension is bolted in place, drop the jack and reassemble the rest of the bike in the reverse order of this tutorial.


Here is the completed PCX 150 next to my PCX 125. My PCX has a rear fender removal kit, but you still get the idea -- there is a huge difference in height with the lowered suspension:
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All done! Go get up to speed and hit some bumps, the difference is huge. Enjoy the ride, and if anything is unclear or you have any trouble, feel free to ask.

If you liked this tutorial and it saved you some money from having the dealer work on your bike, feel free to buy me a pint of beer at the donation link at the very bottom of the forum. :D
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by GeorgeSK »

Very nicely done! I really appreciate the quality photos - kudos to your wife for excellent focus and lighting.

At some point I may change out my shocks. MY wife and I do a fair amount of two-up, and we are not kind to the alleged weight limit. I rarely bottom out, though, so I guess its not too bad.

Thanks!
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by dustin91 »

Wow, fantastic writeup! I'm not at all automotively inclined, but have thought having my dealer install new shocks would be good. This totally makes me think I could do this on my own, with a little help and some inexpensive tool purchases. Will be bookmarking this one, thanks!
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by Mel46 »

First of all I have to give Dave a big THANK YOU! The scooter rides so much better. We had also put a new City Grip on the back just before the shocks came in. Between those two items, they make the ride much better than my new PCX 150. By the way both bikes are in the shop now. Shortly after the shocks were installed we took a long ride and started experiencing loss of power, though the rpm stayed high, and there was a sound coming from around the variator area that sounded like a bucket of bolts. We had Dave listen to it and he thought it might be the clutch or variator. Luckily we had purchased an extended warranty on it, so it went in the shop. That night I decided to take my scooter apart and add some additional tail lights. After I pulled the the rear wing cover off, I noticed some chewed up pieces of plastic in the area of the tail light. I took out a flashlight and did some further investigating. A mouse had made its nest back there, using some of the wiring and wiring's insulation! The mouse was gone, but the wires were chewed up. So, since it was only 2 weeks old, back to the dealer with it, who is was very interested and decided to check his other shipments as well as let The warehouse know. So we are without scooters for a little while. But on the bright side, I will be ordering 2 sets of the Takegawa shocks in a couple of weeks so that Dave can enjoy them too. Thank you again Dave, for all of your help.
Currently own:
Red 2013 Honda PCX150

Givi tall windshield & tailbox - Lots of extra lights
Custom seat from Thailand - Bad Boy Airhorn
Takegawa Lowering Shocks - Michelin City Grip Tires
Headlight assy upgraded to LEDs w/HS5 main bulbs
NCY variator, drive face, and rollers
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by you you »

Excellent how to

Good to see that the seat tub can be removed pretty easily for setting the valves etc
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by kramnala58 »

Great write-up Dave! I actually had the shop mount mine. It cost me the equivalent of $6 for them to do it. I'm not going through all that work just to save $6

Mel ... is that your garage/shop? It is very impressive.
2010 Honda PCX 125 in Thailand (White) - "White Lightning" Sold in Sept 2017 :(
2009 Yamaha Majesty YP400 in USA (Metalic Titanium) - "The Throne" Sold in June 2020 :(
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by Mel46 »

That is Dave's shop, but mine is just about as impressive, except for the winch he has and that floor jack. Mine is set up in my walk in basement, while his is in his garage. Mine looks a bit messy as apposed to his because of all the other things I do there as well, such as work on my computers. Aside from the shocks, almost every one of the accessories were put on in my basement shop.
Currently own:
Red 2013 Honda PCX150

Givi tall windshield & tailbox - Lots of extra lights
Custom seat from Thailand - Bad Boy Airhorn
Takegawa Lowering Shocks - Michelin City Grip Tires
Headlight assy upgraded to LEDs w/HS5 main bulbs
NCY variator, drive face, and rollers
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by kramnala58 »

Mel46 wrote:That is Dave's shop, but mine is just about as impressive
I am officially jealous of both of you! ;)
2010 Honda PCX 125 in Thailand (White) - "White Lightning" Sold in Sept 2017 :(
2009 Yamaha Majesty YP400 in USA (Metalic Titanium) - "The Throne" Sold in June 2020 :(
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by maddiedog »

The wall of tools:
img01.JPG
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It's not the most impressive, but gets the job done. It's functional at least!

I have dozens of floorplans I've made for me and my wife's dream house one day. She always says that if I spent as much time designing the rest of the house designs as I did the garage, I could have become an architect. :lol:
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by kramnala58 »

maddiedog wrote:... It's not the most impressive ...
Dude, it is impressive! 8)
2010 Honda PCX 125 in Thailand (White) - "White Lightning" Sold in Sept 2017 :(
2009 Yamaha Majesty YP400 in USA (Metalic Titanium) - "The Throne" Sold in June 2020 :(
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by Mel46 »

My workbench is much, much, much more crowded. I only have a certain amount of space that is for me only. It gets crowded there, but I do have a large area for the bikes, so that I can bring them into the basement and work directly on them. If I had a garage I would feel like I was a very lucky person. Unfortunately, I only have a carport, so my basement acts as a storage area, a shop, and a shelter when tthe tornado sirens go off. To add to that, the basement also floods, which means I have to be able to move stuff from the floor to higher ground. Dave has the same problem with flooding, perhaps not as severe though. I would love to have the extra wall space for my tools. I desparately need it.
Currently own:
Red 2013 Honda PCX150

Givi tall windshield & tailbox - Lots of extra lights
Custom seat from Thailand - Bad Boy Airhorn
Takegawa Lowering Shocks - Michelin City Grip Tires
Headlight assy upgraded to LEDs w/HS5 main bulbs
NCY variator, drive face, and rollers
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by RoederChan »

Thanks for the guide! It is very useful. However, I don't have a garage so I won't be able to install by myself.
Jealous!

By the way, may I ask where do you buy those shocks and how much they cost you? I am planning to change mine but the US lack of the parts for pcx.

Thanks a lot!
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by Mel46 »

Try http://www.J-mart.biz/J-Parts/
their part number is 06-04-0034, or you can order the all chrome ones. Their part number is 06-04-0032
The shipping cost will be a killer. Just be prepared.
Currently own:
Red 2013 Honda PCX150

Givi tall windshield & tailbox - Lots of extra lights
Custom seat from Thailand - Bad Boy Airhorn
Takegawa Lowering Shocks - Michelin City Grip Tires
Headlight assy upgraded to LEDs w/HS5 main bulbs
NCY variator, drive face, and rollers
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by RoederChan »

Mel46 wrote:Try http://www.J-mart.biz/J-Parts/
their part number is 06-04-0034, or you can order the all chrome ones. Their part number is 06-04-0032
The shipping cost will be a killer. Just be prepared.
I have checked. The shipping is very expensive. Almost reach the price of the shocks.
Hmm, I need to save money for it.... lol
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by pcx125 »

what is the size ? is it 300 mm or 310 mm ?
I found YSS in this website
http://www.racing-planet.co.uk/shock-ab ... f#jumplist
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by Mel46 »

Here is the actual web address for the shocks, and I believe they are 30mm. At least, that is what the advertisement says. It says 30mm lowering effect.
http://www.j-mart.biz/j-parts/index.php ... s_id=11706
Currently own:
Red 2013 Honda PCX150

Givi tall windshield & tailbox - Lots of extra lights
Custom seat from Thailand - Bad Boy Airhorn
Takegawa Lowering Shocks - Michelin City Grip Tires
Headlight assy upgraded to LEDs w/HS5 main bulbs
NCY variator, drive face, and rollers
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by WhiteNoise »

Another Fabulous "How To!!" Spot On, Anybody can duit (moi included :P ) Thanks Dave and Mel!!

P.S. Dave, as suspected, your garage is moving right along. Was just a matter of you settling in. Baby Noah will one day enjoy it too with his Pop! Happy for You and Everyone one else that has the space to fiddle! Oh! Wait! Where's the Frig, the Ice Box, the Cooler? Ya gotta have Cold Ones near!! ;)
Cheers ya'll!
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by 6ftMach1Girl »

maddiedog wrote:The wall of tools:
img01.JPG
It's not the most impressive, but gets the job done. It's functional at least!

I have dozens of floorplans I've made for me and my wife's dream house one day. She always says that if I spent as much time designing the rest of the house designs as I did the garage, I could have become an architect. :lol:
I like the shop. My husband remodeled our kitchen, and put all the old cabinets in the garage. Which means I can't find anything without going through every single cabinet and drawer. I like how all is in plain view. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by Slickvic »

maddiedog wrote: (optional) Have the dog inspect your work so far, and get a beer. You're halfway there, and it's all downhill from here.

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Too Cute!!!!
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Re: How-To: Swap the Rear Suspension

Post by Scolds »

I'd like to say thanks for the very helpful photos and explanation. I completed it on my PCX 125 and didn't need to remove the exhaust or use the jack. I was able to lift the rear wheel easily by hand for alignment of the bolt.

Still excellent thread and great help. I had found a video online once showing the work, but do you think I can find it again!!!
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