Have you ever felt something isn’t quite ‘right’ with your e-moto? Power delivery is great, you’re comfy on your Surron, and perhaps you’ve even upgraded the tires to something with extra grip. But it doesn’t feel planted. The back end is skipping around behind you, and any slight rock or divot has you bouncing down the track.
It could be a sign that your rear shock either isn’t living up to your expectations or perhaps it is wearing out. Or both! The Surron rear shock, likely a KKE or DNM piece depending on the year your bike is, is actually a great shock, despite what many riders are saying over the internet.
Side note, when reading other riders’ opinions, take note of how they ride their e-moto. Are they simply asking and expecting too much from stock components?
Here at GritShift, we ask too much of stock components all the time, and we’ve found that the rear Surron shock is good but doesn’t tend to last too long if you’re riding hard. But what does ‘hard’ even mean? Allow us to explain.
Let’s look at what ride style the stock rear Surron suspension is best suited for, when you might need to upgrade, and what would be a good upgrade just for you.
What suspension does a Surron LBX use?
The Surron rear shock, which would be the KKE or DNM depending on what year your e-moto was built, is adjustable for both compression and rebound. If you predominantly ride your Surron on asphalt or easy dirt roads, then the OEM rear shock will be perfectly adequate for what you need.
Keeping your time and money in mind, let’s be 100% sure that you actually need to go through the hassle of upgrading before you actually do it.
Before you make any changes, ride your e-moto as it is. Get a feel of your bike. Then when you make the upgrades, you’ll appreciate the change even more. If you’re in the mood to mod, I’d be looking into upgrading your forks before rear suspension. Remember, what you change in the front will affect the rear and visa versa.
Check out this article here on Surron front suspension.
Something that doesn’t get talked about as much as it should be: is your current suspension dialed in correctly? Both the front and the rear! If it’s out of whack, you may be surprised that you don’t need to upgrade… yet! Of course, if you’re running out of clicks in your clickers, and are bottoming out, then new suspension is probably still in order.
If you’re unsure how to properly adjust your suspension, this article here will give you loads of insight.
Purchasing a Surron secondhand is a great way to save a few dollars. But if you’re thinking the shocks are on the way out, or not performing how they should, it might be time to replace them. They only will last so long, and the more you ask from them, the quicker they’ll wear out – history you don’t fully know with a second hand e-moto.
When do your Surron shocks need replacing?
A few signs your shocks need replacing due to wear and tear could be:
- Visible signs of leakage
- Seals look worn
- Spring isn’t rebounding at the expected rate
- Bent, damaged or cracked
How do you know if your shock is damaged? Well, if it looks like this, it’s done.
Damage like that could be a sign of a hard landing, indicating that you need to upgrade your shocks! Otherwise, shocks can start failing simply after lots of use. This can be especially true if you bought your Surron secondhand, and are not sure of the history. You’ll find that the shocks will start to lose their ‘springiness’, the rear end will start to sag and won’t rebound as quickly.
Apart from your Surron shocks slowly failing, or bending on a hard landing, the other reason to replace your shock is that your riding style is above what the stock Surron rear suspension can handle. From our personal experience, for anything more than moderate trails through the woods, you’ll need something more robust.
Options to Upgrade your Surron Shocks
The very first thing you need to work out is why you are upgrading. Might sound obvious, but skipping this step happens all the time and gets expensive fast.
- Are you replacing a worn-out, tired shock and just need to swap to another OEM shock? Or are you upgrading to land those bigger jumps?
- What is your budget? Wouldn’t it be nice not to worry about a budget, but for most of us, this will play a part in deciding. (Keep reading, as you may be surprised what the cost could be…)
- Honestly, what is your riding style? Are you scrubbing those jumps in your head, or for real? I hate when I watch a video back of me riding, and thinking, I’m sure my elbow was just above the ground!! Do you need the suspension of Jett Lawrence, or would something more cost-effective be better?
Are Coil or Air shocks better?
With all that in mind, the next question to ask yourself is coil or spring? There is a whole article dedicated to that exact question here but as a quick rundown, the air shock has a progressive feel and is lighter, albeit more expensive, and the coil shock has a more linear feel, slightly heavier but is generally cheaper.
What the team at GritShift recommends
I asked Bullet, Rusty and E-Moto Man what they would recommend for the rear suspension, and here is what they suggest.
This is coming from a bunch of guys who collectively have bent, damaged, and broken countless shocks – all in the name of science. They are constantly pushing the boundaries of what an e-moto can do. Check out the GritShift Instagram page to see behind the scenes!
Commuting
We’re 3 for 3 here: Bullet, Rusty and E-Moto Man all agree that for normal street riding you should either keep it stock or look at the Vonkat TENfive.
Trails
Vonkat TENfive rear shock is the unanimous choice for rear suspension from everyone.
MX tracks/Hard enduro
Rusty and E-Moto Man suggest the Vonkat TENfive, but you could also consider the EXT Arma rear shock. Bullet says the EXT Arma shock is also great, but the VonKat is the most affordable shock that works well.
Plus the VonKat is the most affordable shock that works well.
Bullet, GritShift CEO
What about the rear linkage in the Surron?
A topic that needs to be touched on is the rear linkage. When upgrading your suspension, it could also be a good time to upgrade your rear linkage. The rear linkage is notorious for braking as it is a relatively weak component, especially if you’re going bigger on the jumps.
You also have the option to get a different lift size, which will change the geometry of your ride. We’ll discuss this further at another time, but just consider if you’re upgrading to a longer shock, you’ll have to change the linkage to fit.
This video from YouTube is a great one that explains how to replace your suspension and also covers information regarding the linkage.
Why do you need to upgrade your Surron rear shock?
Upgrading your Surron rear shock is only really necessary in a few circumstances. The first one is if your current shock is failing – seals leaking, not returning the ‘springiness’, or it’s flat-out broken. At that stage, you have the option to either replace with another OEM shock, or look at upgrading to something more sturdy.
The second circumstance where you’d need to change your shock could be your riding style – you enjoy the MX tracks, hard enduro and basically asking more than what the stock Surron shock will be able to give you. If this is the case, then an upgrade is a must.
Overall, the guys from GritShift personally run Vonkat TENFives on their e-motos due to their robustness and value for money. This is a great all round shock without the hefty price tag that other shocks attain. However, whatever shock you decide to go with, look at why you’re upgrading, and your riding style. Work out what you want out of your shock – adjustability, weight saving, strength, then decide on a shock that suits you.
When you’re ready to upgrade, head to the GritShift website and check out all the options. Don’t forget, if you want to see the guys really testing out the shocks, check out GritShift Instagram for all the behind the scenes footage.
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