Honda CB350 rear shocks on my Interceptor 650: Installation & feedback

I had already installed the front fork kit from W2S & have been looking for some reasonably priced options for the rear shocks for a while now.

BHPian nasirkaka recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

To all those who find the suspension on the 650 Twins to be on the harder side, there are a few options for the front - to change spring, oil, spacer, pre-load adjuster, etc - but when it comes to the rear shocks, there is nothing much available out there except for some expensive replacements.

I had installed the front fork kit from W2S and the front had improved but was looking for some reasonably priced options for the rear shocks for a while now.

A few days back, basis a friend's suggestion, I swapped the rear shocks on my Interceptor with that from Honda CB350 with very positive results. Honda shocks are of the same length as that of the Interceptor which is 360mm and fits without a hassle. We can remove the bush from the Interceptor shocks and use it on the Honda shocks. All we need to change is the rubber washer around the bush which costs Rs 15/- at any local shock absorber shop.

The weight difference between CB350 and Interceptor is just 20 kg. Bikes are tested for 150+ kg of payload considering rider + pillion + luggage so I guess a 20 kg difference should be ok.

Feedback on the CB350 rear shocks on Interceptor

• The ride quality feels much improved and comfortable. All the sharp jerks coming from road undulations on badly broken roads are well cushioned.
• Briefly tried higher speeds on straight roads just to test, and the shocks did fine. Haven't tried pushing in corners.
• I am sure there will be some trade-off in handling between stiff and soft suspension but for my riding style, the CB shocks seem to work very well so far.
• If I have to nit-pick, the CB shocks feel a wee bit slower when it comes to rebound, not sure there is any way to play with that. Will try changing the pre-load and see if that helps.

It's been just a few days since this mod, and the initial feeling is very positive for my requirement. Let's see how it fares in the long run.

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