ST1300P rear shock vs ST1300 rear shock

[Josh_ST]

Does the Police model rear shock have a higher load capacity than the non-police model? I swore I read that it did somewhere, but no amount of searching can turn up the answer.

Was considering it as a swap on my bike since I'm considering towing with it, and I weight considerably more that the rider Honda spec'd the bike out for.

 

[Larry Fine]

From Partzilla:

ST1300 Standard: 52400-MCS-305/52400-MCS-G02

ST1300 Police: 52400-MCS-A31

 

[W0QNX]

I've ran a used one for 100,000 plus miles and I can't feel any difference from the stock part I took off.

I tried to figure this out years ago with no luck.

I'm looking forward to possible answers.

 

[Larry Fine]

I've ran a used one for 100,000 plus miles and I can't feel any difference from the stock part I took off.

You would definitely feel the difference with a new shock/spring.

 

[Josh_ST]

I had an offer for 30% off of one I was watching on eBay, but it looks pretty rough. The fitting where the preload hose attaches looks nuked. Sounds like a hard pass.

Thanks everyone!

 

[dduelin]

According to a 15 year old article in BIKE magazine titled " Are Pan Europeans Dangerous?" the P shock supposedly has a spring with a higher rate to cope with the 65 lbs police bikes are allowed to carry in the radio compartment and the 20 lbs allowed in each pannier and still operate at 120 mph. (Civilian 1300s are placarded not to exceed 80 mph when loaded with cargo) The P spring is supposedly is straight rate vs the progressively wound spring also supposedly used in civilian ST1300s. I say supposedly because every OEM rear shock I have ever seen on an ST is straight rate.

This information came from Honda UK's Dave Hancock who was involved in product design during the development of the 1300. In the context of the article he was addressing the 1300s weave and how Honda addressed it in 2002.

 

[jfheath]

I've ran a used one for 100,000 plus miles and I can't feel any difference from the stock part I took off.
I tried to figure this out years ago with no luck.
I'm looking forward to possible answers.

No answer to that from me - just my own observation. I replaced mine last year at about 60,000. OEM brand new. I checked the amount of slack in the adjuster, and had to top it up - it took 9 clicks before it met any resistance. After a top up it reduced to 2.

The difference that the new shock made was remarkable. The bike felt planted on the road, much more stable in the bends and it is riding really well. Seems to be working well with the T32GTs.

I didn't realise that it had been riding badly - I ws quite happy with it as it was - but decided that I'm probably keeping this bike now until I stop riding, and it would need a new one at some point in that time. I might as well get the benefit from a new shock while I can, rather than fit it later and only get 10,000 miles from it.

The preload adjuster slack is a red herring - that amount of slack won't make any difference until you get to the point where it won't compress the spring any more. Then the extra fluid would provide 7 more clicks of pre-load.