• Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Sweden - About 1988 and older

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1978 390 CR Shock Length Options?

H

Howlan

Husqvarna
AA Class
Was hoping someone could help me with this, just bought a 1978 390 CR and was hoping to give her a little more travel. I have a set of 1979 CR forks already, but was wondering if I use them what would be the length of shock I would need to go to match front (without causing any issues), I think the 79's had 17"s or 17.5"s, would they work on a 78 (currently at 15"/stock)?

Thanks in advance!

Howard
 
I think the 79's had 17"s or 17.5"s, would they work on a 78 (currently at 15"/stock)?

My 80 390CR only had 16" long shocks stock, so I won't go any longer then that...without riding one with the longer suspension.
The more you jack up the height the more it affect things like the chain tension...
 
I have been using a set of 16" shocks on my 78 390WR for the last 14 years. I certainly would not go any longer ! As ruwfo said, the chain tension would be a serious issue. The small pad on top of the swing arm would have a life span of minutes. I have just put a set of 15"1/2 on the other 390, and I like them alot. The main thing with the 78's is the position of the mountings. If you do the maths you can work out the axle travel for a given shock stroke length. I tried a set of 16" Ohlins on the "other one". Wheel travel was about 8" or fractionally over. With the 15"1/2 shocks I have 9" because the stroke of the shock is longer. Just remember, the taller it gets the more top heavy it will feel. If it's a rainy sloppy wet meeting you will be cursing the tall bike.
 
Thank you for the information! I'll try some 16" ETE and see how they work, I will not go any longer.
 
I used both lengths of the progressive gas shocks on my '77, '78 & '79 390's. One bike I purchased they put the longer shock springs on the shorter shocks. The bike was unridable till I figured it out. All the bikes handled good with the after market shocks.
 
I guess I should ask if anyone has a pair of decent 16" shocks they would like to part with, any one got a pair sitting around out there in Internet land?
 
Try ebay. I purchased new progressive gas filled shocks from Dennis Kirk they had the long and short ones with different spring rates. For my 300lb body the higher spring rate worked. Good starting point.
 
Hagon Shocks are good value for money, and as a bonus have a long stroke. There are dealers all over for them, or direct from the factory in the UK.
 
i dont know anything bout the "jbs" shocks, but most have mixed results with chinese shocks. some ok, some leak, some damp, some dont. my point was for the money invested, the ohlins are top performers so why not just rebuild em? that is if you have them to begin with. i bought progressive shocks for my 79 wr250 when i was a teen because the ohlins were leaking and had a bent shaft. they worked well until i finally spent about the same money just rebuilding the ohlins, and i found out the swede ohlin shocks blew away the progressives in damping prowess...i should have just did that to begin with! lesson learned...
 
Depending what your are riding...Off road or MX.....you could find a set of 15 3/4" Curnutts and have them rebuilt. That is the length that was used back in 1978 for the off road guys.
 
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