# Reducing Shock Stroke While Keeping Eye to Eye Measurement



## SeaSwab (Dec 11, 2019)

Has anyone considered short shocking the standard RM Instinct? I currently run a BC edition but moved to a location that has a lot of pedaling and a new bike right now is out of the question.

I am considering purchasing a 210x50 shock and installing the lower pipeline spacer in the 130mm fork. I think this should be around 130mm of rear travel. What do you all think?

Will I need to fill the air can with spacers to compensate for the leverage ratio at the end of the stroke? Anything other issues that I can be missing?

Cheers


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

I am currently running the 210x 55 rear DPX2 (140mm) with the ride 9 instinct rocker arm. Local shop had the rocker kicking around, but I think it is ~$120 direct from Rocky. My bike originally was a BC. 
That’s how I would go.


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## looks easy from here (Apr 16, 2019)

What's your current stroke length? I see the current Instinct is 52.5mm. If that's what you have then you'll only really knock about 6mm off your travel by dropping to a 50mm stroke.


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## SeaSwab (Dec 11, 2019)

looks easy from here said:


> What's your current stroke length? I see the current Instinct is 52.5mm. If that's what you have then you'll only really knock about 6mm off your travel by dropping to a 50mm stroke.


I'm currently running a 8.5x2.5 shock in the 2018 MY instinct. Current travel is 155mm in the slackest ride 9 setting.

The standard instinct from 2018 runs a 210x55 shock so the stroke difference is 5mm from standard instinct. Should change the travel to 50/55*140=~130mm (standard instinct runs a 210x55 at 140mm travel, if this is a correct way to estimate travel with a stroke ratio with the same eye to eye).

The goal would be to get a shorter travel trail bike set up for ~$1k and either keep my burly parts and swap them when I am riding gnar or get a new full-on enduro bike once the bike industry settles down.


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## PhillipJ (Aug 23, 2013)

It's not going to change your static geometry so I can't see it making your bike pedal better. It'll just bottom out earlier so you are probably better off putting a larger volume reducer in your current shock so it ramps up earlier.


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## SeaSwab (Dec 11, 2019)

PhillipJ said:


> It's not going to change your static geometry so I can't see it making your bike pedal better. It'll just bottom out earlier so you are probably better off putting a larger volume reducer in your current shock so it ramps up earlier.


I will be changing the geo with the RM ride 9 link, my current bike is in the BC mode which is the slackest longest setting to fit the larger 8.5x2.5 shock. I am deciding between any 210x50/52.5/55 shocks as I will need to purchase one regardless.


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