5 Signs Of Worn Shocks On A Motorcycle

Keeping up with your motorcycle’s maintenance schedule will protect you from unexpected breakdowns while extending the lifetime of your motorcycle. This goes beyond the normal oil change and checking your tire pressure. You will also want to make sure you are replacing common wear items, such as your shocks. Driving with worn-out suspension components can lead to an uncomfortable ride, further component damage, and even increase your risk of losing control of your motorcycle. Today, we will look at five signs of worn shocks you should look for to keep your motorcycle maintained. 

Symptoms Of Worn Motorcycle Shocks

As your motorcycle's shocks begin to fail, they will also be unable to absorb the bumps in the road. This will lead to a rougher, bouncier ride, indicating that your shocks have worn out. A good shock absorber should make your suspension feel tight and adsorb bumps in the road, giving you a very comfortable ride.

1. Bouncier Suspension
   As your motorcycle's shocks begin to fail, they will also be unable to absorb the bumps in the road. This will lead to a rougher, bouncier ride, indicating that your shocks have worn out. A good shock absorber should make your suspension feel tight and adsorb bumps in the road, giving you a very comfortable ride.
   
   
2. Braking Isn’t As Good As It Used To Be
   Many motorcycle owners do not know that the shocks in their motorcycles affect how well their braking system performs. When the shocks wear out, the suspension will play more, leading to an imbalance in proper weight transfer when stopping. This can cause your motorcycle to take longer to brake when you have worn shocks.
   
   
3. Uneven Tread Wear
   Checking your tires is a vital part of your motorcycle’s routine maintenance. The tire pressure, tread level, and tread wear pattern tell you much about your motorcycle. If you are experiencing uneven tread wear, you most likely have a worn shock. A worn shock can cause your motorcycle to lean to one side, causing more wear on the side of your tire.
   
   
4. Motorcycle Swerves When Braking
   If you notice that your motorcycle is swerving to one side when you apply the brakes, your shocks should be an area you check. Worn shocks can cause swerving and knocking noises when braking due to the suspension not being as tight as it used to be and weight being transferred incorrectly. This can present a dangerous safety risk if not taken care of immediately. 
   
   
5. Shock Is Leaking
   The last sign of a worn shock is leaking, seen down the side of a shock or at the seals of the shock. This indicates that a seal has broken down and hydraulic fluid is leaking out of the shock. In this instance, you will need to replace the shock as soon as possible to prevent complete shock failure and damage to surrounding components from the leaking fluid.

Upgrading Your Motorcycle With Air Suspension

When it comes to upgrading your factory motorcycle shocks, choosing air suspension will give you unrivaled benefits, comfort levels, and performance. Air suspension allows you to adjust the ride height of your motorcycle at the push of a button. Air shocks also give you the most comfortable ride available for your motorcycle. Shop Arnott’s wide variety of motorcycle air suspension kits to outfit your motorcycle.