I pulled the rear shock from my wifes 250EX and compared it to a spare <u>front</u> shock for my Banshee. I discovered that the Banshee shock has the same dimensions for the mounting bushings. The only difference is the Banshee shock is about 3/4 inch shorter than the 250EX. The good thing is, the Banshee shock is preload adjustable. I installed the Banshee shock in the 250EX, and the rear of the quad now sits about 3 inches lower, including about 1 inch of sag. Now, when I sit on the quad, the rear suspension actually has some &quot;give&quot; to it (I weigh about 180). Also, the rebound seems to feel great, compared to the stocker. I haven't actually ridden it yet, because it was really crappy weather today, but I think it is going to be very plush for my wife. I think this will be a great, low cost solution to the stiff suspension on the rear, but, I am not certain it will be a hot setup for a really aggressive rider. I put all my weight on the rear grab bar, with the preload on softest, and I could almost get it to bottom out. It does not seem to allow the rear end to compress enough to actually hit anything (muffler, airbox, diff, etc.)
The preload ajustment actually raises and lowers the quad. I have it set to the softest postion, so adjusting the preload to a higher setting may be the ticket for jumpers. Additionally the added benifit of the shock is the lower center of gravity.

Now, I just need to find a set of softer, adjustable shocks for the front!

 

This is very interesting. I have a new 250EX and only have one disappointment and that is the harsh ride. I will be watching to see how you fare once the weather clears. One concern might be that since the machine was not designed to run with the lower ride height it might have an adverse affect on the driveshaft angle. I have much experience with this in other applications (heavy trucks) and have found that the u-joint angle must be maintained for long life of the slip member and clutch. When operating at sustained heights for long periods there are low-end torque spikes that feed back through the clutch causing damage. This would be no concern for a chain drive. Let us know how it works and I may try it as well. The 250EX has surprising power and I have no other complaints. Thanks for trying something new for the ride.

 

I thought of the drive shaft angle too. When I sat on the quad, I noticed the drive shaft will be running a couple degrees above horizontal. Normally, it runs below horizontal, so I don't think the angle will be a factor, unless much heavier person than I or my wife rides the quad for an extended period. Once I get my wife out there to sit on it, we will see where the driveshaft is running.

 

If this doesn't work do you know if Honda or some other aftermarket is offering an adjustable shock for the 250EX yet? I like the handling but really need some relieve from the stiff ride. I plan on having my son and nephew riding this machine also. With a dripping wet weight of less than 100lbs I'm afraid they'll take a beating.

 

The ride is reminiscent of an ATC110, that is why I am experimenting. I want more stuff for my Banshee, not $1200 worth of shocks for my wifes quad! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Anyway, I still need a solution to the front shocks. I am extremely optomistic that this shock is going to work for the rear (considering her riding style).

I also plan on installing a set of rear wheel spacers I have lying around here. When we were out on the coast, Toni tried a donut on the wet beach sand, the wheels grabbed on her second round, the quad high sided and she got thrown off it. Yep, it was funny. The width will definately help that problem too. The stock quad seems tall, narrow and tippy. I am sure wheel spacers on the front will soften the suspension, but, bump-steer is a factor with front wheel spacers. By the time you buy spacers, and a steering dampener, you have nearly half the cost of wide a-arms, so I don't know if I will go that route or not. After running my wide a-arms with stock shocks on my Banshee a few times, I know that wide arms on the 250EX will soften the suspension. By how much, I don't know.

 

I too was disappointed with the harsh ride on the 250EX. My first thought was going with a set of Works shocks until I saw the high price. I started experimenting with different spring rates on front and rear. I finally found a progressive rate spring for the front that gives a softer ride but stiffens up when you get further down so it won't bottom out. It gives a totally different feel to the machine, it actually soaks up the bumps instead of bouncing off them. In the rear I found a spring that is still a straight rate but softer. It is better but I'm trying to get an adjuster figured out. I have thought about putting together a kit to sell if there was enough interest. I think I could offer a cheap alternative to new shocks. I tried out my setup this weekend on a long trail ride with lots of jumps. I was VERY pleased with the difference in the ride. I also raised and pulled back the handlebars which gave me a more comfortable seating position as well as making it easier to stand over jumps etc. After a hard fast 5 hour ride I felt so much better than the last ride on the same trail.

 

Who did you get the front springs from?