Will changing my 04 shocks on my z400 to the 05 model with the piggyback resevoir shocks make a difference or are my 04 shocks just fine?

 

OEM shocks cost a fortune, and you don't get anything all that special! Your best bet is to find some on e-bay, from someone who took them off to go aftermarket.

 

you can get aftermarket shocks cheaper that stock
theres a lot of good shocks Elka, Works to name a few

 

So how bad are the actuall stock shocks ????

 

Stock shocks on the Z aren't bad, but they don't compare to aftermarket. The 05's should be some improvement, but I don't know anybody who has ridden one, so who we will have to wait to see.

 

dont know about your shocks but the 05 ressy shocks are very workable after you dial them in
i love my new z400 no problems yet and i ride it pretty hard

 

The rezzys will give your shocks more resilliance. They act as a radiator to keep the oil cooler. If you ride hard for more than an hour strait, the resevoirs will make a difference. If you are a recreational trail rider you probably won't notice the difference. I have elkas and really like them but if you want a good set of aftermarket shocks for a good price with resevoirs, works are a very good deal. Even without the resevoirs, you'll be very happy. If you can find a good set of 05 stock shocks for cheap, have them revalved. The rear shocks are expensive to replace with aftermarket so definitely get your stock one revalved unless you have money to burn. It only cost me $150 to do that compared to $800 for elka, although aftermarket adds an inch of travel.

 

I have an 04' Z and the front shocks are not very good at all. I have them set at the hardest setting and I still bottom out on them at least 2 or 3 times everytime I ride and I havent ridden over a jump that was over 3 feet high! I dont know about the new 05' shocks but I could venture to guess that suzuki corp. was getting a lot of complaints about the front shocks of the 03' and 04' and thats why they upgraded them to the res. shocks.

 

if you like to jump you need to get some good shocks like ELKA, WORKS
they cost alot but are worth every penny
and for what stock shocks costs its cheaper to go aftermarket

 

Are you sure you are bottoming out?My DVX came from the dealer set on the 3 rd notch up from the lightest setting.I was going over some jumps(about 3 or 4 footers) in my first race with it and I thought I was bottoming the front end.I actually hurt both of my arms,(wrists and elbows) pretty badly.Next race I tried it with it set on the lightest setting and wow what a difference.The landing were much softer with only the occasional very light bottoming when I would land slightly front first.Probably 1 notch up would have been good for me and I wiegh 200lbs!Of course this will vary with how much air your getting but I found the shocks to be quite stiff.Others that I race with agree and say the aftermarket works or Elka's make a huge difference in racing conditions.