CX650 Eurosport

Research / The rear shock for the Pro-Link

LeaningDecision D53 Rear endUpdated

The rear shock for the Pro-Link

Line drawing of the CX500E rear: Pro-Link shock, swingarm and rear frame
The Pro-Link shock and swingarm, and the rear frame that gets cut.

The problem

The Eurosport already has Honda’s Pro-Link mono-shock, which is half the reason I bought one. The stock shock is about 290 mm long and it’s 44 years old.

The catch is the mounts. The Eurosport needs an eye at the top and a clevis at the bottom. Sportbike shocks (CBR1000RR, R1, Fireblade) are eye/eye. They don’t fit without modifying the mount, and a modified mount may cost the “direct replacement” exemption at certification.

Options

Option For Against
YSS MZ506-290TRL-16 Made for the CX500E Sports; bolts in Not as special as an Öhlins
Used CBR1000RR shock, re-sprung What Tossa R did; looks great Eye/eye, so a modified mount and an LVV item
Custom Öhlins (S46/STX46) Black body, gold spring, remote reservoir: the BT-01 look The top end; custom order

Two things in the original build manual were wrong here. It listed MZ456-290TRL-16, which is the CX650E/GL650 part; the CX500E Sports part is MZ506-290TRL-16. And it called the CBR900RR shock “a known fit”. That’s true for the GL500, which is eye/eye. It isn’t true for the E.

Why YSS for now

It bolts in, it keeps the certifier conversation simple, and it suits a road bike. I’ll confirm the part number with the YSS agent before ordering.

What would change it

  • If the subframe design moves the top mount anyway, the way Tossa R did, then a sportbike shock costs less extra work.
  • The measured shock eye-to-mount length and the top-mount position on my frame. The line drawings estimate them to about ±25 mm.
  • New linkage bearings go in whichever shock I pick.

History

  1. Checked the manual: sportbike shocks are eye/eye and the Eurosport needs eye/clevis, and the YSS part for the CX500E is MZ506-290TRL-16, not MZ456.
  2. Tossa R research: their CX500 kept the Pro-Link with a CBR1000RR-pattern Öhlins and moved the top mount so the shock shows.
  3. Asked about Öhlins: there's no off-the-shelf Öhlins for the CX500E. Options are YSS, a donor R1 or Fireblade shock with adapters, or a custom Öhlins.

Sources

Spotted something wrong? Tell me. Jeff Sutton is building this, not an expert writing it up.