Rubber shock cover - hugger alternative

I don't like the look of a hugger on the GRiSO, so had installed the rubber solution and today was the first ride since installation, seems to work really well, very pleased

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I edited this post, sorry if I offended anyone. I just think the GRiSO benefits from the hugger. It maybe cultural as huggers in the Western US seem to the norm. Why is there such resistance to a hugger?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I don't think that the OP's fix is ugly.  Besides, one would have to have a serous up-skirt sort of fetish to contort enough to see it, anyway.  

I have huggers on my GRiSO and Norge. I like the looks of the huggers, but am not persuaded that they are especially effective in protecting the shocks.

OTOH, I do think that this product -- which I also have mounted on both GRiSO and Norge -- does keeps road crap off of the shocks.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I take those off and reinstall at rear tire changes.

Bill

I have one of those and a hugger on the Sport, the sock was from the GRiSO I sold so had it laid around.

hey enzo, you can't offend me, everyone on the planet is entitled to their own point of view :-)

I too thought they were, to quote your earlier post "fucking ugly", but i didn't want a shock sock, might keep the shock too warm and i would worry that things my be deteriorating while i cant see anything.

I don't mind huggers, but i love the look of the single sided swing arm and the whole wheel and tyre on view. I have used the very shorty ones like the one in your piccy and find that the muck still gets over the top and onto the shock, maybe we have more rain here!

Finally i thought it was worth a go, as someone had made the pattern and the rubber was only £5.99 delivered on ebay.

You really cant see it on the bike from a normal viewing angle, so i shall see how it goes this riding season .

Nice hugger though, who's makes it?

Agostini Mandello Carbon Fiber Rear Fender,  I got it through AF1 Racing out of Texas.

Enzo, I don't mind the hugger look, I simply hated the Skidmarx one I had. Poor design. I wanted one of the Stucchi ones but couldn't get one. Hence the sock.

Two things put me off the Skidmarx. Firstly several stories of breakage and secondly it flapped around and was noisy in a bad way on the goat tracks around here. It also detracted from the looks.

I was dubious about the shock sock at first but it works very well and doesn't seem to have any negative impact of shock function so I'm now happy with this sollution.

Pete

I have the Skidmarx on both my bikes and I had one on my 09...
Never had a problem with them but I use extra rubber washers on all mounts and I pull slightly upward on the hugger as I tighten the bolts simultaneously so it's away from the tire as much as it will allow.
I also happen to like the look so I'm golden...

After thinking about this for a while and a drinking a few Dos Equis I think that the shock cover makes better sense for those of us that live in damp or normal climates. I live in Arizona and it's pretty dry 99% of the time.  If you look at my picture my shock and underside fender are pretty clean. I put the hugger on about four months ago and I noticed it was pretty clean under there.

Personally, I think the swingarm protects the shaft and seal from any direct hits.
Considering suspension units should be serviced every 25,000km, to me that is a good time for a new seal and possible upgrade of internals anyway .................................... so I don't care.

I love my Skidmarx hugger. To each his own...

Unfortunately, I have lots of skid marks, but I wouldn't like to hug them.

I went with the shock sock a few years ago, but the only ones available at the time were from R&G at £25! Hell! That's ten pints o' beer. So I cut up an old neoprene wetsuit I got too fat for, stitched Velcro on it to make removal easier and couple of zip ties, 10 pints of beer saved. So inconspicuous that no one notices it. Been on there for a of 3 years now. No adverse effects.

Bill Hagan wrote:

I don't think that the OP's fix is ugly.  Besides, one would have to have a serous up-skirt sort of fetish to contort enough to see it, anyway.  

I have huggers on my GRiSO and Norge. I like the looks of the huggers, but am not persuaded that they are especially effective in protecting the shocks.

OTOH, I do think that this product -- which I also have mounted on both GRiSO and Norge -- does keeps road crap off of the shocks.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I take those off and reinstall at rear tire changes.

Bill

Bill, I went to the Traxxion link you provided and found that shock sock to comes in 4 lengths...6" thru 9". What size did you find fits the Grizo best? Thanks.

Cannot go check exacts on mine quickly, but found an email I sent another GRiSO guy two years ago.

Pretty sure you want the 8" version.  Will measure later today or perhaps someone else will chime in to confirm … or deny!

FWIW, if you are ham-fisted like me, see if you can get your wife to install.  What a PITA.  Could have used Kathi's little fingers.  I finally grabbed a pair of long, bent, needle-nose pliers so I could pull the @#$%^&0(*&^% into position.

BTW, on a (somewhat) related note, I’ve also been pleased with the "fenda extenda,” too.  http://www.fendaextenda.com

Looks fine and, while I am not certain about it really keeping muck off the front of the engine lump — which is why I got it — I have found two deep nicks on the underside of mine.  Given the classic way that front tires “toss” nails to the rear resulting in flats, am wondering if the extender somehow “shortstopped” nails that otherwise might have led to a rear problem?  No claim as to that, but it’s interesting to me.

And, I just used the glue, i.e., not the screws to hold it on.  Looks better that way; besides, it’s still there. :-)

Daffodil “scouts” are peeking out here.  It’s only 3 March, so I think they are stooooopid.  But, whatever, makes me believe winter will one day let go!

Bill

Bill Hagan wrote:

Cannot go check exacts on mine quickly, but found an email I sent another GRiSO guy two years ago.

Pretty sure you want the 8" version.  Will measure later today or perhaps someone else will chime in to confirm … or deny!

FWIW, if you are ham-fisted like me, see if you can get your wife to install.  What a PITA.  Could have used Kathi's little fingers.  I finally grabbed a pair of long, bent, needle-nose pliers so I could pull the @#$%^&0(*&^% into position.

BTW, on a (somewhat) related note, I’ve also been pleased with the "fenda extenda,” too.  http://www.fendaextenda.com

Looks fine and, while I am not certain about it really keeping muck off the front of the engine lump — which is why I got it — I have found two deep nicks on the underside of mine.  Given the classic way that front tires “toss” nails to the rear resulting in flats, am wondering if the extender somehow “shortstopped” nails that otherwise might have led to a rear problem?  No claim as to that, but it’s interesting to me.

And, I just used the glue, i.e., not the screws to hold it on.  Looks better that way; besides, it’s still there. :-)

Daffodil “scouts” are peeking out here.  It’s only 3 March, so I think they are stooooopid.  But, whatever, makes me believe winter will one day let go!

Bill

Thanks Bill...I'll hold off ordering until you get a chance to measure yours. BTW...good idea about having the wife do the install. She'll like that and I notice a little chuckle from her when I told her about getting a sock. She mumbled something about her V7 not needing any "foot wear".

Winter is on the way back to Tennessee tomorrow. 4" of new snow predicted and temp's 25 degrees below normal again. The daffodil's we saw in late January are gone!

Bill Hagan wrote:

Cannot go check exacts on mine quickly, but found an email I sent another GRiSO guy two years ago.

Pretty sure you want the 8" version.  Will measure later today or perhaps someone else will chime in to confirm … or deny!

Bill

Yup, Bill is correct. I ordered and fitted an 8inch version of the Traxxion sock shock last fall. Fitted the shock (now a Matris !) exactly.
And I did mine the 'easy' way: dismantled the entire rear end to do the 'Roper Recommended' swingarm / shock linkage regrease as well as install the new shock.
Only took me most of a week........

Incidentally, there was a lot of grease on the swingarm and shock linkage, and none on the driveshaft splines.......
However. I suspect a knowledgeable Guzzi expert has been in there before me: there was a protective layer of silicon goop on the Speedo sensor.

jeremyb wrote:

Bill Hagan wrote:

Cannot go check exacts on mine quickly, but found an email I sent another GRiSO guy two years ago.

Pretty sure you want the 8" version.  Will measure later today or perhaps someone else will chime in to confirm … or deny!

Bill

Yup, Bill is correct. I ordered and fitted an 8inch version of the Traxxion sock shock last fall. Fitted the shock (now a Matris !) exactly.
And I did mine the 'easy' way: dismantled the entire rear end to do the 'Roper Recommended' swingarm / shock linkage regrease as well as install the new shock.
Only took me most of a week........

Incidentally, there was a lot of grease on the swingarm and shock linkage, and none on the driveshaft splines.......
However. I suspect a knowledgeable Guzzi expert has been in there before me: there was a protective layer of silicon goop on the Speedo sensor.

Thanks for chiming in with the confirmation on the sock length...I appreciate it.

Shock Socks?

NorthernProducer wrote:

jeremyb wrote:

Bill Hagan wrote:

Cannot go check exacts on mine quickly, but found an email I sent another GRiSO guy two years ago.

Pretty sure you want the 8" version.  Will measure later today or perhaps someone else will chime in to confirm … or deny!

Bill

Yup, Bill is correct. I ordered and fitted an 8inch version of the Traxxion sock shock last fall. Fitted the shock (now a Matris !) exactly.
And I did mine the 'easy' way: dismantled the entire rear end to do the 'Roper Recommended' swingarm / shock linkage regrease as well as install the new shock.
Only took me most of a week........

Incidentally, there was a lot of grease on the swingarm and shock linkage, and none on the driveshaft splines.......
However. I suspect a knowledgeable Guzzi expert has been in there before me: there was a protective layer of silicon goop on the Speedo sensor.

Thanks for chiming in with the confirmation on the sock length...I appreciate it.

Apologies for not checking sooner.  Just finished flu, have now slid into pneumonia.  

Anyway, yes, wandered down to the garage (helped, actually, as I have been in a fit of feeling sorry for myself), and measured mine. As I had thought and jeremyb confirmed, 8.

You may be getting something similar, but our weather forecast is: "Rain this evening will change to snow and accumulate 6-10 inches before ending tomorrow morning." If the pouring rain were snow now, we'd have 10 feet.  Lordy.

Winter sucks; pneumonia is a pain.  But I've got a wife, whiskey, and fireplace, and all of the proper temps.  

Bill

Bill Hagan wrote:

NorthernProducer wrote:

jeremyb wrote:

Bill Hagan wrote:

Cannot go check exacts on mine quickly, but found an email I sent another GRiSO guy two years ago.

Pretty sure you want the 8" version.  Will measure later today or perhaps someone else will chime in to confirm … or deny!

Bill

Yup, Bill is correct. I ordered and fitted an 8inch version of the Traxxion sock shock last fall. Fitted the shock (now a Matris !) exactly.
And I did mine the 'easy' way: dismantled the entire rear end to do the 'Roper Recommended' swingarm / shock linkage regrease as well as install the new shock.
Only took me most of a week........

Incidentally, there was a lot of grease on the swingarm and shock linkage, and none on the driveshaft splines.......
However. I suspect a knowledgeable Guzzi expert has been in there before me: there was a protective layer of silicon goop on the Speedo sensor.

Thanks for chiming in with the confirmation on the sock length...I appreciate it.

Apologies for not checking sooner.  Just finished flu, have now slid into pneumonia.  

Anyway, yes, wandered down to the garage (helped, actually, as I have been in a fit of feeling sorry for myself), and measured mine. As I had thought and jeremyb confirmed, 8.

You may be getting something similar, but our weather forecast is: "Rain this evening will change to snow and accumulate 6-10 inches before ending tomorrow morning." If the pouring rain were snow now, we'd have 10 feet.  Lordy.

Winter sucks; pneumonia is a pain.  But I've got a wife, whiskey, and fireplace, and all of the proper temps.  

Bill

Hey Bill...sorry you were under the weather (so to speak), but glad you are getting back on your feet. Also, appreciate you double checking the shock sock measurement.

We are getting rain (all day), it's about to turn to sleet and in about 2 hours it all turns to snow. This just isn't right for southern TN...now about all the talk about global warming...

John