Monoshock Suspension Vs Dual Shocks

• Aug 1, 2015
• |   Comments

When was the last time you saw a new bike with a dual shock? Yes, the answer shocked us too. Do note that we are not considering the usual commuters here. They have dual shocks for a reason and we will come to that later on in the article. But yes, it is something to consider why is there a sudden increase in the use of monoshocks in the sports bikes segment. Is it really better than dual shocks? And if yes, then why did it take so long to enter the market?

Dual Shocks/ Twin Shock Absorbers:

Let’s start the discussion with something that is a little old school by today’s day and age. Dual shocks were available on pretty much all the bikes previously available in the Indian market. From the basic commuter to the average powered bike sported a dual shock and they still do. The best example to consider here is the Pulsar range of bikes from Bajaj and the Karizma range from Hero MotoCorp. All the bikes baring the latest 200cc entrants in the market all sport dual shocks. Now it is something to think about as to why this was the case.

Dual shocks, even if old tech has its own charm to hold on to things. Roads previously were in a pretty bad shape. And by that we mean absolutely bad. Hence you will find all the commuters of today as well sporting Dual shocks. Even the scooters are equipped with Dual shocks. It is not just that two means better or something, but there is a lot of science that goes into it. Indian roads used to be bad, which means the bikes would have to go through a lot of stress while on the road. This meant more stress on the swingarm and hence there was a need for an able system to soak up all those bumps.

Yes, a monoshocks would have done the job, but again the subject came to loading of the bike. Today the dual shocked commuters are used in a lot of rural areas, that means the bike is loaded with a lot more than it is usually rated to be capable of (FYI, this is one of the best tests of how is the build capacity of the bikes; but do not ever try this). With the extra loads, the bike would happen to break down more often than not and hence there was need of a suspension setup to match the load bearing capacity, and hence Dual shocks were introduced. This allowed the bike to hold a lot steady and soak the bumps well, although that meant compromising on the handling and the overall bikes capacity, but then it is a small price to pay. Monoshock Absorbers:

Now mono shocks are the new entrants to the Indian market, they were present in the foreign market since a long time on the high capacity bikes, but even the vintage bikes still contain dual shocks. With dual shocks it becomes easier to haul all the bike’s load, but the problem occurs when the load bearing and shocks’ suspension travel is not matched properly. Plus with a light weight chassis of the bike, dual shocks are pretty much useless. Hence the use of monoshocks came to the fore.

With all the superbikes and sports bikes, monoshocks are used on a regular basis. Very rarely can you see a higher capacity bike using dual shocks, unless of course you are riding a touring machine. In that case it is necessary to have dual shocks because the stress on the swingarm and shocks is really high and hence the single shock might not be able to take the entire load. But with a monoshocks it is the best used with bikes which are perfect for cornering since dual shock are not able to take variable load on them and hence handling and stability in cornering takes a hit.On the other hand the monoshocks remain quite stiff and hence can handle any load from any direction as they are perched right on the center of the bike and hence they provide ultimate cornering ability.

Also monoshocks allow the bike to be a lot more stable on the highway at higher speeds. So that is another added advantage here. They are a lot more bulky than dual shocks and cost more as well, but the overall functionality it offers totally justifies the higher cost paid for them.
Now that we have seen both sides of the coin, we can easily say that both the methods have their own set of applications and it is a matter of judgement to use the perfect one at the best suited time. So make sure you think it through and do not just go by the myths. Be safe and happy riding!

By: Pratik Patole