Now that I've ridden a Maxim with a monoshock...

[markjs]

I don't know if I can see ever being truly happy with a dual shock setup again. This is the first street bike with one I've ever owned. I am sure I will ride others, but I don't know if I will ever love a street bike without a monoshock again!

 

[bcware]

To be honest I don't even really notice the difference, but then again I put new shocks on my xs400.

 

[cafenewb]

This gives me a little confidence. I'm on an 82 maxim and the monoshock has been the biggest pain in the ass when it comes to hiding my battery/wiring on my build.
But, I have heard it's comfortable.

 

[16VGTIDave]

Not bad for a 30+ year old design, but it doesn't even compare to newer linkage suspensions.

 

[markjs]

Well the reason I notice is that I live in a very rural county and it really like curvy bumpy country roads better than most bikes I've owned. One of the worst bikes I ever rode was a Maxim XJ750 I used to own. Shocks were stock but good, I had them on the highest preload and it was good on roads doing fast but at low speed I was constantly catching the foot pegs. On my little 400 I catch the kickstand on occasion if I lean very hard but it's been modded.

 

[markjs]

I have to admit I loved the ride on my fully dressed XS Eleven. Man that was a rough bike but the reason I parted with it was that 1st gear left the building and it was fine taking off in second, but try as I might I never got over 28MPG on that pig! She kept up with my buddy's Ducati Monster even, at least as far as he was willing to push it.