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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Janesville, Wisconsin
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    Bandit Trail Series vs Series 46 (Resi)

    Looking for some feedback between Bandit Trail Series vs Series 46 Gen 2 (Resi) shocks for my Viking VI. I am planning to upgrade the shocks on my Viking VI here in the next month or so and am having a hard time deciding between the 2 options for the VI.

    I am also upgrading to 27" Blackwaters or 28" Ripsaws. Not running a lift. Use this machine for some basic trail riding and hunting, working around the farm, etc. I find myself questioning if I would hate myself for saving about $150 by going with the simple bolt on upgrade of the tail series, but am trying to get some input back from the masses.

    Thanks in advance for your feedback.
    2015 Yamaha Viking VI EPS (Camo):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Skids, JBS Arm Guards, JBS AIS Block Off, JBS Rad Guards, JBS Slug Kit, 28" Terrabites/14" Hurricanes

    2018 Yamaha Wolverine X4 SE (Silver):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Spring Kit, 28” Terrabites/14" Hurricanes, Weller ECM Flash

  2. #2
    I have the trails. Love them can't speak for 2.0's but was told really only beneficial if racing or jumping alot resevoir keeps oil cool

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

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  4. #3
    Ridin' and Guidin' Timmi's Avatar
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    10,102
    for $150 more, it's a no brainer, get the resi shocks. even for just riding around a farm they are a better shock. never cut cost on tires or shocks, they both work hard and constantly off road.

    Quote Originally Posted by shortbus453 View Post
    Looking for some feedback between Bandit Trail Series vs Series 46 Gen 2 (Resi) shocks for my Viking VI. I am planning to upgrade the shocks on my Viking VI here in the next month or so and am having a hard time deciding between the 2 options for the VI.

    I am also upgrading to 27" Blackwaters or 28" Ripsaws. Not running a lift. Use this machine for some basic trail riding and hunting, working around the farm, etc. I find myself questioning if I would hate myself for saving about $150 by going with the simple bolt on upgrade of the tail series, but am trying to get some input back from the masses.

    Thanks in advance for your feedback.

    "
    White Shadow " Wolverine X2
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  6. #4

    Join Date
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    Janesville, Wisconsin
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    Ok, so it looks like the old content that I had entered is gone with the forum changes. I plan to start a whole new thread once I have all of the bugs worked out with my new Trail Series Shocks. It is critical to check, and recheck all torque settings on these. Then to set, measure, and reset, and remeasure the sag on these.

    Before I got the shocks, I was running a home-made 5/8" PVC spacer on the springs all the way around. With my 27" Blackwater Evo tires and no lift, I was measuring at:
    10.75" Front Clearance (Measured at the skid nearest the front a-arm pivot on both sides)
    12.25" Rear Clearance (Measured at the skid as far out near the rear most a-arm pivots on both sides)

    When I got the shocks, they had the most minimal pre-load on the spring to keep them in place. Bandit recommends to measure the spring, not the threads, but I will do both.

    I did some initial riding at what I felt comfortable in setting the sag (pre-load), but the ride was awful. So I contacted Bandit and got a reply on a Sunday. Went back to the drawing board and reset all of the spring pre-loads. I ended up at:
    Front: 2 1/8" (above the collar) of thread, with 1-5/8" (9-3/8" Spring Length from the original 11") giving total settled clearance at 10.50"
    Rear: 2.0" (above the collar) of thread, with 1.0" (11.0" Spring Length from the original of 12") giving total settled clearance at 12.75"

    Riding like this was an improvement over the OEM with the PVC spacers, but I think that it could still stand some more fine tuning. Bandit was recommending that you want to have about 1.0" of sag all the way around, but they also recommend the front to be 1/2" higher than the rear (which I can't make the big Viking VI do no matter how hard I try). The total thread on each body is only 3", so I am getting close to using up all of that on the front which would indicate to me, that I could possibly use heavier weight springs in the front due to the weight of the big V6 with a winch. The rear seems to soak up everything that is thrown at it and the front really shines the faster you go.

    The trails that we are running on here in my area, are mostly hard packed. Some gravel road routes and some regular deep sandy wash board. Where the shocks really seem to shine now is when you are traveling pretty fast on the gravel road type trail and hit a square edged bump (like I said, the faster you are going the better they seem to work). To me, it seems that I need to put a little more pre-load in the front (considering that I ran less and it was way worse). From my measurements, I need to get the front settled height to 10.75" and then things should work great.

    I am trying to add as much to this post as I can, to share my experiences and to help others that are trying to research. When I was going through the initial research, I was finding next to nothing for information. Additionally, they ship spacers that may or may not be needed to shim the eye-lets to the frame. The directions are not as comprehensive as I had hoped as far as figuring out where to start. I decided to go with the Trail Series in an effort to not be constantly adjusting and searching for the best ride. My machine is a big beast that gets used for all types of things, but mostly for riding around with my wife and daughter (daughter in a car seat in the front middle).

    Hope that this helps anyone, and I am not done getting these bad boys set to my machine.
    2015 Yamaha Viking VI EPS (Camo):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Skids, JBS Arm Guards, JBS AIS Block Off, JBS Rad Guards, JBS Slug Kit, 28" Terrabites/14" Hurricanes

    2018 Yamaha Wolverine X4 SE (Silver):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Spring Kit, 28” Terrabites/14" Hurricanes, Weller ECM Flash

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  8. #5
    Administrator WV Hot Rod Rhino's Avatar
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    they are gonna get all that back too
    James Davis
    If you have questions call me!!!
    304-673-2602
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    Check out our web https://jbsperformance.com/
    Email to - jbsperformanceinc@aol.com
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  9. #6

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
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    Janesville, Wisconsin
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    The saga continues. I have ridden about 200 miles with the shocks set at: Front Pre-load of 1.5" (9.5 inch spring length with tires off the ground) resulting in 10.75" of clearance, and Rear Preload of 1.0" (10.0 inch of spring length with tires off the ground) resulting in 12.75" of clearance. This setting results in an initial ~5 miles of good feel, but soon becomes very rough. So I called Bandit and talked to Ted. Ted suggested that I lower the rear to 0.25" of pre-load (11.75" spring length with tires off the ground) and add to the front pre-load (thinking 2.0" of preload netting a spring length of 9.0" with tires off the ground). He is suggesting that the 2.0" of difference front to rear is putting a lot of strain on the front and not allowing the system to be balanced. So I am going to adjust to these specs and hopefully get a chance to ride again this weekend.

    This has been a real struggle for me, due to the fact that I am trying to apply my knowledge of motocross suspension to the big heavy Viking VI. I am really hoping that these settings will give me the ride that I have been hoping for out of this big machine.

    Keep posted as I will try to update again after the settings have been adjusted and the ride has been completed. So far customer service has been awesome.
    2015 Yamaha Viking VI EPS (Camo):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Skids, JBS Arm Guards, JBS AIS Block Off, JBS Rad Guards, JBS Slug Kit, 28" Terrabites/14" Hurricanes

    2018 Yamaha Wolverine X4 SE (Silver):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Spring Kit, 28” Terrabites/14" Hurricanes, Weller ECM Flash

  10. Thanks Timmi thanked for this post
  11. #7

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Janesville, Wisconsin
    Posts
    316
    I went back through the settings on the BanditUTV Trail Series shocks on my Viking VI last night. I double checked everything prior to making the changes that Ted had recommened.

    The as it sat settings were actually:
    Front Spring Free-Length - 11.0"
    Front Unsprung Height - 12.25"
    Front Spring Pre-load - 2.25" (8.75" Spring Length)
    Front Clearance to bottom of skid at the A-arm bolts - 10.0"
    Rear Spring Free-Length - 12.0"
    Rear Unsprung Height - 15.5"
    Rear Spring Pre-load - 1.0" (11.0" Spring Length)
    Rear Clearance to bottom of skid at the widest point of the skid - 12.0"

    After adjusting to Ted's recommendation:
    Front Spring Pre-load - 2.5" (8.5" Spring Length)
    Front Clearance to bottom of the skid at the A-arm bolts - 10.5"
    Rear Spring Pre-load - 0.25" (11.75" Spring Length)
    Rear Clearance to bottom of the skid at the widest point of the skid - 11.0"

    The machine now sit pretty level using a level against the lower frame tubes. One of the main things that Ted suggested was that my front to rear clearance difference was too great, causing an unbalanced suspension condition. With the front 2 full inches lower than the rear, the energy of the bumps was being transferred back more than up, so I am hoping that he was on to something here. He did offer to send me different springs to try if these settings were not at least a better starting place than where I was.

    I rode it around the yard to settle things prior to taking the clearance measurements and made sure to pull it up on some banks to 2-3 wheel the machine to see if the shocks actually were moving and it seemed to move easily enough. I don't have enough area (or a rough enough area) at my house to do a pre-test of the ride, so I will have to pray that it is better when I am able to get to the trails that are 2 hours from my house this weekend. I will be bringing a jack, tape measure, and the tools to make adjustments on the trail if needed.

    A couple things that I wanted to include are that my wife has asked me a couple of times, "How much did you spend to make this 'better'?" This isn't a good sign. Another thing that she has said, "If you say that you think the shocks are finally set when we first take off, I am going to punch you in the mouth." Everytime that we first get going on the trails everything felt like it was going to work great, then about 3-5 miles later, it is really taking the bumps very rough.

    SO...wish me luck with this latest attempt to make the shocks function as good as everyone says and as good as their customer service has been.
    2015 Yamaha Viking VI EPS (Camo):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Skids, JBS Arm Guards, JBS AIS Block Off, JBS Rad Guards, JBS Slug Kit, 28" Terrabites/14" Hurricanes

    2018 Yamaha Wolverine X4 SE (Silver):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Spring Kit, 28” Terrabites/14" Hurricanes, Weller ECM Flash

  12. Thanks Timmi, Chris thanked for this post
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  13. #8
    Yamaha in Polaris Cloths Chris's Avatar
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    Dec 2013
    Location
    Texas (Victoria area)
    Posts
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    Thanks for documenting all of your suspension trials. This kind of thing is interesting to me, because the physics and engineering of suspension greatly affect not only ride quality but overall vehicle performance.

    I have a set of Elka shocks on a Ranger 900, and it has taken me quite a while to get it dialed in the way I like it. At first I was disappointed in spending $2,500. The ride was not what I had hoped for right out of the yellow and red Canadian box. Ride height and spring preload are foundational. You do want a level chassis, or a chassis that is slightly higher in the front. Elka told me to measure the ground clearance on the frame, immediately behind the front A-Arm and immediately in front of the rear A-Arm. You do this with a fully loaded vehicle, ready to ride. So for me, my Ranger 900 on 27" tires and no lift kit was 12.25" in the front and 12" in the back. I accomplished this with zero preload in the rear and about 1" of preload in the front.

    For what it's worth, my machine uses a 12" spring in the front and a 14" spring in the rear.

    Once I had the ride height dialed in, then I was able to adjust the compression and rebound dampening circuits. That was a whole other story in and of itself...LoL! Thanks again for putting all this info up on the site.
    2015 Polaris Ranger 900
    RVS 86HP Tune | Elka Shocks | QSC Clutching | 27" VIPRs | 5000lb Viper | Baja Designs Lights | Wet Sounds Stealth 10 | 10" SSV Subwoofer | Highlifter Snorkels

    2014 Kawasaki Teryx4 800

    Warn Provantage 4500-S
    28" Terminators | MSA Kore | Highlifter Lift | 50" Radius Lightbar | Dual Batteries |

    2011 Yamaha Rhino 734 Sport
    Alba 734 | Racer's Edge +2 head | CP 11:1 Piston | 46mm Benchmark TB | JBS Sheave, Muzzys | WER shocks | CATVOS 3" lift | 30" Bighorns

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  15. #9

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Janesville, Wisconsin
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    I got rained out of the day that we were planning to do another test ride on the shocks. But I am headed out to hunt with a couple of buddies that also have Vikings. We have some trails that we should be able to get an idea if these new settings are doing what they need. If this trail session doesn't do what I need it to do, we are going to try to get out to a different trail section the last weekend in October. If that doesn't happen, the tests will resume in the spring because they are closing the trails around here for hunting season and winter...

    I was really hoping to be able to report that these things are like riding on a cloud and I have been an idiot the whole time. Now I have to wait to say it...LOL.

    Stay tuned.
    2015 Yamaha Viking VI EPS (Camo):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Skids, JBS Arm Guards, JBS AIS Block Off, JBS Rad Guards, JBS Slug Kit, 28" Terrabites/14" Hurricanes

    2018 Yamaha Wolverine X4 SE (Silver):
    -JBS Extreme Sheave, JBS Spring Kit, 28” Terrabites/14" Hurricanes, Weller ECM Flash

  16. Likes Timmi liked this post
  17. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by shortbus453 View Post
    I got rained out of the day that we were planning to do another test ride on the shocks. But I am headed out to hunt with a couple of buddies that also have Vikings. We have some trails that we should be able to get an idea if these new settings are doing what they need. If this trail session doesn't do what I need it to do, we are going to try to get out to a different trail section the last weekend in October. If that doesn't happen, the tests will resume in the spring because they are closing the trails around here for hunting season and winter...

    I was really hoping to be able to report that these things are like riding on a cloud and I have been an idiot the whole time. Now I have to wait to say it...LOL.

    Stay tuned.
    Not making me feel all warm and fuzzy when I'm getting ready to order a set. Lol. Hope you get them dialed.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

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