Suspension Anyone familiar with this shock?

[JvK]

Hello all,

I've never had a bike with a rear shock before and don't know how to go about adjusting what came on my new bike. I've searched around and found plenty of info on rear shocks but haven't stumbled across anything that looks like what I have to work with. This is the canned rear suspension on an Addmotor Herotri M365-X <images below>. If anyone has any advice or can point me in the right direction it would be most appreciated!

 

[Tcomman]

I did not find any rear shock adjustment information searching the web but.....it looks like that might be an air valve sticking out on the top of the rear shock. Maybe you have adjustable air shocks on the rear...maybe.

 

[ETrike]

Thanks for posting the question and for sharing the pics of the rear suspension. I've been too busy to ask Addmotor what the upper and lower psi limits were and assumed the same as all three of us. I was just as taken aback as you both were given that I didn't expect anything but a spring.
Whatever quality they end up to be long term I'm ok with as your pics tell a thousand words:
This trike's frame is ideally built for both fixing and modifying which iis hard to find.

 

[Django]

The collars above the springs are grooved which may be an indication that they are there to adjust the spring preload. If that is the case, then they are in the “softest” position now.

I would advise not messing with the valve until knowing its function and the specified pressures, (assuming that this is its purpose). It seems a little odd that they would have an air spring when they already have a mechanical spring, so it may be a damper adjustment.

What is the reason for wanting to adjust it, (too stiff, not stiff enough?).

Many components on bikes are off the shelf. This one may be unbranded, but still a purchased part. You could do a Google search for bicycle shock absorbers to try to find an example that may have some instructional information. Best of luck.

 

[HumanPerson]

bike shock absorbers at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

["A"]

I see only spring preload adjustment on those shocks.
The schrader valve is likely for factory nitrogen charged from the factory, less expensive shocks would just be air in the shock body.

Nitrogen in your suspension

At Cyclinic, we use Nitrogen instead of 'regular air' for inflation of suspension components to the customers desired specification or recommended pressure settings. Yep, even in the air can of your Fox or Rockshox rear shock, the air chamber of your Fox, Rockshox, Lefty or Headshok forks, and...

cyclinic.com.au

Top shock mounts seem to be an inferior design.
Not sure what that trike is rated for weight, but those top shock mounts are potential weak spots when the trike is loaded.
The springs themselves look like they can support much more weight than that top shock mount.

 

[m@Robertson]

Addmotor recently released a groundbreaking split rear differential drive on their M340T trike and the reaction was similar:
Nobody had ever saw one and (apparently) no one could figure it out.. 'and/or' ...there was no interest in not being ignorant of the design's advantages.

I was in that discussion and that is not true. Links are available for anyone to see but lets not. Nobody needs another insult-fest over nothing.

Back to the "groundbreaking/nobody ever saw one" part: simply put, LSDs in e-trikes are not universal, but also not uncommon. This company puts them in all of their trikes according to this article, written in 2022.

What's the big Diff?

What’s the difference between electric trikes that have a rear differential and those that don’t have a rear differential?

etrikescanada.com

Evelo talked in detail about theirs in 2020:

Your Electric Trike Needs a Differential

Most electric tricycles have traction problems. In fact, they have the same traction problems that many wheeled vehicles have faced since Rome used chariots, settlers crossed the Great Plains in covered wagons, and Ford introduced the Model A.Effectively, a differential allows each of an...

evelo.com

This one from Electric Bike Technologies was reviewed in 2020:

Electric Bike Technologies Electric Fat Trike Mid-Drive Review | ElectricBikeReview.com

Price: $3498.00 | Model Year: 2020 | A fat-tire mid-drive powered electric trike that is purpose built for backwoods adventures or anything else you can come up with thanks to its powerful motor and large cargo rack in the rear

electricbikereview.com

 

[m@Robertson]

Hello all,

I've never had a bike with a rear shock before and don't know how to go about adjusting what came on my new bike. I've searched around and found plenty of info on rear shocks but haven't stumbled across anything that looks like what I have to work with. This is the canned rear suspension on an Addmotor Herotri M365-X <images below>. If anyone has any advice or can point me in the right direction it would be most appreciated!

I think its already been pointed out that top notched piece is likely threaded (look inside, behind the spring) and if so, that notch is used with a tool to compress the spring and add some pre-load.

Something else you can do with coiled shocks is to change the spring to one with a higher spring rate - to optimize for a higher rider weight, for example. I did that with one of mine - a Rockshox. But that usually requires being able to find a different model spring with a higher advertised rate from the same shock manufacturer.

Usually spring pre-load (how far it compresses when you are just sitting on it, while stationary and at rest) is supposed to be about 1/3 the total travel of the spring (measure it along the polished steel shaft). Maybe as little as 20% but 1/3 is a good ballpark. Where is yours at?

EDIT: looking closely at those pics, it seems as if there is only very short travel on these shocks. The shock will hit a bump stop on the bottom pretty quick from the looks of it.

 

[ETrike]

Top shock mounts seem to be an inferior design.
Not sure what that trike is rated for weight, but those top shock mounts are potential weak spots when the trike is loaded.

The Soletri/Herotri Addmotor models are rated at 450 lbs, easily carry two riders, boast not one but two rear shocks and have their own footwells built in to the frame. Name us one trike sold today (here we go again) which costs $3K delivered and performs the same without one reported incident of a top shock mount failure. I would suggest anyone worried to replace that bolt with whatever grade material suits them and call it a day.

The springs themselves look like they can support much more weight than that top shock mount.

Now that's just laughable.

 

[ETrike]

I was in that discussion and that is not true. Links are available for anyone to see but lets not. Nobody needs another insult-fest over nothing.

Nobody insulted anyone. A few were told to put up or shut up in terms of naming a trike with the same features or better...and after hearing none...the messenger was attacked as usually happens.

Back to the "groundbreaking/nobody ever saw one" part: simply put, LSDs in e-trikes are not universal, but also not uncommon. This company puts them in all of their trikes according to this article, written in 2022.

What's the big Diff?

What’s the difference between electric trikes that have a rear differential and those that don’t have a rear differential?

etrikescanada.com

Evelo talked in detail about theirs in 2020:

Your Electric Trike Needs a Differential

Most electric tricycles have traction problems. In fact, they have the same traction problems that many wheeled vehicles have faced since Rome used chariots, settlers crossed the Great Plains in covered wagons, and Ford introduced the Model A.Effectively, a differential allows each of an...

evelo.com

This one from Electric Bike Technologies was reviewed in 2020:

Electric Bike Technologies Electric Fat Trike Mid-Drive Review | ElectricBikeReview.com

Price: $3498.00 | Model Year: 2020 | A fat-tire mid-drive powered electric trike that is purpose built for backwoods adventures or anything else you can come up with thanks to its powerful motor and large cargo rack in the rear

electricbikereview.com

Same sad story as the above.
You have just centered your entire argument around three trikes which all fall short of Addmotor's M340T in at least one major category (drive power and/or battery capacity).
'Put up or shut up' seems to be quite the challenge for folks today. it used to be a very simple method of quickly and easily comparing stuff like motorized transportation.
Simply shooting the messenger must be more likely to garner those participation trophies that these kids are so fond of nowadays...

 

[ETrike]

I think its already been pointed out that top notched piece is likely threaded (look inside, behind the spring) and if so, that notch is used with a tool to compress the spring and add some pre-load.

Wow. I wonder what other trikes out there boast not one but two adjustable rear shocks.

Something else you can do with coiled shocks is to change the spring to one with a higher spring rate - to optimize for a higher rider weight, for example. I did that with one of mine - a Rockshox. But that usually requires being able to find a different model spring with a higher advertised rate from the same shock manufacturer.

That was why I bought the Soletri. A well built frame which can be easily modified no differently that you do with your own creations.

Usually spring pre-load (how far it compresses when you are just sitting on it, while stationary and at rest) is supposed to be about 1/3 the total travel of the spring (measure it along the polished steel shaft). Maybe as little as 20% but 1/3 is a good ballpark. Where is yours at?

The soletri that I have excels at carrying heavier loads. Can't wait to put even better shocks on it that are far more tuneable

EDIT: looking closely at those pics, it seems as if there is only very short travel on these shocks. The shock will hit a bump stop on the bottom pretty quick from the looks of it.

See why many of us are buying these. You can't fool around with suspensions unless you have a frame to work with and this trike design is like no other currently on the market in terms of suspension modification possibilities.

 

[ETrike]

Seems as if we are still waiting for someone to come on up here and explain to us exactly how these are made internally and who makes them...

 

[Django]

Seems as if we are still waiting for someone to come on n here and tell us exactly what these are and who actually makes them...

Here is your chance to step up and shine yourself.

They are probably a generic shock absorber. Addmotor doesn’t seem to provide any information. Somehow, that gives you an opportunity to rant and demand that others furnish information that the retailer does not. Brilliant!!!!!!

 

[m@Robertson]

Nobody insulted anyone. A few were told to put up or shut up in terms of naming a trike with the same features or better...and after hearing none...the messenger was attacked as usually happens.

This is another false statement. You created the hostility you faced with your own posts. The thread started with honest, open viewpoints which you took to a whole different, inappropriate level, as you are doing here again.

EDIT: I see you deleted the post where the false claims about what transpired in the other thread were made (your claim is still quoted in my response above). Either that or the post report I made warning about your recent escapades bore some fruit.

 

[Django]

This is another false statement. You created the hostility you faced with your own posts. The thread started with honest, open viewpoints which you took to a whole different, inappropriate level, as you are doing here again.

EDIT: I see you deleted the post where the false claims about what transpired in the other thread were made (your claim is still quoted in my response above). Either that or the post report I made warning about your recent escapades bore some fruit.

This @ETrike person is not worth your time. He’s the resident version of Solarcabin. (Most won’t understand the Solarcabin reference. I thought that m@Robertson might appreciate it).

 

[jimbo5]

2 good books to have.