Tryptych Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 (edited) * Can anyone recommend a few shocks that are compatible with the Hero? Cheap ones and as welll as expensive ones. Whats the best bang for your buck? * Are there any other videos of the procedure besides the one I have posted above? * Anyone complete the upgrade? What did you use? What are your thoughts of the result? Big improvement? Edited July 26, 2022 by Tryptych Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tryptych Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 Since nobody is responding I will add what I've learned the past few days: You want a 190mm x 50mm shock, as detailed in the above video. This did not work due to the extra valve at the top: DNM AOY-36RC Mountain Bike Air Rear Shock with Lockout 190x50mm 4-System, Gold #ST1476 This did work: DNM AO42RC Mountain Bike Bicycle Air Rear Shock with Lockout 190 x 48mm, ST1941 It was a bit of a nightmare to get the side panels off the Hero. The video above makes it look waaay easier than it actually is. It's clear he had done it a few times before recording. I spent about 4 hours trying to figure it out on my first try. Then about 4 more trying to figure out how to re-assemble it properly. It was not fun. You will be dealing with extremely brittle plastic on the top screws that hold the side panels in place. No matter how gentle you are you will end up having some of the plastic break off just from the act of removing the screws (never mind putting them back). Be super careful not to tighten too much when you put the screws back. Begode are absolute a-holes for having metal screws holding cheap brittle plastic. The plastic should have metal "eyelets" - but that would have costed them $2 more. The side panels have little latches at the top that will drive you insane. You have to get a tiny little screw driver and try to get under them and pry them loose to get the panels off. There is no other way to get the panels off otherwise (unless you break those latches). Getting everything re-assembled and back the way it was a major pain. They have not made it easy. The new shock is 5x better than the stock one. You have to play around with it and find the right settings / psi. But when you do: suddenly the Hero has better suspension than the Master, the V11 or the S18. It is totally worth the cost and the headache. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredisyoga Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 (edited) Just noticed this thread here as I’ve recently replaced my Hero’s shock with a EXA 388RL coil shock. I went with a coil shock 3 reasons: not having to refill air, better road sensitivity, and lastly looks cooler haha. I’ve used a 750lbs spring and it’s seems perfect for my weight. There’s enough room for up to a 1000lbs spring. You’ll need to remove the metal collars with special shock tool or just bring it into a bike shop and they should be able to help remove them. FYI Also to remove the panels you need to remove all 6 bolts from the side panels 2x for both sides which helps release tension and with some back and forth leverage use a plastic pry tool to remove the top panel - it should pop off easily. The side panels need a flat head screwdriver to pry the 2 clips in the centre. This is how the 388 looks like on the Hero. Edited August 4, 2023 by Fredisyoga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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