Love my 2015 P-500, but was tired of getting banged around with the stiff suspension, worse because of my back problems. Rear sway bar came off 2 years ago, it helped but still stiff. On a forum, a guy put the new 2017 shocks on his, and he showed side by side pictures of the old 2015 shocks and the new 2017 shocks. I figured even a small improvement soaking up bumps would be worth it. The 2017 shocks have new dual rate springs, and the springs are longer, they are also larger in diameter by 1/4". I ordered the fronts first to test and see if it was worth it to spend for the rears too. Note; Canadian customers got a recall on their 15' & 16' models because the gov. found it didn't meet COG specs, so customers got free 2017 shocks which lowered their 500's a bit to meet the COG specs. U.S. customers only got a new sticker. I was a little concerned if the new shocks would bolt right on, and they did, old shocks easy off and new shocks easy on, a perfect fit. I went for a ride and aimed for bumps, very nice, I could feel them softer soaking up bumps a little better, my guess is a 20% improvement. Well worth ordering the rears now so I did, and what a nightmare. Next day I get e-mail... 'Your order has been canceled, part discontinued, no longer available' What? Ordered them from another parts dealer, talked to the guy and he said they show available at Honda warehouse in Indiana. Next day I get another 'order cancelled, part no longer available' Long story shorter, I found out Honda had just put the new 2017 shocks on a "Controlled Part Status" I figured Honda noticed a lot of 2017 shocks going out, and they thought people were upgrading their 15' & 16' models and that it would hurt their sales for the new 2017 models so they put a stop sale on them. I talked to a 3rd dealer and he showed they were available, told him 2 other orders canceled. He said he had a couple friends at the Honda warehouse, would call them and call me back. He calls back saying 'I think your right about the stop sale' His Honda warehouse tech actually asked him "Does your customer really need these shocks? or does he just want them? He wouldn't release them either. It's like the Seinfeld soup nazi at this point, no rear shocks for you! I have softer front shocks but now I can't get the rears, what a bummer. Then I found out 'Controlled Part Status' means a parts dealer has to go through a special process where they give the Vin# name & address of the owner. Me and the parts guy figured if we do that, they'll see I have a 2015 and wont' let them out. Then I called two Canadian dealers trying to get them to find & ship them, they were working on it. Now angry & frustrated, I ended up calling Honda talked to a side by side dept. tech, told him the story and my theory about a stop sale that hurts 2017 sales? and he said... "Sir we make money selling machines and parts, if there is a part from a new model that might improve an older model we are all for it" He told me to give the parts dealer my vin# name & address, dealer has to go through Honda tech dept. to do that and they will send them out. I didn't believe it, so this Honda tech puts me on hold twice talking to 'tech specialists' and they all guarantee it will work. So I call my parts guy back, we are buddies now laughing hard at all this insanity, jokes like "We are drug dealers who can't get the good stuff in the states anymore so we have to go across the border" I tell him what Honda said, go through your online Honda tech website, or call Honda tech with vin# name & address, he says he'll try it. Honda guarantees this will work, what could go wrong? My parts buddy calls me the next day and says... "Well I think your rear shocks are on the way, but I still had to fight to get them released, online Honda tech didn't work so I had to call tech line, gave him your vin# name & address, and the tech guy says... "That's a 2015 model, I can't release them" Parts guy kept trying, and the Honda tech finally say's... "Hey, is this customer with the military ANSI dept.? Parts guy plays along saying... "Yeah that's sounds right" Honda tech... "He's probably doing military ANSI research, so in that case I'll go ahead and send them out" What insanity just to get a pair of 2017 rear shocks. I have all 4 on now and it's better, really like the slightly smoother softer ride. It feels more sporty because I can go faster not having to slow down as much for bumps & ruts, and on hard hits it doesn't bottom out and bang like it did with the old shocks. There a 4 improvements in the 2017 shocks... Dual rate springs, the springs are longer on shock body, the springs are larger in diameter by 1/4" and you get pre-load settings on the fronts that weren't there before. I didn't think to measure the before & after ground clearance on the front shocks, but the front seemed a little lower, looked kind of cool. I did measure the before & after rears, and the machine sits 7/8" lower with the 2017 shocks. With all 4 done I went for a 20 mile ride, not a big difference, but it helps IMO about 20% and it's feels sportier partly because it's a little closer to the ground. If anybody wants 2017 shocks, you might get the fronts OK, but trying to get the rears might make you ready for the 'rubber room' if you aren't with the "Military ANSI Dept. And this was the short version of the story.
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