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bandit or 814

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bandits or 814s?

7K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  joshbrownncsu 
#1 ·
Hi everyone, I am looking to upgrade my 2018 T4 fox shocks. I'm torn between bandits and 814(viking) shocks. I've narrowed it down to these 2 brands as I'm not spending more than $2000 for shocks. Based on other peoples reviews these two seem to be a great value and the best "bang for your buck". That being said....which one are people having better success with? My riding is midwestern style trails with some mud, rocks, pot holes, and wash outs. Wife and kids are tired of getting bounced around and my handling at high speed can be downright dangerous....machine wanders and doesn't feel very planted. I've played with the fox shocks (preload/compression) so much I'm giving up on them now...time for aftermarket. Which shock would provide the softer ride with most travel and give better handling? I like the idea of the bandits having dual springs vs single spring on the 814s, but does it matter? Which would you buy and why? I have SATV arched a-arms front and rear and the SATV 2 inch lift kit running 30in motoclaws on 14 inch rims. I run with a few rzr's and understand my suspension isn't going to be like their's regardless but something close would help so I can keep up! Your input us appreciated, thank you!
 
#2 ·
My 814’s are great. You can adjust the compression and rebound on them to get your ride just right. I ride The same conditions as you here in the Midwest. Best money I ever spent on the machine. I run with rzrs and can ams on the trails and keep ion with them just fine now.

Bandits are good too. Went with 814’s for two main reasons. I like the limit straps on the 814’s and he got them to me quicker than bandit could. They seem to be sold out and not keep stock in all the time.


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#3 ·
I have the Bandits on mine. The dual rate springs were what sold me, the price was comparable, and Bandit had them in stock at the time. Keep in mind that the current version of either shock is longer than stock and will provide the lift without the lift kit (it is recommend to remove the lift with these). The real advantage isn't the lift they provide, but because of that they provide more total suspension travel. I've never heard anything bad about the 814 shocks and was looking at those also, and it probably wouldn't have taken much to persuade me one way or the other.

These shocks made a drastic improvement on my machine. The baseline comparison is against a Polaris Ranger but in farmfields and such. With the stock shocks I thought the Ranger had a much more comfortable ride than the Teryx, now I think the Ranger rides pretty bad compared to the Terxy. On the trails in Brimstone I ride with a group of original Teryx owners (they all had T4's but have since went to sportier machines like the Wildcat XX). While I couldn't compare my Teryx directly to a stock shock one, they were amazed at how well I could keep with the Wildcat XX (with twice the suspension travel) on the higher speed but rough main trails. An older 800 Rzr could not keep up at all because it was beating up the driver.
 
#4 ·
I just placed a order for some 814's. I didn't realize it was gonna take 3 weeks to get them. I guess build time and shipping. I emailed Bandit and they said they would be delayed because of this COVID crap. They said it would be at least 3 weeks. They are waiting on parts. Your other option is to send your Factory Fox shocks to Shock Therapy. shocktherapyst.com Once my 814s come in I'll be giving these guys a call and sending them my factory shocks to get reworked with there RIS kit.
 
#5 ·
So you are buying the 814's and then also sending in the stock shocks to be worked on? Just out of curiosity why is that? One of the biggest advantages of the 814 or Bandit shocks is that they are longer and therefore have more shaft stroke, which allows more wheel travel.
 
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