diffrence between 12 and 13 front ends
- Thread starter polhiker
- Start date
Upper arms, spindle and geometry are the same. The '13 has the new bonded lower a-arms which have the aluminum piece where the ball joint mounts. I believe they are about a pound lighter. The front shocks are also slightly shorter to accommodate the different mounting to the a-arms.
Bad Idea - they are not the same. The 2013 shock is over an inch shorter and the angle of the lower A arm is different than the 2012 angle. Pull your machine out and look at it. The 2012 side now sits lower. It will not handle correctly. It changes the castor and camber. I rode mine with a 2013 A arm for a couple of days before I realized they were different. Somewhere on here there is another post related to that. You can bottom out and ruin your shock if you take a serious hit on the 2013 side and you can't properly align the sled.
Yup, some incorrect info right here. You shouldnt put the 13 a-arms on a 12 or 11 without changing the shocks to 13's
Personally, I feel there is a difference in handling. The shocks being shorter.....maybe. I don't know what it is but it is not as tippy as my 2011 was. Supposed to take less effort and I actually think it takes more. Just my opinion though.
Here are pics of 2012 and 2013 shocks (shorter are the 2013).
Bug... you da man!!
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Concerning the handling characteristics of the 12 and 13 Pro. I had a 12 and now a 13. I did not notice much difference when I started riding the 13 but after riding it for 300 miles or so I switched to a friend's 12 (both 163's) and we both immediately felt that the 13 handled with a lighter feel on the front end. Side to side did not seem to be much different but I much prefer the 13's handling and seat over the 12.
