Rear shock not getting full travel or has too much sag

I have a Norco Switch with a Monarch Plus rear shock. The problem is that if I set the pressure to have sensible sag, then I get about 60% travel and if I soften it to get more travel, I’m running 40+% sag…

It’s already got the HV can, no volume reducers inside, it gets full travel if I take all the air out and it’s working smoothly – ie nothing obviously wrong

I’m wondering whether the Monarch Plus is known to be a particularly rising rate shock or whether there’s something odd going on… Thoughts?

is it the standard shock for the bike?

set the sag to what gives you the best small-medium hits.  full travel should only be reached on the biggest of hits you do.  If all you are doing is gentle stuff then don’t expect to get full travel.

Set the air pressure to get the correct sag point

Set the use of travel by adjusting compression damping. If you can’t drop this enough then it might be worth speaking to the likes of TF Tuned about the setup, it could need a re-valve.

Set the end part of the travel using volume spacers

No it’s not standard so there is that but I haven’t had an issue getting shocks to work on different bikes before and I’ve mixed/matched several

Not expecting full travel other than for bigger hits but I’ve hammered it and still only getting 75% travel if I have a sensible sag.

Comp damping is CTD style and running on open or even climb makes no difference to travel used. It really is working fine except that it’s like it’s too rising rate.

Or it could just be shagged which is why I’m trying to see if somehow this was common for M+ shocks.

Have you removed the aircan to check if there are any volume spacers in it?

Could it be the wrong compression / rebound factory tune for the bike?

What compression/ rebound tune comes with the standard shock for the bike?

Yeah have had the can open and no volume reducers in there

Standard shock is an xfusion so no specific tune mentioned. The M+ is HV Low Compression, Medium Rebound which is what the RS equipped versions came with.

Are you very light?

Definitely not :D

are you sure its an HV can?

I am :)

Just found that someone else had the same issue – different year (but the suspension is the same design) but same shock. Interesting the part about the 200×57 model supposedly ramping up at the end because it’s basically a 200×50 with more travel.

http://forums.mtbr.com/norco/norco-sight-cant-get-full-travel-1009133.html

Not really related but I’ve just ditched my Monarch XX on my Scalpel and replaced it with a Manitou Macloed. Really struggled to get full travel, far too progressive. I realise its an xc race tuned shock but the Macloed has made a really positive difference. Better mid stroke support and small bump compliance with correct amount of sag. The Monarch wasn’t a + and had small can. (165 x 38). I played about with IFP etc,etc and couldn’t get it feeling anything like. Fitted Macloed pumped it up, set sag and rebound and it just works.

I’ve also now found three reviews that mention not getting full travel on the Sight – Might have to try and get hold of an alternative (cheap) different shock and see how that goes but of course it could be a ‘feature’ of the suspension design.

Thanks for all the replies.