When people start looking at reservoir shocks, one of the first questions that comes up is whether to choose a remote canister design or a piggyback design. The assumption is usually that one must perform better than the other, but in most applications that's not really the right question.
Both designs exist for the same reason. They're trying to improve damping consistency by giving the shock additional oil volume and a place to manage the gas charge. Whether that reservoir is mounted directly to the shock body or connected through a hose doesn't change the basic job it's performing. If you're still getting familiar with how shocks work at a fundamental level, racing shocks explained in less than 10 minutes is worth reading before going deeper on reservoir configurations.
The performance difference between a remote canister shock and a piggyback shock is often much smaller than people expect.
Most of the time, the decision comes down to packaging, installation, clearance, and service access rather than some dramatic difference in damping capability. A lot of racers spend time looking for a performance advantage between the two when the real question is usually which one fits the application better.
The way the reservoir is packaged can influence installation, maintenance, and how easily the shock fits within a particular chassis. Those differences matter, and in some applications they matter a lot. But what usually gets overlooked is that the reservoir itself is often the bigger story than the reservoir configuration. Once you've decided a reservoir shock is appropriate for the application, choosing between a remote canister and a piggyback design becomes much more about practicality than performance.
Before comparing the two, it helps to understand why reservoirs exist in the first place.
Every shock creates heat.
As the suspension moves, oil is forced through the damping system repeatedly. Every bump, curb, braking zone, landing, transition, and direction change requires the shock to control movement by moving oil through carefully designed passages and valving. The harder the suspension works, the more heat it generates, and the more important it becomes to maintain consistent damping behavior.
A reservoir gives the shock additional fluid volume and provides space for the gas charge to remain separated from the damping oil. Those two things play a major role in helping the shock behave consistently when conditions become demanding.
The goal isn't simply to create damping force. The goal is to create predictable damping force lap after lap, run after run, and hour after hour. Suspension engineers spend a tremendous amount of time making sure the shock responds the same way regardless of whether the vehicle is leaving pit lane, running a long green-flag stint, navigating a rough trail, or spending an afternoon at the motocross track. Understanding why shocks are such a critical part of your race car setup helps explain why that consistency matters at every level of racing. Nitrogen charging is a big part of how that consistency gets maintained, and the reservoir is what gives the nitrogen somewhere to do its job without interfering with the damping oil.
Penske's technical materials frequently discuss repeatability, pressure management, and maintaining consistent damping performance as operating conditions change. Reservoir shocks contribute to that goal by increasing nitrogen volume, increasing fluid capacity, and helping the shock maintain stable behavior as temperatures rise. The evolution of shock damping technology traces exactly why repeatability and pressure management became so central to how performance shocks are designed and built. This is one reason why having a reservoir is often a bigger step forward than debating which reservoir style is best.
A lot of people jump straight to comparing piggyback versus remote canister designs without first recognizing that both configurations are already addressing the larger challenge of heat management and damping consistency. Once you understand that, the conversation shifts away from whether the reservoir is beneficial and toward how it's packaged.
The clearest way to understand the difference is to look at where the reservoir physically lives.
A piggyback shock mounts the reservoir directly to the shock body. The reservoir becomes part of the overall shock assembly, creating a compact package that installs as a single unit. If you've looked at modern motorcycle shocks, ATV shocks, or many performance automotive applications, you've probably seen piggyback designs. The reservoir sits alongside the shock body, connected internally, and the whole thing goes in as one assembly.
A remote canister shock separates the reservoir from the shock body and connects the two with a hose. That reservoir can then be mounted somewhere else on the chassis, frame, swingarm, suspension assembly, or vehicle structure depending on the application. The shock body occupies one location. The reservoir occupies another. The installer gains considerably more flexibility when working around chassis constraints.
Functionally, both designs are doing very similar work. Both increase oil volume. Both provide room for the gas charge. Both help maintain damping consistency. Both support the same overall objective of improving shock performance under demanding conditions.
People sometimes assume a remote canister shock must be inherently more advanced because the reservoir is separate, or that a piggyback shock must be superior because everything is integrated into one assembly. In reality, both approaches work extremely well when matched to the right environment.
There is one technical nuance worth knowing. Where the reservoir connects to the shock body can subtly influence how the internal circuits behave under compression. The connection point affects how pressure builds and distributes through the system during the damping cycle. For most racers this is a secondary consideration compared to fitment, but it's worth understanding if you're evaluating shocks at a more technical level. Reading a shock dyno graph before and after installation can help you understand exactly how your specific configuration is behaving.
Penske's own product lineup reflects this reality. The 8300 double adjustable coilover and the 8760 triple adjustable are both available in remote canister and piggyback configurations because different applications create different packaging requirements. The performance capability is there in either configuration. The challenge is finding the one that works best within the available space.
When racers ask which design is better, what they're often really asking is which design is easier to live with once the shock arrives and it's time to install it. For many applications, that's where the answer becomes clear.
The biggest advantage of a piggyback shock is simplicity. Because the reservoir is attached directly to the shock body, the entire assembly goes in as a single unit without requiring separate hose routing or reservoir mounting. If the chassis has enough room around the shock location, installation tends to be straightforward and service access is usually good because everything remains together.
There's also less to manage during installation. No reservoir brackets. No hose routing. No concern about where the reservoir will sit relative to exhaust systems, suspension travel, steering components, or bodywork. When space allows, piggyback shocks are often the cleaner solution.
Remote canister shocks earn their keep when space doesn't allow.
Many race cars, motorcycles, ATVs, and off-road vehicles simply don't provide enough room around the shock body to accommodate a piggyback reservoir. In those situations, the ability to mount the reservoir somewhere else becomes extremely valuable. Instead of forcing the reservoir into an area where it barely fits, the installer can position it where access, protection, and serviceability make the most sense.
The additional flexibility does create additional installation considerations. The hose must be routed properly. The reservoir must be mounted securely. Suspension travel, heat sources, moving components, and long-term durability all need to be considered during installation.
Serviceability follows a similar pattern. A piggyback shock remains one integrated assembly throughout its service life. A remote canister system includes the shock body, reservoir, hose, and mounting hardware, which means more pieces to manage when the shock comes off the car. There are also more connection points throughout the system, which means more potential points to inspect during routine maintenance.
Remote reservoir shocks have proven themselves in some of the harshest racing and off-road environments imaginable. It simply means there are more components involved compared to a piggyback design.
For most people, this is where the decision gets made. Not on a dyno. Not on a spec sheet. In the vehicle itself.
The answer usually comes down to one question: which configuration fits your application best?
Automotive racing: Packaging often drives the decision. If the chassis provides enough clearance for a piggyback reservoir, many teams choose that route because the installation is simple and compact. When clearance becomes limited, remote canister designs offer the flexibility needed to position the reservoir somewhere more convenient. The 8300 double adjustable covers both configurations across a wide range of automotive applications, and the 8760 triple adjustable extends that into more demanding professional racing environments where setup precision matters even more. Understanding single vs double adjustable shocks is worth doing before the reservoir configuration conversation even starts, because the adjuster setup often influences which reservoir style makes the most practical sense for a given chassis.
Motorcycle: Depending on frame design, bodywork, exhaust routing, and suspension layout, either configuration may make more sense. Tight packaging around the shock mount often favors piggyback because there simply isn't room to route a hose cleanly. When packaging allows for a remote setup, the ability to position the reservoir away from heat sources and moving components can be a real advantage. Penske's 8983 and 8987 motorcycle shocks are both available in remote or piggyback configurations specifically because motorcycle applications vary so much in terms of available space and installation requirements.
Off-road, ATV, and snowmobile: These applications often benefit from the flexibility that remote canister systems provide. Between long suspension travel, tight packaging, heat sources, and exposure to obstacles and debris, being able to position the reservoir independently of the shock body can become a significant advantage. A remote canister mounted away from the shock body is also easier to protect from impact and contamination in environments where the suspension takes a real beating. If you're evaluating shocks for an ATV or off-road application specifically, understanding what to look for before you buy covers the full picture of what makes a shock work in those environments beyond just the reservoir configuration.
Remote canister shocks and piggyback shocks exist to accomplish the same fundamental objective. Both increase fluid capacity, provide room for the gas charge, and help maintain damping consistency when suspension demands increase.
The real conversation isn't about which design performs better. It's about which design fits better.
A piggyback shock offers simplicity through an integrated package that installs as a single assembly. A remote canister shock offers flexibility by allowing the reservoir to be mounted wherever space and packaging requirements make the most sense.
If a piggyback configuration fits cleanly, provides good service access, and doesn't create clearance issues, it's often the simpler solution. If clearance becomes a problem, packaging is tight, or reservoir placement would benefit from additional flexibility, a remote canister design may be the better choice.
Both designs deliver outstanding performance when matched to the right application. The best choice is the one that works with the vehicle rather than forcing the vehicle to work around the shock. If you want to go deeper on how shock setup decisions connect to on-track performance, Penske's suspension tuning guide is a good next read.