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I have a'95 with a worn out shock. I recently bought a nice one on Ebay that was perportedly from a '95. However, upon examination the reservoir adjusting screw assembly is slightly different between the two...Ok, could be mid-production change, it's a small difference...I don't know. The one I had had a spanner ring looking collet and the "new" one has a flat, wrench type nut. Other than that the shocks are externally identical with the additional exceptions. Spring color: Mine is gloss black, the new one is yellow. Different year, or different spring rates?
Secondly, the only identifying numbers I can find are on the bottom linkage bracket itself on both units. Mine is stamped with 56G, and the "new" unit is stamped 47E. Any of you guru's know what this means? Different year? Different model (125? 250?).
Before I bolt the thing in place, I'd really like to know what I've got, and the local Honda shop techs were clueless (again).

Here are some pics -
The two shocks, My original is the one with the black springs:


The reservoir valve-
My original is the red one:


Stamped numbers on the linkage bracket-
Mine is 56G:


WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN???!!!!!

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Zamo, I bought my 95 new. Your "original" looks to have been at least revalved if not an entirely different unit. The red screw gives that away. Mine looks like your replacement unit. Mine is stamped 47L. The yellow spring is most likely the stock spring, and your black one is probably a different rate.

Probably not the answers you're looking for, but maybe I've helped a bit?

For more answers, you could give this guy a call. Sharp guy, but he'll talk your ear off. http://www.moto-pro.com/

I will look for the # on my gen1 shock today and see what it says, that shock has a low and high speed adjustment. But the adjusters look different than mine.