The shock would help for the weight but doesn't make too much of a height difference, maybe 1/2" at the seat. I looked for about a year before I found one at a reasonable price. Most were asking $300-$400. :yikes:
If I remember correctly when I was researching the 465 they said it caused the DL650 to sit slightly higher but I probably would not notice it once on the bike. I think there is a thread here where someone measured or did the calculations and it was about 1/4 inch - up for the Wee and down for Vee.
I did this swap on my '09ABS without any issues. I found a tip on this forum about a work-a-round for the ABS module. You just need to loosen the module mounting screws to get that extra 1/2" of room. There may have been something else but I do not remember what. It was a three beer job, but it was hot that day. I think I paid $200 and it is well worth it.
I bought a used DL 1000 shock off of ebay for $100 and sent it to Race Tech where they custom rebuilt it for $450. I also replaced the fork springs with Sonic Springs. If I had to do it over again, I would have replaced the bushings/bearings in the swingarm and lever cushion at the same time. The Vee shock is a huge improvement over the wore out Wee shock, especially when riding two-up on rough roads.
By purchasing a used shock, I was able to continue riding while the shock was being rebuilt. I had also read that the Vee shock was of better quality and slightly longer which would increase the ground clearance slightly.
