Is it true that the more you " lay down " ( lean the shock down. ) a shock the stiffer it becomes. ??. I don't ride fast ,I ride far...
Mounting shocks at angles reduces the overall dampening effect of the shock. Reason being; the shocks mechanisms will travel geometrically, less of a distance than that of the suspension system. Some vehicles shocks mounted at about a 30-degree inward (inward = leaning toward the differential, not forward or aft-ward) angle, while others have their shocks mounted at a 20 degree angle or so forward and/or aft ward of the rear axle. There are several reasons why this might be done. First, available space maybe? Regardless, if this is something you are going to do yourself, youll need to increase the static pressure of shock to mimic the shocks effectiveness of it being in a perpendicular location. Secondly, you can gain more suspension articulation than would normally be limited by the overall travel of the shock absorber if it were located perpendicular to that of mounting your shocks at an angle, if you dont have room for a taller shock absorber. The charts here show the overall estimated reduced effectiveness of a raked shock absorber. However, these numbers should only be used as a rule of thumb as other factors such as the arc of the suspension cycle can factor in. The above is more car centric but still applies to motorcycles.
You could do some reading about Velocette motorcycles to gain more insight. Their high-end models had adjustable rear suspensions by using slotted upper attachment points for the shocks.