It's shocking, or NOT, rear shocks advice, TESTING options alternatives

[gggGary]

So the rear shocks on WJL don't, a bit of a special case with needing to keep the stock look, but a quick look around found little actual info on the Icon and Hagon shock sites mostly buy it it'll fit . No poop re fitting correct springs bike, rider weight etc. I think I want to ride to some rallies next year need a bike that isn't whaling hte crap out of me for hour after hour.
Thinking test rig, taking some shocks apart, see ifthey have shock action whether changing, swapping springs might get me "close" .
Guess I'm willing to spend for the best combo.
What have you found for parts that you can actually tailor to your ride?
I'll leave early forks to a separate thread.

 

[Mailman]

So, you are willing to move away from factory looking shocks? Are shocks with remote reservoirs too much?
Does it matter if the springs are chrome or painted?
I was wondering about something crazy like Ohlins.

 

[gggGary]

For this bike (several early bikes), prefer to retain stock looks (at least to the casual eye.)
Think this means slim line springs and chrome or stainless body and at least the ability to install a shroud.

 

[Mailman]

Edit: you posted the above , just before I put this up


I also saw these that looked interesting. 12.5” air shocks with a threaded shock body for infinite spring pre load adjustment. Inexpensive too.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I have experience with Traxxion Dynamics in Georgia. If you call them, they will hook you up with correct shocks with proper spring rates. They sell Bitubo shocks. They're not cheap, but also not unreasonable for good shocks and qualified help. Grizld1 turned me on to them years ago. I know several happy customers of theirs. Give them a call. https://traxxion.com/

Did you try http://www.hagonshocksusa.com/ ? I've heard they'll get you proper shocks and proper spring rates over the phone.

Matt Wiley of RaceTech told me YSS was a good option. (RaceTech shocks cost more than a decent XS650) I believe they will help you over the phone. https://www.yssusa.com/order_how.html

Any of these should save you a lot of time you could use for something else.

 

[grizld1]

Yep, the guys at Traxxion know their business! Re. YSS, they might have some good stuff, but my experience with them was not a good one. Bought one of their gas shocks with variable damping for my GS500E Suzuki. After much screwing around with damper and sag settings I finally got the shock to perform as well as the cheap OE item.

 

[willis]

I've been interested in the Ikon dial-a-ride systems for a while now. While I have no personal experience with them, they seem to be a good option for the in between price range from "cheap/ok" and "im gonna need to sell some parts to afford". They are rebuildable and customizable to your riding style on the fly. Would love to see some credible info from real world use.

 

[5twins]

I've done quite a bit of shock dismantling and spring swapping over the years. I can't remember the last time I bought new shocks, so mostly I'm dealing with good brand name used ones like Konis. Lots of this work was for my old BMWs. They had nice aluminum spring covers that I wanted to swap over to the new shocks. Their springs were usually still good as well. Koni replacements for BMWs back in the '70s were just a shock or hydraulic unit and required using the stock springs. Stock BMW Boge shocks were better than Jap offerings of the time but the damping did eventually go south. But as mentioned, the springs were very good and usually still OK. I've used old BMW springs on several different shocks with good results.

As far as spring rates go, calling the shock seller should help with that. But here's what I've found ..... the last new shock I purchased were many, many years ago. Back then i was about 170 pounds, 30 or so lighter than today. 80-100 springs worked fine for me back then. Years later when I was setting up some similar shocks on a BMW, and after the weight gain set in, the 80-100 didn't cut it and I had to move up to 90-120 springs. Some of the old Konis I use take straight rate springs and I've found the 112 pound ones work well for me.

But, to do all this shock fiddling, you need a spring compressor to get them apart. They sell simple lever action ones but I feel they're quite expensive for what you get (about $80 or $90) .....

But looking at the pic, you can see it's pretty easy to make one. Here's the one I whipped up .....

 

[5twins]

Above is my "portable" set-up. Something I can take with me over to someone's house if we might need to pull apart a shock. At home, I have better "tools", fittings made up for use on my hydraulic press. I have two, one for open spring shocks and one for shocks with spring covers .....

The open spring version has little "forks" that stick in through the spring coils and butt up against the damper rod. One "fork" is fixed, welded to the fitting. The other slides in and out. They are placed at different levels. This allows them to follow the downward spiral of the spring coil and also lets the sliding one "lock" under the fixed one for support once inserted.....

The covered spring fitting is a little different. It has two flat plates with half moon cut-outs in them. One it fixed and the other adjusts in and out .....

Some more "fitting" details .....

 

[cafetools]

I have 60 dollar eBay adjustable socks. They are nice. I got black but there is chrome spring version that I would have preferred and it would have been a little more money.

 

[Mailman]

Gary,
Did you ever decide anything in a replacement set of shocks? I’m gonna have to do something on my XS2 soon. Some of those poorly maintained back country roads I ride are rough, and my bikes shocks are so stiff , at times I feel like I need a kidney belt! The problem with finding aftermarket shocks appears to be clearance to the chain guard. Original shocks are so skinny and I don’t want to have to notch my chain guard for clearance.
I’ve been considering Hagons.

 

[gggGary]

been looking a bit have a set of Hagons that are too long for the project bike on t he rack Firewood has been the ongoing project, racks are full now. But some "free wood" still needs to be processed . Most of the shock seller sites are poor on info... I would like to find an upgrade for stock early shocks also. Need to review what I have on Madness mebbie see if they will fit on an early bike. Those seem really good to me.

 

[grizld1]

Mailman, Progressive Series 14 shocks aren't in the same league as Koni/Ikon but they damp much better than OE shocks, and they're slim enough to mount without mutilating the chain guard. MMM at 650 Central can advise you on spring selection and shock length. You won't regret lifting the back end a bit with 13.5" shocks, they'll give you steering that's quicker and much more linear.

 

[Mailman]

Mailman, Progressive Series 14 shocks aren't in the same league as Koni/Ikon but they damp much better than OE shocks, and they're slim enough to mount without mutilating the chain guard. MMM at 650 Central can advise you on spring selection and shock length. You won't regret lifting the back end a bit with 13.5" shocks, they'll give you steering that's quicker and much more linear.

Thank you! I’ll check those out!

 

[MaxPete]

OK - this is very interesting!

I would like to suggest a slightly radical idea...how about:
- a set of "show" shocks that are essentially stock but cleaned up nice and pretty;
- a set of "riding" shocks so that when you travel, the bike handles and rides nicely.

...just a thought....

 

[5twins]

You might also experiment with changing the springs on your originals to something a little softer. Early '70s Jap shocks were always noted by the magazines of the time to be pretty stiff, at least the ones put on the U.S. models anyway. I think they thought we were all really big, heavy people, lol.

 

[59Tebo]

Wow 5twins! Why is it all the stuff you build out of "scraps" looks like things the rest of us buy? All of my "homemade" looks like homemade!
You got some mad skills, pal!

 

[wannabridin]

Wow 5twins! Why is it all the stuff you build out of "scraps" looks like things the rest of us buy? All of my "homemade" looks like homemade!
You got some mad skills, pal!

Try a coat of paint on your stuff, works wonders

 

[5twins]

Yeah, that 99 cent paint works wonders, lol, and it seems to hold up pretty good too. I do prime things 1st though, and I think that helps too.

 

[gggGary]

I think today's project is to reverse engineer some of 5twins shock compressor work..
Want to test action, spring strength, and disassemble.
I have a patented ggggGary fence post puller/tire bead breaker that may be up for adapting to another use or two.