how do you rebuild XS1 shocks

DogBunny

Motorcychologist
Top Contributor
Messages
3,710
Reaction score
4,752
Points
263
Location
Austin, Texas
Did a quick search, but came up empty. Maybe there's already a thread on this?
Can you disassemble 1970 XS1 or 1971 XS1B shocks? How do they come apart?
The shocks, not the forks...
 
Gotta say I rode WJL a lot of miles last week and it really wasn't that bad on the mikes "painted 71 gold" rear shocks.
PO repainted them 70 green.
wjl turn signals.jpg
 
I think I have seen an article where the seal area/carrier was machined off for disassembly. And then the shock body was somehow modified for a removable seal holder. Maybe in the UK "Classic Bike" magazine or in "Motorcycle Mechanics"
This was most likely not an XS shock, but something of the same design and vintage.
 
Last edited:
Okay, I'm going to consider this one closed. Sure, anything can be done if you want to bad enough, but until someone contradicts me, I'm saying they aren't meant to come apart.
I've got a client who wants to chrome the painted part. I'm going to tell him the shocks don't come apart, so can't be done.
 
Okay, I'm going to consider this one closed. Sure, anything can be done if you want to bad enough, but until someone contradicts me, I'm saying they aren't meant to come apart.
I've got a client who wants to chrome the painted part. I'm going to tell him the shocks don't come apart, so can't be done.
Wait, what, you just want the shrouds off?
Then I think they are like any other shocks, use a spring compressor to force the shrouds down then loosen the jam nut and unscrew the top eye fitting.
 
I don't know if you have a hydraulic press but I do, and I made up a couple fittings for shock work. One has "forks" that stick through open springs, the other has two plates with half moon cut-outs for covered shocks .....

BOmvrzG.jpg


wht7E7W.jpg


The covered spring tool has a small amount of adjustment for the one plate. The open spring tool has one "fork" welded to the top of the frame and the other slides through a slot below the horizontal leg on the other side. When pushed in against the damper rod, it "locks" under the other higher "fork" .....

OjCo4Mf.jpg


hCsfgZR.jpg


This nicely follows the downward spiral of the spring. And here's the covered spring tool "in action" .....

qOjERem.jpg


RrzdciP.jpg
 
s-l300.jpg


Progressive Suspension shock tool. Multiple vendors have it for <$40. On the later KYB shocks, it fits without the spacer ring. It may well work on the early shocks too.
But I don't think that's going to work with the early shocks cuz you need to unthread the the top eye off the rod, they don't have the collet with a slot that slips off..
 
But I don't think that's going to work with the early shocks cuz you need to unthread the the top eye off the rod, they don't have the collet with a slot that slips off..
That being the case, no it won't work. It does make short work of the later KYB shocks. I use it for those.
 
Back
Top