K TECH shock - SHOCK !

[pitternator]

I still cant quite believe this has happened, especially after all my glowing tributes to K Tech.....but the shock which was refurbished in march has failed !  ...after just 3 hours on the road!
I only had the bike back together late  last sunday , didnt want to try it in the  evening rain, so only rode it first time on saturday, a quick 50 mile run, albeit at road legal pace , where it felt fine if a tad firm...now the rebound damping has gone, oil is leaking from the shock, and it makes a funny sheeshing noise when the back of the bike is bounced.The bike just bounces straight back up, not retardation at all of the movement... I still am gobsmacked at this.
 You know I am even now suspicious if my forks have had the full treatment too. I was a bit unhappy at how firm they were yesterday,kicking off bumps, pretty much how they felt before the work....I backed off all damping , to see how the forks feel  , but the forks dont compress and rebound very fast at all...so much so I now wonder if they are still full of old oil !! Just how do I check if it has been done ?....at the moment I feel like insisting they open up the forks so I can see the oil is fresh ...at least that will prove somethinghas been done.
The real pisser is the time I have wasted stripping out the bike, taking the units to Ktech etc...at the moment , all for nothing. Luckily I have a spare OE ( refurbished ) shock which I can put on to keep the bike on the road, but I feel totally pissed orf !
 

[Falcon 269]

That's a pain, Jon, but stuff happens, you know? 

I don't think K-tech would risk their reputation not doing basic servicing work, so I'm sure your forks have been done.  Old oil would be thinner, meaning less damping not too much.

I'd be very surprised if K-tech don't apologise profusely and do their utmost to sort this out to your satisfaction.

[mcyoungy]

Having had a bad experience with K-tech myself I wouldn't give them any of my hard earned ever again.
 
Good luck getting your issues resolved. Kais in Atherton are great to deal with.

[steeeve66]

..i just had HMRacing install K-Tech stuff in my forks, all fine so far but now i'm worried... 

[ghostbiker]

Sadly even a brand new fitted seal "can" fail in no time at all.
I know when i had the problem with my Nitron rear shock (they changed the design of circlip and fitted the old type by mistake so it failed in less than 20 miles) they were ever so sorry and invited me to the workshop to speak to the guy that made the mistake. they also put all the items damaged by the mistake  right and upgraded my shock to top spec free.

Shit happens but its how that is put right that realy makes a company stand out.

although the otherway of looking at it is a stand out company should be the one where shit dosent happen in the first place :P


Hope Ktec sort you out well. the amount of work we send thier way may be small in the grand design but its still a chunk. would be ashame to ruin such a good view of them by not treating you well when a problem happens.

[locksmith]

I would imagine its just one of those things, as said it's how they put it right that counts.
The amount of praise that Jon has heaped on Ktech previously, fingers crossed they'll sort it.

I fitted a replacement sealed glazing unit and the next day it was misted up!!!!  First time ever and it happened on one of my properties and not a customers

[Falcon 269]

New seals can be a bugga.  Decided to change the front brake caliper seals in mine recently, no reason except that they have 45k on them now, so thought it would be in order to check 'em.  Absolutely perfect but since I had the new seals to hand and the pistons out, hey-ho, might as well do it.

Isn't hindsight wonderful?  Just twisted one of the seals slightly on re-fitting the piston and 10 miles down the road, I spot a drop of brake fluid under the left side caliper.  So easily done despite the care I took on rebuilding.

I daresay that something similar has happened with Pitty's shock.  Utter PITA but it happens.

[pitternator]

Ta guys.I phoned K tech yesterday and they are a bit perplexed, but have said they will look at all the suspension next monday , so I will strip it all out and go oop there. Hopefully it will get sorted out , my worry is they have all the parts needed if its a piston rod problem ??...thank God I kept my old refurbed OE shock so I have a fallback.
Mike I take your point about the fork action would be firmer with fresh oil, I thought it would be the opposite.Maybe the forks also  felt poor because the shock was squatting  more than it should??..either way I will take the forks up...so I can have peace of mind .I dont think KT would deliberately not do the work, more a admin cock up and they never got looked at.They are so busy , and  a roadbike is maybe small potatoes just now.
I will let you know what develops.
 

[mcyoungy]

They are so busy , and  a roadbike is maybe small potatoes just now.

This is a huge problem with them. You're just a paying customer, after all.

[pitternator]

when Falcon originally set up the relationship with K tech , few of us had ever heard of them. A few like myself went ahead and got their suspension upgraded back in 03/ 04...and the results were dramatic and very satisfying- it was a great product , great service and reasonable price..... Now KT are big in BSB. Motogp etc...we is small spuds right now  no matter what we may think. I intend to give them the pitternator team talk next monday ...I doubt if it will bother them, but I will have my say. Success is all about customer satisfaction, doing what is right for your customer....If I am not 100% satisfied  I wont be doing anymore PR for them...and if repeated ... poor service soon snowballs into a poor reputation...and business depends on reputation .... ..If KT gets dropped by racing teams ( as can and does happen) they do still need a good solid reputation on the domestic market .One or two shitty letters to mags soon creates negative vibes in the bike world!
My biggest concern is keeping the bike on the road...after all, my forks and shock are a K tech product...if they are f**ked, its very expensive to get replacements.The shock is totally u/s at the moment ( luckily I have a spare).....You dont see forks up on ebay very often, and then they will need work/ upgrade  no doubt.So its got to be sorted.Plus the time cost of stripping the bike down twice and fuel costs of dropping off and picking up.TBH at this stage I am so p*ssed off I may just change the bike...I aint got the time for all this rigmarole, it actually costs me so much in lost work and private  time, its possibly cheaper for me  to just buy another bike...plus I now have lost confidence in the KT product . What happens to my big trip in July for example  if the shock  fails again either on or just before it ??
I also was thinking of getting KT to upgrade my speed triple as well..over £800 of work which they now have lost...in fact this episode may well just make me buy a new bike instead of keeping the old one and doing it up...its easy to see just in my case how a firm can go from hero to zero almost in an instant....this is why small spuds do in fact count !

[locksmith]

You're talking as though you are going to have aggro with them already before you've walked back in the place !
I know it's a major pain in the arse that it has failed, but stuff does happen to go wrong every now and then doesn't it.
I'd not kick their door in with your "Pitternator team talk"
Start with a smile and if it goes tits up then give em both barrels old son

[pitternator]

Lock
I am not actually aggressive at first contact ,I am open and willing to talk... but I still have this nagging feeling they literally aint done anything to the suspension ! It sounds daft I know, but its based on-
1. The shock had only 4 available clicks of rebound before it went in...it still has. Should be about 20 available.K Techs own recomended setting is 12 clicks out ...yet I can only click 4 to fully in...just as it had b4 the work...
2. the rhs fork seal was slightly weeping at the MOT in march ( an advisory) ...it still has !  Yet supposedly both fork seals were changed...
3. The fork action is still almost identical to when it went in...yet the forks aint been looked at in 4 yrs and about 25k miles...that oil must be  a bit dirty by now. Surely they should feel more supple and compliant ?..well I cant feel any real diffrence... my memory of when the forks were first done is the abscence of a kickback over the bumps, which was always the fazers OE forks biggest criticism.Well the forks do still kickback, irritatingly so if just cruising .
It really really  just dont smell right to me...I have been in business for 25 yrs now, and can usually suss out people and situations very quickly. I had a bad feeling about it when I picked them up. I had to ring to see if they had been done...paperwork wasnt done when I got there...the chap serving me seemed a bit remote/ flustered.He didnt want to talk very much , it was all a bit too on the fly.I also remember thinking the rebound adjuster still felt a little stiff...but I left it alone cos KT would have set it all to their test bench.They were obviously flat out with work.I was just happy the units had been done, so I never pushed my suspicions/ worries any further.At that point I had no evidence of anything amiss.This time I want to stand over the feckers while they do it !If I see clean oil in the forks I will be happier for a start.
 
By contrast when I get my bike serviced at alf england in bedworth, I speak to the bloke who has worked on my bike, ask questions, push a little to see just whats been done etc, and they are happy to indulge me....I think I gave KT a bit too much leeway based on their " international" reputation.Even if it does all turn out kosher and its me who cant tell the diffrence in suspension on a bike I have now owned and ridden all over europe for 7 yrs and 76k miles....I probably will eat me hat ! 
 

[bigralphie]

At the end of the day if it don’t feel any different what’s the point, Polite but firm is always the way in a dispute try to get them on your side by honestly illustrating your concerns

[devilsyam]

well if no joy pit sue em and buy a r6 shock 

[locksmith]

See where you are coming from now.  Kick down that door !!!

[pitternator]

LOL
Luke- tell ya what fella...that could be on the cards ! 
Had another look over the bike last nite. Shock must have lost all its rebound now, literally when I press the back down it just comes up immediately and hits the stop. No delay  at all, nothing. Just like a strong spring rebounding.I played a bit with the forks, at least the damping does work on them, can feel the comp and rebound affecting movement , but its not a nice movement , fair bit of stiction.( if thats the word)....I really do want some reassurance they have been worked on.On reflection I reckon the crap shock may have had an effect on how I feel about the fork action on the road, so I will reserve any more damning comments on them. The shock though is u/s...no doubt at all.
My only consolation is with all this wet weather I aint missed any real biking have I ! 
Feck I dont think I have done less miles on a bike in a 3 month period as this fazer in the last 12 yrs ...

[Falcon 269]

I played a bit with the forks, at least the damping does work on them, can feel the comp and rebound affecting movement , but its not a nice movement , fair bit of stiction.( if thats the word)

Stiction is indeed the word, Jon, and can be induced by pinching the fork legs slightly out of parallel when fitting them.

I assume you bounced the front end several times before tightening the axle clamp bolt but it might be worth re-checking before you lay the blame on K-tech.

[cable tie]

I intend to give them the pitternator team talk next monday ... OH feck ive seen jon in action .
 
 I am not actually aggressive at first contact ,Only after a shandy.
 
 I am open and willing to talk... Very true it will be a long day LOL

 
Now failing the above dont work and just when your blood is boiling jump back in the TRANNY and drive thro there roller shutter like a pikey on a ram raid im sure that will get your point across 
 
Now on a serious note ive got some mint stock forks done 9k never touched by a dodgy screwdriver either !
 
Dave 
 
 

[Fuzzy]

Got to say that of all the suspension firms I got in touch with regarding a possible upgrade for my bike, K-tech by far had the worst response. To be fair the chap I dealt with was apologetic afterwards, but I shouldn't have needed to have a word with them about their manner in the first place. Would never use them now unfortunately.

[pitternator]

Dave
  ...lets hope I dont get on central news ! ( large crazed man needed six tasers before he could be dragged from suspension mans neck ! )
Fuzzy
Yes, I know what you mean, it was just so different to how I have dealt with them in the past. I have had two sets of forks done by them, plus 3 shocks.So if I get a bad vibe, its probably something more than just an off day.Like I say I was an ambassador for them till now, never had anything but praise, felt their product really transformed the bike.Lets see how they react on monday...
Mike
I read about  this issue, but with my other two changes of forks its never relevant. However, I will try it and let you know if I feel any diffrence.I am  a bit surprised the pinch bolt could make any diffrence to fork alignment, or would you recomend bouncing forks before tightening it all up ?....I will be most happy if K Tech are blameless, I am not on a crusade here...just shocked at this current work. Because tbh if it turns out KT have lost it , what are my alternatives ?? I dont like the idea of having to try out new firms.

[cable tie]

Tbh I always found k-tech settings very hard ie track based and therefore very hard for the rd on all the forks I had done by them, the only issue I had with em once is they did the full monty on my 12R forks and never put new bushes/sliders in and I could feel something not right so took em back and they sorted out, however I'm local to em so that's not too bad but rugby too swad is not just around the corner!

Another company I used recent Firefox racing in keithley Yorkshire for my forks, now I had to wait ages for my stuff and upon visiting the place it's a back street shed and the 1st impressions was not good, but seems he has plenty of happy peeps going by google and andy the owner is a x-racer and my usd forks feel very sweet.

[pitternator]

Dave
I spoke at length on the phone to colin at K tech today , explaining the issue with the shock, and voiced  my real concerns that my forks may not have been done right or even missed  completely  . He said he was happy for me to watch while they checked them. My shock is a bigger issue, ...but if my forks R ok and its just my paranoia ( ! ) at least I can get the bike working using my spare shock.Colin seemed genuine enuff, not trying to fob me off or treat me like an idiot ...so I am full of hope for my visit on monday.
There is also the possibility of getting a shock from luke, but as I have already paid for the shock refurb from K tech...I have  a years warranty on the work, so they should really put it right. My fear is that a key part is broken and they wont have any spares ...as the kit was in short supply when I bought it 21/2 yrs ago.
As regards setup , yes the Ktech settings are firmish, I usually back both comp and rebound  a bit . My issue is when all the damping is dialled out ...they still feel " turgid" !!..I was expecting them to bounce a lot easier.But when i think back to the several long tours I have done on the fazer , I never really felt they were uncomfortable, till about last autumn, when I noticed this kicking back off the bumps...the shock was particularly good for ride quality too. I had that on the bike  in 2009 when we went down to pyrenees, and the bike was floating along , beautiful ride quality. Its nothing like it at the moment ! 

[cable tie]

Jon I'm sure the outcome will be in your favour and your softly approach was welcomed by k-tech rather than the lump hammer approach (builders LoL) and tbh if they can't do the shock you will get refunded and than invest in one of Luke's shocks I'm sure you won't go wrong, obviously there is a reason as too why the shock has destroyed itself ! You will have to let us no what they say caused the issue following there rebuild fitters fault maybe !!

[Phil TK]

Stiction is indeed the word, Jon, and can be induced by pinching the fork legs slightly out of parallel when fitting them.

 I recently dropped my yokes to 15mm and am very pleased with the noticably more urgent steering response, it's interesting!  However, I didn't make a good job of getting the fork legs truly parallel when it came to tightening the yokes up. Things go wrong when I torque the stem nut on top of the yoke because it twists the whole lot out of true and no matter how much I try and anticipate the 'twist' I end up with handlebars pointing slightly out of kilter to the right.
 Has anyone got a good tip for doing this right?

[Timbo]

If the worst come to the worst and you feel the need to obtain a replacement shock from elsewhere do consider a Hagon shock. I fitted a rear with remote preload adjuster and replaced my fork springs with Hagon's and am more than satisfied. It transformed the bikes handling and I throw it around quite a bit (no chick strip on my rear at all) in all weathers, it really is good!  
 
Shiney side up is best, see ya!!