Author Topic: K TECH shock - SHOCK ! (Read 22978 times)

mcyoungy · « **Reply #50 on:** 03 May 2012, 05:01:54 pm »

Mike I'm not going to get into an argument over K-tech's worth. You've had great experience with them; mine wasn't.

I was interested in finding out what the OP was saying about this grit - was it found inside the shock or outside? Also were K-tech saying loss of oil or loss of gas? Both seem to get mentioned in the thread.

You're right - it doesn't add up, hence the questions.

Falcon 269 · « **Reply #51 on:** 03 May 2012, 05:45:48 pm »

Wasn't looking to get into an argument about this with anyone, mate.

Just felt that the melodrama was getting a bit much, that's all.

Mike

mcyoungy · « **Reply #52 on:** 03 May 2012, 05:46:28 pm »

aye but the suspense is killing me!

Falcon 269 · « **Reply #53 on:** 03 May 2012, 06:07:35 pm »

cable tie · « **Reply #54 on:** 03 May 2012, 09:25:37 pm »

I can just picture Jon bouncing up and down on the front end !

For it to all end up in a heap on the floor LOL now when he said bounce it did not mean with all your weight LOL

devilsyam · « **Reply #55 on:** 03 May 2012, 10:42:00 pm »

reminds me of a film "John pitt in True Grit"

pitternator · « **Reply #56 on:** 04 May 2012, 07:34:11 am »

at least we can laff about it, ( me too)...but I do put it to the floor to decide just what might have happened if I had indeed been a newbie.? KT are high in my estimation, so have persevered with what has now been 4 trips back and forward , much lost time etc. If I had experienced this with another company I would probably have gone away feeling very miffed. Au contrair, I am still positive about KT, I aint ditched them, and I have a solid history of many years happy fully satisfied riding on their products. This all could just be a coincidence/ bad luck. Nowhere have I said I felt they did this deliberately , but I am still unsure there is any evidence they did the service in the first instance.Its easy to argue not , given my experience. If it has been missed I feel its more likely a human error type cock up, and KT( or the person concerned ) not wanting to admit it. In spite of all their technical set up, they have a very basic system of scheduling work inside the factory, and I feel its possible with the quantity of suspension they have there a mistake could happen. Simply by putting it in the wrong area could have led to this mistake.I aint sure they have a failsafe system of second checking , its all down to one guy...who did not serve me this time, I was dealt with by mike the technician..so I know its been done ! ....something I really had bad feelings about the first time round, when there was evidence of a confusing organisation of incoming and out going product.
A big positive though was mikes( at KT) way he dealt with me, listened to what I had to say , and hopefully has delivered what I wanted.

I dismiss your notion of the misaligned forks in my case , as I did try this technique and there was no difference...indeed this happens automatically since I dont tighten the axle bolt until the weight of the bike is on it, and I do give several pumps as well..
I am looking forward to getting the bike back together this weekend.

Falcon 269 · « **Reply #57 on:** 04 May 2012, 07:50:25 am »

When you re-assemble this weekend, Jon, try the method described in post 3 here:

http://www.yamahafz1oa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71630&highlight=stiction

Dismiss all you like but it's a fact that the forks need to be perfectly parallel to minimize stiction and operate at their best.

pitternator · « **Reply #58 on:** 04 May 2012, 05:52:03 pm »

Yes I do this technique on re assembly...I wasnt eschewing the technique but the implication the fork action was down simply to misaligned forks.Me whole point Mike is the forks felt exactly the same after the service as before I took them in !
ditto the shock.

Falcon 269 · « **Reply #59 on:** 04 May 2012, 05:59:38 pm »

That's good, Jon ... just wanted to eliminate other causes.

Hopefully you'll be happier with the forks and shock next time around.

Cheers!

Mike

Phil TK · « **Reply #60 on:** 04 May 2012, 08:21:01 pm »

I need to re-align my forks, they really need it, so I looked at the link but as the first posterer inferred the method isn't explained very well

ie
'With the front off the ground and the axle troqued to spec, but with the pinch bolts loose,.... 1.Push the pinch bolt side in and let it spring back. Measure this distance. 2.Now pull it out and let it spring back. Measure this distance. 3. Split the difference to center the fork legs and clamp (tighten) the pinch bolts.'

'Push in' - 'pull out'? what distance? and between what and where?

Could someone explain it a bit better please!

Falcon 269 · « **Reply #61 on:** 04 May 2012, 09:21:24 pm »

Depends which sort of alignment you're talking about, Phil.

Sounds to me like you're thinking of re-aligning the forks in the yokes, in which case read this:

http://www.yamahafz1oa.com/quadrunner500sforkalignment.shtml

The procedure I pointed Jon towards is to ensure the fork legs are parallel to each other before tightening the axle clamp bolt. Different orientation of alignment.

Phil TK · « **Reply #62 on:** 04 May 2012, 10:02:46 pm »

Quote from: Falcon 269 on 04 May 2012, 09:21:24 pm

Depends which sort of alignment you're talking about, Phil. Sounds to me like you're thinking of re-aligning the forks in the yokes, in which case read this:

http://www.yamahafz1oa.com/quadrunner500sforkalignment.shtml

Ah, now I see, yes, the one I was after was basically an alignment that makes the top and bottom yoke clamp 'holes' concentric with each other, the same centres -as it were. The link of course describes getting the flat sides of the legs (which are square with the axle) -parallel to each other- in effect.
I'll be doing both now. Cheers Mike

pitternator · « **Reply #63 on:** 07 May 2012, 10:05:24 am »

Well its all back in, forks have been thoroughly pumped prior to axle tightening.Initial feel at standstill of the fork action feels much smoother, less clonky....Went out yesterday on a 2 hour ride to see what I think, and first impressions are very good. I do sincerely believe the suspension was not done to this standard first time round. The damping all round feels better, and on most roads the ride quality is an improvement, so I can feel the difference of old to new... I checked the shock on my return, and the rebound damping adjuster turns Ok, so far so good !
Suspension action / quality is hard to describe, but certainly the first hour en route to Uppingham took in a full variety of roads, and the feel/ poise of the bike felt like that of a more expensive bike...controlled suspension but with just that touch of softened ride quality.On the return on less smooth roads, I felt it all a bit firmer, but this is probably as much to springing as anything else, and for most uses, a bit of nloss in ride quality is a suitable sacrifice for the superb roadholding , essential on a 160 bhp bike.
Maybe mike at K tech did something different to last time ( if one insists KT did actually do the sussies first time round) , cos I do prefer the feel of this now.
So, guardedly I will declare hopefully an end to the shenanigans, believing the shock will not suddenly expire in the next few hours riding !

Falcon 269 · « **Reply #64 on:** 07 May 2012, 12:51:52 pm »

Good, Jon. Sorted. Whatever the reason for the sticky forks and the failed shock, nice to know K-tech put it right without argument or additional charges. A pity you had to make the second return trip and to have lost time having the bike off the road but sometimes them's the breaks.

pitternator · « **Reply #65 on:** 08 May 2012, 07:29:55 am »

Hi mike, well tbh my shock was that the shock had "failed " after a short 2 to 3 hour ride ( oddly enuff it was exactly the road I took this time, hence why I can feel the difference)..and the symptoms of the rebound adjuster were as pre service...which made me feel it just had been missed completely...anyway , thats history, and certainly on the basis of the ride now I feel the suspension is back to what I was expecting. One thing I never made clear btw is that K tech didnt charge me anything for the second inspection/ rework. Which is a good thing if you like in both possible scenarios...since if the sussies were missed first time round then they didnt try to stitch me for two charges, and also if it had been done and it was my " paranoia" they did the work FOC even though they must have used workshop time. For that reason I do applaud K tech !

pitternator · « **Reply #66 on:** 14 May 2012, 07:45:04 am »

A quick addendum to the story. Yesterday I went out for a 230 mile ride , and am happy to report no sudden failure of shock.

All seems working as it should.I still feel the ride quality could be better though. By that I mean when simply cruising along , minor ripples and bumps still are felt . Where this suspension does feel great is when on the case, on nadgery roads, where front and rear ends are pitching with braking and acceleration. Then the plot feels superb, great control over how the bike moves. Its incredibly planted, handling for the track indeed..... My quest is to see if there is a setting which still allows a degree of this but gives a good ride quality for " touring". Its not uncomfortable just now , more an intrusion...but so far if I back off compression it makes this worse not better.Maybe as the springs are harder than stock, without compression damping they just react more to minor bumps ?
I will be xperimenting , but wonder what folk think. Ktech reckoned to leave rebound alone btw, that it wont affect ride quality .....

ghostbiker · « **Reply #67 on:** 14 May 2012, 12:27:41 pm »

I am far from an expert, I still haven't got mine right from the last time it was serviced then a friend borrowed it and altered the settings.

But wouldn't it be the damping or if you have it the high speed damping you should be looking at?

FZ_Rich · « **Reply #68 on:** 14 May 2012, 11:00:11 pm »

Having recently started taking my missus on mine I thought I'd set mine up for us both... and found compression damping virtually non-existant!!. Local yam dealer recommended K Tech. Having read all this I'm still inclined to take my standard Yam Shock to K Tech for them to mend it. A new Hagon? what are they £300? £400? Be about £100 for K Tech to mend mine

Money talks and it sounds like if they balls it up they'll sort it out. Were all human...I drove my lorry into a short post that I knew was there the other day...when you drive for thousands of hours a mistake will happen eventually, just as I suppose when you mend loads of shocks ones gonna get ballsed up eventually. yer know, just saying like

devilsyam · « **Reply #69 on:** 14 May 2012, 11:41:23 pm »

rich you can bin it and like so many others and fit the r6 shock conversion

pitternator · « **Reply #70 on:** 15 May 2012, 07:39:56 am »

that is a very sweeping statement luke !

...I think the Ktech shock is superb, but like cable tie has mentioned, its on the firm side for ride quality.Too put it in perspective, I believe the sussies allow me to really push the bike towards its limits in terms of performance and handling, its fantastic on a track day ....its not that end of the spectrum I am now looking at. Its looking for ride quality , without getting softer springs.

Ghost - er yes m8, it is damping I am talking aboot !

FZ_Rich · « **Reply #71 on:** 15 May 2012, 08:16:57 am »

Only thing that worries me about the R6 mod is the drilling of the mount! surely the lightwieght 600 is not blessed with too much metal for the job? and then to remove some of it to fit it a much heavier bike...with a fat top box and two people? If it was just me on it I might have gone for it but I'm happier with a heavy strong thing that light weak thing, if ya know what I mean. I'd be interested to know if any who have done the mod ride two up with luggage and is the mount stressed, stretching, cracking or owt? yer know after a few thousand miles...or summat. I, obviously, am no expert but it seems wrong to take metal away.

karlo · « **Reply #72 on:** 15 May 2012, 08:22:48 am »

You drill the top mount on the shock absorber bush itself (not the bike mount) and there is plenty of metal on it, mine is fine, I'm a big chap and have also done pannier and topbox luggage it does make a significant difference fitting the R6 shock.

mcyoungy · « **Reply #73 on:** 15 May 2012, 08:30:52 am »

It's a steel bush, inside a runner bush, inside the aluminium shock body. It's there as a bearing surface. After drilling there's plenty of meat left on the bush.

mcyoungy · « **Reply #74 on:** 15 May 2012, 08:36:52 am »

Quote from: FZ_Rich on 14 May 2012, 11:00:11 pm

Having recently started taking my missus on mine I thought I'd set mine up for us both... and found compression damping virtually non-existant!!. Local yam dealer recommended K Tech. Having read all this I'm still inclined to take my standard Yam Shock to K Tech for them to mend it. A new Hagon? what are they £300? £400? Be about £100 for K Tech to mend mine Money talks and it sounds like if they balls it up they'll sort it out. Were all human...I drove my lorry into a short post that I knew was there the other day...when you drive for thousands of hours a mistake will happen eventually, just as I suppose when you mend loads of shocks ones gonna get ballsed up eventually. yer know, just saying like

are you using the OE shock or the K-tech shock? If it's the OE jobby then you'll still be left with the supersoft spring after the shock is serviced - can't imagine it'll be much cop 2 up.