K TECH shock - SHOCK !

[Phil TK]

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]

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/quadrunner500...ment.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]

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/quadrunner500...ment.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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[pitternator]

that is a very sweeping statement luke !  :b

...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 !  :lol

[FZ_Rich]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[devilsyam]

my point stock shock is pants

[FZ_Rich]

Oh well....took it in today.  Maybe when it goes again, which it will one day, I'll try the R6 Mod.  As for spring stiffness it is set on hardest pre load when two up and seems fine to me but I'm no [insert name of preferred racer here] you see....more like [insert name of archetypalslow rider here] 

[pitternator]

Rich
If you have taken yer shock to KT, they should fit a weight matched spring. The stock one is woefully understrength.Ok for 10 stone racing snakes, less good for some double that size ! ...slothful boas more like...  

[mcyoungy]

Rich
If you have taken yer shock to KT, they should fit a weight matched spring. The stock one is woefully understrength.Ok for 10 stone racing snakes, less good for some double that size ! ...slothful boas more like...

I doubt they'll do that for the hundred quid quoted earlier - the spring alone is that sort of money.

[pitternator]

KTech charge around £90 labour for the shock service, the spring is about another £80. Plus vat. On the plus side, you do know the spring is right for yer weight.

I had my OE shock serviced and resprung in 2008 , then bought the full monty shock upgrade in 2009 ( I bought a second cheap shock off ebay as a donor). The full monty is better , but I was pleased with the upgrade of the OE shock, and still have it as a spare.