rear shock knackered.... advice please.

[Philk]

Before i start.... yes i've seen the R6 shock threads  :lol

The old shock is no longer up to handling bike with pillion (ground down center stand....oops!)

My issue is every time i ride the weight i put on the bike changes. Top box can be empty, half full or down right overloaded... Then add in optional pillion/ panniers and what i really need is a shock with remote adjusters because i aint about to get on my hands n knees with the spanner every journey?

What are my options? (if any) and what sort of money am i realisticaly looking at?

TIA

[devilsyam]

for cost effectiveness r6. money no object ohlins, simples

i can set the r6 unit so you will only change one setting when at most extreme ie one setting for 90% of your post and a quick preload change for say fully givi'ed up pillion etc

[PieEater]

As devilsyam indicates a decent shock that is sprung and set up correctly should cope with the majority of your requirements without needing any adjustment with the possible exception of 2 up fully loaded with luggage. I have a Nitron shock sprung for my weight which is great and isn't upset at all by taking a large pillion on the back with no adjustment. I don't have any experience of the R6 shock but if the spring is suitable for your weight requirements then I wouldn't rule it out as a cost effective option.

[Philk]

Have PM'd Devilsyam

Choking on the prices of the posh stuff atm :eek

[kebab19]

The R6 shock would be by far the most cost effective idea.

As per the Piemaster I also have a Nitron shock, which seem to be gaining popularity after Ohlins have priced their kit out of most people's pockets, last year I checked their FZS shock & it was £960 new....

Nitron are currently doing a discount on a separate preload adjuster unit (half price at the moment), but even on their most basic shock it would still be £400. Would be very handy just to twiddle instead of losing the skin off the back of your hand tho....

You may also need to consider the front end too....have you changed the springs or does it cope with max preload?

[Silverdream]

Have PM'd Devilsyam

Choking on the prices of the posh stuff atm :eek

:lol    You will not be disappointed at the service, cost and quality of Lukes work mate...

He is the dogs nads when it comes to shocks... my R6 shock from him is perfect... and you are right .. i looked around at the alternatives first... and have not regretted my decision to go with DEVILSYAM shock and bones.... its so simple.. arrives all machined and ready to slot in with some handy instructions... took best part of an hour but i was also cleaning a load of stuff in there that you cannot usuallly get too...

[Philk]

You may also need to consider the front end too....have you changed the springs or does it cope with max preload?

TBH i have never touched the front end, though i have noticed the last owner has wound the adjusters in to the stiffest setting which seems at its best when the pillion is on board and since this is when the rear end is simply useless i consider it a god send :o I've no doubt however that once the rear is sorted the front will need some attention too.

Talking wonga though... a grand on a daily hack that cant be worth much too more than 2K is seriously daft. Does it really cost this much to manufacture these things?

[pinkbikerfzs1]

I changed my shock for a quality one, 3 years ago, and after carefully setting it up never changed the preload from solo to loaded with camping gear. if you have high and low speed damping that will cope with just about anything. Also it makes a vast difference in the handling, its far far better. Only slight problem I encountered was that the front did'nt live up to the rear, so had the forks reworked by K-Tech, it's now a very smooth, fast bike, just like it shoulda been in the first place..  just add some bling.. over to you Luke.. 8)

[Philk]

.  just add some bling. 8)

I hear what your saying.

Guess i'll wash it before the next MOT at least :o

[devilsyam]

pm's replied

[ghostbiker]

I went with nitron rear and a full ktec rework front, but i was flush at the time. now i would most prob go the R6 rear and just drop in new springs in the front. much cheaper and not a mile away from the posh stuff.

[Philk]

pm's replied

And back

[fazer6868]

i bought my ohlins in 2005 at around £550 ( i know they are a lot more now).

Done around 115k on it , with one service by k tech around 35k ago ( they did an excellent job).

I have the remote adjuster and don't really need to alter it going from solo to pillion + boxes etc.

superb bit of kit but obviously expensive.

[PieEater]

Talking wonga though... a grand on a daily hack that cant be worth much too more than 2K is seriously daft. Does it really cost this much to manufacture these things?

TBH any 1000cc bike isn't going to be the best choice for a "daily hack", maybe you'd be better off selling your Fazer for £2k and buying a 600 single or twin for £1k and spending the difference getting it sorted for your needs, you'll save a heap on insurance and running costs.

Most Gen1 Fazer owners will consider front and rear suspension replacement / refurbs a neccesety if they havn't already been done -  followed by carb modifications. So a bill of £1,500 on top of the purchase price isn't out of the ordinary. The result however is a bike that has more than sufficient power and handling for anyones requirements whether it's solo sports or 2-up touring.

[devilsyam]

you have a point mr pie man but i know a lot of gen 1 riders who have clocked up serious miles and changed nothing stock seat carbs and suspension and sum are darn fast riders to boot

it's a matter of choice

[Philk]

First off, thanks for Luke for getting the shock n bones to me, Very happy with the result and a huge saving over what i originaly thought i would be paying!

Fitting.... very easy, about an hour an half taking extra care with cleaning, regreasing and torquing.

Next.... the usual comment... didn't realise just how bad the old shock was....but you all knew i was going to say that

so doeas it do all the things a shock should do better?  ....... Oh yes!

Is the bike better in the corners?  ..... Oh yes!

2 Positives i didn't expect. The first is power delivery. Twisting the throttle now sees instant power transfer to the back wheel instead of the back end taking a squat. The whole setup feels a lot crisper :evil

Secondly all the free play in the rear suspension has gone :\ Spent ages last year reading up on this problem and a few attempts at backing off and retorquing to finaly reduce the free play to enough for an MOT advisory rather than a fail.

A Highly recommended upgrade :lol

[pitternator]

The rear shock and exup are the main weak area of the stock gen1. Suspension is the biggest mod you can ever do to a bike, since huge power is wasted if the bike dont handle.Whilst there ar eguys out there who ride stock gen1s fast ... feck they are missing out big time by doing so! The suspension overhaul is  a must to get the best from the bike .
One thing I disagree was ghosts statement you can stick stiffer springs in the front forks and its akin to a K tech jobbie. Sorry , thats just plain misleading. !You wont achieve anything near to K tech . The K tech overhaul is a complete new unit , based on CBR600 internals...the rebound damping on stock gen1 forks is very poor. Changing springs will not affect that.I have had K tech forks on 2 fazers now, and I am 100% happy with them. I never could get anywhere near the right level of damping on the stock bike, even from new.
Do ur mods to suit the budget , but most important thing is to improve the stock rear unit.Even just a simple re spring will move the game on, but get the best unit you can for your money , cos IMO if you get the shock right , its more important for handling than the forks.The ohlins is silly money ....not really worth it for a gen1 now, unless its a bright label you want.

[devilsyam]

no worries phil glad you like it and was worth bending your line of credit lol