Re: Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

can it be done diy ? I can look around for guidance

Re: Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

nope, you need special tools to even atempt to remove the spring. do NOT do this at home, those things could literally kill you or leave you one-eyed. revalving and changing the gas/oil is something that's done at a suspension center, plenty of those all around the country.

Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

Yeah it's not normally a diy job. Most companies offer a postal service where by you send them your shock and its comes back serviced.

Re: Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

is it not same as cars ? I have taken the spring out and all you do is just clamp it down using those coil spring clamps .

I don't argue servicing as don't know what is involved but you can take the spring out easy

Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

Might be worth a pm to YC, I gotta feeling he does 'em.

Re: Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

cool , I will first fit it to see how it is and then maybe after few track days do a service or get a brand new ohlin

Re: Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

£300+ sounds a bit salty if you can buy a decent off-the-shelf shock that'll do wonders for the bike for as little as £80. Sure, the Ohlins will be the zenith, but how many of us ride that well?

Re: Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

what is a "decent off-the-shelf" shock? if a shock from a totally different bike brand and segment does wonders, than the ohlins will do even more wonders without setting up/servicing. after all, you're not servicing the kawa shock before installing it, are you?

regarding ohlins (or any other top brand), I simply refuse to accept that it won't improve handling for any rider (novice or advanced) after having installed one myself. especially on a bike like the sv650, a good shock can give the rider the required stability and confidence to learn how to properly ride.

Re: Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

What I mean is a secondhand shock from a standard road bike. Somebody mentioned the fact that a shorter shock absorber would slow down your steering; that's not strictly true, if the shorter shock is better supporting your weight you'll probably find the steering better.

You could spend a bloody fortune on Ohlins kit, and undoubtedly you'd find it better, but if you follow other, more experienced peoples' advice you could get similar benefits for much less outlay. If you were chasing tenths on a good lap time I'd say Ohlins, but for the vast majority a better shock from a scrappy will do the same job.

Re: Alternative shock? Pointy.
 

your average rider would not be able to tell you the difference between different shocks, yes they would know from a standard emulsion shock to a fully adjustable gas shock but they could not tell you what they are feeling apart from the 'bike feels better'. there are very few people who actually understand what the clickers do never mind how to adjust them. there is also a misconception that 'the stiffer the better' when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.

i would rather have a well set up emulsion tube shock than a badly set up fully adjustable gas shock any day.

the difference between OEM shocks and after market shocks is the valving. OEM shocks are built for 'one size fits all' so tend to be a bit choppy where after market shocks are built for the rider, bike and what type of riding they do.

its not about having this shock or that shock its about being able to make use of it properly.