Alternative shock? Pointy.

Hi All,

Just posted another thread about front springs and thought I should keep this as a seperate thread.

I have been looking around for a straight fit rear shock and have found a pool of them but not sure which one to buy

My sv is 2005 sv650s
so far I know 2006-7 zx14 fits my sv .
zx10 will fit but from what year
gsxr 1000 fits but from what year ? also heard it lowers the back by 5mm which is not ideal

do I need to change the spring to match my weight or leave it as it is ?

i guess all of those bikes have a heavier back and also considering I am heavy around 115kg then the spring from any of the bikes above should be just right for me whereas they were ok for average rider on the original bike.

any ideas or further thoughts?

Originally Posted by stranger12

zx10 will fit but from what year?

06-07 ZX10 shock bolts on with no cutting etc. They're identifiable by the reservoir being at 90 degrees to the shock as pictured below.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...sOXo4Qnc&pli=1

Have a browse of this spreadsheet and pick one based on the best spring rate for your weight. 06-07 ZX spring rate is 8.3kg/mm. What does the race tech calculator tell you your spring rate should be for the rear?

[Jayneflakes]

Another option is to buy a shock built to your needs, they do not have to be that expensive.

I bought a Pensk recently and that is beautiful in both performance and fitting. It took very little effort to fit and worked perfectly straight from the box.

For the other half's bike I purchased some YSS shocks (it is a Kwak ZRX with twin shocks) from a shop called Bike Revival and they were great. The range they have in fits almost all pockets and you get full warranty and great advice. If you call them, please mention my name.

Another thing worth noting, make sure that the bearings in the rocker and swing arm are in good condition when you swap the shock. I was dismayed to discover that my lack of maintenance had created a real issue with seized and rusted bearings down there.

many thanks , re column e , what is the 330mm or .. refering to ? the legnth of the shock ?

this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KAWASAKI-Z...item3f4505882b

Originally Posted by stranger12

many thanks , re column e , what is the 330mm or .. refering to ? the legnth of the shock ?

Yes length from centre of top mount to bottom mount. Overall length.

As a rule you want to avoid going shorter than stock if you can as it will adversely affect the handling if you don't compensate for it elsewhere.

A slightly longer shock is fine in most cases.

and stepless rebound ?

Stroke I guess it is how far the spring compresses ?

I am about to buy below. The guys says it is from 2009 but it looks as if it will fit mine .

Is that correct ? the excel sheet says from 06-08. also the legnth is the same so all perfect there.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2815234592...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[Bibio]

yes it will fit but remember that the spring is 9 something so is very very stiff which is not good unless your something like 18st.

the stroke is dictated by the damper rod length not the spring. a spring is only there to support your weight and the weight of the bike and if you get the wrong spring you wont be able to set the sag properly, too stiff a spring and the shock wont budge and you would be just as well sticking a steel rod in its place, too soft a spring and the shock will blow though the stroke causing bottoming out to which people try and compensate with the comp/rebound clickers. having said that its better to have a very slightly softer spring that one that is to hard.

compression and rebound dampening (your clickers) have nothing to do with how soft or hard your shock is, it's there to control the stroke of the damper rod. and the S/H (Soft/Hard) markings are misleading they should be Fast and Slow (Fast=S and Slow=H) Fast makes the damper rod move at a faster rate while Slow makes it move at a slower rate.

spring = sag
clickers = control

the slow speed comp/rebound clickers are for chassis movement e.g. braking and cornering.
the fast speed comp clicker is for square edged bumps e.g. potholes.

suspension is only there for comfort and to keep the chassis of the bike in control and on as level a plane as possible. if for instance your front end 'pops' after letting go of the brakes then the movement is too sudden which upsets the transition entering a corner for instance. too stiff is just as bad as too soft. too stiff and the suspension will 'pack down' and then on subsequent bumps the suspension wont recover so eats away at the stroke causing bottoming out add to that the transition is too slow and you end up with a disaster.

its all a bit more complicated that that but thats the basic gist of it. there is no 'my mates' settings and the people that use these know nothing about suspension. there are however ball park settings such as 'bounce tests' to determine very basic rebound.

Seems ok according to the spreadsheeet. Double check the spring rate is right for your weight before you buy. What did the Racetech calculator tell you?

Bibio he is 18 stone mate. 115kg according to the OP

Originally Posted by stranger12

I am heavy around 115kg