R6 shock made to fit a curvy?

Ok so I have a as-new shock off a 99-02 R6 ... its a far better shock than the stock SV one and has a 9.3 spring, so a stiffer spring (my ZX636 is a 9.7 spring, the SV is 8.summin).

Anyhoo was wondering if I could use it in my curvy ... only problem being that the R6 shock has eyelets both ends, the SV eyelet and fork ... the bottom eyelet on the R6 shock fits just right inside the SV shock ... thought occurs that I could hack the bottom off the SV shock and bolt it to the bottom of the R6 shock ... put a couple of light welds round it and hey-presto ... or even make up some 'forks' and do the same (so I wouldn't hack up the SV shock) ...

So is there enough room on down there to do this??? i.e. I will be taking up some of the fork area with the eyelet/bolt.

Anyone done this sort of thing before??

If you look at the photo and all them things I could 'click' it is tempting

[tinpants]

Just a thought, but have you thought about the fact that these bikes that we all have, of whatever make or style, are designed to work with the original equipment that they come out of the factory with. They are, believe it or not, made to quite exacting tolerances and as such seldom require "adjustments" such as new forks or a different swinger or a different rear shocker. I have from time to time added mods to my bike(s) but have never tried to out-think the guy that designed the bike. Some people think they know better than the designers. Fools, every one of them. If an SV needed the same shock as an R6 then it would have one. Fiddle about with the cans and the cosmetics if you like and, yes, I have thanks, but FFS leave the handling characteristics alone. You bought an SV. Not an R6. Live with it, or buy an R6.

Sorry if I'm coming across as negative but I've lost count of the amount of people (bikers) that I've had to scrape off the roads 'cos of "adjustments" they've done that weren't necessary. There's also the implication to your insurance company. If you fit something that is non-standard then you are duty bound to tell your insurer. If you don't tell them and have accident - whether its your fault or not - your insurance will be void. Thats all well and good if you don't injure someone, but just imagine, if you will, that you are riding along with your nice "as new" R6 shock and you go to take a corner and throw the bike into it. You're not quite used to the new handling characteristics of the bike since you made your "improvements" and lo and behold you highside it and get thrown off. Your bike, meanwhile, buggers off down the road and wipes out a group of kids waiting for a bus.
Two of these kids are killed by your bike, and the rest have a substantial stay in hospital (contracting God only knows what bugs!) before being released to go home. Poor little Johnny, on the other hand, has to wait for his wheelchair. He'll never walk again. Never mind. The insurance'll sort him out. Oops. Sorry. You weren't insured 'cos your bike had been modified and the Insurance Company weren't notified. Bugger.

I suppose you're thinking "It'll never happen to me. I'm too careful. I know what I'm doing"
NEWSFLASH: It will. You're not. And you don't.

Btw. I'm NOT having a personal pop at you Blue, this can be applied to everyone that faffs with the set up of their bike. Unless you know specifically what you are doing then leave it alone.

*lights blue touch paper and retires, waiting to get flamed*

You have to be taking the ****! No one can genuinely be that pompous surely..

[tinpants]

SORRY! I beg your pardon!! Whats pompous about that? Just saying it as I see it. Its my opinion and if you don't like it, tough.

Perhaps with the benefit of hindsight I went a bit OTT with the scenario but I'll leave it in its original form to "develop some healthy discussion".


Theres nothing in there, apart from the aforementioned scenario, that isn't correct. Touch a raw nerve did I?

[Gazza77]

A thought from someone who is having new fork springs fitted tomorrow....

What if the designers were working to a budget? What would they have done without the cost constraints? Would they not have perhaps considered better quality components? Not just in the case of the SV, but for any bike?

Using my car as an example too.... I changed the alloys from 14 to 15 inch ones. A change from the designers ideas perhaps? But then again, as new it was offered with up to 16 as an option. Does that mean the designers where indecisive? Or just that the lower spec models were built to a lower budget and thus had cheaper parts fitted?

[tinpants]

A good point well made.

The components that were fitted match the bike and its foibles, whatever they are. I just don't think its a good idea to faff with the set up unless you know what to do or take it to someone that knows.


Just as a matter of interest, I got shot of my SV 'cos I didn't like the rear shock. Changing it (the shock) was mentioned to me but I decided to change the bike instead for the reasons previously given.

[Gazza77]

I just don't think its a good idea to faff with the set up unless you know what to do or take it to someone that knows.

Is that not what Blue_SV650S is doing, asking for advice from someone who may know?! I don't view your comments as pompous however, each to their own. And as to insurance, how many people add cosmetic mods without declaring them?!

Tried to fit GSXR600 K6 shock on curvy - it did not fit. The diameter of the spring was too wide for curvys swing. OEM shock leaves some 5mm clearance and the GSXR shock is wider so that was that.

Talking from experience here. I would not hack the R6 shock about..what could happen if your weld failed?...crazy stuff i reckon!.

Now its not just spring rate you have to take into account with shocks. Its also the valving internally. Bikes have different ratio linkages and this means one shock from one bike wont suit another with a different ratio as the valving is set to accomodate this and the bikes weight and geometry.

I know it comes down to costs but dont go messing with shocks and cutting them up. Seriously dangerous if it does break.

Id seriously spend less on trackdays and buy even the cheap base Ohlins or a Nitron shock. Better value than that additional 3-4 trackdays you have missed.

Ok, firstly this is for my 'spare' track bike. I have a ZX636 shock on my #1 and it is a notable improvement over the worn and budget SV one. The front forks are transformed with new internals too. The stock SV stuff is just dangerous, especially at speed.

The R6 shock has a spring rate that is appropriate for what I am after, the 'stroke' looks to be about the same. I dunno where this ‘but its off another bike, its not the same’ thing comes from … the damping is set up to match the spring and stroke ... the ratios or weights of bike used to push it and the maths originally done for that bike are irrelevant as that is the spring and stroke the damping is there to compensate for, simple as that!! i.e. If I want to move a shock 10cm in 1 second, it matters none if I do it by applying a large force to a small lever over a small distance, or a smaller force on a larger leaver over a longer distance (but the same time from start of movement to end and the same distance at the shock) ... all the shock knows about is the force applied to it over the duration it is applied ... surely!?!!??!

The shock will be bolted to the fork plates, so not only are the welds not under much stress in the first place, but even if the weld gave, its not like the shock is going far. It'd just twist around the bot points and 'sink' and rub on the linkage!?!? ... At the end of the day the fork is only welded to the bottom of the SV shock to start with ... but you are right it is the chance of failure that puts me off a bit ...

Oh and secondly all them 'what about the children' type horror stories - behave That carp never works on me. Agreed I wouldn't like to wipe them out, but I dislike kids anyway, other peoples kids are an annoyance ... they ahve no respect these days ... so you are onto a loser there!! :P

I can't justify the expense of the Ohlins one as the ZX636 shock does all I need it to, Ok the ohlins would be better, but the ZX shock inspires enough feel and confidence. I’d rarther get the enjoyment out of more tracktime!! On a trackday I am not after the last few tenths it an Ohlins might give me, without trying to sound bigheaded, I don’t struggle to keep trackday pace as it is anyway. If I do the odd minitwins then I might benefit, but to be fair after retiring, and having done a few trackdays since, I would have gone a bit ‘soft’ by now anyway … … so more is to be gained by switching my head back into race-mode than spending money on expensive shocks ..

Anyhoo … to be fair I was in one of them ‘ohhhh I have these bits knocking about … I want a better rear shock for #2 … what if!?!? … ‘ modes … I’ll probably get another 636 shock, as that will give the best £-to-improvement ratio but if someone had done this sort of thing and said ‘yeah mate no-worries’ I’d have given it a bash!!