Just how bad an idea is it...

[northwind]

To ride about on a shock with no gas/oil in it? My Ohlins popped on the way home, not yet found out exactly where though I'm assuming it's a seal on the hose going by where the mess is... Quite interesting to suddenly go from a finely suspended scalpel to a 170kg pogo stick at speed!

So... if I can find my standard shock I could fire that in tonight, but I'm none too sure where it is. Or, I've got a Busa shock somewhere but I'd need to do some cutting on the battery box to fit it, which is a bit futile for a temporary measure. Or, Scooby Drew's 636 shock is in the garage, I could steal that and not tell him...

OR, I could just not bother til the weekend, and pogo to work tomorrow. So, how stupid would that be? It was safe enough for the few miles home, taking it nice and slow...

[yorkie_chris]

Is the oil getting sprayed all over your tyre?

[northwind]

Nah, I'm dumb but I'm not stupid

It's not a good idea in my opinion. I wouldn't do it.

[northwind]

Oh, it's definately not a good idea. It's more a question of exactly how bad it would be

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by northwind

Nah, I'm dumb but I'm not stupid

No offence meant like

I'd be inclined to use it if the trip is only a couple of miles, not sure if I'd chance it for the 20 or so into leeds

At the end of the day it's only the damping that's affected and not the shock ability to support the bike. Just ride it and take it easy imo.

A couple of years ago I had to ride from the BMF show at Peterboghorror to Flitwick, about 65 miles, with a blown shock on my old Bandit 600. It wouldn't have been so bad had I not had a weekend's camping kit for two people strapped to the back of the bike, and if it wasn't throwing it down with rain. It rates as one of my scariest rides ever.

The worst was riding my housemate's almost new Bandit 1200 from Barnard Castle in Co. Durham, along the A66 to Penrith and then up the M6, M74 and A74 to my then girlfriend's just outside Glasgow, in the most atrocious storm I have ever encountered. Going along the A66 the bike was at a 30 deg angle from vertical to counter the strong wind that was trying to push me into the verge, rain was coming in so hard that I was being stung by the force it hitting my Gericke textile jacket, even though I had about 3 layers on underneath. On numerous occasions I thought the wind was going to lift the bike physically off the road and into the fields below, it really was horrific. All the while I was thinking "If I throw this bike up the road, I hope I die here, cos when Phil finds out he'll want to kill me in far more painful ways". The next day it was lovely and we went for a 200 mile rideout all over Ayrshire and Lanarkshire in blazing sunshine.

The things you'll endure when you're on a promise

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by chunkytfg

At the end of the day it's only the damping that's affected and not the shock ability to support the bike. Just ride it and take it easy imo.

Agree generally, but do please take it eeeeaaasy, you can be surprised how horrible a bouncy bike can be.
However having an alternative shock, as you do, that's at least better if not perfect, and as it takes no great effort to swap it, I would.

[northwind]

I realised I was obviously prevaricating, so went out and changed it It had to come out tonight or at the weekend so no real benefit to waiting after all, except that I'm extremely lazy.

What's happened is the hose was rubbing against the mudflap thing at the front of the arm- just very slightly... I'd cut a hole for the hose to pass through but it had moved a bit over time, probably because I have to move the reservoir when I fit my topbox rack. It's cut a neat wee slice through the hose. So, self inflicted really... It was due a service in a couple of thousand miles so no great loss.