Adjusting shocks

[joeb]

09 r1200 gs

I now know why they are called shocks. It's the price !

Looking for a more reasonable price shock. If I don't get the hydrolic spring preset. I can save $ 350. Question is, is there enough room to get a wrench at the tensioning nuts once the shock is installed for adjustment ?

And when the manufacturer asks for my riding weight for spring stiffness, should I include the optional bags as typically loaded in Addition to my fat body ?

[dirtrider]

27 minutes ago, joeb said:

09 r1200 gs

I now know why they are called shocks. It's the price !

Looking for a more reasonable price shock. If I don't get the hydrolic spring preset. I can save $ 350. Question is, is there enough room to get a wrench at the tensioning nuts once the shock is installed for adjustment ?

And when the manufacturer asks for my riding weight for spring stiffness, should I include the optional bags as typically loaded in Addition to my fat body ?

Afternoon Joeb

 

Question is, is there enough room to get a wrench at the tensioning nuts once the shock is installed for adjustment ? --  There is no way to tell until you have the strut (shock), or a good clear picture of it as built (preferably installed on a similar motorcycle to yours). 

 

And when the manufacturer asks for my riding weight for spring stiffness, should I include the optional bags as typically loaded in Addition to my fat body ? -- On this you will have to ask the seller or supplier. (it should be taken into account but at what point in the figuring is up to the seller or supplier). 

 

These are both very good questions that need to be answered & worked out with the strut seller or supplier. 

 

[lkraus]

Beemershop uses a pretty extensive questionnaire on the order form to match the spring to your use.  Your weight with riding gear, lightest luggage load, heaviest luggage load, % time with those loads, passenger weight, % various types of of riding, etc.  You can see it if you put something in your cart.

 

Panniers are standard on my RT, and usually included in the bike weight, but I still provided their empty weights just in case they figured the load differently.

 

Beemershop warns that the rear threaded preload adjuster is "extremely difficult" to reach on the '09 GS, so they recommend that type only for riders who seldom change the load. They have the same warning for all their rear shocks for that bike.  There are no such warnings for the front.

[joeb]

Thanks. Appreciate the feedback.

[marcopolo]

I ordered Wilbers WESA shocks for my 2015 GSA in the summer of 2021.  I had a good long discussion, by phone, with the supplier (EPM Performance), before I completed their questionairre, which they sent to Wilbers in Germany.  It was quite extensive, including such things as: my weight with all riding gear; weight of my side and top cases empty, and with my typical load when on a road trip; the types of riding I do, and the percentage of total riding for each type etc., etc. 

 

You might discover that springing for remote hydraulic rear preload adjustment is well worth it, as doing it with a wrench might be a real pain.  Guess it depends on how often you expect to adjust the rear preload, and how much tolerance you have for inconvenience.

[The Fabricator]

If you need to adjust the spring preload with a wrench, you will probably never do it.

It is  never easy.

I adjust my preload every time I go from solo the passenger.

Also from passenger to passenger with camping gear.