Need new shocks?

[Ken/OC]

Question: I am at 47K and the RT runs fine. But sometimes I feel I'm bouncing around a bit on roads (freeways mostly) where I never noticed this before. Is this a sign of the need to replace the shocks? Is there a simple test to determine the state of the shocks? TIA for any wisdom...

[David]

Sounds like your rebound is dying.

 

Put the preload roughly in the middle. Sit on the bike, with your feet on the pegs. Have someone hold the bike upright from the front.

 

Have a third person quickly push down on the rear rack and then let it pop back up. The bike should compress and then decompress, but not rise much at all above the resting position before they pushed down. If it pops back up beyond that starting point and then settles to the resting point, add rebound until it doesn't. If you have max rebound dialed in and it still does it, time to get a new shock.

 

This is a simple test that really isn't terribly scientific, but I think it'll asnwer the question about whether your shocks are bad. What you are experiencing is likely the rear going bad.

[Ken/OC]

Thanks David, I'll give this a try.

[Tool Man]

Ken...I agree with David. Your damping is going away, most likely leaking fluid past the internal valving.

 

Feel lucky you got that many miles out of a stock shock. You may want to consider an after market set to replace the OEM Showa's.

[blackyam]

Hi. I'm sorry for hijacking this thread, if I am, but can any of the after-market shocks use the same convenient preload adjuster that the stock shocks use? Which? And, if not, which after-markets provide for convenient preload adjusting?

 

I crank up the preload 15 clicks now on the stocks when my wife rides with me, and the knob makes that easy work. My bike just turned over 40k yesterday---yea!---so I may be thinking about shocks before long, or maybe not. I'm only 120 lb, and so is my wife, so maybe my shocks will last a bit longer. Also, maybe I can make do with another set of stocks instead of after-markets. Whaddy'all think?

[Kenny2]

The shocks for the BMW RT has the preload knob for the rear. I would believe ALL the rear shocks have this feature.

[TonyS]

Works takes the hydraulic preload adjuster off the BMW shock and installs is on their shock. I did have to add oil to the adjuster which is about a ten minute job; much thanks to the person that posted the procedure.

[blackyam]

Works takes the hydraulic preload adjuster off the BMW shock and installs is on their shock. I did have to add oil to the adjuster which is about a ten minute job; much thanks to the person that posted the procedure.

 

Does this mean that I would have to remove my stock shocks to send to Works (and do without riding) while Works builds new shocks with the stock preload adjuster for the bike?

 

A few more questions: I've seen "ARS" mentioned in a Works advert. Does "ARS" perform the same function as the stock preload adjuster? Would "ARS" work in conjunction with the stock preload adjuster, or would "ARS" replace it? And, if it is either-or-but-not-both, then which would I be better off using?

 

I generally ride on my own, but I do ride two-up on occasion. TIA.

[russell_bynum]

A few more questions: I've seen "ARS" mentioned in a Works advert. Does "ARS" perform the same function as the stock preload adjuster? Would "ARS" work in conjunction with the stock preload adjuster, or would "ARS" replace it? And, if it is either-or-but-not-both, then which would I be better off using?

 

Work's ARS rear shock does not have a remote preload adjustment. The shock essentially has two springs, one on top of the other. One spring is pretty soft and the other is stiffer. The shock has an indexed collar that you can rotate to one of three positions. The purpose of the collar is to limit the travel of the soft spring.

 

So....in the "soft" setting, the soft spring can fully compress before the stiff spring starts to compress. In the medium setting, the soft spring compresses partially, then bottoms out on the indexed collar. At that point, the stiff spring takes over. On the hard setting, the soft spring barely compresses at all before it bottoms out against the indexed collar and you start compressing the stiff spring.

 

Typically, what you do is have them build the shock so that the three positions are "solo, 2-up, and 2-up loaded", though I suppose you could also go "Solo, solo loaded, and 2-up loaded" (or some combination thereof.

 

I have had this system on my RT for about three years and I have been extremely pleased with it.

 

I thought I would miss the remote preload adjustment, but I don't. It took a while to get everything set properly since you basically have to remove the rear shock to adjust the preload. I've heard there are some special wrenches you can use to do this while the shock is in the bike, but since I didn't have those, and it only takes 10 minutes to remove the rear shock, it's not that big of a deal. Once I got the sag set correctly, I haven't touched the preload on either shock (front or rear) at all. I might tweak the rebound damping a little bit now and then (very easy and fast, with the shocks on the bike and no special tools) but that's it. All I do is pop off the black plastic side cover and rotate the indexed cup into whatever position I need it in, and I'm good to go. I can switch from solo to 2-up loaded in less than 60 seconds and the bike handles nearly as well 2-up as it does solo.

 

I have no connection with Works Performance...just a satisfied customer.

[blackyam]

russell_bynum, thanks for the description.

[jrbldr]

I am at 40K and the bike is still pretty tight - doesn't wallow in high speed sweepers or start that annoying low frequency bouncing on undulating sections of elevated freeway that would indicate the dampening is going. I am impressed, to say the least.

 

There is a lot of discussion about Ohlins, Works, and such, but as I am fairly pleased with the stock setup I may look for a set of low mileage take-offs from someone else who upgraded, rather than spend all that money on upgrading.

[russell_bynum]

There is a lot of discussion about Ohlins, Works, and such, but as I am fairly pleased with the stock setup I may look for a set of low mileage take-offs from someone else who upgraded, rather than spend all that money on upgrading.

 

If you're happy with the stockers and you can find a good set of take-off's, then go for it.

 

But, I'll say this...

 

I spent last weekend on Lisa's 2001 R1100RS at Riding Smart in Santa Rosa. She's got stock shocks with 21K on them, pretty much all solo miles.

 

I was absolutely appalled at how bad the suspension was compared to the Works I've got on the RT.

 

The roads were bumpy, so it was really working the suspension. First, I kept bottoming the centerstand on the slightest little bumps. So I cranked the preload up to the point were that stopped happening. Naturally, I had to add a bunch of rebound damping as well. I finally got the thing were it wasn't bottoming out, and it wasn't wallowing. But, the ride was brutal.

 

So then I backed off the preload and damping a bit to get where the ride was bearable. I really had to slow down and watch the bigger bumps, but at least I wasn't going to rattle my teeth out.

 

Then we got to the freeway and I was back in hell, getting my kidneys pounded on the joints in the pavement, so I reached back and cranked out a bunch more preload until it got bearable.

 

Now...compare this to the Works on my RT: I can throw that big beast into corners as hard as I want and it sticks like glue. I can rail over the crappiest road without bottoming out. And...I'm still reasonably comfortable on the slab bumps.

 

This was the first time I've really put a good-condition stock BMW suspension to the test and I was astounded at how utterly crappy it was.

[Paul Mihalka]

Russell,

In your post it sounds like cranking up preload of the shock automatically needs a increase in rebound dampening. I disagree . It also sounds like changing preload makes the ride harder or softer. I disagree . Changing the preload only changes at what height in the stroke of the shock you are riding. Increasing the preload raises the bike and gives more available stroke before it bottoms out, but with the same weight on the bike the spring will be compressed to the same lenght and spring rate stays the same, so damper requierements are the same. If you changed preload because you changed the weight on the bike (passenger) then you would want to change the damping adjustment. Preload only changes the ride if you bottom out (shock hit the compression stop) or top out (shock extends to maximum lenght).

 

I kind of expect a long comment from Master Yoda

[Rags]

i think you should stop at Mac Donalds more often. That bike needs ballest to hold it on the ground.

 

 

 

[Rags]

In Northern CA, Doc Wong, an moto enthusiast allows his offices to be used and he participates in free clinics for motorcycle riders.

 

He's a great giving guy who shares his time & efforts.

 

I attended a suspension workshop and found it very helpful. Now picture a Susuki crotch rocket in a upper floor Docs waiting room doing the damping test described here.

 

Get to know about him...

 

http://www.micapeak.com/lists/doc-ride

[Rags]

Question: I am at 47K and the RT runs fine. But sometimes I feel I'm bouncing around a bit on roads (freeways mostly) where I never noticed this before. Is this a sign of the need to replace the shocks? Is there a simple test to determine the state of the shocks? TIA for any wisdom...

 

BTW. nobody has mentioned changing the fluid. Can it be changed?

[smiller]

BTW. nobody has mentioned changing the fluid. Can it be changed?

 

The stock shocks are not designed to have the fluid changed although there are a few shops that can do it. While this may help extend the life of the shock a bit but it doesn't address all of the other things that wear out (seals, etc.), nor does it address the fact that the stock shock just isn't all that good to begin with. I think money would be better spent upgrading to an aftermarket alternative (that can be completely and properly rebuilt) rather than putting any more money into the stock units.