Aftermarket Rear Shock

[SkooterG]

Why reinvent the wheel, mount it where your stock adjustment lever was mounted?

It don't work that way.

 

[TomInPA]

What takes you 3-hours to figure out the first time, will take 1/2 hour thereafter. Enjoy the adventure, and open a beer.

 

[hppants]

I ended up fabricating my own bracket. The one from Hagon only had one mounting hole and I wanted to have something more rigid.

I put mine on the right side and the bracket fits between the rear foot peg and the rear frame bosses. The holes for the adjuster were drilled at an angle to allow the adjuster to point slightly downward, giving me more room to turn the adjuster know with my hand.

The good news is that the adjuster clears the entire swing of the swingarm - even if I were able to swing the tire to within 1 inch of the inner fender (not possible), the adjuster misses the tire by 3/4". It also clears the saddle bag well, and the hose is plenty long enough to reach the top of the shock.

The bad news is that there is no way I can adjust it with the saddle bag on . I suppose that's not too big of a deal, but I'll have to remember to set the pre-load before I pack for the trip.

I had to build the bracket twice before I got something I'm proud of. Took me the whole day.

Tomorrow, I'll mount the shock and see what it feel like.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Looks great in the box 'pants! Can you post a close up of the bottom clevis?

~G

 

[BanjoBoy]

My Wilbers was mounted to the passenger peg bracket (Their mounting plate has two holes.) on the right side, with the knob facing forward, 'n it could be adjusted with the saddlebag on.

 

[hppants]

FIRST – credit goes where it is due. MikeP1300 came over and stuck with me all day to help me do this. I couldn’t get where I am without him.

OK – here is some pictures of what I’m doing

This isn’t the bracket that I’m proud of. This was the first attempt. 1/8” x 2” aluminum flat stock.

The bracket that ended up on the bike had the holes for the adjuster re-located as marked, and the rear end was clipped off in a more rounded and aesthetically appealing manner.

Here’s what it looks like on the bike. As previously indicated, I mounted it in between the rear footpeg and the bike.

This allows it to be tucked under the bike chassis, well out of the way of the tire. Also, I find the bracket to be much more rigid in that there is more meat on both sides of it supporting it.

The OEM bolts for the rear footpeg are about ½ a thread short of what’s available, but I think with red locktight they will be fine. Your thoughts?

I received an insightful tip about possible JB Welding or Epoxying a large nut on the end of the adjuster to allow me to get a socket on it and adjust it while the saddle bag is on. I’m keeping that one in the bank for now, but truthfully, I think I made a big deal about having to remove the saddle bag to adjust the shock. It probably won’t be that important.

Here’s another shot of the shock before it goes into the bike.

The bottom clevis is much beefier than stock and the OEM special bolt fits into it perfectly.

Here’s a shot of the top area of the shock.

Again, much more stout than stock and the bolt fits like a glove.

I took careful measurements of all possible dimensions and I have noted 3 possible discrepancies:

1. The overall length measurement (center of top clevis hole to center of bottom clevis hole) for the new shock is about ¼” longer than the stock shock. I’m theorizing that could be because the old shock is tire and sagged.

2. The diameter of the spring for the new shock is about 3 ¼” v/s about 4” for the stock shock. I have no idea why that is. Is that observed on other aftermarket shocks? The aftermarket has approx. 7 full coils, v/s 6 on the stock. Again – I have no idea what I’m writing about – could be different materials, could be anything. I asked them to spring it for 210 pounds plus 160 pounds of adjustment.

3. The measurement of the top and bottom clevis’ that is concerned with the fit to the bike is off (too short) by about 0.010”. I am hopeful that when proper torque is applied to the bolts, it will close properly?

The hose fitting on the shock for the adjuster is at the proper place (facing rearward), and it appears to be long enough with plenty of space for routing. I may even be able to use the cable support from the stock adjuster to support the hose. I’d be interested in hearing what others have done to address this.

Anyhoo – taking my time. Checking everything twice (no…FIVE times). Having fun, so far….

 

[MCRIDER007]

Did the paperwork that came with the shock show the spring size (probably a series of numbers that show length, diameter, and weight, the weight will probably be a 3 digit number like 130, 140, or 150) and the amount of preload (probably 10-18mm).

 

[hppants]

OK - got the shock mounted.

First, a technical concern. The lower shock clevis bolt, the infamous one that was related to Josh's clevis failure, fits like a glove inside the aftermarket shock. The right side of the clevis is larger diameter to accommodate the shoulder of the special bolt and it is exactly the same size as the stock. I measured the difference in the clevis opening (inside measurement, taken with a dial caliper at the center of the holes) and that dimension is about 0.005" difference (insignificant, IMO). Before I took the old shock out, I noted a bit of free play in the lower shock mount. Not a ton, but some. After I put the new shock in, torqued everything per FSM, including the lower shock mount bolt at 29 ft pounds, the free play was greater. While Mike was prying on the rear wheel up and down, I could feel the free play in the lower shock mount only. So we tightened up that bolt in 5 ft pound increments until the free play was hardly noticeable (much tighter than stock was).

Now then, I'm trying to rationalize whether or not I have a rear suspension issue (bearing failure, etc) to deal with. In my mind, the bearings that go to the piece that the lower shock connects to (the fulcrum arm or whatever) - those are needle radial bearings only. In other words, they resist no side to side load at all. Furthermore, I believe the slack I was concerned about (and ultimate removed) is from the bushing in that fulcrum part pushing against the bolt on both ends. Once you tighten the slack out of that bushing, then you are done. Everybody in agreement with this? Was it appropriate for me to "over torque" that lower shock bolt for the purpose of taking out the slack in the bushing? Or is some slack necessary and built in from the factory?

Also, the aftermarket shock can move left to right significantly. Like maybe 1/8" or even a little more. Sadly, I don't remember what the stock shock was like. Again, the width of the bushing should be driving this - you can tighten only to that width and no more, regardless of what the clevis is doing. Am I thinking that correctly? Would anyone please reach down on their stock shock and see if you have some left to right movement on the lower mount?

Now off to go test ride it. Hope I don't die.

 

[SkooterG]

Have you ever lubed any of your suspension pivot bearings? If not, you damned well better be doing it now! Get some good moly type grease to lube them. Depending on condition, you may need to replace some of the bearings/collars.

As for the preload adjuster line from the shock, nobody ever connects that to anything that I am aware of. I never have. It's a pretty stiff line that doesn't go anywhere.

I'm not feeling too good about your overtightening. I think that slack is a non-issue.

 

[escapefjrtist]

So what's the verdict 'pants?

Agree with Skooter...you shouldn't have to over-tighten the bottom mount.

~G

 

[hppants]

First, I didn't die. I got busy this morning with my neighbor's clothes dryer. (sigh)

Next, ride impressions:

The ride is better in every imaginable way. The spring with no preload on it is perfect for me riding by myself (as expected). The dampening came at the mid point from Hagon, and it was a bit harsh from the get go. Over the 75 mile ride yesterday, I stopped every 10 -15 miles and backed off the dampening 1/2 turn until it got spongy/mushy, and then went back up 1/2 turn. I'm not sure where that puts me in the total range of dampening, but the ride is most excellent. Bumps while in curves are absorbed without being bouncy. I really like the performance of the shock. Truthfully, I can't remember the bike ever riding this good.

Also, my ride height is a bit higher, but again, it's not much and I can't remember if when the bike was new it was higher and it sagged over time. Wheatie - I know you have a brand new OEM shock, and maybe we could compare measurements of my old one and your new one to see if there is a difference. Regardless, I don't notice much difference in the turn in, considering the idea that if I'm sitting higher from the "longer" shock, then theoretically, my rake should be steeper, which should make the bike turn quicker. Either that theory is crap, I'm not experienced enough to notice it, or I haven't found a road twisty enough to really test it.

Now, back to my technical concerns. I've made a couple of videos for you to watch explaining that:



Edit - the audio on these videos is low for some reason. On my media player, it sounds fine. If you turn up the volume, hopefully you can hear what I am saying. If not, I'll remove the lifeproof cover from my phone and the mic should work better, especially if I talk up. Again, apologies.






I'd appreciate your thoughts.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Both of the conditions you're showing are normal 'pants. The side to side clevis movement is indeed the difference between the bearing race and housing width. When tightening the clevis you should feel a hard "stop" when the shoulder of the bottom bolt contacts the race.

~G

 

[Joel S.]

i had a penske 8983 and ak20 cartridges on my kawasaki c14

i have on order a nitron r2 shock and andreani cartridges on order, should be interesting to compare. (different bike) should be here in a couple weeks

 

[Mad German]

I have owned 5 aftermarket shocks and ridden at least a dozen others. My emphasis is on ride quality at speeds within 20 mph of the posted speed limits and my impressions are as follows:Wilbers....high quality shock that comes very under sprung even for solo riders that requires way too much preload to achieve the desired sag and ride height. Can be fixed with an appropriate spring but then needs to be revalved to match the spring.

Ohlins....high quality shock but you pay a heavy price for the imitation gold plating. Damping is one size fits all and about half need to be revalved to get a quality ride. Good choice for a track bike, not so good for every day riding unless you revalve.

Penske...high quality shock that is custom made for the rider and seldom needs to be revalved. Very easy to rebuild and the owner can change the spring in his garage without a spring compressor...its even possible to change the spring without removing the shock. Lots of maunual preload adjustment if riding 2-up. The double adjustable with a remote reservoir is the most bang for the buck.

Hagon...owned by Wilbers but less expensive with lower build quality. Not recommended for a FJR when other options are available.

Yamaha GEN3 shock...definitely the most bang for the buck with a ride quality that is the equal of the Penske and cost that is less than a Hagon. Its not rebuildabe but for $400 who cares when a 10-20k rebuild on the others will normally cost at least $200. The only downside for the GEN3 shock is that the springs, even in the hard position, are a bit under sprung for 430 lb loads and there isnt any way to add preload.

I should mention that when I bought my 13A I also owned a 08 FJR wth a Wilbers shock that had been re-sprung and GP suspension front forks and a C14 with a Penske shock and fully adjustable ZX-14 forks. I felt both bikes were equal in ride quality to anything else I had ridden but the bone stock 13A was just as good, if not slightly better than either. It was a tough decision whether to sell the 08 with the aftermarket suspension or to transfer the aftermarket parts to the 13A. I decided not to transfer the parts but probably would have if the shock had been a Penske rather than the Wilbers (which really needed a revalve to better match the heavier spring I had installed).

The Wilbers is undersprung even if you tell them your weight and passenger weight, or are you referring to an off the shelf shock that is not set up for the customer specifically?

 

[MCRIDER007]

I have owned 5 aftermarket shocks and ridden at least a dozen others. My emphasis is on ride quality at speeds within 20 mph of the posted speed limits and my impressions are as follows:

Wilbers....high quality shock that comes very under sprung even for solo riders that requires way too much preload to achieve the desired sag and ride height. Can be fixed with an appropriate spring but then needs to be revalved to match the spring.

Ohlins....high quality shock but you pay a heavy price for the imitation gold plating. Damping is one size fits all and about half need to be revalved to get a quality ride. Good choice for a track bike, not so good for every day riding unless you revalve.

Penske...high quality shock that is custom made for the rider and seldom needs to be revalved. Very easy to rebuild and the owner can change the spring in his garage without a spring compressor...its even possible to change the spring without removing the shock. Lots of maunual preload adjustment if riding 2-up. The double adjustable with a remote reservoir is the most bang for the buck.

Hagon...owned by Wilbers but less expensive with lower build quality. Not recommended for a FJR when other options are available.

Yamaha GEN3 shock...definitely the most bang for the buck with a ride quality that is the equal of the Penske and cost that is less than a Hagon. Its not rebuildabe but for $400 who cares when a 10-20k rebuild on the others will normally cost at least $200. The only downside for the GEN3 shock is that the springs, even in the hard position, are a bit under sprung for 430 lb loads and there isnt any way to add preload.

I should mention that when I bought my 13A I also owned a 08 FJR wth a Wilbers shock that had been re-sprung and GP suspension front forks and a C14 with a Penske shock and fully adjustable ZX-14 forks. I felt both bikes were equal in ride quality to anything else I had ridden but the bone stock 13A was just as good, if not slightly better than either. It was a tough decision whether to sell the 08 with the aftermarket suspension or to transfer the aftermarket parts to the 13A. I decided not to transfer the parts but probably would have if the shock had been a Penske rather than the Wilbers (which really needed a revalve to better match the heavier spring I had installed).

The Wilbers is undersprung even if you tell them your weight and passenger weight, or are you referring to an off the shelf shock that is not set up for the customer specifically?

I was referring to a Wilbers that was custom made for the riders weight and riding style. Wilbers seems to think that you should compensate for additional weight by adding base preload rather than increasing spring size.

 

[Mad German]

Thx for the clarification, MC!

 

[gregory]

Update - 2/2/19

First, I emailed Yamaha Customer Service and learned that the only reason the OEM shock part number has changed is because they have changed supplier for the manufacturer of the part. Otherwise, and more importantly technically, the shock is exactly the same.

Secondly, I've purchased a shock from Hagon over on the other end of the pond. They will spring it to start at my rider weight on the low end of the adjustment, and I will be able to add about 160 pounds (or whatever the KG equivalent is) on the high end of the hydraulic adjustment, which should cover my range of load expectations. It has compression and rebound adjustment (both accessible from the bottom of the shock. Comes with a 2 year guarantee and it is rebuildable.

Cost converted from Pounds Sterling comes to $530.00 shipped to my house. It will take a week for them to build it, and another week for them to ship it to me via UPS. Incidentally, I discovered that one of my credit cards has zero currency conversion fees.

It's a bit of a risk, as I have not yet met anyone in the States that has this shock on their FJR. But apparently Hagon is huge overseas and are highly regarded as a reputable company. We'll see how it goes and report back.

Hey Pants, do you have a model number for the one you bought? 

Thanks!

 

[BanjoBoy]

The Wilbers is undersprung even if you tell them your weight and passenger weight, or are you referring to an off the shelf shock that is not set up for the customer specifically?

I got my Wilbers from Ted Porter's Beemer Shop, and it's sprung perfectly. Great shock. At 200 lbs geared up, a gen II spring is WAY too soft, and a Gen III shock is better, but still too soft. The Hagon looks promising; can't wait for hppant's review.

 

[hppants]

Hey Pants, do you have a model number for the one you bought? 

Thanks!

I purchased the M62087H unit with the hydraulic preload adjuster. Hagon confirmed that shock will fit any Yamaha FJR with a with a JYARP frame prefix on the S/N. Measurements are:

Length 328.5mm

Top loop mount 12 x 60mm

Lower fork mount 12mm / 17mm holes and 30mm in width ( between the jaws )

Stroke / travel 70mm

Cost was about $540.00 shipped. Current cost might vary very slightly because of the currency exchange. 

Comes with a two year warranty.  As far as I know, the others are only warrantied for one year.  

Service was excellent by the way. 

 

[RossKean]

...Cost was about $540.00 shipped. Current cost might vary very slightly because of the currency exchange. 

Comes with a two year warranty.  As far as I know, the others are only warrantied for one year.  

Service was excellent by the way. 

Nice.  Does anyone rebuild them in North America?  Parts availability?

Great price for a fully adjustable and rebuildable shock.