recently bought a 3rd gen (1990) with 60,000km on it- going to take the rear suspension apart to clean and grease- should I take the spring off the rear shock to test?
Even if I do -- what would I look for and how could I correct it- short of replacement?
Thanks,
Jeff
No real way to test the shock as they don't have a Schroeder valve to check nitrogen charge(at least later Gens don't). If it looks like theres any sign of oil/dirt on the shock shaft the seal is most likely leaking.
I might just look at picking up a used 929 shock and spring it to your weight. Check forms here for needed mods on that app.
It's a '90 VFR with 60k KM on it? What's to test? Your shock is toast! :tongue:
OEM shocks can be rebuilt, but few suspension shops will do it (they can get them open, they just can't get the right new bushings and seals to rebuild it properly). Lindemann in California used to do it (they did my FL's shock about 20 years ago--and it lasted no more than 2 years, IIRC), and someone in the UK does it as well (Maxton?). The OEM spring was too soft right out of the box, so it's probably not gotten much stronger since...
You can test an OEM shock without taking it off the bike (in fact, you can't test it off the bike without access to a shock dyno) by bouncing up and down on the seat. If it's still got damping, lucky you. If not, as there's no adjustment (apart from pre-load), that means the oil's gone and it's very likely toast. I have no experience or opinion on the 929 shock upgrade, but many people here seem to like it.
It's a '90 VFR with 60k KM on it? What's to test? Your shock is toast! :tongue:
OEM shocks can be rebuilt, but few suspension shops will do it (they can get them open, they just can't get the right new bushings and seals to rebuild it properly).
I keep all parts in stock to rebuild, repair and upgrade the OEM Showa shocks. FYI!