Rear Shocks. List the available Brands, models, and costs

[treybrad]

Aprilia tuono shock and 170mm ohlins spring!

I've been following y'all over there. For the $100 shock + $100 spring + spring compressor/install I'm saving ~$200 over the cheaper options (including the Hagon mentioned HERE).

But, then I'm left with a shock that can't be rebuilt again. Although, at that point I could just buy another $100 Tuono shock online and swap the spring for the cost of the rebuild.... decisions, decisions...

trey

 

[Antarius]

I've been following y'all over there. For the $100 shock + $100 spring + spring compressor/install I'm saving ~$200 over the cheaper options (including the Hagon mentioned HERE).

But, then I'm left with a shock that can't be rebuilt again. Although, at that point I could just buy another $100 Tuono shock online and swap the spring for the cost of the rebuild.... decisions, decisions...

trey

True. Just good to have options. My shock was $60-something and I had the spring compressor.

Personally, next time I'm going Ohlins to keep it simple -- but the money! Ouch!

 

[Deleted member 1183]

Basically, this is a budget commuter motorcycle, and a very good one at that. However fitting an Ohlins shock to a motorcycle of this type is to say the least a total waste of a piece of equipment par excellence. The NC neither has the chassis or the forks to do it justice. As such it is a total waste of money. There are plenty of low priced shocks on the market that will provide good suspension for the NC but at less than half the price of an Ohlins. Just some thoughts......

 

[L.B.S.]

Well hell. I *knew* I should have wasted my money on beer and comic books instead of my Nitron.

 

[Garnet]

Well hell. I *knew* I should have wasted my money on beer and comic books instead of my Nitron.

That's the old biker's quote: "Most of my money was spent on bikes and beer, the rest was just wasted."

 

[Fuzzy]

However fitting an Ohlins shock to a motorcycle of this type is to say the least a total waste of a piece of equipment par excellence. The NC neither has the chassis or the forks to do it justice. As such it is a total waste of money. ......

That is why I bought a Penske for same price. I am happy with it.

 

[Motorfret]

Basically, this is a budget commuter motorcycle, and a very good one at that. However fitting an Ohlins shock to a motorcycle of this type is to say the least a total waste of a piece of equipment par excellence. The NC neither has the chassis or the forks to do it justice. As such it is a total waste of money. There are plenty of low priced shocks on the market that will provide good suspension for the NC but at less than half the price of an Ohlins. Just some thoughts......

Right...

mine has new forksprings and shock from Hyperpro, together with a 25mm lift at the rear.
swapped bikes with another 750x driver, since he wanted to feel the difference, so i rode his standard bike.
believe me: both of us didn't like the standard bike anymore. BIG improvement.

 

[the4Dman]

As a new rider, I need to ask. how will I know when my shock is trashed?

obviously with only 3K on my odometer, and most of those being "learning miles" I wouldn't have ever thought about shock wear/maint.

I was baffled that I could wear out a tire in 3K, had them changed as a Christmas present from the wife (new set of PR4's, yea, I hadn't found this group yet, so I didn't keep them, didn't know about the problems).

but this thread and others in the forum have me understanding that OEM parts on my Awesome bike might not be so awesome as components.

I have been watchin/learning great things from this really tight community,

so I am askin for some more schoolin, lay it on me cats,what's the bag with the shocks?

1) How could I tell if the OEM shock is trash/Trashed? (or at least in need of some maint.)

2) what are the watchouts/risks of the condition? (I understand what it means to an auto)

3) what are the bennies of an upgrade?

4) is it a job that a fairly skilled mechanical engineer with a good set of tools and a slow, careful methodology could handle?


Thanks in advance for the Advice, I really am appreciating being part of this forum.

 

[ziggie]

Here is what happen with mine.I went for a short ride in December all was good.put it up for the winter,a few weeks later I seen an oil leak on the floor,traced it to the shock. I could move the bike back and forth,up and down with one hand watching it move and could tell the shock was empty and toast.no ryme or reason why it happened. It doesn't seem to hard to change out,but others who have done it could answer that better.I got the OEM replace at westeren Honda discount parts for half the price that the Honda web sight wanted.I'm sure others who have done the job can help out more since I'm only telling my experience with where I'm at so far.mine has 7,168 miles on the clock when it happend.

 

[L.B.S.]

As a new rider, I need to ask. how will I know when my shock is trashed?

obviously with only 3K on my odometer, and most of those being "learning miles" I wouldn't have ever thought about shock wear/maint.

I was baffled that I could wear out a tire in 3K, had them changed as a Christmas present from the wife (new set of PR4's, yea, I hadn't found this group yet, so I didn't keep them, didn't know about the problems).

but this thread and others in the forum have me understanding that OEM parts on my Awesome bike might not be so awesome as components.

I have been watchin/learning great things from this really tight community,

so I am askin for some more schoolin, lay it on me cats,what's the bag with the shocks?

1) How could I tell if the OEM shock is trash/Trashed? (or at least in need of some maint.)

2) what are the watchouts/risks of the condition? (I understand what it means to an auto)

3) what are the bennies of an upgrade?

4) is it a job that a fairly skilled mechanical engineer with a good set of tools and a slow, careful methodology could handle?


Thanks in advance for the Advice, I really am appreciating being part of this forum.

Barring a physical and apparent problem like a leak of the oil inside or a broken part, or you don't really ever carry passengers or load your bike up with luggage, you very well could ride the bike for as long as you own it, and never know there was any "need" to change the shock.

Some people are more particular than others when it comes to handling or perceived benefits. Much like mufflers and exhaust systems. Some leave them and are perfectly happy, some change them and are so glad they did, gaining the satisfaction of a bike that is now better tailored to their personal taste.


Honestly for me, I spent a huge whack of money on my rear shock, and day to day normal schlepping about in the city, slower riding and so on, I don't notice as much an improvement as the amount of money should suggest.

*But* Where I do notice a drastic improvement, is in the circumstances where I found the stock shock to be unsuitable for the conditions that I have the most fun with; off road, and on washboard gravel logging roads, packed up with heavy luggage and camping gear, etc.

The OEM shock can get a bit overwhelmed if there is more weight carried than the norm, or the conditions ridden in are out of the usual intended scope for the bike's design intent. ie: faster riding on bumpy roads, washboard gravel, creek beds, trails with drop offs and tree roots, etc., etc.

A big benefit of a lot of aftermarket shocks, is that you can adjust them easier, and/or have a greater range of adjustment, than the stock shock.

With just me and no luggage, my bike sits higher, and is fine. But when I load up with my metal panniers, top box, camping gear, tools, assorted sundries for a trip, the bike sinks down low enough to the point where the side stand doesn't hold it up at the proper angle, and all my ground clearance is lost. The handling is now all wonky, because the nose of the bike is pointing up and light, making the bike feel all loose and twitchy at the front wheel.

Because I have such easy access to adjusting the preload now, I can simply crank the shock back up to a preferred greater ride height, and get the handling geometry back to a more suitable stance. Having the bike not fall over because the side stand is back at the proper angle, is a rather pleasing reward as well, lol

Additionally, with the better aftermarket shocks, you can rebuild them when they start to lose performance over time. Similar to the oil in your engine, same with shocks and forks, it's not meant to last forever. The damping eventually gets degraded and is in need of fresh stuff, and seals wear, pressurized systems can slowly leak or not hold up for very long, and so on.

Changing a rear shock is one of the simplest tasks you are ever going to run into on a bike. The only difficulty is choosing the right one for your riding style and conditions, and getting the set up correct with all the little details that often get ignored or glossed over.

 

[Chestnut]

As a new rider, I need to ask. how will I know when my shock is trashed?

obviously with only 3K on my odometer, and most of those being "learning miles" I wouldn't have ever thought about shock wear/maint.

I was baffled that I could wear out a tire in 3K, had them changed as a Christmas present from the wife (new set of PR4's, yea, I hadn't found this group yet, so I didn't keep them, didn't know about the problems).

but this thread and others in the forum have me understanding that OEM parts on my Awesome bike might not be so awesome as components.

I have been watchin/learning great things from this really tight community,

so I am askin for some more schoolin, lay it on me cats,what's the bag with the shocks?

1) How could I tell if the OEM shock is trash/Trashed? (or at least in need of some maint.)

2) what are the watchouts/risks of the condition? (I understand what it means to an auto)

3) what are the bennies of an upgrade?

4) is it a job that a fairly skilled mechanical engineer with a good set of tools and a slow, careful methodology could handle?


Thanks in advance for the Advice, I really am appreciating being part of this forum.

I knew my shock was trashed by the way it felt. There will be a handling change, gradual unless you blow a seal like ziggie. You'll notice the bike sags and bumps become more noticeable.
A 37 week pregnant dog groomer can replace the shock with a little muscle assistance from her men folk, I think you'd do just fine.

 

[the4Dman]

thanks for the advice, I'll keep my eyes on it, see how it does.

I think my next expenditure will be bags and boxes to carry with.

as George Carlin said, I't all about your stuff, Gotta have a place for your stuff......


once I do that, then I'll probably need to re-visit the subject.

thx again

 

[the4Dman]

I knew my shock was trashed by the way it felt. There will be a handling change, gradual unless you blow a seal like ziggie. You'll notice the bike sags and bumps become more noticeable.
A 37 week pregnant dog groomer can replace the shock with a little muscle assistance from her men folk, I think you'd do just fine.

thanks that's comforting to know and my next door neighbor at my weekend place is a senior mechanic at a Honda/Yamaha/KTM dealership, so I think if I run into any difficulties I also have his advice/assistance to fall back on.

 

[Vnc]

Ziggie said it best for when the shock fails abruptly.

For me, the decision to change was much tougher. My stock shock with just over a thousand miles on it was/is in perfect condition when I changed it. I needed a stronger spring due to my rider and luggage weight being close to 300 lbs. My commute to work is roughly 50 miles with rough roads and potholes everywhere. During my commute, the ride was very nice for about 45 minutes. Every time, after 45 minutes, the bike would become abrupt and jouncy. I'm pretty sure the reason for this is that the extra weight made the shock work through its travel much more than usual and the extra heat built up had nowhere to go after 45 minutes.

So... rather than just change the spring and hope. I went ahead and got a shock with a reservoir (Nitron Track). Shocks with external reservoirs separate the oil from the gas to minimize bubbles and handle more heat. The reservoir gives the heat an additional place to go and be dissipated.

Perhaps, had I just changed the spring, the stock shock may not have worked so hard and I'd be done with it. I admit that the bike worked perfectly with my weight for the first 45 minutes of every ride. Honda really did a good job sorting out the handling for a variety of riders and weights, but, in my extreme case, I needed just a little extra.

To change your own shock is simple. Buy a Honda center-stand (you'll want one eventually) and put it on. Removal and replacement of the shock is then extremely easy. The manual tells you to remove a bunch of stuff, but I think sometimes the manual writers are drinking too much saki.

 

[ziggie]

Just looking at the manual.it looks like a few bolts for the linkage and one for the shock,so I would say looks easy enough.will find out soon

 

[Deleted member 1183]

Basically, this is a budget commuter motorcycle, and a very good one at that. However fitting an Ohlins shock to a motorcycle of this type is to say the least a total waste of a piece of equipment par excellence. The NC neither has the chassis or the forks to do it justice. As such it is a total waste of money. There are plenty of low priced shocks on the market that will provide good suspension for the NC but at less than half the price of an Ohlins. Just some thoughts......

Well, here I am, eating words. A moment to be savoured by y'all.

I am very close to purchasing a Wilbers 641. I also mentioned this elsewhere on the forum recently.

Why did I change my mind ? Well, I recently put a 641 on my Triumph, and it has made a very significant difference to the comfort of that motorcycle. Again, my reason for taking this action on the NC is comfort for a bad back on rough backroads. I also plan to keep the NC for a long time, but as it is the most used motorcycle I own, I need it to be more cushy on the roads that I most frequent. On the Triumph I can now stay seated for much of the time on these roads. On the NC I either have to stand on the pegs or come home with my back wrecked. So,my original comments are trashed. Hopefully I will not live to regret the expenditure on the NC.

 

[DirtFlier]

[..Shocks with external reservoirs separate the oil from the gas....The reservoir gives the heat an additional place to go and be dissipated...]

Shocks without reservoirs also separate the oil from the gas. Although you'd think the volume of the reservoir would provide space for a lot more oil to prevent overheating, but most of the volume is taken up by a rubber bladder. And there would be more heat transfer if the oil flow had separate in-&-out tracks to/from the reservoir but all it does is move back-&-forth a tiny amount, all in the same hose or through an orifice in the casting for shocks with integrated reservoirs. There is very little circulation of oil from the hose & reservoir to the shock body.

 

[JDE]

Well, here I am, eating words. A moment to be savoured by y'all.

I am very close to purchasing a Wilbers 641. I also mentioned this elsewhere on the forum recently.

Why did I change my mind ? Well, I recently put a 641 on my Triumph, and it has made a very significant difference to the comfort of that motorcycle. Again, my reason for taking this action on the NC is comfort for a bad back on rough backroads. I also plan to keep the NC for a long time, but as it is the most used motorcycle I own, I need it to be more cushy on the roads that I most frequent. On the Triumph I can now stay seated for much of the time on these roads. On the NC I either have to stand on the pegs or come home with my back wrecked. So,my original comments are trashed. Hopefully I will not live to regret the expenditure on the NC.

I just put a deposit down on a 641 too.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted member 1183]

I just put a deposit down on a 641 too.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Excellent ! We can compare notes then. If my Triumph is anything to go by then it will certainly make a positive difference.

 

[Deleted member 1183]

I asked the local Wilbers agent to send me on a copy of the fitting instructions for the 641 to the NC. He advised that there is no specific set of instructions pertaining to this bike. Obviously there are standard instructions such as no sharp bends in cables etc etc. However he sent me on a set of shots of a bike with one fitted to it. I think the preload adjuster is a bit vulnerable and I would expect to have some fun finding a new home for it. I think the canister is located in the only available position without compromising its cable. The shot under the chassis is too dark unfortunately.