Shock upgrades and compatible swaps

[1moreroad]

1 hour ago, lospsi said:

 

I've just realised though that the preload ring on most of the shocks might be unreachable when the shock is fitted, as it is always on the top of the shock body.

It's reachable but awkward. I can make about 1/8 turn at a time. View from the rear tire. If I sit behind the bike, I can alternately work the wrench from the left and right. 

[betoney]

2 hours ago, lospsi said:

I've been searching for various suspension  updates on my bike but for the rear shock I had decided to go for a low end aftermarket unit (Wilbers, Ohlins etc.) without hydraulic preload. I don't ride with passenger so I only need to set sag once.

I've just realised though that the preload ring on most of the shocks might be unreachable when the shock is fitted, as it is always on the top of the shock body.

Well, that's a problem....

Buy a shock with preload adjuster on the bottom... having it inaccessible on the top would be a no-go for me.

[lospsi]

10 hours ago, betoney said:

Buy a shock with preload adjuster on the bottom... having it inaccessible on the top would be a no-go for me.

Yes, I agree that it's a problem but to pay extra money for a one-time adjustment is a bit to much for me. I could well buy the better version of any shock with compression and rebound.

That said, I haven't seen any shock to have the preload on the bottom. Ohlins has rings at the bottom but there's too little room to adjust.

[Yamaha Will]

16' FJ. Has anyone had any trouble getting the lower shock hardware exposed enough above the swingarm to remove the OEM shock? Of note, I'm using the method of disconnect the top, keep rear elevated until you can reach the rear hardware. Or at least trying to. Mine will not come up far enough and its looking like I need to remove the exhaust so I can disconnect the arms. Just surprised that so many others have done it, and mine will not seem to work. Seems like the top of the shock is physically reaching it limit of travel when I lift the rear wheel.

[betoney]

10 minutes ago, Yamaha Will said:

16' FJ. Has anyone had any trouble getting the lower shock hardware exposed enough above the swingarm to remove the OEM shock? Of note, I'm using the method of disconnect the top, keep rear elevated until you can reach the rear hardware. Or at least trying to. Mine will not come up far enough and its looking like I need to remove the exhaust so I can disconnect the arms. Just surprised that so many others have done it, and mine will not seem to work. Seems like the top of the shock is physically reaching it limit of travel when I lift the rear wheel.

Tip on shock removal; remove the wheel first (having the wheel out of the way gives you unrestricted access) and then remove the bottom bolt on the dogbone.  While everything is removed is a perfect time to clean and lube the much neglected swingarm bearings, VERY easy process once you are this far disassembled.

[Yamaha Will]

10 minutes ago, betoney said:

Tip on shock removal; remove the wheel first (having the wheel out of the way gives you unrestricted access) and then remove the bottom bolt on the dogbone.  While everything is removed is a perfect time to clean and lube the much neglected swingarm bearings, VERY easy process once you are this far disassembled.

I'll try this prior to the removal of the exhaust for sure, thank you!

[bwringer]

Been a while since any real info has been posted in this thread, but I'm hoping to resurrect this thread a little to see if there's any 2022 news in the FJ-09/Tracer shock world.

For example, I know many suppliers have gone in and out of business in the last few years. Who's left, and what do they sell?

There are a lot of dead ends out there.

 

Obviously, Cogent Dynamics is a site sponsor, and of course they build fantastic shocks, and it even looks like they're still in business. So there's one.

 

Who else is out there, in the US and other places?

 

 

For example, my bike was wearing a nice JRI shock when I bought it, but they no longer sold or serviced this shock. I had it serviced by Pete at Computrack Boston, but... now he's getting out of the suspension biz and has sold everything to another company that does not yet have their suspension servicing up and running. Lots of such stories out there, cold trails, dead websites, vague or outdated info...

[betoney]

You still have the big players like Ohlins, Penske, K-Tech, Nitron, YSS, Wilbers, Maxton, Bitubo etc for ordering a shock.  As far as places that service suspension, if there is nothing local you might need to mail it to a service center in a different state. 
if you have a track or place that hosts track days near you, they usually have a representative that handles suspension on site, if nothing else they can answer questions or get you info. 

[bwringer]

Funny you should mention that... I'm located in Indianapolis, which is absolutely crawling with shops that cater to all kinds of motorsports. There are of course tons of Indycar and Nascar teams based here, as well as lots of the biggest names in drag racing, and there are also plenty of other racing teams, services, and suppliers of all kinds catering to many kinds of racing that have clustered here. I live close to Georgetown Road, an almost literal stone's throw from several big name team HQs and shops.

However, it can be extraordinarily difficult for ordinary mortals to get access to these suppliers or even get their attention. It's kind of a weird situation; anyone in the suspension biz around here has a massive backlog of work, a locked door, no website, and won't pick up the phone unless the caller ID says "Andretti". Same for machine shops, fabricators, etc. I've always had to send stuff to shops in other states.

FWIW, there are exceptions... There's a shop down in Gasoline Alley called Earl's Indy that's a great supplier for all kinds of bits and bobs, although they don't do suspensions. I've had them fabricate motorcycle brake lines before, and they did a phenomenal job for far less than most other options. 

There's also a supplier in Westfield (northern suburb of Indy) called "Metric Seals, Inc." that is exactly what it says on the label (plus metric o-rings), and although they focus on larger businesses, they're happy to sell onsie-twosies to ordinary slobs with interesting old motorcycles.

There's a track called Putnam Park west of Indy that has a lot of motorcycle track days. I might try to check with that community of riders and see what local suspension shoppes, if any, are willing to stoop to speaking with the unwashed rabble.

Edited September 29, 2022 by bwringer

[Madicalmichaell]

Hey Guys, I am looking for some info on the ZX-10 Shock as well as the ZX-6 rear shock replacement.

I have looked through this thread to see if i could get some additional info on fitment but to no avail.

im not really looking to spend four figures for damn suspension and have seen some posts noting those two options as cheaper.

I weigh 155lbs, 165lb with gear, no bags or luggage ever and ride extremely hard wherever i go.

If anyone has any info on the conversion would be greatly appreciated.

[betoney]

12 hours ago, Madicalmichaell said:

 

im not really looking to spend four figures for damn suspension 

 

I weigh 155lbs, 165lb with gear, no bags or luggage ever and ride extremely hard wherever I go  

I know nothing of the shocks you mentioned but from the 2 sentences you wrote, a good quality shock set up for you is worth it’s weight in gold, regardless of price. 
Nobody wants to spend a grand in a shock but once you do, your riding experience will forever be changed.  
Suspension (which is something I budget for on EVERY bike I own) is something I never regret spending money on.  It makes the ride better in every way. 

[texscottyd]

13 hours ago, Madicalmichaell said:

…and ride extremely hard wherever i go.

Honestly, that’s EXACTLY the use case to justify spending the money on top-shelf suspension for the FJ/Tracer.   

Similar to @betoney, I’ll invest in quality suspension on every bike I own.  And hands-down, my FJ wins the ‘most transformed by suspension upgrades’ award.   If your riding style highlights how marginal the stock stuff is, you're the type that should invest in doing it right.  The newer Tracers are better than the early FJs, but still have lots of room for improvement.   I went Ohlins/RaceTech, but any good quality aftermarket option will be a great investment.   

[Yamajank]

I don’t know if it’s my weight (150) but I’ve found the stock shock on my 19 tracer gt to work very well for what I do.  When not using the side cases I can have all the preload out and it sits in a good spot.  Then with full side cases I can put about 3/4 in and keep it in a good spot.  But from the beginning I’ve heard that the shock is not serviceable.  I can’t seem to confirm this anywhere.  It looks like the OEM shock costs about $750. Ohlins with remote res, $1150.  I don’t mind spending extra but I don’t want to have to change out the forks if that would get things out of “balance”.  I’d be happy getting my original shock serviced.  It’s has the original oil and I’m getting to where I’m at two more clicks of rebound before it’s done.

[Ride365]

Front springs are cheap, and yes you'll "likely" want to do them and of course new fluid if you swap the rear out. Yeah at that weight you are good, but suspension being properly dialed in for the rider is very noticeable. 

[Yamajank]

On 3/17/2024 at 10:27 PM, Yamajank said: But from the beginning I’ve heard that the shock is not serviceable.  I can’t seem to confirm this anywhere.  

Shock serviceable or not?