2012, Non ES rear shock spring replacement

liquidsmile

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May 27, 2022
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54
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Georgia
Does anyone make a heavier rear spring for these? I know I can go with a full new rear shock but I am not really wanting to drop 12-1400 dollars on a new shock.

For reference I am 6 foot 5, weigh 250 and have full panniers and top case. Don’t plan on traveling 2 up but will have a duffle with approximately 25 pounds of clothing in it.

This will be a road bike 97.5 percent of the time. I am not setting up to off-road.

Thank you for any info or direction you can give.
 

RCinNC

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Aug 30, 2014
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I had Norwest Suspension rebuild a 2012 shock (for my 2014 S10) with loaded two up touring in mind. If I recall correctly the job was somewhere between $300-400. They put a heavier spring on it and reworked the valves. Did a real nice job. This was several years ago, so I don't know what it would cost now.
 

AusTexS10

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Jan 24, 2020
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Austin, TX
Race Tech sells springs and spacers for the rear shock on the Super Tenere. The link below allows you to specify your bike, use, and approximate weights to be carried. They also have four replacement shocks priced from $799 to $1,499 for your shopping entertainment, as well as lots of good technical information. It's interesting to note there are (at least) two schools of thought in re the Super Tenere rear shock. One school, and Race Tech is in this school, maintains the shock cannot be rebuilt while another group (evidently Norwest Suspension per RCinNC) believes otherwise; I personally have no idea:

 

RCinNC

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I brought up that "can't be rebuilt" thing with Norwest when I called them to get more information; they said that yes, they can rebuild them.
 

liquidsmile

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May 27, 2022
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54
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Georgia
Thank you for the replies. I happened to have a motorcycle suspension shop near me, Traxxion Dynamics, and I stopped by and talked to them today at lunch. After first talking to them they set me up with a deal to do the front forks and rear shock rebuilt to my specs for $799.99 which I thought was a a decent deal. Then the lead tech came back and said he had a note in the system about my bike that the rear shock can't be rebuilt. He said he couldn't remember why but if he had that note in the system it was there for a reason. I know Racetech on their website says it can't be rebuilt, which is probably why it is in his system that way.

What would be the huge disadvantage to put a stiffer spring that would accommodate a heavier rider via more preload and not rebuilding the rest of the shock? Would it not be worth doing the heavier spring anyway? I plan to ask the guy when he calls me back about this.

I plan on having them going ahead and doing the front regardless. The nose dive on this thing under hard breaking is pretty bad.
 

RCinNC

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I had a rear shock resprung (but not rebuilt) on my V-Strom years ago by Cogent Dynamics in North Carolina. It did make a difference as far as the weight the bike carried; some of those bumps I'd hit while riding two up on rutted gravel roads could be brutal, and the heavier weight spring seemed to make that one aspect better. However, I think for overall efficient performance, the rebuilt S10 shock was better. That could be the placebo effect in action. I'm not an aggressive rider though, so I'm almost never pushing a bike's suspension to it's full performance. An aggressive rider might derive a lot more benefit from a completely rebuilt shock (as opposed to a spring replacement) than someone like me would.

I think that, rather than just going by what you're being told by Traxxion Dynamics and Racetech, you should call Norwest and get it straight from the horse's mouth whether the shock can be rebuilt, and if they can rebuild it, what exactly is included in the rebuild. That way you'll have complete info from the source, rather than relying on second hand info from guys like me. Norwest has been around for a long time, and they have a good reputation, so if they say they can rebuilt the shock, I'm inclined to believe them.
 

liquidsmile

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May 27, 2022
Messages
54
Location
Georgia
I appreciate it. The guy called me back from Traxxion and talked me out of doing the increased spring rate on the rear without a rebuild. He offered me some options on a rear shock from a company called YSS. Unfortunately they are a month out once I order them. I asked him about getting rid of the nose dive on my bike and he said his rebuild on the front would take out some nose dive but nothing dramatic. I am leaving for my trip on the 14th so I don't have time to get it sorted before then. If I decide to keep the bike after my trip I will invest in a custom rear shock and the front shock rebuild with new valves this winter. I am going to go to my father in laws house to do some work on my bike this weekend and plan to play with the suspension set up on the bike some this weekend and see what I can do with the stock suspension.

Thank you again for the replies.

BTW, I emailed Norwest and I got a prompt response from a gentleman named Terry. He said as long as it is an non ES it is all good and he has rebuilt a ton of them. $370.00 plus shipping.
 
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