Need to change standard SHOCK

jrusell

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I don't know where BWC got his shock but since you are in Ontario I would highly recommend Accelerated Technologies in Buckhorn, just north of Peterborough.
I have dealt with John Sharrard many times over the past years and he is a highly respected suspension tuner. He sells Ohlins , Penske, Wilbers, Stadium, Elka, hyperpro, Traxxion, Ktech , so I am sure he could source something to fit your needs.
He usually has a setup at the Motorcycle super show which I think is Jan4-6th this year. Good chance to have a chat and see what he can offer.
https://acceleratedtechnologies.ca
 

BWC

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BWC
Could you tell me where you bought the shock?
Purchased from Jaxon at rideonadv in the US, a vendor on this forum. Good price and prompt delivery but with our Canadian peso at a lower exchange rate now as suggested having a look at what’s available locally might be the way to go. It’s also nice to find a local dealer that can sell you a rear shock and are able to help with the initial set up and future servicing.
Might also want to have a look at the option of having the OEM shock revalved and resprung. This option wasn’t available back when I bought mine but it now sounds like it’s a good alternative at a better price.
 

Tenman

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Wilbers is another to take a look at. I've been very happy with their products on other bikes. Currently running a Touratech on the S10.
Why didn't you put a Wilber's on your s10? I need a shock. Where did you buy your Wilbers?
 

EricV

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I used to live 2 miles from a fantastic suspension shop that sold Wilbers and serviced anything. They closed, I moved and time passed. I put 160k on the FJR, 120k of that with the Wilbers, but by the time I needed a new shock for the Super Ten, (100k miles with two stock shocks), options locally were nil and there wasn't a good local shop to talk to about Wilbers any more.

I almost bought Ohlins, but after spending some time talking to Ted Porter I decided to spend just a little more and go with what seemed to be a much better shock with a better quality pre-load adjuster. In reality, anything would have probably been just fine for me. I'm not a princess and the pea guy that adjusts suspension all the time to perfectly meet that ride's needs, I just dial it in and leave it alone.

Ted Porter sells Wilbers too and is the US rep. LINK Direct to offerings for the Gen II S10 - LINK I had a 640. Most people get a 640 or 641 depending on how much they want to fuss with their settings. I'm sure there are other Wilbers sellers in the US.
Klaus Huenecke at EPM Wilbers has been doing this for decades and is very helpful too.

Wilbers shocks are a quality emulsion style shock that is custom built for your weight and riding. You can add remote hydraulic pre-load adjustment to the 640, (strongly recommended), as well as ride height adjustment and pick the color of your spring. There are a lot of quality options with similar features that are basically all emulsion shocks and excellent for 80% of the riders out there. Like Ohlins, Touratech and others, Wilbers will all be ordered from one supplier, regardless of what shop you deal with to purchase it. A good shop helps with getting the info right for you and your bike to make it work optimally. Many can offer lowering or raising with the shock build too. Best to do matching springs in the forks at the same time if you're going that route.
 

Tenman

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Sold me on it. Do you get commission? I'm a set it and forget it guy myself. I looked on the wilbers site and it said remote preload not available. hmm.
 

EricV

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Sold me on it. Do you get commission? I'm a set it and forget it guy myself. I looked on the wilbers site and it said remote preload not available. hmm.
Under "spring preload" you select either hook wrench or hydraulic preload adj.
 

Tenman

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I sent Wilbers Beemer shop an email. This is what Ted Porter had to say. I'm far from a suspension pro. But I have worn out and blown quite a few. Any thoughts?


"Yes the Wilbers is available at $838.00 with hydraulic preload adjust. Keep in mind this is a lift duty steel tube emulsion shock and is suitable for street use but only very limited off pavement riding.

Regarding the fork springs, keep in mind all forks are progressive, that's how they work. As the fork compresses the air chamber pressure increases and you have a progressive resistance to compression, The progressive fork springs are designed to assist this natural tendency in the fork. For track or sport bikes we use linear springs but that is for a different reason. It's pretty obvious that there are no high speed compression events on the track because the surface is smooth, and track bikes have limited suspension travel to reduce chassis movement. Riding on rough roads or gravel roads on a long travel adventure bike is a different story and progressive fork springs work very well in that environment.

If you take the Wilbers off road, especially with a load, we have seen them break. They have a small 14mm piston rod. The other brands we sell for adventure bikes have 16mm rods and they don't break. Wilbers 640's are also just simple emulsion designs and they can overheat and leak if off pavement for an extended period of time. We know this because they are sent to us when this happens. A gravel road for a limited distance is fine, but ride gravel roads for several miles and that 640 model Wilbers will overheat and lose damping. It will literally burn the oil. We can tell they've been overheated when we take them apart because the oil is burnt. There is no separation piston in the 640 Wilbers to keep the gas out of the oil and it will foam when it gets hot. It is also a steel tube shock so it doesn't shed heat as well as a 6082 aluminum cylinder. It's not a real adventure bike shock by today's standards, but it will be an improvement from stock. We have other brands which have internal separation pistons in 6082 aluminum tubes which are a better choice for adventure bikes.

As long as you understand all of this then I've done my job. You will not get this level of technical knowledge and experience on a forum. Those guys haven't been solving suspension problems, repairing broken shocks or doing suspension warranty support for a living over the last forty years. They probably don't have suspension training certificates from five suspension companies either."

Let me know if you have any questions or if you'd like to get that Wilbers on order.
 
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EricV

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Fair warning, I like Ted a lot. I've met him and spent some time talking to him at events in the past. He's really honest, and really passionate about suspension. Ted Porter is a really, really knowledgeable guy with a ton of direct experience. Everything he said is true. But, keep in mind how you ride, and that he's really serious about you having the very best set up for your bike. Problem is, a lot of us really don't need the very best, just good enough. As he said, the 640 "will be an improvement from stock". So most of what he's said about the 640 is also true of the OEM shock. The difference is that you're getting a re-buildable shock that is an improvement over the stock shock.

I spent $3k on a Touratech shock and Ohlins 30mm fork kit. Is it better than stock? I guess so, but honestly it's just better than my worn out stuff that I had before, not OMG better. (And I don't ride in ways that I would notice OMG better if I had it!) I've had custom suspension on my bikes before and yes, it's better. I didn't re-build it as often as every shop told me I should have, probably only about every 50k miles. But it was hugely better than worn out stock stuff even when it was over due for a re-build.

So ask yourself how much you want to spend? And how much off road you really do. Sure, ride a lot of gravel roads, at speed, and what Ted said will happen to the shock will happen to the shock. But, do you ride gravel roads fast and hard? Or at a more scenic pace? I seriously doubt my pace on gravel roads is stressing any shock much. :D I'm not racing, just riding.

I'm not saying don't get a better shock that Ted recommends. I am saying, temper your choice with what's reality for your riding and your budget. Look at Penski too. There are a lot of good reports about that brand too. Only a small amount of high end shocks fall into the parameters that Ted is talking about when you move away from standard "emulsion shocks". That pretty much describes 90% of all shocks.

Ask Ted what he would recommend in a shock with internal separation pistons in a 6082 aluminum tube and see where that pricing compares and if it's realistic for your budget. It's probably going to be in the $1200+ range. My first custom shock, (on my FJR), I had a hard time swallowing the $600 price, so I skipped the forks, just changing the oil. 40k later when I had the shock re-built, I did the fork springs and cartridges then, as I was able to afford to spend more money at that time.

Try to do the best for your needs, within your budget, but don't get too sucked into buying the very best if you don't really think your riding requires the very best. Just the opinion of some forum guy with no where near the experience of Ted Porter. :)
 

Tenman

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I sent Klaus an email and ask if he rebuilds stock shocks. He replied "as long as it isn't welded shut". I don't need a $1200 shock.
 

EricV

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Unfortunately, the stock shock is welded shut. :confused:
 
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