Rear Shock Spring

[snakebitten]

I did a search. The only thread I found was one discussing the color of the rear shock spring and how it is merely a fashion statement by Yamaha.

When I decided to revive that thread, on a more serious note, the automated forum advice message was to "consider starting a new thread"

I am choosing to be obedient. This time at least.

So, I have 12,000 miles on her and it turns out I am spending MOST of my adventure miles 2-up and loaded for camping and such. (No itinerary weekends have become a game for us. Fun as heck too)

Anyways, since I am often at MAX load, and admittedly a bit over since I am a such a lard as^%$, I am also constantly maxed out on pre-load on the rear spring. Even at max pre-load, those with sensitive night vision flash me at night. In an effort to address the headlight aiming with the rear suspension, instead of actually adjusting the headlights themselves per load factor, I think I should get a stiffer rear spring. It would be really nice if the pre-load for ~450lbs of cargo would be properly set when it is somewhere near the middle of the adjustment range. Does that make sense? (And since I am 250lbs and NOT planning to cut back on apple pie, I will never need the soft side of the sag settings of the OEM spring anyways.

So does anyone know a good source for the proper kit? Keep in mind that I am NOT complaining about the handling and therefore that is not my primary incentive here. I find the rear shock set at max pre-load to "feel" pretty good actually. Maybe a bit low in the rear, but the dampening is not way off for my tastes.

Thanks for any advice guys.

Cheers
Bruce

 

[Firefight911]

Bruce,

Got you covered here!!!!

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=3495.msg61981#msg61981

The Yamaha spring is 8.39" free length. There are no off the shelf springs for us, HOWEVER, an SAE spring 8"x2.25" fits perfectly when fitted in conjunction with a spacer.

Between TigerOne and myself we have come up with this spacer so you can now plug and play a more appropriate spring to the rear to get the proper rate in there. I have now also gotten involved with our very own Tabasco at RideOnAdv and he now has the correct dimensions and has already produced a properly machined 6061 aluminum spacer for this very use. Get in touch with Jaxon and he will be able to handle everything for you so that all you will need to do is remove your shock and R&R the spring. Be advised - there is an enormous amount of potential energy in spring/shock assemblies. Do not jury rig something to do the work. If you don't have the right tools go to your local shop and have them do the swap for you. You do not want to get caught out with a spring that suddenly lives up to its "potential."

The stock rate spring is a 750in/lb. For you and your weight I would go with a 900in/lb to start.

Final notice - I have nothing invested financially in this except that which I spent on my own accord to have this availability for myself. I don't get paid for sales, I don't get commissions for anything. I just know that Jaxon is a very good business owner who knows how to conduct himself, is very knowledgeable about his customer, and puts out art work for product. You should see the beautiful work he and his machinist created with this spacer!!

 

[snakebitten]

Thanks Firefight!

I shoulda known Jaxon was the source. I have PayPal-ed him more than a few times!

Great advice in that post too. Although I have the macho gene and have no fear of setting that yellow spring free myself, I also am enjoying acting like a snob and have my own personal Yamaha EXPERT handle many of these things. (I walk around the dealership sippin coffee and feeling pampered)

Thanks again for taking the time.

Curious about one thing though.............
I have read many of your posts concerning suspension upgrades on the S10. You have tons of credibility with me on this subject. But I am curious what calculation you made to come up with your suggestion of 900in/lb. Why not 1000!

Hey Jaxon....Here I come again. :

Bruce,

Got you covered here!!!!

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=3495.msg61981#msg61981

The Yamaha spring is 8.39" free length. There are no off the shelf springs for us, HOWEVER, an SAE spring 8"x2.25" fits perfectly when fitted in conjunction with a spacer.

Between TigerOne and myself we have come up with this spacer so you can now plug and play a more appropriate spring to the rear to get the proper rate in there. I have now also gotten involved with our very own Tabasco at RideOnAdv and he now has the correct dimensions and has already produced a properly machined 6061 aluminum spacer for this very use. Get in touch with Jaxon and he will be able to handle everything for you so that all you will need to do is remove your shock and R&R the spring. Be advised - there is an enormous amount of potential energy in spring/shock assemblies. Do not jury rig something to do the work. If you don't have the right tools go to your local shop and have them do the swap for you. You do not want to get caught out with a spring that suddenly lives up to its "potential."

The stock rate spring is a 750in/lb. For you and your weight I would go with a 900in/lb to start.

Final notice - I have nothing invested financially in this except that which I spent on my own accord to have this availability for myself. I don't get paid for sales, I don't get commissions for anything. I just know that Jaxon is a very good business owner who knows how to conduct himself, is very knowledgeable about his customer, and puts out art work for product. You should see the beautiful work he and his machinist created with this spacer!!

 

[Firefight911]

Curious about one thing though.............
I have read many of your posts concerning suspension upgrades on the S10. You have tons of credibility with me on this subject. But I am curious what calculation you made to come up with your suggestion of 900in/lb. Why not 1000!

Hey Jaxon....Here I come again. :

I would love to say that I came up with, or used, some awesome high math calculation to come up with this for you. Alas, I went old school and extrapolated from my own needs and what TigerOne did. I need an 851 (approx.) and Tiger went with an 800. He is around 185-190 IIRC and I am 215. Your being 250 puts you in the area of a 900. Also, in my highly technical approach to things (snicker), I used my experience with doing these things on our Tenere and with bikes since long gone to always err soft on the way up to my goal versus stiff. That was a major undoing for me one year after my race bike came back from the high banks of Daytona where a much stiffer set up was used due to the forces encountered on that track and its unique needs versus the needs of Willow Springs. I left it too stiff and ended up doing some significant soil sampling off the track at about a buck twenty-five. For me a stiffer set up gives less feedback up to the point of traction loss compared to a softer set up that I have a better ability to feel as it approaches traction limits.

Yes, there is a possibility you may need more than a 900. I doubt (my opinion) you will need a 1000 but once you have it in, go through the objective part of set up, and see where you end up with your preload, you will know. You may have the ability to exchange springs for nothing more than shipping costs depending on your source?

And, of course, realize that once you get the rear where it needs to be you will have changed the geometry of the bike, added weight to the front, and potentially exacerbated the front end issues of the springs. This may not impact you as much as it does me based on your weight, desires, etc. due to the fact that the front springs dual rate from .88 to 1.22kg/mm. 1.22kg/mm is a pretty close match to what you may put in there for a linear rate anyway. (Hmmm, I wnet to Race tech and they have removed the rate calculator from the Tenere offering so I can't use that anymore.)

Hope this helps??

 

[snakebitten]

You are an amazing communicator.

I shall try the 900. Keep in mind that it will be far less about science, or the art of traction, than it will be about being able to reduce the sag enough to get proper headlight direction under maximum load.

To be specific, I shall mark my lowbeam cuttoff on a wall from a specific distance. This mark will be done with the smallest payload I normally ride with. (that would be just me and semi filled Happy Trail panniers. And with the OEM spring set to a proper sag)

With the 900, I will simply see if I can match that cuttoff mark with MAXIMUM payload and pre-load cranked to , hopefully, less than max.

Currently, I can't match the cuttoff line loaded. Regardless of maximum pre-load.

If the 900 also transfer a bit of weight to the front forks, thus adding a small amount of additional sag there, I suspect that will actually help me reach my target. As long as additional front end sag is minimal.

I promise to report my unscientific findings. 8)

 

[Z06]

BTW Ebay was the best price I found with shipping for the 900# spring.

 

[snakebitten]

Just re-read all the posts and I think I might be misunderstanding your Jaxon suggestion.

So Jaxon already knows the exact spacer need........I get that. Are you also saying he sources the spring?
(I realize I can just ask him. But he is such a nice guy he will likely agree to something he never intended before. I don't want to impose)

Jaxon obviously is good for more than his website references.

 

[3putt]

Thanks for all the info firefight, nothing to add here. I would guess that Jaxon can make the spacers, but you may need to source the spring. RaceTech has them, and I got mine from http://www.tntperformance.net/8-Long-225-Inside-Diameter-Hypercoil-HCSP8A.htm

 

[gaps]

I'm bringing this one back from the dead...I'm wondering if this spacer will fit my NON ES 2014 and what folks think of a 900LB spring with the stock damper. I'm planning to ride 2 up and the oem boinger is a bit feeble..SNAKEBITTEN, are you happy these years later with the suspension mod described here?

 

[Bushyar15]

I believe the non-ES shock is the same for all years. So the spacer should work. Call Tabasco to confirm.

I'm 225 nekked. With all my riding gear I'm probably 250. With the OEM panniers and some really basic stuff in them, maybe another 15lbs, the after-market 850lb spring is barely enough at near-max setting. If I had to do it over, I'd go with the next heavier spring 900 (if they make it).

I'm bringing this one back from the dead...I'm wondering if this spacer will fit my NON ES 2014 and what folks think of a 900LB spring with the stock damper. I'm planning to ride 2 up and the oem boinger is a bit feeble..SNAKEBITTEN, are you happy these years later with the suspension mod described here?

 

[snakebitten]

I'm bringing this one back from the dead...I'm wondering if this spacer will fit my NON ES 2014 and what folks think of a 900LB spring with the stock damper. I'm planning to ride 2 up and the oem boinger is a bit feeble..SNAKEBITTEN, are you happy these years later with the suspension mod described here?

Never did the mod gaps. :

In fact, the consideration to address the weakness of the rear shock, led to a complete overhaul of both the front and rear suspension on my 2012 Tenere.
I just got real honest with myself and knew I would never be happy with the capabilities of the rear shock, OR the horrible high-speed damping and dual rate springs on the forks.
It was riding Off-Road in Big Bend that had the biggest influence on me. If I REALLY was intending to ride the bike, in the future, the way I rode it in Big Bend, I wanted the suspension to live up to the amazing rest of the bike.

Thus the beginning of the Ohlins saga. A saga that played out on this forum about 3 years ago.
No need to fire all that stuff up again, but suffice it to say, if I had stayed on tarmac, I might have done things a little different. But not much, I tell you. Because I still would have needed to address the rear shock not living up to the wide spread of loads I required. (From stripped naked with just me and my riding gear, to pack mule status 2-up and riding for weeks)

Regardless, I threw $'s at the bike. And I feel I got the best that I could find for this Beast. And I am very satisfied in doing so. I have USED this suspension, I promise. in fact, just yesterday my shock and forks were returned from Ohlins USA after getting freshened up. (I had them do a little tweaking too)

Having said ALL that....lol, my advice to almost anyone who asks, (most folks by now have learned NOT to) if you are going to KEEP this bike and RIDE this bike as an ADV bike, buy a rear shock. And if you do THAT, then it would be a crying shame if you don't have your forks re-sprung and re-valved, as well.
You do not have to buy the most expensive solution out there. In fact, now there is some history built up and there are alternatives that used to not exist. But either do BOTH, or live with the OEM suspension.

After-all, no matter how picky we are nowadays, these suspensions are all light-years ahead of what I grew up on. ::013::

 

[racer1735]

I have taken a slightly different tact on this matter...sent my OEM shock to Rick at Cogent Dynamics. He's basically taken a non-serviceable shock and upgraded it by adding a new spring, revising the shim stack and made it serviceable. I'm awaiting return on the unit (he called yesterday to finalize what modifications had been made) and will give a review once ts back on the bike and ridden a few hundred miles. Like the OP, I knew I needed to address the shock but I also had to do so within my budget. Wilburs, Nitron, were options, but I also need the remote preload knob, and at around $250, that put things out of my price range. Cogent Dynamics offers another cost-affordable alternative.

 

[snakebitten]

That is great news! And is yet another option that didn't exist for us early adopters.

Rick has done amazing things for lots of folks in the past. I'm betting this is a GOOD thing!

 

[racer1735]

I'm looking forward to getting the shock installed an riding again. To Rick's credit, he has emailed and called me throughout the process to double-check what my issues were with the OEM shock, as well as discuss what mods he believes I should be making with the shock. Very hands-on.

 

[greg the pole]

I have taken a slightly different tact on this matter...sent my OEM shock to Rick at Cogent Dynamics. He's basically taken a non-serviceable shock and upgraded it by adding a new spring, revising the shim stack and made it serviceable. I'm awaiting return on the unit (he called yesterday to finalize what modifications had been made) and will give a review once ts back on the bike and ridden a few hundred miles. Like the OP, I knew I needed to address the shock but I also had to do so within my budget. Wilburs, Nitron, were options, but I also need the remote preload knob, and at around $250, that put things out of my price range. Cogent Dynamics offers another cost-affordable alternative.

damn...I wish I knew about this after I spent $1000 on a yacugar adjustable everything..even though the spring is set for my weight (prior to being errmmmm a bit lighter) it now feels harsh. So harsh in fact that I threaded the collar all the way up to give the spring all the room it needs.
That said, in the 30 thou km I have used the aftermarket shock, I'm pleased as punch with it. So pleased that I'm picking up my rear shock for the fz7 from the same vendor next week. Another $1000 gone

 

[gaps]

Snake, I've not ridden the bike enough yet to know just what I want but suspect the full boogie ohlins job I spoke with Jaxon about will happen at some point. The Cognent option is also very interesting and I look forward to your report on that, racer. Jaxon did say the spacer was available but he would need to have the part machined, not in stock. I like that Jaxon has a solid background with the ST...

My other bike, a 2010 Speed Triple, has a professionally sorted Penske shock and fork internals. That setup sold me forever on the good stuff but before I spend $$ I want to figure out what I need.

For now I'm just going to run it, and it can't happen soon enough. I bought this bike back in November, got in 2 rides, and it's just now getting nice enough to get back on it....toooo much snow this winter!!

Thanks for all the great feedback gents ::003::

 

[snakebitten]

Not a bad plan. Go thrash the OEM stuff for awhile. It's a brilliant bike just as it comes.

I got to the top of Engineering Pass (from the Silverado side) and was thinking my Ohlins had made the difference.
Only to find out Eemsreno made the same climb 2-up with his wife aboard. I was blown away. When I asked what suspension work he had done he stated "What it came with. One of the best suspensions I've ever had"

Just goes to show. Lol

 

[gaps]

Snake, if you had to guess, and I suggest you tread lightly....how much do you suppose eemsreno and pillion weigh? I'm guessing they're a tad more svelte than me and mine...

 

[snakebitten]

LOL
You wanna get me killed?

Ok, the truth is they are both hard working, salt of the earth, Iowans. They obviously eat right too.
Yes, they are NOT a load on the OEM suspension. (Wish I would have thought of that back when I was STUNNED and humbled by their feat)

Oh, and one more thing............Steve can ride! He is an addict too. He piles on the miles.

 

[JRE]

Still waiting to see someone change springs/valving on an ES model.