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How long do shocks usally last? (Read 50 times)
Savage_Greg
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #15 - 08/12/04 at 02:44:40
 
cphilip wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:
Ah ok... must take a fair amount of pressure to get em to move. Did mess with them but ran low on time and had to leave em till tomorrow to do it with something a bit longer to get more leverage.

My real problem here is I do know know where they are at this point. Knowing the oral history of the Bike I would suspect they are all the way as stiff as they will go. The previous owner was reportedly a large guy and he road around with the little lady on the back too... and she was also reportedly not so little.... which is the reason he traded it in. Needed larger engine to haul them both around.

So I am going to go clockwise? And then should I hear of feel a click or something to know its a notch down?


The "notches" for the preload adjustment are difficult to see because of the cosmetic chrome cover.  Clockwise stiffens the preload and counter clockwise softens it.  As everyone has said...find an appropriate sized tool to insert in the hole and turn it.  It will go continuously meaning that there is no stop in stiffest direction.  If you go too far in the stiff direct, it will jump to the softest position #1, however if it is at the #5 position it can go backwards toward #1.  If they don't move under firm pressure, try squirting some WD40 on the chrome ring from underneath....and that reminds me  Roll Eyes

You may need to lay on the floor and look up into the cover to see what is really going on.  I know that we hate to do that, but if you do, it will all begin to make sense.  Take a look.
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sunny
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #16 - 08/12/04 at 07:28:09
 
when i looked into the hole in the chrome cover i most certainly did NOT see an opening that would require an allen wrench.
actually, it appears that the bolt is stripped out.
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Susan
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #17 - 08/12/04 at 07:36:10
 
Savage_Greg wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:
It will go continuously meaning that there is no stop in stiffest direction.  If you go too far in the stiff direct, it will jump to the softest position #1, however if it is at the #5 position it can go backwards toward #1.

I didn't have this issue.  In my case the tool ends up bumping up against the bike which made it easy for me to know I was in the softest position.  Of course you can also tell it is in the softest and not the stiffest by sitting on the bike and bouncing a little.   Smiley
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Susan
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cphilip
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #18 - 08/12/04 at 12:51:04
 
Savage_Greg wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:
.  If they don't move under firm pressure, try squirting some WD40 on the chrome ring from underneath....and that reminds me  Roll Eyes

You may need to lay on the floor and look up into the cover to see what is really going on.  I know that we hate to do that, but if you do, it will all begin to make sense.  Take a look.


That all sounds logical Greg and thanks. I will do some crawling. Have not gotten a chance to do that with the storms coming our way. But will.
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #19 - 08/12/04 at 14:01:50
 
sunny wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:
when i looked into the hole in the chrome cover i most certainly did NOT see an opening that would require an allen wrench.
actually, it appears that the bolt is stripped out.


Misunderstanding?  Either you or me...

The allen wrench is just a tool, but what you see through the hole in the chrome cover is just a simple hole in the shock adjuster.  Not an actual allen wrench type bolt or anything.  Just a hole that you put the allen (or anything appropriate) into and turn the cover and the adjuster at the same time.  Even a simple rod or screwdriver will work if it fits.
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #20 - 08/12/04 at 14:05:24
 
Susan wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:
I didn't have this issue.  In my case the tool ends up bumping up against the bike which made it easy for me to know I was in the softest position.  Of course you can also tell it is in the softest and not the stiffest by sitting on the bike and bouncing a little.   Smiley


Except that they turn the same direction on different sides of the bike.  So it bumps into different parts of the bike.  It is still best to look up in there to make sure they are set  on the same notches.
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cphilip
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #21 - 08/12/04 at 15:31:13
 
yea and right now it seems my "holes" are not in the same position on each side. So either they do not line up the same on each side or this previous owner has them off set from one another. High time I looked into this isn't it? Cheesy

I think it makes sense to "look" like Greg says. So you can understand the settings and match them up for certain on each side.

One more question. Are the clicks audible or tactile. ie can I feel em or hear em? Not that it matters I suppose if I can see them but might be good to know.
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Susan
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #22 - 08/12/04 at 18:14:02
 
cphilip wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:
yea and right now it seems my "holes" are not in the same position on each side. So either they do not line up the same on each side or this previous owner has them off set from one another...

One more question. Are the clicks audible or tactile. ie can I feel em or hear em? Not that it matters I suppose if I can see them but might be good to know.


Maybe I can clear this up:

1.  Clicks are audible.

2.  Holes are not in the same position because the same shock is used on both sides.  This means you get a mirror image effect.

3.  To echo Greg's point, you can use any tool in the hole.  I just mentioned an allen wrench because that is what I used.  All you are doing is using a tool for leverage to turn the chrome cover and the underlying shock adjuster.

Hope that helps!   Smiley
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #23 - 08/13/04 at 03:07:58
 
I took the little cosmetic off my bike.  Not that easy to do either.  The shocks now look like shocks on older bikes.  I wanted to be able to see the position and adjust it more easily.  

As Susan said, the adjustment has a very tactile feel to it.  Kind of a "boing" or thump into each position.  You can tell when it moves.  If it is really hard, then I suggest a dose of WD40.
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #24 - 08/14/04 at 11:37:48
 
OK got it done finaly. And as suspected the big dude that used to own this had em all the way up. I ended up placing them in the last notch before returning all the way up.

However earlier it was stated there were five positions. I could be counting them wrong but I seem to be only counting four? I see the real steep drop and then only three more step drops up. I am in the last one before the highest one so it really doesn't matter.

A quick test run and I could feel it was a tad softer. So for now I am going to ride like that a while. I suspect the highest setting was a tad more harsh than I needed weighing in at about 170 or so. And from extrapolating some of the others of your examples I theorized about that setting would be good. But time will tell.
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #25 - 08/14/04 at 12:01:10
 
At one time people used to use especially matched shock absorbers in an effort to stop the swingarm from twisting.

Clive W
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Susan
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #26 - 08/14/04 at 14:32:26
 
So what position are people riding in?
(Your answer will be most useful to others if you include whether you ride 1 or 2 people and your weight).  

I ride in position 2 (second softest).  I never carry a passenger and weigh just over 100 lbs.  Even for me position 1 seemed too soft...
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #27 - 08/14/04 at 16:09:26
 
I ride in pos 2, single and weight 74 Kg. Angry
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #28 - 08/14/04 at 17:50:18
 
Mine, when I got it was in the middle position.  It goes from the middle point, two down or two up, then all the way down. Why they do that, I don't know.  At any rate, it's obvious that once it's in position 6 it's there to stay unless you take the shock off or maybe put the bike on a jack.

Anyway I set mine to all they way soft, and it felt pretty good.  But I am a man, and a man who sets performance above comfort  Roll Eyes So, I raised it to 5 (hard) and decided it was a little bit more bumpity than I wanted, and not that I couldn't take it, of course being a man who cherishes performance over comfort, but I wanted to see if setting 4 would provide better performance at the risk of also providing more comfort.  Wink

So, when I went to make the adjustment, I could not remember which way to turn it.  Since I am a man and don't like to rely on printed instructions  (it would uncomfortably close to referring to a map, after all)  and I did not feel like walking inside the house to get the book, so, since I am also a man of logic, I deduced that I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right.































I never have been a very lucky person, so after turning the wrong way, I went ahead and did the other shock to match and have been riding along very comfortably ever since.  Grin
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Re: How long do shocks usally last?
Reply #29 - 08/15/04 at 03:29:46
 
I can't take it anymore.  AHHHHH!  Since I am a "man of tools" that likes performance, and at 220 lbs need a little comfort, too, I'll clear this up.

Since I have my cosmetic covers removed, I'm going downstairs to take a picture of the adjusters.  I know they are hard to see, and that is why I took mine apart.

Back in a few....
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