New Rear Shocks - Questions, Feedback, etc.

[Anonymous]

For those of you who have gone the adjustable dampening way, how hard was it to fine tune the dampening to your riding style?

~Adam

Hi Adam,

THe fine tuning was very easy but mine alters regularly depending on the "load" im carrying (ie: passenger and or luggage)

mate, all I can say to you is that from personal experience, they have really made a BIG difference to my ride!

regards,
Andrew

[Hoomgar]

I am going with air shocks on my ride this year Adam. I found a pair of new S&W chrome air shocks NOS for my bike. I'll let you know how they work out when I try them. I am keeping the stock shocks just in case. I have received a lot of mixed opinions on the air shock idea.

[Anonymous]

I have received a lot of mixed opinions on the air shock idea.

Hey Mark,

What sort of comments on air shocks? I'm just curious, as they really aren't any better or worse an idea than conventional shocks. And using air as the spring allows easy rate changes to accomodate big changes in load.

Mark

[Hoomgar]

I have received a lot of mixed opinions on the air shock idea.

Hey Mark,

What sort of comments on air shocks? I'm just curious, as they really aren't any better or worse an idea than conventional shocks. And using air as the spring allows easy rate changes to accomodate big changes in load.

Mark

I agree with your later comment. No I just was told by some people that they are what I want and that these exact brand shocks were the best you could get for these bikes back in the day. But then others have told me that I am not going to like the ride and that it will feel funny and may not handle as well.

I respect the opinions of all but am still a "gotta find out for myself" kind of guy so I am going to put them on. I have plans to put a regulator valve on and an onboard air pump as well if I like them. That way I can adjust them on the fly while I ride. I did the same thing to my 73 Chevelle SS and just like the idea of adding it to my bike as well

I have other neat mods in mind for this bike to take place in time. Some include fans for increased air cooling when sitting in long lines waiting for traffic. Like when you are trying to get into a big bike show. I partially fried my rings in 2003 doing this very thing!

Anyway, that's all. So I have to try it to see. I think it will rock.

[Detman101]

I put a set of slightly used Progressive Heavy Duty shocks on the rear of my 81 GS-750 and it is as solid as a rock when I need it to be. Carried my 240 pound friend James a couple of weeks ago without squashing the rear like it used to. Handles a WHOLE lot better with just me on it and adjusted for my weight as well. No more squashing down on take off or bouncing off the seat when hitting potholes and bumps in the pavement.
The bike feels much much more stable and it takes off a lot quicker too.

I can only imagine what the response on a hard-tail is like!

Dm of mD

[Pete's GS]

Progressive's are excellent but if you don't want to spend $225+ I've had good luck with MDI shocks for $70-80 complete, and the springs are already installed. You can get them at Pro-Flo, Whitney's, or MikesXS. I got the ones slightly longer than stock to quicken the rather leisurely GS550 steering. They work well, and I can't say my back or a_s has been all beat up by them.

[AOD]

The great people over at CRC2 helped me out on the phone yesterday. They said they don't put things on the website unless they have them in the stock, but they can order things if needed; specifically, Progressive suspension parts.

Our phone conversation said he could do the Series 12 shocks with any spring combo needed, ASSEMBLED, for $229! Here's the email followup on spring rates:

Here are the suggested items you requested. All based on the GS550 '79-'80 with a eye to eye shock with a 13" (330mm) center-to-center extended height, and 3.8" travel length.

Stock with average rider suggestion

Shock Series 12 #PS-1202 with PS-1394 spring 70/120

Stock with Heavy rider suggestion

Shock Series 12 #PS-1202 with PS-1367 spring 95/140

If you really will be weighting it down, the next jump up on the spring is a 105/150, and I would not exceed this spring rate.

The other weights available are 125/170 and 145/190 and I do not recommend these. You will have a VERY harsh ride.

CRC2 website: http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/Index_Main_Frame.htm
CRC2 phone: 317-634-7550

~Adam

[terry]

G'Day Adam, because Australia is enjoying summer at the moment, we have a fairly long vacation period from just before christmas to after the new year, so Ikon have probably closed down until after the 4th of January when most businesses reopen.

I'm a Koni fan, so as soon as I bought my 1981 GS1000S back in 2000, I replaced the shocks and springs with new Koni 7610 series shocks and springs, but have to say I was slightly disappointed, as they don't do anything much better than the stockers, that are actually very good.

The Ikons are just as good (they're virtually the same shock) as Koni's, but the baastards increased the price about 30%, I paid about $350.00 AUD (about $275.00 US) for my Koni's, but now they retail for close to $500.00! ($400.00 US) Unbelieveable, I could handle paying 350 for something made in Holland that has to be shipped to Oz, but for something that's made 3 hours up the highway from my place, well, that just sucks!

Anyway, I picked up another pair of7610 series Koni's on ebay for cheap, and pulled them apart to rebuild, and I gotta say, after many years on a bike, the oil had seen the end of it's usefull life many years before! If anyone buys a used pair contact Proven Products in Australia (on the Ikon site) and spend the 25 bucks for a rebuild kit, and buy some new oil while you're at it. Cheers, Terry. :twisted:

[mcycle-nut]

I put some series 12 Progressives with heavy duty springs on my 750. BIG difference! I also have Progressive springs in the front. I'm thinking perhaps the 1100 should get some too.....

[Joe Nardy]

For those of you who have gone the adjustable dampening way, how hard was it to fine tune the dampening to your riding style?

~Adam

Adam,

My GS1100 has the original shocks which have damping (the correct term by the way, not 'dampening') adjustment. There are four adjustment positions and the difference between them is very noticeable. If I am riding solo position three is pretty good, just a bit on the soft side. Position four is better for aggressive solo riding but noticeably harsh. With Cathy on the back position four is fine for most riding. If we're doing some highway miles I might back it down to position three for a softer ride but three is way too soft for any two up aggressive riding. Positions one and two must be for those skinny guys..................

Joe

[Anonymous]

I found Dennis Kirk pricey. I got Progressive shocks at http://www.chaparral-racing.com and saved about 80 bucks on the set for my GPz compared to D-K, but I think they'll match prices. They are very nice shocks and you will notice the difference if your old ones are as shot as mine were. A guy at a local shop put the springs on for free w/o a compressor (!) but it looked painful as he did it by compressing with his hands and somehow slipping the collet on.

the correct term by the way, not 'dampening'

BTW the Commonwealth countries use dampener which means the same as damper, just isn't used in the U.S. Kinda like sewage/sewerage or aluminum/aluminium (Americans always laugh at aluminium but if you think about it, that is really more consistent with other element names like magnesium, strontium, barium, etc.)

[AOD]

You must have the cool high tech shocks Joe, they didn't have those below 83.

We were out riding on New Years Day and we hit a strech of a bumpy road...man that thing was bottoming out. I know where I'm riding and testing out the new shock/spring combo when I do get it on!

~Adam

[Anonymous]

I'm a Koni fan, so as soon as I bought my 1981 GS1000S back in 2000, I replaced the shocks and springs with new Koni 7610 series shocks and springs, but have to say I was slightly disappointed, as they don't do anything much better than the stockers, that are actually very good.

The Ikons are just as good (they're virtually the same shock) as Koni's, but the baastards increased the price about 30%, I paid about $350.00 AUD (about $275.00 US) for my Koni's, but now they retail for close to $500.00! ($400.00 US) Unbelieveable, I could handle paying 350 for something made in Holland that has to be shipped to Oz, but for something that's made 3 hours up the highway from my place, well, that just sucks!

Cheers, Terry. :twisted:

Here is the reply I recieved today from IKON to my question:
At 12:58 AM 1/4/2005, you wrote:
Is IKON related to KONI?

Ive been told by numerous bike shops that they are, but I would like verification of this directly please.

Their reply to me today:

----- Original Message -----
From: ikon@ikonsuspension.com
To: GS750
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 2:10 PM
Subject: Re:

The answer is yes and no.

Koni is part of ITT and we are not so at the corporate level there is no connection.

Koni did make bike shocks which they stopped doing at the beginning of 2001. We were Koni's distributor of motorcycle shocks in Australia (along with other products Koni still make) and we signed an agreement with Koni allowing us and us alone to use their technology and designs to make the motorcycle shocks. Hence the icon Koni was in the motorcycle shock absorber market lives on with Ikon. This is so much so that all parts from the last of Koni's 7610 series shocks and some others also are totally interchangeable with those in our Ikon shocks. That is because they are made using the same drawings and in many cases the same tools and machines as they were.

I hope that clarifies things for you and that we can be of some assistance to you in the near future.

As we say, Bike On With Ikon!

Regards
Geoff

[AOD]

I got ignored by them.

[Joe Nardy]

I got ignored by them.

Who is this?

Did you say something?