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1983 gs550ed mono shock failure

L

Loudjosh

Forum Newbie
Good evening/morning wherever y'all may be

I have an 83 gs550ed with a completely blown out mono shock. It has absolutely zero rebound, and rides on the rear tire. As soon as it's off the center stand, it settles nicely on the rubber :(

Manual states that the shock isn't rebuildable/serviceable.

Is this true?

It's not that rare of a bike (I don't think) and can't seem to find a suitable replacement shock.

Id hate to think it's junk yard bound because of this.

Thanks for any and all help!

​​​​​​​Josh
 
iirc a 600 cc bike has a shock that fits but is a tad longer do an advanced search on the forums.
I have two in my tool shed but Im saving them for the apocalypse.
 
Loudjosh said:
Good evening/morning wherever y'all may be

I have an 83 gs550ed with a completely blown out mono shock. It has absolutely zero rebound, and rides on the rear tire. As soon as it's off the center stand, it settles nicely on the rubber :(

Manual states that the shock isn't rebuildable/serviceable.

Is this true?

It's not that rare of a bike (I don't think) and can't seem to find a suitable replacement shock.

Id hate to think it's junk yard bound because of this.

Thanks for any and all help!

​​​​​​​Josh
Click to expand...

check ebay. not cure but the remote res may have failed or its hose. not sure if that would lose all fluid in shock.
 
If its riding on the rear tire the rebound has nothing to do with this. The spring has come loose or broken.

Remember - the spring holds the bike up, the dampning is controlled by the fluid.
 
unfocused said:
If its riding on the rear tire the rebound has nothing to do with this. The spring has come loose or broken.

Remember - the spring holds the bike up, the dampning is controlled by the fluid.
Click to expand...

i believe it would be a clapped out spring and shock. theres a builder near me that is fairly confident he can rebuild it. ill be taking it to him this week to see his thoughts.
 
Cipher said:
iirc a 600 cc bike has a shock that fits but is a tad longer do an advanced search on the forums.
I have two in my tool shed but Im saving them for the apocalypse.
Click to expand...

I was searching, but for whatever reason it would seem i cant find anything. Someone on FB had said some gsxr shock worked, but then never followed up with which model. I wont know a shock length until i pull the current one off my bike.

there is a builder near where i live, that is confident he can rebuild it. said he basically machines the end off, adds a schroeder valve, new seals, reassembles it all. if it needs a new spring they can custom wind some, others they have no problem ordering out. 150$ plus a spring cost, if it needs a spring
 
Cipher said:
iirc a 600 cc bike has a shock that fits but is a tad longer do an advanced search on the forums.
I have two in my tool shed but Im saving them for the apocalypse.
Click to expand...

i couldnt find it before, but ive been searching the past hour, reading posts, and so far, it looks like a gsxr600 shock, mounted upside down, and ditching the center stand is the preferred method. Im not sure if i want to ditch a center stand, but i do want a functional shock.

it also appears that the gsxr shock will raise the bike rear 1", but with my big ass on it, maybe thats a negligible number?
 
If it’s the same as the 83-750ES shock then there is a Ducati one that is a straight fit… maybe they are also getting a bit long in the tooth now. Monster from about 1999 from memory. I have a thread here somewhere…
 
salty_monk said:
If it’s the same as the 83-750ES shock then there is a Ducati one that is a straight fit… maybe they are also getting a bit long in the tooth now. Monster from about 1999 from memory. I have a thread here somewhere…
Click to expand...

do you happen to remember what you had the thread under? i went through the list yesterday, and didnt see anything referencing a monster shock, but its totally possible i missed it.

I do believe the 550 and 750 used the same shock, although the microfiche says it was only used on the one year for the 550ED (probably a color change or some other nonsense)

edit: i think the ducati shock is different from the 550ed shock. mine has a clevis on top and eye on the bottom, and all the Duke shocks im seeing are eye to eye
 
Last edited:
The one on ebay looks fairly clean and may even have low miles. Id get that before trying to cobble some other parts together.
the 750 does show similarities to the 550 but has only one eye and a clevis for iirc the cushion lever end.

Even if you could dismantle and take parts from the 750 to replace anything on the 550 the pressure behind the spring is a dangerous obstacle without proper tools
I think I have two from ebay years ago when shipping was not crazy expensive. one has notable wear and the other is clean.
but to ship one would cost 50 plus dollars as they are quite heavy.
 
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/325523643445?_skw=gs+550+shock&itmmeta=01J9T1AG2QS D8GAHCWPT21GNHD&hash=item4bcab89c35:g:txsAAOSwBS1j 3tyv&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJK ltJbPJjdtt7HgQWq0ScQ3wZ0s6DsdGTRk1y6IBq7AYpRQdvE6U pzDyh54WYVbbNvwLHiFD72Jcb4dXbXlcky1KN9vbgubWegB5dm AzWazxlbC1NOy8tJ6pbsbUkveWlpiLMekKX%2FxVysFY3Mmxwa 1sCdgXfLRrHu%2BivsacXr2znBWd%2BTDxz%2BZGawREhco4YV kb8I3odz40lEya4q6EYryftHxirhDmbqaaW0lSkBhi%2BjWAz5 46%2FxLeNDQUmbBlDFT5YKCR0D%2FKV56A3kFm8TWfI4Di2pOG xsdvj5742A5cqA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7qBqsHOZA

This is a clean example plus it has the cushion lever and other bits of linkage.
The bearings take a beating in this design and are either very expensive or unattainable.
There is one heim joint involved that hammers out the bearing surface and years ago I could not get one so hoarded on ebay.
 
Last edited:
Yes must be different. Here's the thread: https://www.thegsresources.com/_for...al-info-forum/33896-gs750es-shock-alternative

To find one that would work wasn't all that difficult. You just need a shock the right length with the right travel (approx) & you can put your stock spring on it if you have to.... Although the damping rate on the Ducati shock was different the rebound was adjustable & the compression damping seemed fine when I put the stock Suzuki spring on it.
 
Last edited:
im going to be taking some of each of your advice, hopefully this week, and ill report back what i find out.

the suspension shop near me says "bring in the original shock, we should be able to rebuild it" if they cant machine it apart, add a schroeder valve, and put it back together, then no worries. Hes done it for me before, on dirt bikes, but i was just hoping to be able to buy something off the shelf i could slap on with no worries.

if he cant do something with it, then ill be going the swap route with the duc shock
 
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