seized monoshock on gsx 750es

[Anonymous]

My rear monoshock is the one with the adjusters on the left hand side,one for pre-load (says 1-5 on dial) and another dial witch says 1-4 around it on the mounting plate,i can turn them but nothing is happening shock wise,the bike was standing outside in all weathers for ages before i rescued it so i think its seized,any tips on what to do? know anyone in UK who can fix it (cheaply)?,gratefull for any help/tips.

 

[Billy Ricks]

There is a sight glass on the preload adjuster. Watch it and see if the red ball moves and if the spring on the shock is getting shorther. It tightens down on the top of the spring. Could be a bad cable if it doesn't.

There is a rubber plug on the bottom of the shock that lets you see if the damper rod is spinning. Turn the knob and watch to see if it spins. If not there are a couple of things that could be wrong with it. There are a couple of gears in the knob portion, one on the end of the cable and one in the hole it screws into. The one on the cable has a habit of wearing out. On the shock end of the cable is a piece of plastic with a pin in it that acts like a cam to spin the damper rod.

I picked up parts at a bike shop in Edison, New Jersey once to fix those very things. I believe in New Jersey they have a law that if a manufacturer wants to sell anything there they have to make parts available for repairs. At least that's what they told me at the shop. There is a name for the law, I just can't remember it. They may have to be ordered, but by law there the manufacturer has to be able to supply them. This was about 12 years ago so things may have changed. May not do you any good in England but maybe one of the forum users from there can check into it for you.

 

[Anonymous]

Checked that the red ball is moving and it is,but didnt notice any movement in the spring. After taking the other adjuster apart the little plastic bit on the end of the cable looked like my grandmother (no teeth) so theres the problem,went to two local dealers,both said the parts are no longer available (what a surprise).Checked the bottom of the shock,but the only thing there is where the cable enters it and someone has had a go at it in the past as the nut has come away from the cable.I am wondering if i should do away with the adjusters and shock and see if there is one that will fit from a newer model that could be in a breakers yard, anyone got any ideas? Thanks anyway Billy I will keep trying,will update if anything sorted.

 

[Dink]

I suggest you try looking up the parts you need on a site called www.bikebandit.com look up your model . being aware that this site is US based so your bike is called a GS it is the same model etc. just with the X dropped from the name,I would be stunned to finrd that the parts are not still available for your bike.
Dink

 

[Billy Ricks]

You can manually adjust the damping. There are four pegs on a plastic piece that is part of the adjuster located in the bottom of the shock where the cable goes in. Just turn it with a screwdriver to get to the postion you want. Looking into the sight hole on the shock watch for a red dot as you turn the adjuster. That is damping position one. You have four positions to pick from. As for the spring problem, you just need to improvise if you have located the problem. If it is something you can fabricate then give that a try. It's not uncommon for the cable to seperate at the shock. Mine did the same. I just use a piece of fuel line over the cable and the connector held in place with hose clamps. On the preload adjuster it takes alot of cranking on the knob to see the spring tightening. If it seems easier to back off on the knob than to tighten then it is probably doing its job. You can take some sag measurements at different settings to see if the bike squats as much with your weight in the seat.