• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Total Suspension newbie

  • Thread starter Thread starter GS650E_81
  • Start date Start date
G

GS650E_81

Guest
I just purchased some rear Emgo shocks via the newmotorcycleparts.com website for my 81 GS650E.

I installed the shocks using the "bigger hole" rubber inserts. I hope that term is right as I am a complete newbie to motorcycle suspension.

As soon as I took it off the center stand I noticed a difference, the bike sits a little higher, I can get both tip toes down when sitting before I could get all my toes and portion of foot.

I went for a ride and it felt pretty good, but I THINK It feels like the rear end is almost going to come out on some turns. The rear end feels loose. Kind of scares me..Also my front forks dive hard whenever I touch the front brakes, they are probably shot as I doubt they have been changed since stock.

What is the little tool thing that comes with the shocks? It looks like a little hook with an end on it. I am sure it adjusts the shock, but I have no idea how.
 
You bought shocks with extremely strong springs, they will break your ass and make the bike handle like crap as you have discovered. Use that hook shaped tool to loosen the preload all the way, it might help a little bit. The front springs are likely sagged and much too soft when compared to the super hard springs you now have on the rear, it will handle crappy until you get the spring rates matched a little better. There are all types of springs and spring rates available. Do some research on here before buying any more stuff.

Edit, I see you did ask and were told the Emgo shocks were crap.

Enjoy the harsh ride and out of control bike you earned by saving a buck or two.
 
Last edited:
tkent02 said:
You bought shocks with extremely strong springs, they will break your ass and make the bike handle like crap as you have discovered. Use that hook shaped tool to loosen the preload all the way, it might help a little bit. The front springs are likely sagged and much too soft when compared to the super hard springs you now have on the rear, it will handle crappy until you get the spring rates matched a little better. There are all types of springs and spring rates available. Do some research on here before buying any more stuff.
Click to expand...

How do you loosen the preload all the way?

Well I bought these as I assumed a new shock would be better than a 30 year old one..

My bad for not doing enough "research" and having $300 for some "great" shock.

Sorry, you just sound like a dick.
 
GS650E_81 said:
How do you loosen the preload all the way?

Well I bought these as I assumed a new shock would be better than a 30 year old one..

My bad for not doing enough "research" and having $300 for some "great" shock.

Sorry, you just sound like a dick.
Click to expand...

You're the dick who's stuck with the crappy shocks, while my bikes all ride smooth as silk.:D
By the way, $200 will get a mediocre shock. For $300 -$500 they get pretty good. A quality ride costs money.
I wouldn't put Emgos on a parts bike.
 
tkent02 said:
You're the dick who's stuck with the crappy shocks, while my bikes all ride smooth as silk.:D
By the way, $200 will get a mediocre shock. For $300 -$500 they get pretty good. A quality ride costs money.
I wouldn't put Emgos on a parts bike.
Click to expand...


Fair enough, good thing god created ebay...

Amazing how 30 year old shocks still just....work.
 
Can someone tell me how to adjust the preload? Going to try that before I throw them on ebay.
 
They should have come with a spanner tool. Looks like a big C with a handle on it. That hooks into the notches on the shock, you move the ring with it to either ramp the adjuster ring up (add pre-load) or down (remove pre-load).
Yes those shocks are very stiff. Damping also isn't great. But they're better than the 30 yr old sacked out crap that was on the bike.

Now, if you wanna "go fast" on curved roads...suspension set up and tires are the most important aspects of that...
 
Here is how to adjust the preload:
Adjusting preload
Do you see the notches just above the A B C?
Those notches are what the wrench fits in. When it is correctly inserted the wrench will wrap tightly around the curvature of the shock cylinder.
The A setting is the lowest preload, the C is the highest. If you look at the picture, C puts the most pressure on the spring, increasing the preload. And vice-versa.
 
Last edited:
Watch the bushings on those too, I've put maybe 500 miles on my cheopo shocks and the bushings they came with got completely destroyed in no time, metal on metal actually. Came up with a temporary fix to get me by modifying some Dorman shock bushings I got at the parts store. My 33 y/o shocks were toast and not a "shock" anymore, one thing's for sure, start saving up for some good shocks, not only will they last longer, they'll be good for your body too.
 
Weight in at 300 pounds, I may need to adjust the preload?

Thanks to all those who replied. I understand that I made a "cheap" choice on the shock, granted the bike cost me $1000 and I have put over $400 into carb rebuild and misc. pieces, I am trying to pinch pennies.

Maybe later in life I will splurge and buy a nice set.

I hope this set does not kill me :eek:

As far as carving corners goes, that is great fun, buy I have only been riding for about a month and a half or so, so for now I am no speed demon. Never really wanted to blast a corner at 100+, I could of bought a crotch rocket for that.
 
Temporary "fix" for the front forks to become closer to matching the rear shocks,
would be to add a 5/8" spacer made from PCV pipe to the top of the front springs.
Also would be a great idea to at least drain the front forks and add some fresh 15wt. fork oil to them.
With your weight, that should help a little at least. ;)

Eric
 
7981GS said:
Temporary "fix" for the front forks to become closer to matching the rear shocks,
would be to add a 5/8" spacer made from PCV pipe to the top of the front springs.
Also would be a great idea to at least drain the front forks and add some fresh 15wt. fork oil to them.
With your weight, that should help a little at least. ;)

Eric
Click to expand...

Sounds good.

How do I drain the oil? This is my first ever motorcycle, I am a total newbie to a lot of stuff.
 
7981GS said:
Temporary "fix" for the front forks to become closer to matching the rear shocks,
would be to add a 5/8" spacer made from PCV pipe to the top of the front springs.
Also would be a great idea to at least drain the front forks and add some fresh 15wt. fork oil to them.
With your weight, that should help a little at least. ;)

Eric
Click to expand...

I'm about 186 lbs in weight, and with the stock springs on my low milage '82 GS850GL, just changed the fork oil out to some 20 wt "PJ1" Fork Oil.
The service manual calls for 15 wt, and that might be fine on a new bike and fresh stock springs.

.....with your weight and old stock springs i might go up to 20 wt fork oil also. The ride seems more controlled to me, and just a touch stiffer than the ride with what was probably the original 30 year old fork oil.

It might better balance your stiffer rear shocks for now also. 1 pt of fork oil is cheap,....about $8.00, so if you need to you can experiment a bit with different fork oil weights.
 
Nobody says you have to go 100mph to carve corners. All anyone is trying to tell you is get good shocks to handle any thing you encounter on any road.

I know how tight money is right now. It took me two years of waiting before I got good shocks on my bike because I didn't have enough cash early on. But instead of buying cheap things, I dealt with the stocks until I could afford a set of Hagons. At $200 they weren't cheap but I bought them at a time when I could afford it. They ride well (course Dayton's roads are crap) and I'm glad I put the money into my suspension.
 
Many members have run Emgo shocks. Had some myself for a while Are they a great choice? No. But yes they are better (though to another extreme) than 30-year-old stockers. At first it's like going from way too loose to hard-tail. When I trailered my bike to the RRR a couple of years ago with pretty fresh Emgos, the rear of the bike hardly moved getting strapped down! They're known to loosen up a bit, but it's going to take a few hundred miles.

The bushings are a known weak point of the Emgos. Forum searches will get you more info, but basically they'll start to split after some miles, and are soft out of the gate. If you still have your stock shocks you can beat/press the bushings out of those and press those into the Emgo eyes in place of the included bushings. Or there are some bushings available from most auto parts stores that will work better.
 
Yeah I'd highly suggest drilling the rubber out from around your stock shocks mounting sleeves and using those in the new shocks vs the plastic sleeves they send. Those will break quickly, and then the rubber bushings will be destroyed and the bike will ride pretty damn scary after that. If that sounds like a bit too much work, then perhaps finding some copper tubing (easy to cut) or better still, steel tubing to make sleeves from would be another option. Just remember that whatever you do, there can be no "slop" in the sleeve when sitting on the mounting stud.

If ya need any help, lemme know. I live near Springboro, so you could always shoot up here and we can sort it out :)
 
Hi,

I'm using the cheap EMGO shock on my bike. The "bushings" that are included with those shocks are dangerous. I replace mine with every new rear tire using generic rubber bushings from the auto parts store. Have a look at this thread.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=160989

Yes, I'm saving my pennies for a pair of Hagons (or maybe Progressives) for a little more than $200. Have a look at the shock/spring section of the "mega-welcome" to refresh your memory of available solutions.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Thanks a lot all for the responses. Super helpful with the replies.

As I am super new to this stuff, I didn't even use the plastic bushing inserts as I had no idea what they were! Looks like I will be taking off the shocks and trying to force out the bushings from the old ones...wish me luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top