Aftermarket Rear Shock

[BkerChuck]

If you'd like you can PM me with your credit card number with expiration date and the code from the back, your home address, phone number and all pertinent information and I can place the order on your behalf.......All in the interest of helping out a fellow owner you know.....

Can you inform your employer of the need to make an international call and offer to pay the charges? The folks here where I work with company phones almost all have international calling on their plans as we order a lot of parts from Germany and are constantly having to contact them for information or parts drawings.

[wheatonFJR]

Cogent Dynamics - North Carolina
Traxxion - Georgia

[Steel_Gin]

Are they subscribed to any online payment system? If yes open an account then close it once you have the part in hand. Oh and make sure you let your CC company know you are making in international purchase and the cost. Transaction could be held up otherwise.

Good luck and I hope the transaction goes smoothly!!

[0face]

[Steel_Gin]

Just remembered this. A co-worker had a credit card, don't remember who it was thru, but when needed they would create a temporary CC number and they would set it to a specific max amount. Might be worth call your CC company and see if they do something like that.

[Hppants]

Thanks to all of you for your supportive comments, and to Marty for, well.... being Marty.

The c/c issue is solved. We are Amazon Prime members, and my wife got a Amazon Chase C/C, which we normally only use for Amazon purchases. She gets some kind of shit for it. Anyway, much to my pleasure, that card has ZERO transaction and conversion fees.

I've got a close riding friend that is from London, and I'm quite certain his phone situation must be conducive to calling family in England from time to time. We ride together Sunday, and while he doesn't know it yet, I'm planning to buy him lunch.

[Hppants]

Well, mission accomplished. Success!

Ordered the Hagon this morning, with a little help from a riding buddy born on the other side of the pond, as it were.

My dicking around cost me about $6.00 in increased exchange value for the Pound since I decided to pull the trigger. Dammit, I hate pissing money away.

Anyhoo, dude that took my order says my spring will be set for my own and only weight (not telling, and not proud), and my hydraulic adjustment will be for 160 pounds (or some kilogram equivalent) more. That will work for my range of choices - by myself and unloaded for the twisty days, on up to 2-up with a few pounds for the wife's purse and various as sundries.

Dude says that the dampening will be designed for more compression dampening than rebound dampening (60% v/s 40%). Says my shock will be built in 5-7 days and shipped immediately. I can expect it to my door in about 18-21 days.

We'll see what it looks like.

[Hppants]

Update: 2/14/19

My shock shipped as promised, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it got to my door from England in 4 days. It looks well built, with it's billet pieces. The pre-load adjuster is black and smaller in diameter than the Ohlins and Penske shocks I have seen - it should blend in well on the FJR.

I'll install it soon, ride it, and report back on my impressions.

[Hppants]

I'm looking for ideas on where and how to mount the pre-load adjuster. I'm concerned about avoiding the seat lock and wanting to be able to make adjustments with the saddle bags on. Putting it inside the wheel well makes it susceptible to spray, dirt, etc.

Can any of your show me how you mounted yours?

[raYzerman]

The hose looks long enough to mount on either side, inboard side of the rear footpeg stay, the two 8mm screws (6mm hex)... the standard locations. If on the right side, the knob can point forward perhaps, on the left, to the rear (partially blocked by the saddlebag). You'll need longer 8 mm screws. Didn't come with any?
So, if you go there, left side in particular, ensure that when the swingarm goes up full travel it doesn't hit the hose fitting or the adjuster. Check it while you have the lower shock mount undone, when you can move the swingarm/wheel up and down with a 2x4 under it to check travel.
I believe Penske's or Wilbers mounted on the right side. Might even have enough hose to find enough room a little more forward on that side, above the brake pedal..... you'll have to put it on, upper shock bolt in, then figure that out.

[Hppants]

Thanks Ray for the detailed response. It's looking like it will be the rear footpeg, right side. I'll have to get longer bolts. In that regard, do you get a bolt that is long enough such that you get a lock nut and washer and use that to secure the adjuster to the back of the footpeg frame piece?

Also, I was only given one hole on the mounting bracket - don't care for that. I'm assuming on the others, 2 holes were used in this mounting method?

[Red]

Thanks Ray for the detailed response. It's looking like it will be the rear footpeg, right side. I'll have to get longer bolts.

Hppants,

Hardware sources: "Nuts and Bolts" is a separate heading in the Yellow Pages phone book, far better than "hardware" or some such. The real Internet Yellow Pages IS the Yellow Pages tab at:

http://www.anywho.com

Enter the Nuts and Bolts heading in the Business Name or Category line, and give them a local ZIP code for your location. You can SORT the list by Distance on that site. All of the other "yellow pages" on the Internet are just wannabees. HTH.

[Hppants]

Red - thanks for your sarcastic reply. Forest Gump was a genius. Stupid is as stupid does.... The shoe fits and I'll wear it.

But my question is not centered around hardware. That's an easy problem to fix. Just spent an hour in the shop trying to mock it up. The bracket that comes with the shock adjuster isn't going to do as it is. In one place, the saddle bag interferes with the adjuster. In another, I can't get to the seat lock. Still yet another, I've got no safe way to run the hose.

So it's time to start customizing. And that requires out of the box thinking. Despite my very best attempts to train the other side of my brain to get in the f@$king game, when stressed, Pants still thinks in two dimensions. Thankfully, I've got my dad. Dude knows nothing about motorcycles, but trust me, he will help me figure this out.

He's on his way in an hour...

[Red]

Red - thanks for your sarcastic reply. Forest Gump was a genius.

Hppants,

Please accept my sincere apologies. I did not intend to make a sarcastic reply, I was only trying to help. Good hardware is hard to find these days.

You are lucky to have family there. I never did, so I really do not know where the lines are sometimes, and I may wander across the lines without any bad intent. I appreciate the people who tell me where I should stop. I did not intend any offense.

Again, my apologies.

[Hppants]

None taken what so ever. I thought it was hilarious and spot on, frankly. This isn’t re-inventing the wheel. We will figure it out sooner or later.

Whatever my dad comes up with, it will be secure, safe, simple, and painfully obvious. I am so envious of people who think like that. But not me. After all - ignorant is what ignorant does.... LOL

Appreciate the help, my friend.

[raYzerman]

Some images here, note the Penske here does not have the optional external hydarulic preload adjuster. And don't rule out the hose clamp idea, perhaps forward of the right footpeg mount.
https://www.fjrowners.com/forums/8-fjr- ... shock.html

[gixxerjasen]

If this helps. No I haven't washed it in a while.

[Hppants]

I ended up fabricating my own bracket. The one from Hagon only had one mounting hole and I wanted to have something more rigid.

I put mine on the right side and the bracket fits between the rear foot peg and the rear frame bosses. The holes for the adjuster were drilled at an angle to allow the adjuster to point slightly downward, giving me more room to turn the adjuster know with my hand.

The good news is that the adjuster clears the entire swing of the swingarm - even if I were able to swing the tire to within 1 inch of the inner fender (not possible), the adjuster misses the tire by 3/4". It also clears the saddle bag well, and the hose is plenty long enough to reach the top of the shock.

The bad news is that there is no way I can adjust it with the saddle bag on . I suppose that's not too big of a deal, but I'll have to remember to set the pre-load before I pack for the trip.

I had to build the bracket twice before I got something I'm proud of. Took me the whole day.

Tomorrow, I'll mount the shock and see what it feel like.

[escapefjrtist]

Interested in first ride impressions 'pants. Can you post a close up pic of the bottom clevis?

~G

[Hppants]

FIRST – credit goes where it is due. MikeP1300 came over and stuck with me all day to help me do this. I couldn’t get where I am without him.

OK – here is some pictures of what I’m doing

This isn’t the bracket that I’m proud of. This was the first attempt. 1/8” x 2” aluminum flat stock.



The bracket that ended up on the bike had the holes for the adjuster re-located as marked, and the rear end was clipped off in a more rounded and aesthetically appealing manner.

Here’s what it looks like on the bike. As previously indicated, I mounted it in between the rear footpeg and the bike.



This allows it to be tucked under the bike chassis, well out of the way of the tire. Also, I find the bracket to be much more rigid in that there is more meat on both sides of it supporting it.



The OEM bolts for the rear footpeg are about ½ a thread short of what’s available, but I think with red locktight they will be fine. Your thoughts?



I received an insightful tip about possible JB Welding or Epoxying a large nut on the end of the adjuster to allow me to get a socket on it and adjust it while the saddle bag is on. I’m keeping that one in the bank for now, but truthfully, I think I made a big deal about having to remove the saddle bag to adjust the shock. It probably won’t be that important.

Here’s another shot of the shock before it goes into the bike.



The bottom clevis is much beefier than stock and the OEM special bolt fits into it perfectly.









Here’s a shot of the top area of the shock.



Again, much more stout than stock and the bolt fits like a glove.



I took careful measurements of all possible dimensions and I have noted 3 possible discrepancies:

1. The overall length measurement (center of top clevis hole to center of bottom clevis hole) for the new shock is about ¼” longer than the stock shock. I’m theorizing that could be because the old shock is tire and sagged.

2. The diameter of the spring for the new shock is about 3 ¼” v/s about 4” for the stock shock. I have no idea why that is. Is that observed on other aftermarket shocks? The aftermarket has approx. 7 full coils, v/s 6 on the stock. Again – I have no idea what I’m writing about – could be different materials, could be anything. I asked them to spring it for 210 pounds plus 160 pounds of adjustment.

3. The measurement of the top and bottom clevis’ that is concerned with the fit to the bike is off (too short) by about 0.010”. I am hopeful that when proper torque is applied to the bolts, it will close properly?

The hose fitting on the shock for the adjuster is at the proper place (facing rearward), and it appears to be long enough with plenty of space for routing. I may even be able to use the cable support from the stock adjuster to support the hose. I’d be interested in hearing what others have done to address this.

Anyhoo – taking my time. Checking everything twice (no…FIVE times). Having fun, so far….