My new used GSXR shock

[LeeGS550E]

For those that have put a late model GSXR shock on their later model GS's, I'd like to know how much of a difference you felt in the feel. I put an '05 600/750 shock on my bike this evening that I got off of ebay. Since my frame is stripped bare, its hard to tell how its carrying the weight...it seems a bit stiff. I put all of my weight (all 150 pounds of it) on the tail of the bike and was barely able to get it to compress. It seems a bit sticky too, and I'm wondering if I bought a bad shock. I backed off the spring and turned the dampening nobs to the "S" as far as possible. I'm gonna head back out to the garage and try compressing it with some combination of ratchet straps and 4x4's to see if it is indeed bent. Anyway, just want some advise on how it should feel and maybe how I could test it for a bend. Thanks.

P.S. If I never reply to this thread its because a compressed GSXR shock unloaded and shot a 4x4 through my skull.

[Nicholaschase29]

I bought a full floater shock off ebay, I could not compress it with the lowest spring preload and dampning and I figured it was frozen, when it was on the bike to my amazement it worked fine. Is your swing arm in?

[LeeGS550E]

Yeah, the swingarm's in (can't get it off-the pivot bolt is frozen in, but the bearings are still good. That problem is for next week. ). Anyway, I just put the front fork back on so that I can get a little more weight on the rear. I'm gonna head back out, put the shock back in, and try leveraging more weight on there. I'm hoping I have the same situation that you did. Hoping.

[LeeGS550E]

I was able to get about 1" of compression on the shock by sticking an 8' 4x4 into the frame, giving me a pivot arm out over the subframe of the bike. I figure I had about 75 lbs of force pulling perpendicular to the 4x4, thus giving me a moment of about 600 lb-ft at the pivot (75 lbs x 8'=600lb ft? I think I did that right). Anyway, I don't think I'll really know until I get the engine loaded back in there. All else fails, I buy another shock, and if it feels the same with the engine as this shock feels, I'll just re-sell it.

[Nicholaschase29]

do you have your old shock, and is it good? try putting it in and see if you get close to the same results.

[skreemer]

I put a 2000 GSXR 600 rear on mine and I get about an inch and 3/4's to two inches of compression when I sit my 240 pound fat bottom on the bike...

the new shocks are stiffer to begin with than the old ones... though I'm not sure if there is a difference between the rears off a 600 and a larger displacement bike...

[terbang]

I recently grafted a GSXR1000K4 rear shock into a 1998 1200 Bandit. The shock was 30mm longer and I had to make some small frame mods and fab up some new dog bone linkages to get the geometry and ride height correct. The Gixxer spring was way too heavy for the bandit so after a bit of trial and error I settled for an Eibach spring (can't remember the number off hand). I was surprised how light I had to go on the spring as the Gixxer shock has nitrogen springing as well. A lot of work to make things right but I ended up with a very compiant ride in the rear that also had a lot of adjustment.

[LeeGS550E]

Yeah, the compression rate from my linkage vs that of the GSXR is something I'll have to tweak with. I'm guessing that rather than a bent shock, its just a much stiffer spring. Or at least I'm hoping. Hopefully someone wanders by this thread that has a GSXR shock on a 550 or 700 so they can tell me how theirs feels. Anyone?

[skreemer]

Yeah, the compression rate from my linkage vs that of the GSXR is something I'll have to tweak with. I'm guessing that rather than a bent shock, its just a much stiffer spring. Or at least I'm hoping. Hopefully someone wanders by this thread that has a GSXR shock on a 550 or 700 so they can tell me how theirs feels. Anyone?

umm *points two posts up*

It's gonna be stiffer. I think the GSXR1K spring is stiffer than the GSXR600... and both at stiffer by far than the original even when new.

My old gs550E shock moved 3 to 3.5 inches in the back when I sat on it. The adjustment unit was busted... I went to the GSXR rear and it stiffened right up 1.75 to 2 inches when I perch on it... the ride is alot rougher and you feel everything in the road but no more unsettling porpoise action into the corners...

[kingofvenus]

The '97 750 shock that is now on my '83 is a lot stiffer than the worn out stocker was. At full soft on the pre-load I'm getting about an inch of sag when I park my 230 lb butt on the seat. Works well with the 600 kat front end that is on it.

[LeeGS550E]

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess I'll quit worrying about the shock. My frame paint is a few days out...hope to get it ready this weekend!