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Suspension upgrade or rebuild in EU


Walker1

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7 hours ago, Magneto said:

Based on quick search I am thinking those are Showa forks, have some of the owners here confirm it though. I am lucky to have Kayabas (KYB) forks on all my Japanese bikes.

6 minutes ago, Dutchy said:

SHOWA

Thanks guys.

Ok, the most complicated part of this job seems to be sourcing all of the parts.

 

The forks may need a servicing and they may also need fresh springs to suit my weight. From what I understand is the stock springs are suited to a 155lb rider. I’m around 180 without gear.

 

I’ve spoken to a specialist here in Ireland and have done some calculations in regards to the title of this thread.

Firstly, if I were to go with DMR in America and have it shipped it would cost 800 euro for the shock and 600 for the forks which would still need servicing (new seals, oil etc) totalling 1400 euros plus service (not sure of the cost)

 

The specialists recommended a wilbers (640 i believe) rear shock for 580 euros and wilbers progressive springs for the front for 160 euros. Totalling 740 euros plus service (not sure of the cost) which i may be able to get them to do if I also get them to fit the shocks.

 

What I was thinking is; ordering DMR rear shock =800 euros and wilbers progressive springs for the front =160 euros plus the price of service and fitting =960+??

 

What are you’re thoughts and opinions on this.

Would the difference between wilbers rear shock and DMR rear shock be worth the 240 euros extra?

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Alright 👍 from what I can tell oem seals directly from Honda are cheapest at 17 bucks per set, per side at Partzilla. That is cheap. 

Assuming you can do the work yourself I would do front forks - oil and seals, take it for a spin to see how it ride and go from there...

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15 hours ago, Magneto said:

Alright 👍 from what I can tell oem seals directly from Honda are cheapest at 17 bucks per set, per side at Partzilla. That is cheap. 

Assuming you can do the work yourself I would do front forks - oil and seals, take it for a spin to see how it ride and go from there...

Yes sir. Appreciate your patience. I’ve found the genuine seals €30 a set.. can find 10w fork oil €10 here handy so may give it a go sure! All I need now is pvc piping and a syringe haha.

What pvc piping did you use.. have a picture of that?

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5 hours ago, Walker1 said:

Yes sir. Appreciate your patience. I’ve found the genuine seals €30 a set.. can find 10w fork oil €10 here handy so may give it a go sure! All I need now is pvc piping and a syringe haha.

What pvc piping did you use.. have a picture of that?

 

We have to stop for a moment where in privacy of your heart you answer a question what you want the bike to do - naughty  or nice. If you want nice, more comfortable  ride over bad roads I would go with light oil, not medium you have listed. 

Mind it is not permanent change, you can go back to heavier oils without issues. There are plenty of threads that can be searched, here or on another board,  discussing fork oil viscosity to provide more information.

PVC driver is easily made, I usually grab whatever Ieftover piece in the garage. Once splitter, pipe half can be formed to exact fork tube diameter by heating it up and pressing around fork tube. 

I have started separate album dedicated to maintenance and repairs, I need to load more pics to it. 

 

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On 3/12/2021 at 5:46 AM, Walker1 said:

Yes sir. Appreciate your patience. I’ve found the genuine seals €30 a set.. can find 10w fork oil €10 here handy so may give it a go sure! All I need now is pvc piping and a syringe haha.

What pvc piping did you use.. have a picture of that?

 

I wasn’t able to upload photos to my Maintenance album, something doesn’t work right

 

See this guy below, he has OK idea. I do not use clamp myself or drifts/ hammer to seat a seal. Firm grasp of gloved hand and few bumps with fork tube and pvc working like slide hammer gets job done. 

 

https://blog.touratech-usa.com/2020/04/16/make-your-own-fork-seal-driver/

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On 3/11/2021 at 6:25 PM, Walker1 said:

Thanks guys.

Ok, the most complicated part of this job seems to be sourcing all of the parts.

 

The forks may need a servicing and they may also need fresh springs to suit my weight. From what I understand is the stock springs are suited to a 155lb rider. I’m around 180 without gear.

 

I’ve spoken to a specialist here in Ireland and have done some calculations in regards to the title of this thread.

Firstly, if I were to go with DMR in America and have it shipped it would cost 800 euro for the shock and 600 for the forks which would still need servicing (new seals, oil etc) totalling 1400 euros plus service (not sure of the cost)

 

The specialists recommended a wilbers (640 i believe) rear shock for 580 euros and wilbers progressive springs for the front for 160 euros. Totalling 740 euros plus service (not sure of the cost) which i may be able to get them to do if I also get them to fit the shocks.

 

What I was thinking is; ordering DMR rear shock =800 euros and wilbers progressive springs for the front =160 euros plus the price of service and fitting =960+??

 

What are you’re thoughts and opinions on this.

Would the difference between wilbers rear shock and DMR rear shock be worth the 240 euros extra?

Fellow Irishman here (well, Corkonian).

 

Have you taken a look at YSS shocks and springs? They get good reviews and aren't bad, price-wise. They're rebuildable too.

 

On my VFR 750, I replaced the factory forks springs with springs from Progressive Suspension USA (I can't find the ebay store I got them from, it was about 6 years ago or so). YSS and Hyperpro also do progressive springs and are easy to find. Anyway, I replaced the oil (which was like water) with Motul 10w fork oil (different brands have different viscosities, Motul's 10w is different from, say, Castrol's...it's a weird thing with fork oil.) That change transformed the front end of the bike, it doesn't dive uncontrollably, braking is better, it steers and feels nicer. Note that you might need to make up a new fork spacer if the new springs are shorter or longer than the originals. Mine were longer than standard so I'd to dump the steel spacers which were in there originally and just cut some PVC pipe to act as new, shorter, spacers. 

 

I had the original Showa rear shock rebuilt by MCT in the UK for about €220 back in 2015. They did a fine job, although I don't think the shock was that bad in the first place. I don't know if there would be import duties on used parts which are being refurbed - check that out. 

 

As for PVC pipe, just go to a DIY place and look for white PVC pipe like you'd use to connect up a sink/basin - cut that in half, use a couple of hose clamps to keep them together around the upper fork tube and then use those as a slide hammer to pop the new fork seal into place (use the old seal as a cushion so the PVC isn't hitting the new seal directly). I'm not a huge fan of this guy's videos but this explains the process pretty well with home tools, nothing fancy: 

 

This one is also good:

 

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On 3/11/2021 at 11:23 PM, Walker1 said:

Ok. My question is then.. how do i find the OEM fork manufacturer!

You've probably already found it.  If you take the front mudguard off you may find a manufacturer's sticker (at least from Showa) on the inside of the fork leg, close to where the caliper mounts.

For quality video instruction on all aspects of motorcycle repair and maintenance I would recommend the Ichiban Moto series of videos.  They are bad ass...

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Looks like you're well taken care of with all the advice above! 

 

Check the age and condition of your tires.

 

Certainly consider the bushing replacement as 30K is a good time to replace, and it's easy while they (the forks) are apart. 

 

As above, google search the fork oil viscosity comparison chart, as many oils are all over the map for 5 weight, 7 weight, 10 weight etc... they have an index for 40°C and 100°C

 

A good suspension shop can re-valve your forks and/or shock for you at a decent price, or you can buy the aftermarket shocks mentioned above. But first, have someone look at your bike and check it over, as most folks think the 750's and 800's are way too soft in stock form. Old tires, old oil, etc can make a soft suspension feel harsh (bottoming, too quick rebound, etc. )

 

Make sure you adjust the preload to get the proper sag, so you are using everything the suspension has to offer - both front and rear, and 1-up + 2-up.

 

Last step, ride that thing and enjoy it!

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On 3/11/2021 at 11:14 AM, Magneto said:

Based on quick search I am thinking those are Showa forks, have some of the owners here confirm it though. I am lucky to have Kayabas (KYB) forks on all my Japanese bikes.

 

All Honda sport/touring bike forks I know of prior to the VFR1200 (so, from ca. 1990-2010) used Showa suspension, both ends.  I think the VFR1200 went to Kayaba; not sure what happened after that.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

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10 hours ago, JZH said:

 

All Honda sport/touring bike forks I know of prior to the VFR1200 (so, from ca. 1990-2010) used Showa suspension, both ends.  I think the VFR1200 went to Kayaba; not sure what happened after that.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

Showa and Mr. Honda worked together around Nakajima aircraft company starting in early 40 developing imperial naval air power. After war both went for producing consumer goods. Most likely in the same keiretsu...

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Just an update! I have not taken the forks apart just yet..

I have adjusted the sag both front and back and went on a short spin. This has changed handling in corners abit.

 

Only problem is I have full preload on the front and the sag is not low enough (37mm) but pretty close. Will look into proper linear springs for my weight. Then I’ll service the forks!

 

I found these guys here a a potential option for a rear shock. Any experience? https://shock-factory.fr/fr/content/9-amortisseur-m-shock-2

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Member Contributer
On 3/27/2021 at 8:14 PM, Walker1 said:

I found these guys here a a potential option for a rear shock. Any experience? https://shock-factory.fr/fr/content/9-amortisseur-m-shock-2

Last year I was in same dilemma regarding suspension, and I wrote them, placing an order. Newer heard from them!! Product look a-OK! As I remember they were moving to France at the moment.

Instead I vent with: H0091CLU11 BITUBO REAR SHOCK ABSORBER HONDA VFR 800 (NO ABS) 1998-2002,found it on eBay, custom made in my spec , fully adjustable. Haven’t looked back since 🙂

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D9A46457-9CE9-4E8D-AC71-3A70DB808901.jpeg

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