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Rear Shock...need adjusted or worn out?

B

buckeyeclark

Guest
I have a 1999 R100GS and I noticed the other day that when I am riding two-up the bike will sometimes "bottom out". I read where there is an adjustment; however, I have turned the knob to harder (stiffer or whatever) and have been unable to get the little black screw on the bottom of the
shock to move in either direction. The bike has 39,000 miles. What say you?
 
replace it. it's cooked.
the small screwdriver slotted adjuster is for rebound damping- (clockwise turning slows down the extension of the shock after a compression). the large side knob handles preload. that is the one that you really are concerned with- but stock shocks are really only adequate for about 25-35K miles. get a rebuildable unit (do a search on the subject- its a common question as to which one to get).
 
Rear shock

So can anyone tell me what brands/ types/ manufacturers are known to be reliable with good quality for this bike? I knew from previous bikes that I would have to replace the shock soon I could just use a little guidance please. Thank you all.
 
replace it. it's cooked.
the small screwdriver slotted adjuster is for rebound damping- (clockwise turning slows down the extension of the shock after a compression). the large side knob handles preload. that is the one that you really are concerned with- but stock shocks are really only adequate for about 25-35K miles. get a rebuildable unit (do a search on the subject- its a common question as to which one to get).

*
 
Tons of info on this if you do a search. I spent the $$$$ to put Wilbers on my 94 RS and am STILL impressed by the ride quality and performance 40K after I installed them. They aint cheap, but worth every penny.
 
Wow....


Here is the situation..... I can log onto any website including this website and type out a 5000 word essay on all the reasons I think everyone on here should go out and buy a Chinese made four wheeler. I can type that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.....I can type that 95% of them have lasted 10 + years without so much as an oil change....I can type that all out and you can do a search on it and believe it all...and in the end you are gonna own a piece of crap Chinese made four wheeler that is gonna fall apart next week. This keyboard does not care what I type or how valid my opinions are.....

I just wanted to hear what people, as of today, are saying. I would imagine you could have given me your honest opinion on the subject in the time it took to twice point out your brilliant idea of doing a search on the subject. I do appreciate the fact that you gave me the advice of doing a search; however, if I want to be treated like I am annoying people I could have stayed on the FJR forum where their idea of posting is to rag on each other.... Has this forum changed to something I am unfamiliar with in the several months that I have been gone?
 
Seems we have a few here that enjoy pontificating to the inferiors.

If you restrict your search to this sight you will get opinions that are pretty accurate, as long as you are talking shocks.

I have Ohlins and love them. About 40K on them and they are still good. Would I buy them again, sure. If another brand was $100 cheaper, probably. If another brand was $200 cheaper, nope.

That said, it ain't rocket science, and I really doubt if anyone here could really tell the difference between Ohlins, Wilbers, Hyperpro and who ever else makes these things if properly set up in a true blind test. They are all so much better than what you have, you will wonder why you never did it sooner.

Buy what floats your boat. Put it on, adjust the sag and damping, and then ride.

Rod
 
If you restrict your search to this sight you will get opinions that are pretty accurate, as long as you are talking shocks.I have Ohlins and love them. About 40K on them and they are still good. have them serviced, they will be better. mine start feeling wonky again around 35K or so. still better than stock, but not up to Ohlins standards. Would I buy them again, sure. If another brand was $100 cheaper, probably. If another brand was $200 cheaper, nope.

That said, it ain't rocket science, and I really doubt if anyone here could really tell the difference between Ohlins, Wilbers, Hyperpro and who ever else makes these things if properly set up in a true blind test. They are all so much better than what you have, you will wonder why you never did it sooner.

Buy what floats your boat. Put it on, adjust the sag and damping, and then ride.

Rod

my point excatly. no need to search the world, when the entire world you need to know about is right here.
 
I read where there is an adjustment; however, I have turned the knob to harder (stiffer or whatever) and have been unable to get the little black screw on the bottom of the shock to move in either direction. The bike has 39,000 miles. What say you?

I won't dispute the limits of the stock shocks and I won't dispute the improvement possible from replacing the stocker with one of the premium replacement options.

However, what you have described is caused by the loss of the oil in your preload adjuster. There is a very simple procedure where you open the preload adjuster and refill it with "jack oil" which usually restores the range of setting on that knob so you can adjust your preload to high for two-up riding. This won't turn your rear OEM into a Wilburs or Ohlins but it could fix your immediate issue.

Look here:
http://members.cox.net/slartidbartfast/bmwfix/shock-oil/shock-oil.htm

If your rear shock is beyond use, you could also check with bike breakers and also guys who sell a lot of the replacement shocks; they may have some of the OEM take-offs, some with low mileage.
 
I think one of the problems with forums is the same as the problems with emails. People write things they would never say to your face because it is just plain rude.
I plead guilty to this offence many times over my +35 years of farting around on computers for work and play. It just happens.

Lots of regulars read this forum every day and there are a lot of questions that come up repeatedly simply because we all own the same motorcycles. You know, the reason we come here! It helps to remember that. If you are reading the forum every day in hopes of fresh original problems every day, well, it's not likely to happen.

I have not yet replaced my shocks but at 21,000 miles now I am sure thinking about it! After reading tons of threads on it like this one : http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=26771 it seems to come down to the same four answers most (but not all) the time:
Ohlins, Wilburs, HyperPro and Hagon. I think maybe even in that order too.
Lately there have also been mentions of YSS and others on the forum as well.
You can even get custom made air only shocks from a place in Ontario whose name escapes me at the moment. VERY expensive but supposedly they last a VERY long time and are simple to adjust using only air pressure.

All kinds of solutions out there, all of them ranging from a bit more expensive than the original Showa shocks that come new on BMW bikes but worth the extra cost because you can have them rebuilt easily and save money on the long run.

There is a shop in Ontario that actually does rebuild BMW OEM Showa shocks. It is called Brunos. Here is the link but I notice the shocks part of his new website is still in progress so call or email for details on your shocks I guess. http://www.brunos.us/index.html

I am not going to go this route myself when the time comes since the one thing I read here about shocks that is consistent is that Ohlins, Wilburs, HyperPro and Hagon shocks are ALL way better than the original Showa shocks and worth the expense. Now that I think of it, since winter is coming on... maybe that time is NOW! :whistle
 
If you can afford aftermarket, consider Ohlins or Wilber.
Ohlins will have more rebuild shops and parts if needed.
Wilber will be a couple of hundred cheaper.
IF you are working on a tight budget, contact this guy, he can rebuild stock shocks:
http://www.acceltechracing.com/about.htm
 
Don't look at the cost as spent $$ like tires, as when you sell the bike, it will be worth more, or install the OEM and sell the aftermarket and recoup on average 2/3 of the original cost.

So take the $$, and divide by 3 to get the real cost of the purchase. Then add the better ride and handling you will enjoy in the mean time, and it is a win-win.
 
Here's another after market shock question. Maybe you Ohlins and Wilburs owners know...
I notice that when you need to get under the alternator cover to check or replace your HES or your alternator belt an Ohlins shock is too big to allow removal of the cover.
Is this also the case with Wilburs or HyperPro or YSS or ??

To me that is a negative on the Ohlins front shock.
 
If you can afford aftermarket, consider Ohlins or Wilber.
Ohlins will have more rebuild shops and parts if needed.
Wilber will be a couple of hundred cheaper.
IF you are working on a tight budget, contact this guy, he can rebuild stock shocks:
http://www.acceltechracing.com/about.htm

anyone who can rebuild shocks can rebuild any brand at all, as long as they have access to parts. the work & guts is pretty much the same.
 
Here's another after market shock question. Maybe you Ohlins and Wilburs owners know...
I notice that when you need to get under the alternator cover to check or replace your HES or your alternator belt an Ohlins shock is too big to allow removal of the cover.
Is this also the case with Wilburs or HyperPro or YSS or ??

To me that is a negative on the Ohlins front shock.

I have a Wilburs up front on my R11S. i only need to pull the fairing off to give me adequate room for removal/install of the shock, and no need to remove shock to get the alternator cover off the bike. have never had an HES issue, so don't know about that. Have changed alt belt a few times, no concern. no idea about an Ohlins up front.
 
I have a Wilburs up front on my R11S. i only need to pull the fairing off to give me adequate room for removal/install of the shock, and no need to remove shock to get the alternator cover off the bike. have never had an HES issue, so don't know about that. Have changed alt belt a few times, no concern. no idea about an Ohlins up front.

That's good to know. So Wilbur shocks must have a slightly smaller dimension spring on them. That alone would have me leaning towards Wilbur when the time comes on my 1100RT. With 21k miles on it now it won't be long I suspect.
 
http://www.bmwmoa.org/flea/detail.php?siteid=33159&catid=2


I see you have multiple bikes which is the way to go!! Flea market somtimes has used stock or replacement schocks for sale. Patience on these items will always save you $$$$:dance

that's a crappy deal.
those shocks are not just used, they are used UP!
25-35K is about the extent of the useful lifespan of a set of stockers. those would be a good set to buy if you already owned Ollies or Wilburs, and wanted a spare set to install for those times when the good ones were getting rebuilt, and you "needed" a running bike. otherwise- total waste of $.
 
I understand the rationale of buying a used/salvage shock for the $$$$ savings. But is it really any savings? I would only buy a stock OEM used/salvage shock if I knew it had less than 10,000miles of use on it. Any stock OEM shock with miles on it close to 30,000 is used up and crap, probably no better than the shock it replaces.

Then cost to purchase. To me, a stock OEM shock would only be a deal for $50 or far less. Again, it has to do with the useable life. IF the shock is confirmed to only have about 10,000 miles on it, and it can be bought for $50, then it may be good for about 10,000 miles of use, which for me is one riding season. Now if I do the installation work myself there is some savings. But to pay a shop to install a used shock is money wasted too.

Plus I am convinced now, after three seasons, and three front tires (I go about 10K to 12K on front sport touring tires), with a good quality non-OEM shock on the front, my front tires no longer cup/scallop/wear significantly on the left side. So a crappy worn out front shock also leads to accelerated front tire wear. What savings is there in that OEM shock then?
 
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