Signs of a bad rear shock?

[bugfish69]

The rear shock on my 05 RSV will not hold air pressure for a full ride. I start out with 40# and after a days ride it is down to 20# or less. Is this normal? I have seen mention of oil leaking and I don't see anything dripping or wet. There is however a lot of grease buildup on the bottom of the shock.

 

What should I test or look for to confirm a bad shock?

 

What affect would a bad shock have on handling?

[Eck]

The rear shock should hold the air pressure for days.....months..

 

You can squirt soapy water on the air lines going from the air fitting behind the seat on right side to the shock to see if you can find the leak. Make sure you take the protective cap off in case it is leaking in the valve stem.

If you cant find it, you can take it to the dealer for it is covered under your warranty.

 

As for checking to see if your shock is leaking, lay down on the right side of the bike with bike on kickstand. Using your fingers, lift up on the rubber boot around the bottom of the shock. If you see signs of any oil, it's leaking..

[SteveP]

My rear shock was holding air fine, but was leaking oil. Just check up under the boot like Eck advises above.

 

Got it replaced under warranty without any trouble.

[Seaking]

The rear shock on my 05 RSV will not hold air pressure for a full ride. I start out with 40# and after a days ride it is down to 20# or less. Is this normal? I have seen mention of oil leaking and I don't see anything dripping or wet. There is however a lot of grease buildup on the bottom of the shock.

 

What should I test or look for to confirm a bad shock?

 

What affect would a bad shock have on handling?

 

If losing air is the only prob, it should be easier to fix / resolve than if you lost your oil which meas your shock is pooched..

 

Though a shock will hold air and give you some bounce, it will NOT give you a good rebound sensation if the oil is gooshed out.. I didn't realize that my rear shock was shot on my 06 until this week when Slydoc pointed it out to me and the tech who was able to fix my bike also confirmed it.. Under warranty replacement for me..

 

But do as someone mentioned, soapy water looking for air leaks.. could be the filler line or valve that needs tendering up..

[V7Goose]

Your 05 should still be under warranty, so if you can't figure it out, get the shop to fix it for you before it is too late.

 

Your shock should hold the same pressure for YEARS. It should never leak. Most likely, it is just a loose valve core.

 

The oil and air parts of the shock are completely separate. The air works like a spring (just like a ball), and the oil works to dampen the spring and make it not bounce. The most common failure of this shock is for the oil to leak out, but the shock continues to hold air and bounce a lot. Good luck,

Goose