Leaking mono shock

[spear]

Greetings all.

I've done a search on the site in relation to leaking mono shocks, and am amazed at the result. My mono has just started to drip oil (at 27,000kms) and from my reading of other posts and threads in relation to the same subject I gather that there is a general problem with the unit. Some of you had them replaced by Yammie - both in and out of warranty? Any idea what the problem would be, and what is involved in fixing it? Is it just a seal that needs replacing, or am I up for an entire new unit? Any idea what they're worth?

Thanks guys (and gals) - looking forward to your replies.

Cheers.

[Gold Rush]

Howdy Steve,

 

I just replaced the shock in my 2000 MM a few months ago... The bike had around 23,000 on it then...

 

This shock is not rebuildable - must be replaced. Best price I found (close to $400) was at Powers Motor Sports. Here's the link...

 

http://www.powersedge.net/pages/parts/viewbybrand/2/Yamaha.aspx

 

 

It's not a hard job. You do not have to totally disassemble the bike like the repair manual says... Just pull the rear wheel and you can reach up in there to do the swap out.

 

I'm hoping they have fixed the design problem with this replacement shock. It is slightly different so maybe the new design will last longer..

 

Hope that helped..... :245:

[arhayes]

Spear - with an '04, you can have yours replaced under warranty. Mine on my '05 with 24k just started leaking last week while we were in WV. Guess it is to the shop for me as well.

[spear]

Spear - with an '04, you can have yours replaced under warranty. Mine on my '05 with 24k just started leaking last week while we were in WV. Guess it is to the shop for me as well.

Sorry Al.

Only 2 years warranty here in Australia.

I sent my Yammie dealer an email this afternoon and he rang me just on an hour ago. He said he can have the unit re-built for me overnight.

Don't know how much he's had to do with these things, although he used to ride one a couple of years ago. There's not a lot of them in Australia. I'd love to tackle Yamaha-Australia on the issue of a free replacement, but I fear I'll be doing this!

[Squeeze]

Sorry Al.

Only 2 years warranty here in Australia.

I sent my Yammie dealer an email this afternoon and he rang me just on an hour ago. He said he can have the unit re-built for me overnight.

Don't know how much he's had to do with these things, although he used to ride one a couple of years ago. There's not a lot of them in Australia. I'd love to tackle Yamaha-Australia on the issue of a free replacement, but I fear I'll be doing this!

 

Rebuild is a Way to extend the Lifetime of this mssing Unit. It will come back to you later down the Road.

 

Why are you afraid of Yamaha, regardless of the expired Warranty? The Shock should not fail at this Mileage on a Touring Bike. I'd go for a new from Yamaha, after i would have replaced mine with a Aftermarket Replacement. Once they gave me the new Unit back, i'd sell it.

 

That would cut the Cost for the Aftermarket Part and give you a Lot of fearless Miles ahead.

[spear]

Rebuild is a Way to extend the Lifetime of this mssing Unit. It will come back to you later down the Road.

 

Why are you afraid of Yamaha, regardless of the expired Warranty? The Shock should not fail at this Mileage on a Touring Bike. I'd go for a new from Yamaha, after i would have replaced mine with a Aftermarket Replacement. Once they gave me the new Unit back, i'd sell it.

 

That would cut the Cost for the Aftermarket Part and give you a Lot of fearless Miles ahead.

 

I'm not afraid of Yamaha. We have the unusual situation her in Oz (due to the much smaller population than North America, and the fewer number of bikes) of being in a minority. I could hassle Yamaha, ask them for a new unit 'under warranty' and it could take months. Meanwhile, I want to ride NOW. My dealer tells me that the unit could 'give way at any minute'. He says even though it has developed a slow leak of oil now, when it goes 100% it will just go - WHAM! Anybody else had other experiences on these things going AWOL?

 

BTW - to give you an idea of our population. Landmass wise, Australia is about the same as the USA - but our entire population is the same as New York City.

[sarges46]

I dont know about "WAM" but the ride will get alot more bouncy! Having failure so bad it causes you to wreck is not likely but you would feel it for sure. Many have rode with the bad shock (as long as it holds air) until the new ones arrived for replacement.

 

Everyone is right.....you would think after all these years that they would have the shock so it doesnt fail.

[spear]

Typical, isn't it. Took the RSV to my Yammie dealer mate today. He rang Yamaha-Australia and there is not a new unit in Australia. Not even an after-market one. Closest one is in Japan, and RRP is $890. Ouch! Worst case scenario is a total rebuild for around $400 - plus his labour to remove and refit. Least case scenario is a new seal - plus labour both ways. We wait and see what can be done. Meanwhile, it's back to the second class luxury of the Subaru Outback.

[Squeeze]

I'm not afraid of Yamaha. We have the unusual situation her in Oz (due to the much smaller population than North America, and the fewer number of bikes) of being in a minority. I could hassle Yamaha, ask them for a new unit 'under warranty' and it could take months. Meanwhile, I want to ride NOW. My dealer tells me that the unit could 'give way at any minute'. He says even though it has developed a slow leak of oil now, when it goes 100% it will just go - WHAM! Anybody else had other experiences on these things going AWOL?

 

BTW - to give you an idea of our population. Landmass wise, Australia is about the same as the USA - but our entire population is the same as New York City.

 

Hey, i know about the Population/Size Relation in Australia. No need to remind me about this Situation.

 

Your Dealer is right in his Statement, once a Leak starts, it can go south any Minute. The Seal is defective and so nobody knows...

 

In other Words, that's what i've said before, get yourself a Oehlins, White Power, Progressive or any other good Aftermarket Product and be done with it forever. You can go riding and love to new and of Course better Suspension of your Bike. Only negative miight be, you wil bang your Head while asking yourself, ahy yu haven't done it Years before.

 

Months after your Complaint to Yamaha you will hopefully get something back and if this Return would be a new Shock, you could sell this one.

 

This Behaviour of the Manufacturers is similiar around the World. A Repair of your defective Unit will not solve this Issue forever. Just my 2Cents ...

[arhayes]

Steve,

 

You might contact Rick Haferkamp at Buckeye Performance. I would think he could get you a stock, or better yet a Works shock, pretty quickly. Good luck!

[spear]

Steve,

 

You might contact Rick Haferkamp at Buckeye Performance. I would think he could get you a stock, or better yet a Works shock, pretty quickly. Good luck!

Thanks for that Al.

I just sent Rick an email. You just never know. He might be able to land me one here in Oz far cheaper than the local ones that don't even exist.

I'm prepared to wait! ! !

[spear]

My Yammie dealer rang Yamaha-Australia whilst I was in his store, and put it to them that my shock failed after 27,000kms and the bike was just 5 months out of warranty. They didn't want to know about it. They would have come to the party if I was the original owner and I bought it from him. How discriminatory is that? I can see this whole exercise is going to cost me around a grand - parts and labour. Expensive little oil leak, eh?

[Tartan Terror]

It wont go just like Wham! It does have oil in it but it also has a spring. It will bounce a little but i rode mine for a good two months waiting for the warranty replacement to come in. Just pump the air up a little. If its not under warranty get the Works shock. I think they will warranty it you just have to call Yamaha and complain. The new number for the shock has apparntly fixed the long standing failure problem. Just tell them you are aware of the high failures and also go to the tech section on here and you will see a disected rear shock for the RSV by Rick Butler.

[spear]

I sent Rick an email at Buckeye last night, and there this morning in my 'in tray' was a very detailed reply. I asked for prices landed in Australia and he obliged. I can get the Works unit from him landed at my front door $AU200 cheaper than buying the genuine (dud) Yamaha her in Oz. Yay for free trade. I asked my dealer to re-install the shock and I will pick the bike up tomorrow and bring it home. I'm then going to pursue Yamaha-Australia with a vengeance once I get all the technical data that I can find on this site and elsewhere, to see if I can get some sort of warranty, subsidy or compensation. We'll see. The amount of money potentially involved will make it worthwhile methinks. I'll let you know how I go. Naturally my dealer wasn't happy when I told him what I can get the unit/s for (Works and Yammie original) - but stiff! It's my money and his business. If he wants a union, then he's gotta come to the party.

[spear]

Have had a few emails back and forward from Yamaha-Australia, and they've disowned me. Reckon because the bike is out of warranty it's my problem. I asked if there had been any other reports of shockie failure in Australia and they said they were not aware of any. That's a BIG deal, because there is only about 50 of them in the country. Different story to the ratio between machines and failing shockies in the rest of the world - especially North America. I'm about to order a Works unit from the States. Can land that here for around $200 less than Yamahahahaha wants for a genuine (and apparently defective) Yamaha unit in Oz. The Yammie dealer who inspected my bike made a strut to bolt in to replace the shock whilst it was out, and he gave that to me for when I put the new unit in. Very decent of him, considering he'll probably never see another one in his lifetime.

[Orrin]

Sounds like you have a good dealer. Glad to hear it. Please see Debelt's thread.

[BradT]

I may have missed it but can these be rebuilt. ? Seems someone said they can not be rebuilt but your dealer says he can ??

 

Mine is starting to leak as well. Anyone with an active warranty want to change theirs with me ??

 

Brad

[spear]

I may have missed it but can these be rebuilt. ? Seems someone said they can not be rebuilt but your dealer says he can ??

Brad - my dealer is one of the longest standing and bigger Yamaha dealers in this state. He sells a lot of trail and ag bikes (including quads) and he has a guy in Sydney who he says can re-build ANY shockie - at a price. Reckons mine can be done for around the $600 mark, which makes it $300 cheaper than a newie - here in Oz. I can import a genuine for around the same money, or as I'm doing, outlaying a couple of extra $$$ and importing the Works unit from Rick. It's called economics and common-sense I suppose.

[99silver]

Steve, Don't let the stealer keep your shock, he would most likely

trade it in for a new one and charge a honest customer for a new

one at hostage prices.

Gary

[BradT]

he has a guy in Sydney who he says can re-build ANY shockie - at a price. .

 

That is what I can not understand. These should be able to be rebuilt as they had to go together at one time, so they must be able to come apart.

 

There was a company in the Maritimes that re-chromes the cylinders and puts new seals in a Hydraulic cylinder, for about 100 bucks.

 

Not sure the difference but I was planning on looking around. We have a few good shops around here. Most likely will not get to it untill spring.

 

Brad

[Rick Butler]

Steve,

 

I'm sorry but the OEM shock on a RS Venture CANNOT be rebuilt under any circumstances, regardless of how many shocks this guy in Sidney has rebuit in the past. These shocks are completely machine press sealed together. But go ahead and take it to him and watch the look on his face when he takes the rubber boot off of it.

 

You can order the OEM shock (Part No 4XY-22210-10-10) from Flatout Motorcycles http://www.flatoutmotorcycles.com/fiche_section_detail.asp

on-line for $350.75 US and it looks like they will ship anywhere. However they only give this price for an on-line order since there is no staff involved in the order. Otherwise Works Performance is the only aftermarket company that makes a replacement shock for our bike for around $600.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

[spear]

Thanks Rick.

That's what I love about this forum. The advice - and plenty of it.

I'm in the throes of ordering a Works unit from (the other) Rick.

Cheers.

[BradT]

Steve,

 

I'm sorry but the OEM shock on a RS Venture CANNOT be rebuilt under any circumstances, regardless of how many shocks this guy in Sidney has rebuit in the past. These shocks are completely machine press sealed together. But go ahead and take it to him and watch the look on his face when he takes the rubber boot off of it.

Rick

 

THanks for the info Rick. I assume they may shrink fit them together, which can come apart but may distort everthing in the process.

 

Makes no sense, to me. (Other than replacement parts business)

 

BRad