Installed my Works shock today

[ablumny]

My shock shipped on time and arrived yesterday from Works. Followed the instructions on the other Venture site and in under an hour i was test riding it. Other them removing the right side saddle bag for visability, i didnt remove any other major part. A swivel socket and extension bar did the trick for the top bolt and the old crusty shock dropped out. New one fit right in there with mild persuassion. Easy job.

 

(Another big thumbs up for my CarbonOne lift adapter)

 

I measured the sag or whatever its called and it seemed to be pre set. Initial ride was great but after 2 months of no shock anything would have been an improvement. Im sure this thing will work out great.

 

bTW, Hagon Shocks called me this week to tell me they finally got the heavy weight springs in stock. Too late for me but i was going with them based on reviews, one year longer warranty and a better price. Hagon might now be an option if your built like me (big boned )

[Phoneman1981]

Interesting, thanks for posting!

[ablumny]

3 hour ride on the new shock. I equate the ride feel to sitting on a "super pinky". Anyone remember those very firm foam balls you'd play stick ball with? Too firm I suspect. Ill play with the rebound adjuster next......otherwise it's still great!

[FuzzyRSTD]

Thanks for posting. Please keep us posted on the good news and how it adjusts and so on.

[Seaking]

Yeah the 'rebound' adjustment takes some playing with to find that just perfect feel.. But the "sag" as they describe in the adjustment directions is where the firmness or stiffness of the ride comes in..

 

I installed mine this past winter and rode most of the spring on what I thought were good settings for the roads around here.. but after smashing into a harsh pot hole on the I95 I found the settings needed to be readjusted once again.. According to the superb tech support I got, the shock was deemed to be OK but needed to be re-adjusted.. and all was good after that.. Just a freak pot hole incident that killed my front tire though..

 

I keep my front forks at 6psi with the progressive springs in them and I end up with a nice stiff ride that cuts the curves well and handle quite responsively for a massive bike like this..

 

BTW, when you adjust your rebound screw, do you feel it "click" into position or does it just turn without feeling clicks?

[ablumny]

Going to make some adjustments tomorrow. Yes, the rebound adjuster has clicks as its turned. I tried b4 install. Each click position was about 1/8 around.

[Skid]

I'm still adjusting mine yet. It is getting better with each adjustment. It easy to install and adjust when necessary.

[ablumny]

Well I'm feeling pretty lucky. Spent a good amount if time in adjyst mode yesterday and what worked best for me was leaving the spring tension where it was at and adjusting the rebound damper two clicks softer. Feeling like the right ride now.

 

Probably an obvious suggestion : I marked the starting position of the spanner nut and the rebound adjuster with a Sharpie since these were supposed to be ideal settings by the tech based on my profile and ride style.

 

Also. I was concerned about the difficulty in making adjustments given how buried the shock is. The rebound adjuster is easily accessible. With the right side passenger floorboard and plastic cover behind it off and using the tool Works ships (see orig photo) the spring tension is easy to adjust as well.

 

Happy Works customer

[Billet]

Got my new Works shock last Thursday wonder why you got a red spring and I got a blue one.

Usually springs are color coded for different weights.

[ablumny]

2-Up, 5 hour ride today and the ride quality was great. Not too stiff and not bouncy. Pretty happy with the settings, the shock and the company.

 

*however now i can identify a problem in the front end. Hit the brakes hard enough and theres a clicking. Get it up on the jack and the front end swings pretty freely with a little bounce back on both sides. I assume the steering nut needs to be tightened. I see a way to snug it up without taking the front end apart. ....ugh!

 

Red spring , Blue spring? I assume the red one is for us heavy weights

[Seaking]

*however now i can identify a problem in the front end. Hit the brakes hard enough and theres a clicking. Get it up on the jack and the front end swings pretty freely with a little bounce back on both sides. I assume the steering nut needs to be tightened. I see a way to snug it up without taking the front end apart. ....ugh!

 

I just had my steering bearings replaced properly in June and it still have that nice bounce back as it should, forks evenly balanced with 6 PSI and with progressive springs in them (I like a stiff ride

 

And I too have that 'click or tick tick' when coming onto the front brakes.. not distracting or loud or overly cause for issue but curious to know what's causing it.. I checked everything up closed, torque checked everything and there is nothing amiss.. All is good.. But curious to know what might be causing that little noise..

 

I notice it more when coming to a stop sign / light and applying the front brake sharply..

 

ideas?

[ablumny]

I just had my steering bearings replaced properly in June and it still have that nice bounce back as it should, forks evenly balanced with 6 PSI and with progressive springs in them (I like a stiff ride

 

And I too have that 'click or tick tick' when coming onto the front brakes.. not distracting or loud or overly cause for issue but curious to know what's causing it.. I checked everything up closed, torque checked everything and there is nothing amiss.. All is good.. But curious to know what might be causing that little noise..

 

I notice it more when coming to a stop sign / light and applying the front brake sharply..

 

ideas?

 

I thought i read that there should not be any bounce back when the wheels off the ground and the front end is pushed to one side. I get one click in the bars when i hit the front brake every time. I assumed the while thing is loose. .....will look at it tomorrow.

[Seaking]

I thought i read that there should not be any bounce back when the wheels off the ground and the front end is pushed to one side. I get one click in the bars when i hit the front brake every time. I assumed the while thing is loose. .....will look at it tomorrow.

 

With the bike up on a stand, and the front end allowed to make contact with the steering stops, a properly adjusted steering system should allow you to push the bars freely to one side until they make contact with the steering stops, bounce once and come back to rest against the stops.. (If you have risers, make sure those aren't making contact with the plastic cover on the tank..)

 

Too tight and they might not make it to the stops or hit the stops and not bounce back.. Make for stiff steering.

 

Too loose and they hit the stops and keep on bouncing.. bouncing... until they come to a rest against the stops. Makes for sloppy steering and worn out bearings..

 

While the bike is up on the stand, grab the lower forks at the axle while the bars are straight and pull forward and push backwards, there should not be any play in there either.. if you have play in there, it will feel like a thunk thunk.. a sign your bearing may be done..

 

Hope that helps.. (and if someone feels my info is erroneous, please do correct me)

[allwx]

There's always a little play in the foks between the forktubes and the lowers, or what the book calls the inner tube and the outer tube. There shouldn't be much play, but with the bike elevated, a normal set of forks will have a tiny amount of play when you push and pull at the axle. One might be deceived into thinking that this play is in the steering, but it isn't. Also, it is possible to have a loose steering bearing that doesn't reveal itself with the push-pull-elevated-forks test.

 

I had a CBR that developed a "rattle" when going over rough surface, and the mechanic at the dealer thought it was because of too much play in the forks. I had tried the elevated forks push pull test many times, but all I could feel was the normal play in the fork tubes. He "rebuilt" the forks but afterward the rattle was still there. Neither of us suspected the sterring bearings being a little loose, but that was the problem all along. I put a tad more tight on the bearings and everyting was normal after that. Only cost me $200 for the fork work, LOL.

[ablumny]

Thanks guys. Im checking the front end again this weekend. Appreciate the tips.

[ablumny]

My Works shock is working great, been about 1k mikes. Made another round of adjustments to rebound adjuster and the ride is perfect.

 

As far as the front end; on the lift, front wheel off the ground, no noticble movement or clicking when i grab the forks. The stop - stop bounce test was a bit too bouncy so i used the cheat method to tighten the steering nut and its much better now, i dont feel the clicking i mentioned anymore.

 

Thx

[Rick Butler]

You know guys,

 

I think there may be one torque setting that gets overlooked. And that is the setting for the top steering stem nut, which is 94 ft/lbs. In the fork section section of the service manual, it's not really presented where you would expect it (in Installing the Fork Legs)....but in the section further back in the handlebar section. And if this nut is not tightened properly, you will get a click under harder front breaking (even if the head bearing nuts are tightenened properly).

 

And I usually torque this nut first before tightening the clamp bolts of the top triple tree. This makes sure the top triple tree (aka the Upper Bracket) is tight down on top of upper ring before tightening the top leg clamps.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

[ablumny]

The chrome nut on top of the triple tree? Never even thought to check it! Im on it. Thx for the tip