1st Gen Rear Shock

[videoarizona]

KIC and I were yapping this afternoon. I was curious if anyone knows how the damper works on the rear shock?

I'm thinking it's nothing more than changing an orifice internal to the shock that controls the amount of fluid flow..... via an external flexible cable to the 4 position knob on on lower left side.It's that correct?

Anyone know how it works and why the manual says don't change settings quickly, rather supposed to go up one setting at a time??

Thanks!

[snyper316]

Very interesting and you are also supposed to have it up on the center stand when you add air or change the setting.

[Black wing]

yeah pretty sure its just rotating an orifice plate.

[cowpuc]

KIC and I were yapping this afternoon. I was curious if anyone knows how the damper works on the rear shock?

I'm thinking it's nothing more than changing an orifice internal to the shock that controls the amount of fluid flow..... via an external flexible cable to the 4 position knob on on lower left side.It's that correct?

Anyone know how it works and why the manual says don't change settings quickly, rather supposed to go up one setting at a time??

Thanks!

 

Hey brother,, been sand baggin waiting for someone who really knows this stuff to respond - been long enough now I think I am gonna take a wild eyed hair brained guess at this.. Been around mono's for many many years because of my love for MX, Hare Scramblin and the like. Have rebuilt a number of Mono's and, from that experience (have NEVER attempted to actually rip into one of our 1st Gens so take this all with a grain of salt) I can tell you that because of the amount of pressure applied to a mono thru the linkage system - there almost has to be extreme high pressure Nitrogen Gas involved. I am guessing that, unlike the gas in a dirt bike being held in a canister external to the shock - because our bikes get no where near the amount of beating, the gas is probably sealed permanently in the shock below and putting pressure on a piston of sorts that has hydraulic fluid above it. That fluid is forced thru a shim stack or and orvice and there is probably a tapered metering rod of sorts controlling that orvice - not unlike the tapered metering rod and main jet relationship within our carbs. When you turn the dampner control there is probably a tapered tip on the end of the dampner cable coming from the nob that mates with the top of the metering rod moving said rod up and down (only saying up and down cause there is not space in the top of the shock where the cable attaches for the dampner rod - that metering rod almost has to be located down near the sump area above the piston in the body of the shock). If (and its a HUGE if) I am thinking correctly - the amount of pressure that the Nitrogen Gas is putting on the internal piston and thusly high pressure on the oil within = there would be at a high risk of doing damage to the metering rod assembly if the adjustment nob were not moved one click at a time.. That's my best guess brother!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

:think:On a side note - The "air shock" portion of that shock and its PSI serves a completely different function (if my understanding is correct) in application to what I just described above.. That said - if I am correct in my assumption - releasing the "air" from the shock and watching the bike move down in its static sag has NO affect on the Nitrogen Gas content of the shock. Therefore - should a person decide that they are going to rip into and take a shot at rebuilding one of these mono's - that person would be strongly advised to the fact (again - if I am correct here) they are playing with a loaded gun that has the potential of doing great bodily harm:255:.....

Of course,,, as always,, ALL the above is theory based on your old buddies back yard torturing of motorcycles to make it around the track, over the jumps, across the whoop-dee-doos just one more time = hopefully someone will come along who really knows what's going on in there!!! :big-grin-emoticon::big-grin-emoticon:

[bongobobny]

Hmmm, interesting question David, never had one apart or seen a blueprint either. I always assumed it was just changing the orifice size too resulting in a different hydraulic response time.

 

Snyper the reason why they want the bike on the center stand is to remove the load on the shock so you are more accurate with the pressure. With a load on the shock that produces pressure on the air chamber meaning you have to put in more psi to counteract that pressure...

[videoarizona]

I think Puc may be on to something. By quickly changing dampening, that could be why we have a high failure rate on the shock. Thinking through Puc's answer.... By rotating the dampening ring too quickly enough time, damage is done to the metering system.... And if it's the gas end... Then that extra pressure could damage the oil seals prematurely.

Bottom line... Leaks.

 

Well..? Is fun to think about, for sure.

[snyper316]

I think someone should buy a shock cheap and semi take it apart just to see.

 

Living life one curve after the other. Vroom scooting, thru the countryside.

[snyper316]

OK lets see if this stays

I have no idea what you all is talking about!!!

Need Input....

[bongobobny]

Actually, the first gen shocks very rarely fail!! It's the second gen shocks that are POS!!

[cowpuc]

I think someone should buy a shock cheap and semi take it apart just to see.

 

Living life one curve after the other. Vroom scooting, thru the countryside.

Sounds like a really good plan Snype, I get back to feeling normal again - that is something I would enjoy doing! Like most of the other lop eared "Brothers Of The Wrench" varmints around here - I love finding out whats behind door number 3!!

That said, if you do decide to seek stated adventure brother, ya might do so with caution! If there really is high pressure Nitrogen Gas contained within that puppy - trying to pull the shock apart without releasing that gas could have similar results as pulling the pin on a hand granade before trying to dismantle it!!!!

On another note, Besides supplying us with one heck of scoot, Larry (Carbon One,, the fine young man who I purchased our new 83 from)also passed along a lifetime collection of paperwork that the previous owner (who was definitely a gearhead) to Larry had accumulated - stacks of stuff! I get time here, I will dig thru that paperwork and see if I can find anything out about the rear mono. I know that previous owner to larry (racking my brain hear I mean HERE, trying to remember his screen name - think it was "DenDen") purchased and installed a new Progressive Rear Shock on Tweeksis - would(n't) surprise me one bit to find info about all this somewhere in that 3 foot stack of paperwork!!!!

Edited February 3, 2017 by cowpuc
"would" should have been "wouldn't" and "hear" shoulda been "here" - my college english Prof would have SLAIN me!!!

[snyper316]

Heck Bruce I have printed most important parts of my manual and laminated them just to take with me but they don't really talk about the shock.

 

Living life one curve after the other. Vroom scooting, thru the countryside.