twowheelnut
R.I.P. Our Motorcycling Friend
So much for my zero-balance credit cards. I swear to gawd, I'm going back to motor boating. It's cheaper and all the chicks wear bikinis instead of ATGATT. :blink:
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2007 SUSPENSION GROUP BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Thread starter Warchild
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Jazzzzz
Well-known member
I've heard boats are holes in the water where you throw money, no one ever told me bikes were the road-going equivalent before I started riding
After Googling "Penske 8987" and following a link to the Traxxion Dynamics page, they recommend a triple adjustable rear if you ride 2-up frequently as it lets you adjust the low-speed compression to firm up the rear end when you're carrying a passenger without affecting the shock's ability to absorb bumps. Anyone able to confirm or refute that advice for me? My wife has stated that she'd like to start riding with me more often.
Actually, before I even think about spending this kind of cash, is a suspension upgrade really that much of an improvement for a rider like me who carries around 3/4" chicken strips and never rides past 7/10s?
Last edited by a moderator:
markjenn
Well-known member
Thanks to all for setting this up.
Quick question to those how know these shocks. I'd prefer the Ohlins for my '05, but as I understand it, the Ohlins model does NOT include a ride-height adjuster, correct? And the Penske does? One of the main reasons I want to get a new rear shock is to get my rear ride height up for cornering clearance issues.
- Mark
Quick question to those how know these shocks. I'd prefer the Ohlins for my '05, but as I understand it, the Ohlins model does NOT include a ride-height adjuster, correct? And the Penske does? One of the main reasons I want to get a new rear shock is to get my rear ride height up for cornering clearance issues.
- Mark
rayban
Grouchy old fat guy
Sounds like a great deal. Run one again outside of the Christmas buying season and I'd gladly join in. Best wishes to all lucky enough to swing it now...
I took advantage of this group buy last year, and it is a win-win for everyone involved. The vendor gets business during his slack season; the participants get a sizable discount; and the rider gets a "new" bike! For those of you who are sitting on the fence about this group buy, here was my experience with GP Suspension.
Just after Thanksgiving last year, I rode the 12 hours up from the Bay Area to Oregon City, where GP Suspension installed an Ohlin's shock and rebuilt the forks of my '05 with new springs and goodies, all "while you wait".
For those of you who attended TechWest at Desert Valley Powersports last May, the front fork rebuild demonstration was a highlight of the event. That is, the dealer highlighted some of the mistakes that a relative novice can make performing a fork rebuild - assembly errors, destroying a fitting with a high-torque pneumatic drill-driver, etc...
I say "relative novice", because in this area, Dave Hodges and crew of GP Suspension are anything but! They rebuilt both forks in a fraction of the time of the TechWest demo's single fork rebuild, and made it look easy to boot! [ BTW, I specifically remember the folks at GP Suspension mentioning (while patiently threading on a fitting by hand) that they'd even seen mechanics making the mistake of using a pneumatic driver for that operation, often with disastrous results. ]
Of course, this is what one might expect of a specialty shop where suspension work is their only business. The big advantage of their operation is the expertise and application experience they bring to this work. They well understand what component trade-offs are appropriate to which applications, so they can offer some economies for street bike applications that would not be appropriate for a racing bike. Other vendors might not make so measured a distinction, and the buyer ends up paying for overbuilt racing components that would never see any significant level of wear on the street.
A Fuzzy Dave Hodges
Doing what he likes to do best - designing suspension components.
Then making those components.
And then actually seeing that they get installed and adjusted correctly. Which, btw, payed off big time for me. He wasn't satisfied with the amount of sag on the rear shock, and had his Trusty Crew remove the shock and readjust it. No bike leaves his shop until it's right.
They used a few well-chosen specialty tools to make the job go smoothly - including a snazzy, custom-made stubby quarter-inch ratchet to get to the fork pinch bolts without removing any plastic. In the pic below, you can see the worn bushing they found in one of the fork assemblies, along with the old seals. At the top of the pic, you can compare their custom compression kit with the Yamaha components they replace.
Replacement springs by Eibach:
These were installed in the fork assemblies in short order by Trusty Crew:
Using another specialty tool:
After carefully polishing the fork on a lathe:
The design of the Ohlins shock, due to the placement of its piggyback reservoir, could not be installed from underneath the bike:
It had to go in through the top. But Trusty Crew had done this procedure several times before, and so it held no surprises for him.
The best part was the ride when the installation was complete. My '05 rode like a whole new bike! Where the stock shock was ponderous in the corners, the new set up is precise and like riding on rails. And for 2 up touring, I can adjust it so that it never bottoms out. This is by far the best farkle I've put on my bike. Better than the custom seat, better than the cruise control, better than the highway pegs. Well. Maybe not better than the throttle holder (vista cruise). I'd never give that up.
So if you can swing this deal, it is definitely well worth doing.
YMMV...
Just after Thanksgiving last year, I rode the 12 hours up from the Bay Area to Oregon City, where GP Suspension installed an Ohlin's shock and rebuilt the forks of my '05 with new springs and goodies, all "while you wait".
For those of you who attended TechWest at Desert Valley Powersports last May, the front fork rebuild demonstration was a highlight of the event.
That is, the dealer highlighted some of the mistakes that a relative novice can make performing a fork rebuild - assembly errors, destroying a fitting with a high-torque pneumatic drill-driver, etc...I say "relative novice", because in this area, Dave Hodges and crew of GP Suspension are anything but! They rebuilt both forks in a fraction of the time of the TechWest demo's single fork rebuild, and made it look easy to boot! [ BTW, I specifically remember the folks at GP Suspension mentioning (while patiently threading on a fitting by hand) that they'd even seen mechanics making the mistake of using a pneumatic driver for that operation, often with disastrous results.
]Of course, this is what one might expect of a specialty shop where suspension work is their only business. The big advantage of their operation is the expertise and application experience they bring to this work. They well understand what component trade-offs are appropriate to which applications, so they can offer some economies for street bike applications that would not be appropriate for a racing bike. Other vendors might not make so measured a distinction, and the buyer ends up paying for overbuilt racing components that would never see any significant level of wear on the street.
A Fuzzy Dave Hodges
Doing what he likes to do best - designing suspension components.
Then making those components.
And then actually seeing that they get installed and adjusted correctly. Which, btw, payed off big time for me. He wasn't satisfied with the amount of sag on the rear shock, and had his Trusty Crew remove the shock and readjust it. No bike leaves his shop until it's right.
They used a few well-chosen specialty tools to make the job go smoothly - including a snazzy, custom-made stubby quarter-inch ratchet to get to the fork pinch bolts without removing any plastic. In the pic below, you can see the worn bushing they found in one of the fork assemblies, along with the old seals. At the top of the pic, you can compare their custom compression kit with the Yamaha components they replace.
Replacement springs by Eibach:
These were installed in the fork assemblies in short order by Trusty Crew:
Using another specialty tool:
After carefully polishing the fork on a lathe:
The design of the Ohlins shock, due to the placement of its piggyback reservoir, could not be installed from underneath the bike:
It had to go in through the top. But Trusty Crew had done this procedure several times before, and so it held no surprises for him.
The best part was the ride when the installation was complete. My '05 rode like a whole new bike! Where the stock shock was ponderous in the corners, the new set up is precise and like riding on rails. And for 2 up touring, I can adjust it so that it never bottoms out. This is by far the best farkle I've put on my bike. Better than the custom seat, better than the cruise control, better than the highway pegs. Well. Maybe not better than the throttle holder (vista cruise). I'd never give that up.
So if you can swing this deal, it is definitely well worth doing.
YMMV...
Last edited by a moderator:
S76
Well-known member
Before I bother those people with stupid questions I thought I would start here:
Can you just buy the rear shock and complete fork valving kit with the springs and instal it yourself?
Or maybe the Group Buy assumes they will make the labor on the forks?
Can you just buy the rear shock and complete fork valving kit with the springs and instal it yourself?
Or maybe the Group Buy assumes they will make the labor on the forks?
Warchild
Benevolent Dictator
Just another demonstration why GP Suspension is our selected vendor for this Group Buy.
As I said in the opening post, we are *extremely* fortunate to have them support the FJR community. B)
mehaffydr
Well-known member
Ive been needing to get Front and Rear rebuilt :yahoo:
Just signed up before some asshat screws this up.
Thanks Warchild!!!
Just signed up before some asshat screws this up.
Thanks Warchild!!!
Warchild
Benevolent Dictator
The shock for sure... and that what the majority will do.
I thought last year full kits were offered for DIY, but I may be hallucinating that. It might have been fork springs only. Damn this CRS, anyway. :glare:
I'll be talking with them this morning on some other logistical matters, and I'll find out the answer to this question.
exskibum
~<>~<>~<>~<>~
GROAN!!! Another WC GB!!!
Crap, I have the Wilbers on the rear and Wilbers springs in the front. Not as good as the Traxxion/Penske on the XX, and I have some cornering clearance issues (as with adjustable rear compression damping and a little stiffer spring) I wish I could resolve for header clearance reasons when 2 up. Love the Penske being offered here for that purpose, and well -- the GP front redo speaks for itself. Groan, again.
I damn well know this GB with the front suspension upgrades would make a big difference over what I have. But . . . damn money tree I planted out on the porch died.
What to do?!? What to do?!?
Farkle Satan visits before Christmas again.
EDIT -- Finally hit 1001 posts!
Crap, I have the Wilbers on the rear and Wilbers springs in the front. Not as good as the Traxxion/Penske on the XX, and I have some cornering clearance issues (as with adjustable rear compression damping and a little stiffer spring) I wish I could resolve for header clearance reasons when 2 up. Love the Penske being offered here for that purpose, and well -- the GP front redo speaks for itself. Groan, again.
I damn well know this GB with the front suspension upgrades would make a big difference over what I have. But . . . damn money tree I planted out on the porch died.
What to do?!? What to do?!?
Farkle Satan visits before Christmas again.
EDIT -- Finally hit 1001 posts!
Last edited by a moderator:
st4gary
Well-known member
I was able to buy just the fork kit from Dave last year. I had a local suspension shop (Evolution Suspension) install
the kit for me. Evolution has been doing business with Dave for some time and they were quite familiar with each other
and the kits. Evolution installed a GP fork kit in my ZRX the previous season so I was familiar with both when the FJR GB
came along. I also used the GB last year to set up my R1 track bike (fork kit and Ohlins). Dave was very helpfull and
interested in the results. I've only tweaked the R1's suspnesion twice this year and the rest of time I don't even think
about the suspension when on the track. The FJR fork kit gives a much more controlled ride or the previous stock
componenets and Wilber springs. Dave also rebuilt and respring my Wilbers. The support that I got from Dave over
the phone was outstanding.
Gary
San Jose, CA
keithaba
Well-known member
Well, it will probably cost close to 200 just to replace my front springs and change the fluid, soooooo......
They will take credit cards, right?
They will take credit cards, right?
snikr
Well-known member
Perfect timing Warchild. My Wilber shock needed a rebuild and I was thinking of sending it to GP anyway. You are the MAN!
Tom
Tom
Warchild
Benevolent Dictator
OK, here is the deal with regard to just purchasing the Compression/Rebound kits: basically, this practice is discouraged.
In the case of what Gary did last year, that's an example of where GPSuspension is happy to oblige... but they have a working relationship with Gary's suspension tuning shop (Evolution Suspension).
But for the "man off the street", this install is not necessarily a trivial exercise. It may not be rocket science, but there are special tools involved to hold the cartridge, the cartridge rod, etc. It is easy to dork up a component by using vise-grips, etc, and then you will be out serious $$$ for replacement items.
If you have a legitimate, certified Suspension Shop that you will have install your hardware, sure, they'll sell you the Kits.
But what they want to avoid is having a shade-tree mechanic try to install these without the proper tools, realize they are in over their heads, and then be subjected to multi-hour telephone marathons to talk the customer through the install. They are not a huge shop, and both Dave and Ben are busy all day doing installs or fabricating parts.
Which allows us to have these exquisite components to begin with.k:
In the case of what Gary did last year, that's an example of where GPSuspension is happy to oblige... but they have a working relationship with Gary's suspension tuning shop (Evolution Suspension).
But for the "man off the street", this install is not necessarily a trivial exercise. It may not be rocket science, but there are special tools involved to hold the cartridge, the cartridge rod, etc. It is easy to dork up a component by using vise-grips, etc, and then you will be out serious $$$ for replacement items.
If you have a legitimate, certified Suspension Shop that you will have install your hardware, sure, they'll sell you the Kits.
But what they want to avoid is having a shade-tree mechanic try to install these without the proper tools, realize they are in over their heads, and then be subjected to multi-hour telephone marathons to talk the customer through the install. They are not a huge shop, and both Dave and Ben are busy all day doing installs or fabricating parts.
Which allows us to have these exquisite components to begin with.
k: 
Canadian FJR
Canadian FJR
After we sign up, (and receive confirmation) do we wait for GP to contact us or do we contact them?
Canadian FJR
Canadian FJR
Wait for further instructions from Warchild.
After sign-up is complete or substantially underway..he'll announce details of the next step.
Warchild
Benevolent Dictator
double_entendre
Well-known member
Woo hoo! I'm in! :clapping: :yahoo: :clapping: Got the Ohlins last go, now I get the forks done.
Oh dear. Now what? Sure hope it's something I already have so I don't have to worry about another cash outlay! Though my b-day is in January, so maybe it's a birthday present. Happy birthday to me! :lol:
Rancho
Great, I did the suspension group buy last year and was not able to afford the fork rebuild at the time. I did get the Penske 8983 for the back and the springs for the front. Had my local shop install the springs. The bike rode great afterwards. Really liked it much better when I had a rider on the back. I was hoping that there would be group buy this fall so that I could try and get the forks rebuilt.
Thanks Warchild.
Neal
Thanks Warchild.
Neal
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