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[Twolanerider]

Uh, what was it?

Combination of things all brought on by a broken shock.  Not a mount.  Broken somehow inside.  Locked up tighter than a drum. 

First thing I did was pull the bag and stick a fingernail in the air valves.  Front had air back had none. 

That they leak is no surprise.  They all do.  But it had just been checked and filled ten days ago.  And I've had the Showas run flat on me before and they didn't ride like this.  So knew there was more going on.  Was at least pretty confident whatever it was in the rear though.

Wiped the swingarm down to begin to visualize and grope everything and noticed it just didn't look right.  It was torsionally flexed.  Not a lot.  Just a small amount actually.  But it was there.

Thought bushings had given up and whole thing had moved.  But they appeared ok under visual inspection.  Was changing shocks anyway so took the old ones off.

Popped off the right one and the swing arm went "thwunnnng" and everything fell back in to alignment (at least visually).  Took the other end of the shock off then "studied" (i.e, shook the chit out of it and boinked it against the floor) it.  It failed the rattle test.  Fiddled a little more and the shock she don't shock at all. 

So one side was trying to work and was no doubt flexing a little while the other side was a solid mount.  Sort of a semi rigid.

The Progressives went on.  Still studied the swingarm very very carefully.  Some later rainy Saturday I'll pull the back end apart and make sure the swingarm is flat and untweaked and that the bushings and cleve blocks weren't hurt by whatever stresses they might have been under.  It had to suck back there when a new longitudinal axis was being created for them to try to rotate around that they simply couldn't rotate around.

With the shocks on, however, it rides great.  Significantly better than with the Showas before they broke.  Perhaps the bike knew the Progressives were in the garage and this was its way of telling me to install them.

Summary would be 45 minutes of shock install and close inspection and she seems fine again.  More follow up will happen later.  But I'm not too concerned.  Thank goodness it rides right again.

[Ironhorse]

I like stories with happy endings.

[Twolanerider]

I like stories with happy endings.

Have to admit a couple of things Mark.  First is the obvious that I'm very pleased it was a simple problem to solve.  The other is that I'm very glad it happened local. 

That beast was an unbelievable bear to ride.  It would have been horrible.  Tiring and not entirely safe. To have had to fight it some distance home or to a shop would have quickly reached maximum sucking potential.

It was still going.  So we all know we'd likely have kept on going.  But it was not a joy to ride.

[porthole]

So when I get time its ass is mine.

Thats twice it two days, h'mmmmmmmmmmm

[Boatman]

 

Perhaps the bike knew the Progressives were in the garage and this was its way of telling me to install them.

S/B knew you were going to need those shocks back.  Glad you and the bike are happy again.  Hopefully, old red doesn't start to pout with the extra attention the newbe is getting.

[Ironhorse]

Have to admit a couple of things Mark.  First is the obvious that I'm very pleased it was a simple problem to solve.  The other is that I'm very glad it happened local. 

That beast was an unbelievable bear to ride.  It would have been horrible.  Tiring and not entirely safe. To have had to fight it some distance home or to a shop would have quickly reached maximum sucking potential.

It was still going.  So we all know we'd likely have kept on going.  But it was not a joy to ride.

I had a similar experience back in the early 80s when one of the shocks on my KZ1000 broke. I heard a "CLANG", and felt the rear end dance.  I thought I ran over something in the road, but the rear end continued to feel unstable. One side was supported and stable, and the other was not. I think your ride was much worse.

What was the diagnosis, air seals blew out, piston locked up?

[Twolanerider]

S/B knew you were going to need those shocks back.  Glad you and the bike are happy again.  Hopefully, old red doesn't start to pout with the extra attention the newbe is getting.

The red bike seems to be settling in finally.  It's running nicely though (as much for curiosity as anything else) I am looking forward to getting it back over to Golden's to finish the tune we'd started before the clutch got hot.  It was all but done then so there's very little yet to do.

I can't thank Chip enough for bouncing those shocks back.  They were his.  In his hands.  And back my way they came after I got this bike.  Patrician manners indeed and I certainly appreciate it.  Damn well came in handy this evening having the shocks here to bolt on quickly.

[Twolanerider]

I had a similar experience back in the early 80s when one of the shocks on my KZ1000 broke. I heard a "CLANG", and felt the rear end dance.  I thought I ran over something in the road, but the rear end continued to feel unstable. One side was supported and stable, and the other was not. I think your ride was much worse.

What was the diagnosis, air seals blew out, piston locked up?

Piston locked up.  Hard.  Since it failed the rattle test something turned loose inside.  It had opened to atmosphere in the process.

The ride was as squirrely as it was not for the lack of air pressure in the air shocks though.  And not even as much for the stuck shock itself.  It was the rigid suspension on one side and not on the other.  Swingarm was twisting over an axis that it was never intended to.  Rear wheel was leaning one way and then the other.  That's the swim I was feeling.  Whenever it got started it just fed on itself.  When it finally calmed down it was ok until it bounced again.

I'd not be surprised if the swingarm is tweaked a bit.  The bike rides fine though.  So I'll collect some service parts to have back for some rainy day and tear it down when its convenient to make sure it's all ok.  Until then, no worries.

[SBB]

I like stories with happy endings.

Me 2!

But my name isn't Patricia! 


 

[Twolanerider]

Me 2!

But my name isn't Patricia! 


 

That's right, shock boy!

[SBB]

That's right, shock boy!

And to bring this full circle, I will be surprised if that red SERK didn't wind up in your garage.
Remember, you can run from that SERK, but you can't hide!

 

Shock boy

SB

[Twolanerider]

And to bring this full circle, I will be surprised if that red SERK didn't wind up in your garage.
Remember, you can run from that SERK, but you can't hide!

 

Evil evil man.   

[Fired00d]

Don,
Glad to hear you've found the problem. I was going to suggest looking here that might suggest this as a possible solution.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Twolanerider]

Don,
Glad to hear you've found the problem. I was going to suggest looking here that might suggest this as a possible solution.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

Asshole.










Site score today:

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[Fired00d]

Asshole.










Site score today:

Site       1
2lane     0

Got to love tiny url. I figured you'd look at the links before clicking on them.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d