If you wait for a spring to come up used then you are going to miss out on the shock. If it were me I would buy the shock then if a used spring didn’t come up before I wanted to use the bike I would just buy new. A decent suspension specialist would fit the spring for free if they are supplying so that’s also something to take into account.
I agree, buy the shock, I am around 200lb and ran the standard spring on the road and it was fine, any less and you end up putting loads of pre-load on the spring for track, where as at least slightly stiffer spring you can run it less pre-loaded which most prefer. I had the same shock on my V2, it came off a 899, purchased for a 1199, works fine with all, just make sure you set the length adjustment correctly as for example the V2 uses a longer shock than the 899.
Sorted I’m going to sit and wait for a 80Nm spring and like you said if nothing pops up I’ll possibly buy new. just the linkage now - is it worth while very very little track use ?
I can’t give you a definitive answer on that as I swapped mine very quickly after only a very short time on the road. Because of that I can only give the theory behind why you would choose one over the other. The logic behind it is that the progressive linkage allows for a far great weight range - the initial stroke of the shock can be soft but then as it compresses it becomes harder and harder. Stops the shock from bottoming out under heavy load - big rider with a pillion for example. The downside is that it makes it difficult to set the shock up properly as it has different characteristics throughout the stroke. The flat rate setting on the adjustable linkage changes the geometry of the way the shock compresses to create a consistent spring rate throughout the stroke - for obvious reasons suspension tuners prefer this as it’s easier to create a better setup. If you are riding solo all of the time you can choose the appropriate spring for your weight - usually softer than if you were compromising for pillion riding. Use of the full range of travel on the shock means a better ride, better handling. I have the fairly shitty standard shock on my Sprint ST 1050 - it doesn’t have any fancy linkage options so the shock is over-sprung (and under damped) as it’s a sports tourer and they expect you to be carrying a pillion and luggage. You can use the preload adjuster to compensate a little but ultimately the spring is too stiff for solo riding which leads it to bounce through the corners when pushing on which is very disconcerting!. In comparison to that the stock ‘progressive’ linkage is a great solution. But ultimately if you don’t have to compromise for a pillion then you are going to have better suspension with a spring suited to your weight and full travel.
Hi Bettes which bike do you have the shock fitted too?? If your 110kg kitted with 85 spring Chezz I’ll be looking even lower. I’m gonna stick with the 899 linkage for the time being though
959 mate so basically the same. Try it without the bigger brother linkage and see how you get on. It’s only an hour’s time’s worth to change it anyway if you decide to do it later on.
Fetched the shock this afternoon overjoyed with the purchase. Bettes with that setup on the stands did you remove the shock that way ? I have a beam in the garage but I’m not sure where the best point of lifting would be?? the linkage and hangers… have you had them Powder coated??
Hi and yes. Can remove shock, linkage and complete swing arm that way. The frame and linkage parts are just rattle canned black atm although I do plan on taking a few of the parts round to my mates to get them powder coated black.
If I use a ratchet strap where am I best strapping it to the bike and liftingv?? the black looks great!
