Rear Shock - is it rebuildable / serviceable?

[Swagger]

Speedstar and others......the rear shock is a very high specification Showa unit. I expect it can be rebuilt by third party shops. But don't worry. You will likely be very happy with the stock suspension. Even with two up and lots of luggage it can take it and is top drawer. No need for a short or medium term suspension upgrade like on another brand. Cheers!

Concur with this statement.

 

[SpeedStar]

Good to know. I will welcome good quality OEM suspension. I was not used to that with the Strom, and went with a Wilbers right away.

 

[armourbl]

This is probably a terrible first post. I had intended to lurk and learn what I could about the Tenere, but I just have to jump in on this post.

Has anyone confirmed whether or not the shock is servicable? What about the forks?

I do all of my own suspension work on my dirt bikes. I ride MX and single track. Freshening up the suspension regularly is a great way to keep the bike performing. People just don't realize how much performance they lose over time because it happens so gradually. For my dirt bikes, they get serviced about every 20 hours. Doing so keeps the seals and bushing in great shape. Also, it isn't too much of a mystery to change up the shim stacks to tune the suspension more to your liking. Some trial and error, but small noticable changes can make a world of difference. Also, what about spring rates. One size does not fit all. Most riders can have the suspension they need by simply using the right spring rate. Only the pickest riders will need shim stack changes.

I service suspension for about a dozen other riders. Most are friends, and many don't service their bikes as often as they should. I've seen shock oil come out of a shock that looked more like a frothy Guiness than what proper oil should look like.

Anyways, I'm really hoping the suspension is servicable on this bike.

ben

 

[markjenn]

Has anyone confirmed whether or not the shock is servicable? What about the forks?

I don't think there is anything unusual about the forks - its a standard Japanese-style cartridge type that you can change oil fairly easily after fork removal. Replacing bushings, seals, etc, is more work and requires a few special tools, but this shouldn't be an issue for any good suspension shop. And I suspect we'll see some aftermarket parts appear for the fork over time.

I don't know about the rear shock. If its like similar shocks on japanese bikes, there won't be much the DIY'er can do, but there are usually a few shops across the country who establish some kind of business taking them apart, renewing wear items, and recharging them. But it won't be cheap, and most owners will probably spring for the additional money to put on something like Ohlins or Penskes which are generally better performers AND are more serviceable.

I agree that suspension, over time, needs attention, but you'd have to be pretty hard core to be diving in and doing rebuilds at 20-hrs. Dirt bikes are different animals and the S10 is not a dirt bike. I'll probably change the fork oil every year or two and think about shock rebuild/replacement every 25-50K depending on how the bike is handling.

- Mark

 

[Swagger]

.... many don't service their bikes as often as they should .... Anyways, I'm really hoping the suspension is servicable on this bike ...

Mark is correct on this. The OEM forks are very good, Yamaha learned a lot from their days of owning Ohlins, They can easily be stripped and would tolerate all manner of upgrades should you feel the need. As for the rear shock it'll be fine for good few years. If I thought that it needed servicing after time I'd just stick in a new aftermarket one.

You apparently have the necessary skills to fettle the bike and it could possibly be better for it. There is nothing like a well set up bike to inspire confidence and enthusiasm although this bike has been designed and built to do some pretty arduous work and IMHO I think it does it rather well.

 

[armourbl]

Mark is correct on this. The OEM forks are very good, Yamaha learned a lot from their days of owning Ohlins, They can easily be stripped and would tolerate all manner of upgrades should you feel the need. As for the rear shock it'll be fine for good few years. If I thought that it needed servicing after time I'd just stick in a new aftermarket one.

You apparently have the necessary skills to fettle the bike and it could possibly be better for it. There is nothing like a well set up bike to inspire confidence and enthusiasm although this bike has been designed and built to do some pretty arduous work and IMHO I think it does it rather well.

I do understand and agree that a bike that primarily stays on the pavement will not need much in the way of suspension servicing or tuning for a long period. But, if you do some true adventure riding with any kind of regularity, then servicing more frequently will surely be needed. That being said, even on a road bike, I'd suggest servicing the suspension once a year if you are anything close to a daily rider. If you are a weekend warrior, then maybe only once every year and half to two years.

Having learned how to service suspension, from guys who have many years of experience running their own suspension shops, I can tell you that the shock is the most intimidating, but also the easiest to work on. It doesn't typically even need special tools other than a nitrogen charging system. Even then, you can usually have your shock charged for about $20 at a suspension shop while you wait. Don't expect the dealer to be able to do this for you though.

ben

 

[pqsqac]

This is slightly off topic from the rear shock but can anyone tell me what the benefits are from having inverted front forks versus the conventional forks?

 

[Buckeye56]

This is slightly off topic from the rear shock but can anyone tell me what the benefits are from having inverted front forks versus the conventional forks?

Lower unsprung weight and less flex.

 

[armourbl]

This is slightly off topic from the rear shock but can anyone tell me what the benefits are from having inverted front forks versus the conventional forks?

I'm not always the best at describing things, but I'll give it a shot.

Just like the last poster said, they are stronger and have less unsprung weight. The oil on an inverted fork (the majority of it) lives in the outter chamber. On an inverted fork, this is in the upper part of the gold anodized tube. The inner chamber lives in the lower part of the tube, the part that slides up and down inside the outter chamber. On average, there is about 400cc of oil in the outer chamber and 200 cc in the inner chamber. Another factor to include is the weight of the spring. On an inverted fork, the spring is up high in the outter chamber. Again, this reduces the unsprung weight.

Since the lower part is the part that is moving, and it weighs less, it can respond more quickly to terrain changes and suspension movement. Generally, anything you can do to reduce unsprung weight is a good thing. But also remember that it can affect your suspension tuning, so you'll need to make adjustments accordingly.

An easy way to imagine it is with a truck. Assume you leave everything a constant except for the weight of the tire and wheel. A very heavy wheel requires more dampning (suspension) than a lighter wheel. Heavier wheels are more difficult to control. Because they are more difficult to control, it is harder to provide a linear or progressive feel. This makes it hard to absorb small bumps well while also absorbing big ones. That is a very high overview and with a lot of information missing, but it should help paint the picture.

Here is an animation I found using Google on how a motorcycle front fork works. It should help illustrate what is going on inside. It was found on this page -- I didn't read the article, so I can't say if he explained things well or not --> http://www.kdxrider.net/mobile/thread.php?topic_id=3338

If you really examine the modern inverted fork along with the modern shock, you'll find they are very similar in the way they work. Ultimately, it is all about moving oil through ported pistons that have shim stacks that act as mechanical springs that increment the force needed to open (fold) the shims on the face of the piston. They also both use air chambers. Again a very high overview.

ben

 

[pqsqac]

Thanks Ben awesome detail and makes sense.