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R1 shock mod rocks!

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  • #1

    R1 shock mod rocks!

    I finished the R1 shock mod last week, after making sure everything was going to fit. I found a nice Fox R1 shock on the Bay for $35, and it was in nice shape. Got it installed and fit (easy). I took it for a little WOT blast and noted a significant improvement across the board. I know its been around for awhile, but I just got around to it. The bike corners great, and launches alot better. Plus, it looks cool. But now, I am looking to make the front end handle as well... It will never end!
    Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

    Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Pictures???
    1980 XS850SG - Sold
    1981 XS1100LH Midnight Special (Sold) - purchased 9/29/08
    Fully Vetterized and Dynojet Kit added, Heated Grips, Truck-Lite LED headlight, Accel Coils, Irridium plugs, TKAT Fork Brace, XS850LH Final Drive & Black SS Brake lines from Chacal.
    Here's my web page devoted to my bike! XS/XJ User's Manuals there, and the XJ1100 Service Manual and both XS1100 Service manuals (free download!).

    Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot - You're right.
    -H. Ford

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    • #3
      definitely need pics. Having just finished the same mod myself I am very interested in seeing how you did it. Texas Rookie
      Texas Rookie - NW Houston
      79 xs11F (in process, down but not out)
      04 Ducati ST4s (current daily driver, recently retired from occasional track bike duty, too $cary to think about crashing)
      2001 Suzuki SV650 track bike (setting up for some adult fun next year)
      newest acquisition - Black on Black 78 XS11 with 81 motor waiting patiently in Cleveland Ohio (Insanity!!!...no thanks I've got plenty)

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      • #4
        What bike did you put the shock on? what year r1 did you get? Maybe I missed the original pics/article. sounds like a cool mod

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        • #5
          How is the R1 shock modification done? Do you change the springs rates on both shocks left and right? Do you revalve the new R1 shocks? A few details would be nice.
          Cheers, 50gary

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          • #6
            Can't wait to ...

            see the thing, T ... sounds very cool.
            80G Mini-bagger
            VM33 Smooth bores, Pods, 4/1 Supertrapp, SS brake lines, fork brace

            Past XS11s

            79F Stone stocker and former daily driver, sold May '10 now converting for N.O. to cafe style
            79SF eventually dismantled for parts
            79F Bought almost new in 80, sold for a house
            79F The Ernie bike sold to a Navy dude summer 08
            79SF Squared-off Special, Vetter/Bates tour pkg., Mikes XS coils, G rear fender and tail light. Sold June 09

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            • #7
              speed and gary,

              if you will do a search on "R1 shock mod" and look at my "R1 single shock mod" thread for the swingarm modification then the "79F Progressing" thread for the finished product, you can see how I did this mod. xschop has also done this mod and informs me that the R1 shock has a spring rate and suspension adjustment capabilities sufficient to handle anything you want to throw at it.

              This mod was a neat adventure and it looks better in life than in the pics with that burly shock/spring on 1 side. When I get the rest of the project up and running I will post further in the "79F progressing thread".

              Texas Rookie
              Texas Rookie - NW Houston
              79 xs11F (in process, down but not out)
              04 Ducati ST4s (current daily driver, recently retired from occasional track bike duty, too $cary to think about crashing)
              2001 Suzuki SV650 track bike (setting up for some adult fun next year)
              newest acquisition - Black on Black 78 XS11 with 81 motor waiting patiently in Cleveland Ohio (Insanity!!!...no thanks I've got plenty)

              Comment

              • #8
                Sorry I haven't been able to get any pictures up yet. I came across xs chop's original experiment searching ro "R1 shock mod". The R1 shock is way more than enough for the XS 11. It is maybe even a little stiff for me, but I don't weigh alot. I may be looking into revalving the compression rate on the shock, because compression is a little stiff yet onthe one I got. It was for a 2006 R1. But it cleans it up and lightens it, too. Everyone seems to be concerned with handling characteristics and swing arm flex. I have not seen any problems with this yet. There probably would be if you were racing the bike at a track. I have seen more problems with the front end than the swing arm, though.
                Texas: I was just looking at your other post. That looks pretty good! Did you try the shock before you added your bracing? i am just wondering to see if it makes a difference or not.
                Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

                Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

                Comment

                • #9
                  ford, I did not try an unbraced SA before adding the gussets. I am in the middle of a resto project on this bike and figured I would get everything like I wanted it on the first pass. This will probably end being my bagger and I didn't want to take any chances w/ SA flex when 2 up and loaded. As i have 2 other XS's there will be time for experiments and feedback as to gusset necessity from others on them.

                  Curious as top how you attached the shock to the SA and top mount. I pulled the bushings from the XS shock, ground them down enough that I could press them into the bottom of the R1 shock and the bracket I made to connect the top shock mount. Let me know what you did and get those pics posted.

                  HAGD TR
                  Texas Rookie - NW Houston
                  79 xs11F (in process, down but not out)
                  04 Ducati ST4s (current daily driver, recently retired from occasional track bike duty, too $cary to think about crashing)
                  2001 Suzuki SV650 track bike (setting up for some adult fun next year)
                  newest acquisition - Black on Black 78 XS11 with 81 motor waiting patiently in Cleveland Ohio (Insanity!!!...no thanks I've got plenty)

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Texas: Since I wasn't sure how everything was going to work when I mounted it, I just center drilled the R1 bushing on the top end to 14mm. It made for some pretty thin metal in inner bushing, but but I was careful to drill it in the exact center. The S/A end fit with no modifications, since I installed the shock on the RH side. Like chop said earlier, it did lower the bike a little (one inch or less), but I wanted to do that anyway. now that I know everything is going to work, I am going to source the proper bushing. When you said you ground the bushing down, did you mean the OD of the bushing, or just made it thinner through the cross section?
                    Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

                    Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      ford, The biggest bit I could get for the upper mounting hole in my bracket was 3/4 so I wallowed it out as much as I could and then ground the OD of the bushing to fit. the rubber is kind of thin but the metal bushing is full strength and fits the mounting stud nicely. TR
                      Texas Rookie - NW Houston
                      79 xs11F (in process, down but not out)
                      04 Ducati ST4s (current daily driver, recently retired from occasional track bike duty, too $cary to think about crashing)
                      2001 Suzuki SV650 track bike (setting up for some adult fun next year)
                      newest acquisition - Black on Black 78 XS11 with 81 motor waiting patiently in Cleveland Ohio (Insanity!!!...no thanks I've got plenty)

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Texas: I e-mailed the pics of the installed shock to you. Everything is on the bike is as original, I didn't have to change any mounting points. You would have to to mount it like chop did, with the clicker trimmers in, or if you had a tire wider than 130 mm. But mine worked out well this way. just to clarify, I drilled out the metal center of the original R1 bushing, so the rubber is full strenght, just the metal center is thin. You have to be careful to drill straight doing this though!
                        Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

                        Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          As promised...

                          Here are the pictures of the R1 shock installation on the SG. I included a picture of the inside of the wheel well to show the accumulator clearance. If I hit a really hard bump, loaded really heavy, the raised letters on the 130 tire might rub






                          I took my soft bags off for the photos, but I like how it looks so well that I might just leave them off! I put another 60 miles on this weekend, and this setup makes a huge handling difference.
                          Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

                          Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            The great thing about being the service manager is that I can keep this stuff at work if I want too
                            Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

                            Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              swing arm

                              i'll try and get some pics of r1 mod swing arm
                              bill hane

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