rear shock problem

[650mark]

i bought my pristine, mint condition 13,000 mile '80 xs1100 special 2 weeks ago. the previous owner installed a works performance front spring kit on the bike which works ok for me(i switched the fork oil to a lighter weight) but he also installed wp "steel tracker" rear shocks that don't work at all for me. these shocks are nitrogen charged, dual-rate springs and are far too stiff for a guy my size (160lbs). the guy at wp quoted me over $200 to "redo" them to my specs, and that just ain't gonna happen! i want to replace them with standard oem or aftermarket units that are only spring preload adjustable. i'm a retired, very conservative rider and i don't need/want any hi-tech shocks. anybody have any suggestions or recommendations for replacements? perhaps somebody who could utilize these things might trade some very good condition stock ones with me? if so please let me know. thanks.
ps: i really love this bike so far. the power is AMAZING.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Mark,

Well, I would suggest NOT getting OEM shocks, used or NOS, because they only provided compression dampening, not expansion dampening. The rear of the XS11 likes to rise under throttle due to the final drive and drive shaft torque effect....has been described as a bucking bronco...but not that severe. Newer style shocks, even the inexpensive ones from places like
www.partsnmore.com , provide both compression and expansion dampening.

I have been running the el cheapo Monza styled PNM shocks on my machine for many years, I'm only 220, and they seem to work decently, and I do like to ride aggressively.

You could probably unload the WP shocks on ebay.

T.C.

[WSL91]

Not to hijack the thread but what length are we looking for the the 79 Special? I think I saw a thread that stated 12.5" Mine are shot, 1 leaking need to be replaced.

[jetmechmarty]

i bought my pristine, mint condition 13,000 mile '80 xs1100 special 2 weeks ago. the previous owner installed a works performance front spring kit on the bike which works ok for me(i switched the fork oil to a lighter weight) but he also installed wp "steel tracker" rear shocks that don't work at all for me. these shocks are nitrogen charged, dual-rate springs and are far too stiff for a guy my size (160lbs). the guy at wp quoted me over $200 to "redo" them to my specs, and that just ain't gonna happen! i want to replace them with standard oem or aftermarket units that are only spring preload adjustable. i'm a retired, very conservative rider and i don't need/want any hi-tech shocks. anybody have any suggestions or recommendations for replacements? perhaps somebody who could utilize these things might trade some very good condition stock ones with me? if so please let me know. thanks.
ps: i really love this bike so far. the power is AMAZING.

Those shocks probably cost a small fortune. $200 for a pair of springs is the going rate if you want them right. I assume you don't weigh as much as the previous owner. They were probably tuned to his weight and riding style. I assume they're rebuildable. Nice! It's a shame they're not working out for you. You may be disappointed after you switch to a $100 pair of shocks.

[jetmechmarty]

I looked them up. Those WP shocks are rebuildable for $85. They are $600 for new ones. Believe it or not, that's economical for quality shocks. Lots of folks spend at least twice that for performance shocks.

[bikerphil]

I would suggest NOT getting OEM shocks, used or NOS, because they only provided compression dampening, not expansion dampening.

TC, the factory shocks have no compression damping, rebound damping only, you have it backwards. Aftermarket units have both.

[Eveready1100]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TopCatGr58
I would suggest NOT getting OEM shocks, used or NOS, because they only provided compression dampening, not expansion dampening.

TC, the factory shocks have no compression damping, rebound damping only, you have it backwards. Aftermarket units have both.

Umm, Bikerphil. T.C's got it right. Compression, not rebound damping.

[James England]

OEM have expansion damping only. ie the shock will compress when the bike hits a bump, and the rebound is reduced by damping the expansion of the shock....

[bikerphil]

Maybe I'm not explaining it clearly, if you take the spring off the shock, there is no resistance when pushing down (compression) but there is resistance when pulling up (rebound). The spring itself is your only means of compression resistance/damping.

[mack]

Thats right Phil

and the dial at the top controls the rate of return. Under that dial is the shaft with the respirator valves. It has a small o ring on it that fails and causes the leaks. I talked to a guy who works with shocks and he said to fill them with standard fork oil (5W) and replace the o ring. Should be good for years and years. Of course this was after I'd just bought a couple sets to replace my leaky on on the LH. I could submit pictures but just sent away for photo shop so until it comes im not posting any pictures.

[fredintoon]

i bought my pristine, mint condition 13,000 mile '80 xs1100 special 2 weeks ago - - -

Hi Mark and welcome,
good that you managed to get through the new and improved sign-up procedure.

[650mark]

thanks for the welcome

hi fred, again i can keep an eye on your activities as requested by our local government. they're worried that you might show up down here again unannounced and they don't want to be caught short! as for the sign up procedure, not hard at all with the help of the admin guy. i'm glad this xs forum is very active. i've already gotten great info and tips for the "new" bike. looking forward to doing some riding as soon as the temps go down.
114 here yesterday and today, +110 for the next week. and, damn, the air conditioning on the xs1100 is on the fritz. oh yeah, xs1100 content: i took the rear shocks off this morning and took them to a local shop with a very good tech. he recharged them with nitrogen, topped up the oil level, adjusted the spring preload for me and pronounced them good to go. all for ten bucks. so far, this shop has proven to be just great and they're only 3 miles from my home.

[GLoweVA]

114 here yesterday and today, +110 for the next week. and, damn, the air conditioning on the xs1100 is on the fritz. oh yeah, xs1100 content: i took the rear shocks off this morning and took them to a local shop with a very good tech. he recharged them with nitrogen, topped up the oil level, adjusted the spring preload for me and pronounced them good to go. all for ten bucks. so far, this shop has proven to be just great and they're only 3 miles from my home.

I hear you about the heat! At least out there it a 'DRY' Heat

Glad you figured out your shock issue.

It sure is nice to have a local shop that knows what they're doing and doesn't cost an arm and leg to get something done.

[650mark]

dry or not, hot is hot. i'm retired and very fortunate to have an air conditioned garage in which i can tinker and play with the bikes as much as i want/need to. otherwise i'd have a bike in the kitchen, no wait, my wife would kill me. as for the shocks, i dodged a bullet and possibly spending a bunch of dough needlessly. this shop has been honest and very cost effective for me. my bike has a charging issue, they worked on troubleshooting it for almost 3 hours last week, found a bad stator, charged me $50.00 for their time, ordered a new stator for me at their cost and saved me about $100.00. can't beat that.

[jetmechmarty]

Mark,

I'm glad you got the shocks worked out. Those are good ones. Somebody probably paid $650 for them. Even if you're a conservative rider, good shocks make a difference.