XJ1100 stock rear air shock & aftermarket shock questions

[KA1J]

After the debacle with my tension bar my right rear air shock got jammed against the right rear caliper and the rubber accordion dust cover is badly cut up. I don't know if the oil I found on the base of the shock is from oil in the shock or perhaps it's brake fluid. I looked inside the tear & didn't notice oil but I didn't remove the shock to really examine it. If I see no further oil on the bottom of the shock I'll assume it's not leaking. I'll check the air pressure & make sure its holding.



I wonder if the shock itself is damaged; it was a hard jar that made me first aware there was a problem and It was being stopped by the caliper which shifted with the loose tension bar? I took a long ride after repairing everything today and the ride was fine throughout. (I do need to replace an oil seal in the front shocks). Looking up the boot part # it's not available any more.

So... Are there any aftermarket boots available or one for a different bike that fits? Is the boot really important? my progressive spring shocks don't have them but these are air shocks. Perhaps there are air shocks that fit another bike that would look good and work properly on the XJ11? Any suggestions?

Is there any benefit to something like progressive suspension 416 series air shocks over the XJ11 stock ones?

Thanks!

Gary

[kflyboy]

After the debacle with my tension bar my right rear air shock got jammed against the right rear caliper and the rubber accordion dust cover is badly cut up. I don't know if the oil I found on the base of the shock is from oil in the shock or perhaps it's brake fluid. I looked inside the tear & didn't notice oil but I didn't remove the shock to really examine it. If I see no further oil on the bottom of the shock I'll assume it's not leaking. I'll check the air pressure & make sure its holding.



I wonder if the shock itself is damaged; it was a hard jar that made me first aware there was a problem and It was being stopped by the caliper which shifted with the loose tension bar? I took a long ride after repairing everything today and the ride was fine throughout. (I do need to replace an oil seal in the front shocks). Looking up the boot part # it's not available any more.

So... Are there any aftermarket boots available or one for a different bike that fits? Is the boot really important? my progressive spring shocks don't have them but these are air shocks. Perhaps there are air shocks that fit another bike that would look good and work properly on the XJ11? Any suggestions?

Is there any benefit to something like progressive suspension 416 series air shocks over the XJ11 stock ones?

Thanks!

Gary

I put progressive shocks w/ the heavy duty dual rate springs on my 80g back in '85. Have not had any problems with them at all.

[crazy steve]

Looking up the boot part # it's not available any more.

So... Are there any aftermarket boots available or one for a different bike that fits? Is the boot really important? my progressive spring shocks don't have them but these are air shocks. Perhaps there are air shocks that fit another bike that would look good and work properly on the XJ11? Any suggestions?

Is there any benefit to something like progressive suspension 416 series air shocks over the XJ11 stock ones?

Yeah, you do need the boot. Any nicks in that polished shaft will quickly lead to leaks and there's plenty of crap flying around by the rear wheel. Here's the fix for the damaged boot.... http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37398 The eBay seller linked to no longer has these listed, but you know what to look for at least.

The progressive air shocks will be big $$$ if they even list them for the XJ. If your stock ones are still decent, I doubt if you'd see any major improvement.

[Prothec]

Here's a current listing from that seller. I bought a set and added them to my XJ a while ago. I didn't have boots on my rear shocks for quite a while and the rear brake pads were heavily fouled by shock oil.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fork-Gaiters...-/111165085114

I used All Balls (#55-124) seals instead of the Leak Proof brand seals for my SECOND rebuild and I think they will hold up better. The Leak Proof seals are just a flexible ring while the All Balls has steel reinforcement.

Here's my last experience with rebuilding the air shocks: http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40180

[Nubian]

XJ shock specs

I saw the rebuild thread, but was looking for a spec sheet for these shocks. Listing a parts breakdown, max air pressure etc... just got a pair and was wondering how to check to see if they need rebuilding. Want to check to see if they hold air. But don't want to blow out seals with too much pressure.

[bikerphil]

According to the FSM, max air pressure for the rear shocks is 57 psi.

[Nubian]

So I guess if it holds air overnite and maintains a constant pressure it needs not rebuilding?

[crazy steve]

... Listing a parts breakdown, max air pressure etc...

The rebuild thread is all you'll find. Yamaha didn't sell any replacement parts for the shocks, if anything got damaged or worn out you were expected to replace them with new, complete units for big $$$.

I'll note that even the 'rebuild' doesn't address the inner damper; if that's bad, you'll need to replace the whole shock (or at least find a 'parts donor' unit) as that isn't repairable....