rear shock woes, anyone else?

[simonjasper]

brand new 12gs yesterday! ( black one, mmm) great stuff, but having owned a 05 for 8 months before selling, i have a reference point.

My problem is this, even with the rear shock preload on max, the bike wallows & bounces with 2 up ( now i'm 12 stone , the girlfriend no more than 9 stone wet thru')

If i accelerate hard in 1st & 2nd gear, it's the rear that sags when i remember the old bike used to just lift the front...oops yes i know i'm running it in, yes it's lucky to have a bike with 300 miles on it etc etc...

i will be ringing the dealer tmrw, but do you collectively have any thoughts what it could be?

thanks

 

[cookie]

shock on my 07 GSA was pants from new, negligible damping.

replaced it with a wilbers




and before the antique collectors chip in, the shock on my 1150 was even worse.

 

[simonjasper]

ooh . where do i find one of them? what difference did it make? i remember that with my 05 bike the steering sharpened up markedly making it an ace scratcher when i wound on the rear pre-load

 

[Kevmulcock]

04gs 18k service

Rear shock starting to leak oil

Bit worried coz I may need to replace

no.1 no money
no. 2 no idea!

Help greetfully appreciated

 

[cookie]

ooh . where do i find one of them? what difference did it make?

where:
http://www.everyaccessory.co.uk/wilbers.php

see also ohlins, maxton, WP.

what does it do:
adds much control to the suspension. no wallowing.
shouldn't be necessary, but bmw will insist on fitting crap struts to their "premium" product

have you tried increasing the rebound damping on the stock unit? might be a cheap improvement.

 

[Gipsy]

Check on the screw adjuster at the bottom of the shock. Should help with any rebound probs. Also forgot real basics like tyre pressures.

 

[Big Lee]

10 % off!!

Wilbers http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103169

 

[Shep]

Check on the screw adjuster at the bottom of the shock. Should help with any rebound probs. Also forgot real basics like tyre pressures.

Got to agree with that, the damper setting on mine was nowhere near effective from new and it needed IIRC about a turn and a half in to make it behave itself

Still not spot on though and i may be fitting Ohlins before long


Shep

 

[bigchris]

Dont really know why yer whining.

Mine bobs and weaves, but I expect it to being a dually that (with me on) weighs a considerable amount!

That said with its bobbing and weaving I have no issues controlling it.

If you wanted sports bike handling, wouldnt you buy a sports bike?

 

[Shep]

Dont really know why yer whining.

Mine bobs and weaves, but I expect it to being a dually that (with me on) weighs a considerable amount!

Neither of my basic 1200's weaved at all, even with luggage and a passenger, perhaps sir should raise his sights a little with regards to sirs expectations of sirs machine

Shep

 

[Janie]

both hubby and meself have changed shocks on our bikes to wilbers.....

 

[bigchris]

Neither of my basic 1200's weaved at all, even with luggage and a passenger, perhaps sir should raise his sights a little with regards to sirs expectations of sirs machine

Shep

Nah. I like to feel it move - lets me know its working

(unlike the zx12, which felt like I was riding a hardtail half the time, and the other half in the garage getting twiddled with..)

 

[cookie]

Nah. I like to feel it move - lets me know its working

i like to feel it stable. lets me know its working properly

 

[Pukmeister]

I fitted Wilbers shocks to my 1200, money very well spent. Totally transformed the bike. Highly recommended.