spacer in rear shock to increase ride height...

[plasmatron]

being a lanky bastard and none too light either, I find that to get the rear ride height I want, and avoid having the bike "dragging it's arse like a dog with worms" as BIKE magazine put it, I have to wind the pre-load up a tad harder than I'd like... So the notion of raising the rear shock about 10mm to half an inch appeals to me... plus it'll alter the geometry to a slightly more nose down position, which will be great to get more weight and feel on the front in the labarynth of mountain twisties that make up 80% of riding around here...

I've read on the Wilbers section of the Adventurer's Workshop website that they do aftermarket shocks for the 12GS and you can order them higher or lower than stock, in quarter inch increments... they only warn you that if you go over half an inch the rear wheel will no longer be off the ground on the center stand...

I wonder if it's possible to use a spacer in the stock rear shock (and front for that matter) to achieve the same ride height effect minus the 900 GBP price tag... apart from some minor clearance issues from the stock exhuast's protector plate, it looks entirely feasible...

anyone have any experience with dismantling the rear shock on a 12GS?

 

[Searanger]

And for short a**es I see on your Wilbers link that they can reduce the ride height front and rear - I would be interested to hear of anyone who has done this by modifying/adjusting stock units (if possible) At the moment I like the handling with the preload fairly high which means around town i'm on tiptoe so have to wind it back...

 

[Mike_swe]

First thing to do is select a spring rate that matches the riders weight. Fiddling with preload and ride height will never set things right if the spring rate is too low.

 

[Searanger]

First thing to do is select a spring rate that matches the riders weight. Fiddling with preload and ride height will never set things right if the spring rate is too low.

Mike - I think you are talking about handling, which I don't have problems with - Just ride height

 

[Searanger]

Plasmatron - I see you are in Taiwan. I thought you had limits of 125cc over there? Never seen a REAL bike on my visits (except plod)

 

[plasmatron]

Plasmatron - I see you are in Taiwan. I thought you had limits of 125cc over there? Never seen a REAL bike on my visits (except plod)

Up until around a year and a half ago all bikes over 125cc were illegal you're right... simple protection racket since the big scooter makers Kymco and SYM were paying off the government to make sure they had zero competition (and still are to keep import duties around 75% on bikes over 250cc)...

now you can ride anything you can afford although the import taxes, emmisions requirements, road taxes and licencing are all off the scale in an under the table policy to discourage big bikes and keep Kymco and SYM happy...

so, yes... back to the question... the handling is fine, the spring rate I'm sure is fine for me without luggage / missus... so what I want is right hide... more of it... although after taking alook at the stock shock I think the Wilbers option may be the only way to go...

 

[iangough]

I have asked a similar question on this forum .... as i want/need to put in a spacer as i want to increase the ride height when i'm 2 up. I need mine raised by about 5 mm (that's the distance the shock is compressed between full soft setting and fully hard.

I asked BMW at vines and also rang Maxton engineering. (Maxton do spacers... popular with sportsbike riders with Ohlins)

BMW said the shock is a sealed unit, and a guy from BMW tech was going to ring to discuss this issue further. That never happened despite numerous promises from Vines (Guildford)

Maxton engineering just gave me standard patter saying that the shocks on a GS are low quality and are bound to fluctuate in performance under any consistent load, or high changes in temperature. (viscosity of the oil) ..bla bla buy one of ours....

The problem I have is that when 2 up with luggage the bike just about needs to be a bit higher. I dont want to change the handling either.

I understand about needing a different spring rate, but because the change is so small i think i could get away with a spacer.

My friend has a shock compressor so i was going to get him to have a little play until i read a link somewhere about what a pain it is to get the lower bolt out from the rear shock...

As i'm going away to Austria/Chamonix etc on the bike in 2 weeks, i thought it best to not play with it until i get back....

Having had trouble fitting a slightly our of alignment NNorman screen at the weekend, my toolkit is about as good as my motorcycle mechanic skills...

 

[Philcow]

Spacer

The mounting points don't lend themselves to the easy inclusion of a small spacer. Many bikes use a bracket to mount the rear shock. On the 1200 the fixing bolt goes straight through the frame and shock mounting eye.

Same at the bottom. bolt goes through the shock and directly into the swingarm. No fancy rising rate linkages.

Good luck

Philippo

 

[shedracer]

Hi guys, I am speaking from experience here, as I have a set of Wilber shocks on the front and rear of the GS1200. When I orderred them, I asked for the standard length. When I fitted them, they actualy raise the bike front and rear quite a bit (enough to want to fit a side stand extention), this was not a problem for me. The rear shock can also be lenghened or shortened a little, as it has an adjustable collar at the top of the rear shock. I also noticed that the rebound adjustment seemed to make a more marked change in the ride height when adjusted.

When orderring from Wilbers, you do need to clearly state to them your requirements, so they can make the shocks to your needs.

I may add that these shocks will be for sale very soon, as I have just sold my GS12. Keep an eye on the for sale & wanted section.

 

[iangough]

how much are you willing to sell them for ?

 

[GSmonkey]

Putting a spacer in will also require you to lower the main stand's position, as with a standard setup, the mainstand clouts the swingarm over jumps. This would obviously reduce your ground clearance.

Just a thought

 

[plasmatron]

good point there GSMonkey... although luckily that's a fairly easy thing to achieve... after more research I think the only answer is the Wilbers shocks...

@shedracer:
How did you get on with the Wilbers? Notice any substantive difference over stock? Yours have the ride height adjustment option no? is it higher than stock even in the lower setting?

Like most I find the stock front a bit harsh even on zero preload, and since you loose so much ride height on zero preload I've almost ground away my entire gear shift lever on my favourite off camber hard left. I've read HMarc's account of his experience with fitting Wilber shocks and I'm curious to hear more opinions.

Cheers...

 

[TheJoker]

Like most I find the stock front a bit harsh even on zero preload....

Changing the preload won't affect the damping at all - in fact, all it changes is the ride-height of the bike. But even that's done the wrong way. If we're really nit-picking then the preload should only be used to put the shock into it's intended position when loaded.
Ride height should be adjusted by ride height adjuster.

I also find the front shock's compression damping too firm...

 

[shedracer]

Plasmatron,
I much prefferred the Wilbers over the standard shocks. The front is less harsh over small ripples and the whole setup I orderred, is superior to the standard in feel and the ability to adjust damping and rebound both ends. You can order the rear with High and Low compression adjustment if you so wish, but this does add quite a bit to the cost.

As I said in my previous reply, you can order with either shorter or longer shocks. Mine were the standard lenght, but the ride height was increased when fitted and there is further slight adjustment + & - on the rear, at the top collar.

I have been happy with mine since fitting back in March this year. If you can afford it, then the High and Low compression would be even better. They come with a 5 year warranty and can be rebuilt.

Hope this helps, but if you are thinking of orderring, its best that you contact them and have a chat about your requiremnts.