Suspension Service reduce chance of Failure???

[Jamieboy]

Hi All,

I'm lucky enough to be going on a 2 month trip on the 1150 ADV this summer with my wife on the back. Priority one at the mo is saving for the trip, but I'm wondering whether getting the suspension serviced should be priority 2, if priority 1 is going well.

Bike has 55k on the clock and the suspension clearly ain't quite what it used to be. I'd ideally love to get it serviced/upgraded but can't really justify it... but.... You do hear tell of occasional rear shock failure if ridden 2 up with luggage over long distances.

I realise that getting the shocks serviced will improve handling performance etc, but does anyone know if overhauling the shock will make it less prone to failure in such circumstances? Or whether the chances to failure will be the same (probably pretty small anyway), but it will just handle better?

Cheers

 

[Timolgra]

I get mine sorted on various bikes before long trips which will test the suspension.

If you're two up with luggage on a tired spring or the wrong spring rate you may be relying too much on the either the pre load (hydraulic) or compression damping instead of the spring which can cause it to leak or blow.

The oil will be knackered by now too, plus seals bushes etc.

The chances of failure will be less of course after an overhaul, personally I'd ignore any suggestions of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' that's what preventative maintenance is all about...... and yes, if it's set up right afterwards it should handle better

 

[The Grey One]

Hi All,

I'm lucky enough to be going on a 2 month trip on the 1150 ADV this summer with my wife on the back. Priority one at the mo is saving for the trip, but I'm wondering whether getting the suspension serviced should be priority 2, if priority 1 is going well.

Bike has 55k on the clock and the suspension clearly ain't quite what it used to be. I'd ideally love to get it serviced/upgraded but can't really justify it... but.... You do hear tell of occasional rear shock failure if ridden 2 up with luggage over long distances.

I realise that getting the shocks serviced will improve handling performance etc, but does anyone know if overhauling the shock will make it less prone to failure in such circumstances? Or whether the chances to failure will be the same (probably pretty small anyway), but it will just handle better?

Cheers

Lucky man, two months! I expect you will be checking the whole bike over carefully, not just the suspension. My own experience was of the rear pre load failing at about 24,000. I replaced the rear shock with an Ohlins. At the time they were not that much more than OE and I needed one quickly as we were about to go to Ireland on the bike. Bike felt much better and the boss said it was much more comfortable for her. However, the Ohlins popped a seal after less than 8,000 miles. Very suddenly, oil all over the hugger, without a hugger it would have been all over the tyre! It was rebuilt and has worked fine since.

Running this place (6 years now) we see hundreds of bikes every summer. We have seen a couple of failure with ESA (both replaced by a local dealer under warranty) and one Triumph where the lower pivot had been seized and the bottom yoke broke off! Other than that nothing to report. By the law of averages having your suspension overhauled or replaced should reduce the risk of failure but that does not always work in individual cases as my experience shows.

So, check over the whole bike, fix what need fixing, take out good breakdown cover and enjoy your trip.

John

 

[MattW]

I'd get the shocks serviced. Companies like ABE will do it for about £100 / shock (if memory serves) as long as it doesn't need a damper rod. I chewed this over before a two up trip to the alps on my 1100 last summer but in the end, my shocks weren't economically repairable.

I ended up buying new hyperpro shocks for each end (the rear with a slight spring / damping uprate). I can honestly say it transformed the handling of my old bus and took away any nagging doubts regarding the suspension. However it cost me £1k which I could ill afford just before the trip

 

[chazw]

The rear shock on my 2001 1150gs failed during a 100 mile ride with no prior warning. Bike was nearly unrideable with in 10 miles just bouncing about & choosing its own route

 

[knucklemoto]

Just had my rear shock serviced by Nick at ABE http://www.allbikeengineering.co.uk - and put it back on today. It didn't need a new rod so was done in about a week for £100 plus £10 delivery. It's much better now, and I want to do the front next. My bike's a year 2000 1150 GS with 93,000 on the clock... Plenty of life left in her...

 

[Captain Black]

So what's the rule of thumb age or mileage ?
Any obvious signs other than crap handling ?

 

[MattW]

So what's the rule of thumb age or mileage ?
Any obvious signs other than crap handling ?

The trouble is that shocks usually degrade slowly (assuming no sudden catastrophic failure) so you often don't notice the poor performance as you kind of get used to it. The shocks on my 1100 were 19 years old and superficially appeared to be 'ok'. I noticed that the front felt a bit choppy on poor surfaces but it never caused me real concern.

However with a two up fully loaded 2500 mile alps trip in the offing, I decided to get them serviced and rebuilt. So, knowing that the old 1100 front is 'unrebuildable', I bought a second hand 1150 front and sent my rear and the 1150 front to ABE for a rebuild. When they stripped them, they found that the rear damping adjuster was terminally seized with the preload hose on the point of bursting and that the front had a knackered damper rod. They said that in their opinion, neither was worth redoing and that I'd be better off putting the money towards some good second hand units (I never admitted that my front was supposed to be a 'good second hand' unit ). Can't fault them for honesty - they could have just taken my money.

Having lost my faith in affordable second hand stuff, I bit the bullet and murdered my credit card on some new, warrantied units from Hyperpro. Way more than I could afford or wanted to spend but the difference was huge - like having a new bike...

 

[Timolgra]

There is no rule of thumb, if the shock's working hard the oil will be fecked in a much shorter time.

 

[Fanum]

The chances of failure will be less of course after an overhaul, personally I'd ignore any suggestions of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' that's what preventative maintenance is all about......

Check the dust seals visually (wipe off with a clean cloth) for cracks around the fringes.
Check the piston shaft for scoring, the spring for any surface cracking and the mounts for any signs of weakness, then get on the fucker and ride it.........If it ain't broke, don't fix it

The chances of a poor overhaul will of course be more than just getting on with it and having a mate's phone number back home who has the nous to send a replacement unit out in the exceptionally unlikely event of anything going wrong

 

[Timolgra]

Check the dust seals visually (wipe off with a clean cloth) for cracks around the fringes.
Check the piston shaft for scoring, the spring for any surface cracking and the mounts for any signs of weakness, then get on the fucker and ride it.........If it ain't broke, don't fix it

The chances of a poor overhaul will of course be more than just getting on with it and having a mate's phone number back home who has the nous to send a replacement unit out in the exceptionally unlikely event of anything going wrong

Yes, hope you still have my number in your phone if you ever venture out of Essex

 

[Fanum]

Yes, hope you still have my number in your phone if you ever venture out of Essex

Why?
Last time I called you for help , from 3 miles away in Llangollen, you ignored me

 

[Timolgra]

Why?
Last time I called you for help , from 3 miles away in Llangollen, you ignored me

You sound suprised





Besides.... I recall changing your 1150 rear wheel bearing in a Moroccan car park only to find the next day your pivots bearing were hanging out


Edit: Oh and didn't you snap your sub frame on a European jaunt too

Then there was your clutch cylinder playing up etc etc...

 

[hutchy]

I take it you just email the guys at ABE for details etc?


Sent from my iPad using Technology I do not understand

 

[newboy]

Who's a good Hyperpro contact in North West?

 

[hutchy]

I take it you just email the guys at ABE for details etc?


Sent from my iPad using Technology I do not understand

Wow did I really just ask that cock of a question?

feck my life!!!!


Sent from my iPad using Technology I do not understand

 

[Timolgra]

Who's a good Hyperpro contact in North West?

Kais or Maxton are just down the road

 

[newboy]

cheers

Kais or Maxton are just down the road

 

[MattW]

Kais or Maxton are just down the road

Not in the Nort West but I bought mine from Calsport (the UK importer). There's almost no price difference wherever you get them but Calsport had a small discount offer at the time. In my experience all Hyperpro shocks come direct from the factory in the Netherlands anyway (springs may be held in stock by some sellers but rarely shocks).

If you email Hyperpro (contact details on their website), they'll tell you who your local stockists are.

Maxton will be unimpressed if you ask them for Hyperpro shocks - they're a manufacturer and make their own brand products...

 

[Jamieboy]

Thanks for all the input guys. Looks like it's worth doing but not essential. Hopefully will get the extra cash together to enable the outlay.

Cheers