Now ive read loads re a shock (rear) and now i mention front as well and when they are past their use-by date..but if im riding this bike..how can i tell that its stuffed,,coz all i have to go on is how it handles and rides like it is. I didnt ride it with a brand new shock..do you know what i mean? I mean handling could be better,, shes twitchy at high speed in corners..but does that mean my shocker is past it? Is there a definitive test to say yeah ..its knackered or am i gonna sort of feel it out? I know BMW shocks were not to long-lived!! But could my ride be so much more.

Factory fitted shockies usually deteriorate rapidly after 50,000 km (and often less) and we don't notice it since we're not able to easily perceive the wear happening.

My 1987 K-RS seemed to follow the grooves in the road and while I like to move to the groove it was disconcerting on me motorbike. I whacked a new Works Performance shock on the back and it transformed the ride and handling. The bike is as if on rails now. A K-bike in good nick (with good tyres, shocks, and with steering head and swingarm bearings properly set) should feel stable and solid in the bends. Its battleship wheelbase has some effect on this 'planted' feeling too.

Measure how much the bike sags when you throw a leg over - keep in mind the spring's pre-load setting will change how much she drops. There are a lot of places to read about how much a shock should sag but too much or too little levelling off (or too slow to rebound) after a bump and you might have your sign it's done the distance.

Hi Tony, I have an old koni shock on mine but seems to do the job and as you are in my neck of the woods it will not be hard to compare notes.

As for the front end mine is quite stock and fairly ordinary but a set of progressive springs is not that expensive nor is fork oil for that matter so it might not hurt to invest in those to see if that improves things.

Phil, motorworks are offering Ikon shock, telefix f/fork brace, progressive springs and oil for 352.17 pounds ..sounds like a reasonable deal to me..whaddya think?..oh and postage

That sounds like a good deal.

For 10% club discount [ shox only ] try www.realmengineering.com.

Shocker developed specially for the Kay ranges.

Aren't Ikon shox made in Oz ???

Yes, Ikon from Down Under were once Koni from Up Top!

Tony, I checked the ikon website and the rear shock is a 7614-1009 and progressive springs are 500-003 so it would worth sending them an email to see what the local cost is.

It would not be the first time an Australian product is cheaper when bought from OS however.

I think the realm is also pretty good value especially with the 10% discount.

Progressive springs on their own I have seen for around $100 US plus shipping.

One of the things I would consider with the rear shock is how easy is it to adjust the preload. One of the posts on this forum describes the procedure in detail and with the screw type adjuster it is not a problem if you mainly ride one up with no load. As soon as you add a pillion or heavy luggage etc then it needs to be re-adjusted so a simpler method is obviously the key.

The other point you mention is the fork brace and I am not sure if it possible but the later front mudguard (I don't know from which model) is a two piece unit with an integral brace which in my opinion would look better than a separate brace and makes the mudguard easier to remove as well.

As I said I don't know if it is feasible or at what cost just another option to consider.

Our shocker manufacturer hates progressive springs with a vengeance. The valving has to be tailored to the spring rate. When the spring rate is "changing" that becomes difficult to achieve.

Not sure about Progressive and Ikon, but the RAM shocker has a simple collar adjustment for pre-load and you get a new C Spanner with the kit. The dampening adjustment is via a very easy to turn [ even with gloves on ] knurled knob giving 13 clicks of adjustment.

The later fork brace - which also carries the m/guard and brake T piece - attaches to lugs on the fork legs, unlike the Telefix and others that clamp around the fork tubes.

I'm assuming that BMW thought that a brace was a good idea - so I retrofitted them to 2 of my early K100s

This is my understanding about the options that I have open to me to tune the suspension on my KK100RT:

Front preload and sag adjustment	Open the forks and change the length of the preload sleeve
Front rebound rate	Use thicker or thinner fork oil than recommneded
Front compression rate	Open the forks and substitute the current spring iwth a new spring set with stiffer or looser strength
Rear preload and sag adjustment	Set the sag by using preload adjustor rings on top of the shock
Rear compression rate	Set the compression rate by adjusting the compression damping adjustor (if available)
Rear rebound rate	Set the rebound rate by adjusting the rebound damping adjustor (if available)

Can this be confirmed?

I'm not sure that my suspension is setup properly but I don't want to go to the pain of fiddling with the front forks just yet.

Hi Robert,

For the front end - all you have listed except there's no way you'd want /need to go softer on front springs !! I used Hagons in my K1100RS as Realm are still developing their own versions to match the RAM rear Shox.

Whereas the RAM shock transformed the old Brick, the deficiencies in the front end were amplified by the fact I had a good rear end ! Progressive front springs are a must to complete the picture.

No amount of setting up / dialling will mask the deficiencies of a worn rear shocker.

When a spring is on it's way out the reaction is to ramp up the pre-load to compensate. When the dampening is on it's way out, winding up the damper control only masks the true problem and hastens the end of the shock - which is knackered anyway.

When setting up a shock, you should use as little dampening as possible - the spring is doing the suspension work.

Thanks, Beachcomber.

I have been riding my K100RT for some time and felt that the bike was insecure in cornering. There are many explanations for this -- poor tires, improperly tuned suspension, bad road conditions, and/or poor driver. The tires are new; their alignment is correct; I drive city streets and highways in good conditions; I know my driving skills need improvement and I acknowledge that that is part of the problem.

I was thinking of tackling the suspension aspect and read online of the myriad ways of tuning a suspension. However, I see that these techniques only apply to late model Jap bikes with dial-in adjusters and not the K-series. My biggest hurdle is like the OP, not knowing what to expect from a perfectly setup K-bike suspension because I've never ridden a K-bike with perfect suspension. It's hard to determine if the current components on my machine are worn out and need replacing or whether they are badly adjusted because I have no reference point.

So, before I tear into the forks and change components seeking suspension nirvana, I will take "Ease Street". I'll measure and set rear sag with my current rear shock, dial damping to mid-way and see if the situation improves, degrades or stays relatively the same to today. If there is no change, I guess I'll consider new shocks and springs. I've had the same suspension components in the bike sine I bought it 13 years ago (and I suspect they were on the bike for some time before then).

I look forward to seeing the progressive springs and rear shock sets that Realm plan to develop. I would certainly purchase a set knowing that they match and complement each other.

Cheers,