hi,

my 1987 K100 requires a new rear shock for sure.

motobins has the original for 175 GBP and the progressive suspension one for 158GBP

which is better - does anyone have any experience to compare them?

Also - can the original one be rebuild? as I see the shock only piece goes for 95GBP - assuming I understood correctly the scant details.

Thank you,
Roy

Hi Roy,
Shocks are a subject which can give ones wallet a severe shock. The conventional wisdom is the standard shock is useless, that said I still have one on my bike but what if like you I were to be considering replacement (that will happen but I have only got 12,000K on the bike at the moment).

The Progressive shacks have of late had a bit of a spotty reputation on the Net with comments about poor quality but the three brands which get consistently very good marks from fellow K-BIKE riders are Ohlins, Wilbers and Works Performance also many swear by Koni, now sold by another company who took over the whole Koni M/C line and are called IKON. I believe all are rebuildable but unfortunately all are expensive. S/H is an option if you know how many miles they have done. A good shock will make a huge difference to the handling and safety of your bike and personally I always buy the very best I can afford for vital items.
Regards,
K-BIKE

Hi Roy,
The original fork oil viscosity from BMW is 7.5 from memory so changing to 10 will stiffen up the ride. First off I personally would change the fork oil for genuine BMW fork oil and see what you think. At the very least this will serve to flush the forks in case there is old debris inside from the previous fork oil.

You can indeed replace the springs with progressive springs and some report great satisfaction with the result. Don't forget that when you change the fork oil it is worth getting the quantity right http://www.ibmwr.org/ktech/fork-oil.shtml has some very useful info as does http://www.motorworks.co.uk/ who do a "handling kit"

Hi,

Thank you for the usefull information - I have done several hours surfing and reading and I better understand the issues now.

I have come across HAGON shocks, Any experience with these? The cost is competetive, how do they rank compared to others.

Roy

Hi Roy,
I don't know anyone personally who has used them so I cannot help you with that I am sorry to say. A quick surf found a few comments, although one needs to treat what one reads on the web with a certain degree of suspicion. It is so easy to subscribe to lists under multiple accounts so if one were an unscrupulous supplier/manufacturer one could easily produce a number of very positive comments from non existent people. Since one has the web accounts the non existent people could also reply to questions as well.
Regards,
K-BIKE

Hi,

I agree, I have also found out that for off-the-shelf products (shocks) it is better for me to import from USA bigger shops than from europe or GB where everything seems more expensive.

This also helps with the local customs, the louts take 50% on anything automotive that is brought into the country (and 95% on new cars or bikes!).

Unfortunately many in USA still make do with their local market and are not set up to ship to odd corners of the globe.

Roy

Hi Roy,

My bike fortunately came with a Koni aftermarket rear shock with a progressive spring, and while I don't believe it is set up perfectly it seems to do the job and looks like it has been on there a while. As mentioned Koni no longer exist in the motorcycle world but it appears there are plenty of other brands still available. As far as the forks go I am running 5W in them but plan to upgrade to progressive springs which are also readily available and quite cheap. Hopefully that will improve the front end as it is sometimes a mystery what previous owners have done.

Regards,

Phil

roys wrote:hi,

my 1987 K100 requires a new rear shock for sure.

motobins has the original for 175 GBP and the progressive suspension one for 158GBP

which is better - does anyone have any experience to compare them?

Also - can the original one be rebuild? as I see the shock only piece goes for 95GBP - assuming I understood correctly the scant details.

Thank you,
Roy

Hi,Wibers without doubt, with 5 years warranty.
The original is craps , bye.

Hi,

Since this was posted some time a go I installed YSS MS366
from Mr. Klaus Huenecke [info@epmperf.com], purchasd by phone from USA.

Made a very big positive difference and is segnificantly cheaper then wilbers. Considering the bike, my driving abilities i think it is very good match.

Roy

Hey Roy, does Mr Huenecke have a web site i can look at re shocker?,
Ta,
Tony

Im well up for a new rear shock, so im canvasssing opinions if anyone has any experience with these. Now ive been trolling and i would like to know if anyone has any experience with these shocks. RAMS, Betor or nitron? Nitron sell for 340 sterling!! ouch! Betor are Spanish..i think. so i reserve judgement.YSS i cant get a price on. Any calls?

tunza60 wrote:Im well up for a new rear shock, so im canvasssing opinions if anyone has any experience with these. Now ive been trolling and i would like to know if anyone has any experience with these shocks. RAMS, Betor or nitron? Nitron sell for 340 sterling!! ouch! Betor are Spanish..i think. so i reserve judgement.YSS i cant get a price on. Any calls?

have u tried http://www.yss-australia.com/?

I found this there:

Z-366 TR — Gas Mono Shock Absorber
Price: $389.00
Available Lengths: 240 mm, 250 mm, 260 mm, 270 mm, 280 mm, 290 mm, 300 mm, 310 mm, 320 mm, 330 mm, 340 mm, 350 mm, 360 mm, 370 mm, 380 mm, 390 mm or longer
Type: Self Adjusting Gas Emulsion Shock
Features: Pre-Load Adjustment, Rebound Adjustment 60 Clicks — 36 mm 50 Micron Steel Bore and Radial Sinter Piston — 16 mm Hardened Shaft — Low Friction, Long Life Seal Block — Bearing and Bushes to suit each Model — Dampening and Springrates Model specific — (Optional: Ride Height Adjuster (Length Adjuster))
Application: RACING ON and OFFROAD — for SOLO, SIDECARS, QUADS, CARS, STREET BIKES
Category: Mono

Good work Roy, and thanks for the positive feedback on the shock as that is something we all grapple with now and again. Finding someone who personally has used a lower cost alternative and had a good result is most useful. Interesting that so much negative comment is made about the standard shock, the one on my bike is a Bilstein and as far as I know original. Bilstein shocks have a very good reputation for cars particularly the fast driving and rallying Volvo drivers. AMG also fit them as standard to their AMG Mercedes models. We have two Mercs and a Volvo with the Heavy Duty sports models from Bilstein and I am most impressed. Wonder where they went wrong on the bike shocks.
Regards,
K-BIKE

Hey Roys, well im gonna take the plunge and get the same, talked to the guy and will get it shortly. Easy to install are they?
Tony

tunza60 wrote:Hey Roys, well im gonna take the plunge and get the same, talked to the guy and will get it shortly. Easy to install are they?
Tony

hi,

make sure they preadjust for your weight (I am ~100kg and ride solo) and riding style - it was good enough for my unsofisticated back side - but there r discussions here and elsewhere, by people far more knowledgable then me, on how to adjust rear shocks.

tip 1: when installing just make sure wheel does not drop - use some wood.
tip 2: I took the opportunity to replace the 22y old bolts for peace of mind

I also bought hyperpro made progressive style front springs that I have not as yet installed - from same source.

hope this helps a little

Roy

Reviving this thread for one more question - I was looking at the Progressive 465 series shock. On their fitment list, they only show it for the K100RS beginning in 1988, even though they have it for the LT/RT in earlier years. AFAIK there wasn't any difference in 1988 that would affect mounting or significant spring/damping issues - any idea what they may be thinking, or probably just a confusion in the fitment list? They use the same fitment, 465-1101, for all the K75s/K100s they *do* list.

KeS

Hi there, regarding the progressive shock, they made to models for the K 412 and 465, references on the 412 aint brilliant, but 465 is a diferent bird I installed one (fits like a glove) by november and the bike feels and handles great. I had it because was the only one I could import, but there are ones brand realm, built in the UK which have very good press by bot quality and price, the link http://www.realmengineering.com/page15.html
Best regards
JAP