October 24th, 2012, 09:55 AM | #1 |
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Newgen rear shock in Pregen.
So I've been stalking Craigslist and eBay for a rear shock from the zx6 but not many reasonable priced ones out there for being 15 years old... So I looked into the new gen shock. They seem a decent upgrade but I'd like some opinions. Anyone running a newgen shock on a Pregen? Thoughts? Opinions? Your size and weight while riding?
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October 24th, 2012, 10:07 AM | #2 |
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I thought that @choneofakind was running one.
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October 24th, 2012, 10:45 AM | #3 |
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Yep! I have one! I like it a lot. It's not the greatest shock ever, but for the money, it's a good upgrade.
It's a little taller than stock - raises the back by about 1/2 of an inch while you're on it. It has adjustable preload - I'm 140 in gear, and I have it set on the 2nd from lowest setting, maybe a bit stiff, but it feels better to me than on the lowest setting. Other than that, it feels pretty much the same. It's a little less soggy feeling than the pregen shock, and it seems to rebound just as quickly without any pogo feeling, so it works for me. Definitely worth the $40-ish I payed for it. If you're looking for something that's fully adjustable, you'll want to check out all the cool aftermarket shocks made for the new-gen. When I have the ability to buy a brand new bike for myself, I'll go the fully-adjustable aftermarket shock and gold valve emulators route. For now, I like my setup. |
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October 24th, 2012, 11:58 AM | #4 |
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Well I'm not looking to go crazy, I've heard that the 88-early 90's zx6 shocks are great upgrades. I'm about 200 in gear so we have a bit of a weight difference. Now since its raising the back a bit is there any ill effects to having the rear slightly higher? Also how many preload settings are there?
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October 24th, 2012, 12:03 PM | #5 |
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I've never used the fatboy zx6 shock, but I've also heard they're pretty nice. Get a shock pump for a mountain bike and play with the air pressure (preload) if you get one. Also be prepared to do a rebuild on a shock that old.
There's 5 preload settings. You'll likely find that you like a higher setting than I do. When i have a passenger, I like to ride with the 4th setting. If I ride solo with it on 4, it rides like a dump truck A higher tail will make it turn in quicker, which is nice. with the new shock, it's only a little higher, not a lot. The change won't be drastic until you raise the tail a couple inches with shorter dogbones like I have. |
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October 24th, 2012, 12:04 PM | #6 |
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I have it done on my 250. I need to buy an adjuster I have it set to 3 and it's a tight ass. I weigh around 130 with full gear.
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October 24th, 2012, 12:10 PM | #7 |
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Why do I feel so obese compared to other 250 riders . Anyway yeah I don't feel like going through the hassle of rebuilding an old zx6 shock unless it was practically free.
Now with stiffening up the rear are there any ill effects until I upgrade the fork springs? Since there's less give in the back I'd imagine it would put a little more stress on the front stock fork springs? Unless I'm just crazy? |
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October 24th, 2012, 12:27 PM | #8 |
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Improving the back suspension a little will just make the front squishing a little more noticeable. Nothing bad will come from this change mechanically. You'll just want to spend more to adjust the front end
When it's time to do that, get some ex500 springs, a little heavier fork oil, and some pvc to make up the space in the shorter spring, and you'll have a little better front end feel to match that little better rear end. It's a good budget way to improve the suspension a bit. No worries on the weight thing; I'm not judging anyone on their weight until they judge me on mine. You're also comparing yourself to me, a 20 year old college kid who rides a road bike as often as I can, and fills in the off-days with running. In the summer, I substitute trail rides on my mountain bike for some of those road bike rides. I'm 5'10" and built like a bean pole who runs; it's a blessing and a curse. Some girls like lean guys, some girls just like big arms and chests |
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October 24th, 2012, 02:05 PM | #9 |
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Oh my god you're exactly like me. Except that i'm 21 and 6'0.
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October 24th, 2012, 03:06 PM | #10 |
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I'm also running a newgen shock. Preload set on the lowest setting (I probably should go up two notches).
The bike doesn't squat as much when I get on it. Also, no bottoming out. I'm 250lb, so don't feel so obese. |
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October 24th, 2012, 03:29 PM | #11 |
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Yeah, I should likely go down a notch on the preload so the bike squats better through corners, but meh. I like how it rides better with it this way.
hahaha amen. Check out the "Bicycles!" thread. Apex and I nerd out over bicycles. Nerd out with us. |
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October 26th, 2012, 05:46 AM | #12 |
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I put one on mine about 500 miles ago. It made a very noticeable difference, it was the best $31.00 I've spent on this bike so far. I weigh 170 and have it set on the softest setting. But as someone else already mentioned it does make you realize how bad the stock front suspension really is.
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October 26th, 2012, 08:13 AM | #13 |
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Installed one on a friends 07. Made a slight diff... I personally was a little dissapointed. Think the geomerty is different on the 2nd gen, casue there so much stiffer with the same shock.
Also the tire stays on the ground using the center stand. Have to use a small piece of wood under it to pull the rear wheel. |
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October 26th, 2012, 04:21 PM | #14 |
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Thats surprising, that's not the case with mine. Centerstand works fine.
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October 26th, 2012, 08:08 PM | #15 |
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I was always fine with the centerstand on mine, even with a 130/90 rear. It only cleared the ground by like 1/4", so if the ground wasn't even, it touched, but the wheel cleared on flat ground
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October 27th, 2012, 02:33 AM | #16 |
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If you want to spend some money, throw a set of RaceTech springs in the front. I have a new-gen rear and RaceTech in the front. The RaceTech springs make a much bigger difference.
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October 27th, 2012, 08:57 AM | #17 |
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Eh, I'd argue that the rear makes a larger difference in how the bike actually corners, but the front makes a larger difference in the feedback you get from the road. The oem front end setup is pretty vague when leaned over.
I think my ex500 shocks were like $45 total. Or something like that. It's been a while... |
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October 29th, 2012, 06:14 AM | #18 |
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More than that, I don't like the way the OEM springs collapse under braking. Those front springs are just too light.
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October 29th, 2012, 06:50 AM | #19 |
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Well I may have to do race techs as I've been looking for the 500s front springs and can't seem to find them used anywhere and I imagine new from dealer they're probably more than race techs!
Anyone have any leads by chance? |
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October 29th, 2012, 11:08 AM | #20 |
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EX500 springs brand new are about $30 each. I've never priced out the racetechs, but I feel like they're going to be more expensive than $60 a pair.
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October 29th, 2012, 11:47 AM | #21 |
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Really that's great! I thought they'd be so much more beings though they're OEM. And I already upgraded the fork oil or 12 or 15 weight. Ill have to check when the hurricane blows over, I know it's heavier than stock
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October 29th, 2012, 02:31 PM | #22 |
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I have the front springs from a Suzuki GS500 in my bike. They are basically the same springs that come in the Ninja 500.
If you want some used ones you might try asking around on the GS500 forums.
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October 29th, 2012, 11:07 PM | #23 |
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i had the fatboy air-pump ZX600A rear and also the newgen (J) rear.
I am a pretty 'insensitive' guy to performance upgrades.... so honestly I can't tell which rear was better ( i even took it to the tracks). BUT, just for one single attribute, i will rate the J-shock higher than the old ZX600a's - the ride height. the old ZX6 is noticably shorter than the stock pre-gen, and the newgen is noticably longer, so i much appreciate the increased ride height. for the front: the cheapest upgrade is too increase the OIL level in the fork tubes. I went from the original 180mm to 130mm (180mm is the AIR level measure from the top of the tube to the existing oil level, more oil = less air). That alone made a huge difference to me. I then changed the springs to my appropriate weight from SonicSprings.com for $90 bucks (or from racetech if you like). |
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October 30th, 2012, 04:42 AM | #24 | |
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When I rebuilt my 2007 forks I used 15W oil and it did make a big difference. It handles the corners much better now IMHO.
Quote:
On the bright side, cagers can't say they didn't see him, and also if they hit him anyway, he's going to leave a dent.
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October 30th, 2012, 06:13 AM | #25 |
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Excessive protein to bulk up? I'm not a fan. Carbs and sugar for loads of energy on long runs/bike rides? Heck yes!!
Besides, I already have a long term girlfriend, and she's a runner too |
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October 30th, 2012, 11:39 AM | #26 | |
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Sugar -> carbs -> glucose-> triglycerides -> cholesterol -> clogged arteries -> heart attacks is the natural progression of things. on the GF as long as she likes motorcycles. Dump her and get a new one if she doesn't. Otherwise, you'll be married with 3 kids and a minivan before you know it. But speaking of the rear shock, the one on my 07 is definitely worse than my 06. Not sure if I should change it or not.
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October 30th, 2012, 11:44 AM | #27 |
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If you can get your hands on an 08-12 shock easily, go for it!! It's a cheap way to improve the suspension a little bit.
ha, well the calories from the sugar and carbs only give you those issues if you don't burn them off. I bike and run a lot. I don't over-eat, and I only eat when I'm hungry. I only carb load when I know I'll be exercising, so I think I'll be fine. |
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October 30th, 2012, 11:51 AM | #28 |
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Sonic springs are $80..... Per spring from Ron ayers for the 500 they're 36. So 72 vs 80.... Not much decision to be made I think.
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October 30th, 2012, 11:52 AM | #29 |
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Then just go with the spring rate that best suits your weight.
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October 30th, 2012, 11:55 AM | #30 |
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So now you're taking shots at my weight?!?!?
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October 30th, 2012, 12:07 PM | #31 |
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Nononononoo!! I promise I didn't mean it like that! I don't even know what you weigh
I mean there's different stiffness's of sonics to choose from (I think?), while the ex500 springs are only one stiffness. So since the price difference is a lot closer than I thought it would be, just go with the spring stiffness that works best for your weight. Choosing suspension settings is all dependent on rider weight. What works best for someone who's 300 lbs won't be as optimal for someone who's 125. EDIT: wait a minute. The sonics are $80/spring? Ouch. I thought you meant 80 for a pair of sonics, vs 80 for a pair of ex500's. I would just go the budget route with the ex500 springs. It will be better bang for the buck, even if it's not perfect. |
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October 30th, 2012, 03:14 PM | #32 |
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I guess you guys are talking about fork springs not shock springs. It took me a second to figure out why you want a pair of them. If you really want stiffer, isn't just changing the oil to a thicker weight just as good? Or if you must mess with the spring, put some kind of spacer in the top to push the spring down a bit more to get it to support more weight.
Maybe for a little while. Carbs enter the blood within minutes and a few minutes after that the pancreas starts making insulin which makes them go one of two places - fat or muscle. If you run it off, great, but any excess goes to fat. Not so easy when you get older and are set in your carb gorging ways. So with all those carbs, its probably a good thing your shock is adjustable.
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October 30th, 2012, 03:38 PM | #33 | |
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Quote:
Changing to different spring-rate fork springs make the fork take more weight per distance compressed. Adding preload (spacers) also makes the fork take more weight per distance compressed, however, it does this at the expense of reducing the distance that the internals of the fork will allow the fork to compress. Adding thicker oil makes the fork slower to compress, by forcing a thicker oil through the same dampening parts inside the fork. Basically, you can add thicker oil, and it will get rid of some chatter, by slowing how quickly the fork moves. You can also change the fork rate (or add preload) to adjust how much force the forks supply. The ninja will like you for making both of these changes. The stock front end is a vague, squishy thing because it is so soft and moves so quickly, that it does not give a ton of feedback to the rider, and it will sometimes bottom out under hard braking. |
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October 30th, 2012, 04:26 PM | #34 | |
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Quote:
I weigh 220# and have been riding my 06 for two years now and haven't bottomed the forks out yet. I've had to do several quick stops and even did an accidental stoppie or two, but I can't recall ever bottoming out on the front. We may not have many twisties, but we do have a fair share of speed bumps down here. I usually hit the speed bumps at twice the speed limit and never bottomed out there either. (Yes, I need to quit doing that, but I can't help myself.) The headlight will dive when I hit the front brakes a little, but I like that because I use it to wake up pokey cagers. I did bottom out on the rear when the bike came back down after an accidental stoppie. I suppose the same problem exists for accidental wheelies, but I haven't seen it.
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October 30th, 2012, 04:36 PM | #35 |
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If you don't notice it as a problem on your bike, then don't do anything to it
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October 31st, 2012, 11:25 AM | #36 | |
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