KZ550 Rear Shocks

Howdie All,
Brand New- to the site. What an incredible resource.

Cutting my teeth on a KZ550. It is a great ride! One complaint is that I bottom out the rear shocks from time to time. I like the softer setting, so I don't think I want to get too stiff. Can anyone recomend an after market upgrade?

Thanks.

Skip

Hey skip, turn up your shocks and experiment, before you waste your money

Thanks for the reply. I've tried that a bit. I've been at 1 (soft) up to 4 (firm)- and it still can bottom out. I like the softer setting because the wheels seem to have better contact with the road.

Dude, are you a big boy? A REALLY big boy?

I have a 650, weigh 160 and ride double with a a 140lb girlfriend / significant other, on the first shock setting, and have yet to bounce a stop. Maybe you have some other rattle and bang you think are the shocks?

You can't see what's happening while you're riding. . .

Not too big- 184 with 110 on back. It looks from the pictures on the site that most of the 550 bikes have gone non-stock. I'm wondering if that is for the look or if there is improved performance.

It seems a common thing for guys to watch for a set of Harley Sportster shocks on ebay. Make sure they are 13.5" eye-to-eye. You can usually find "new take-off's" for under $50.00. Note: You will have to replace the bushings in the Harley shocks and possibly spread the lower shock mount on your 550.

kZskip wrote:

Howdie All,
Brand New- to the site. What an incredible resource.

Cutting my teeth on a KZ550. It is a great ride! One complaint is that I bottom out the rear shocks from time to time. I like the softer setting, so I don't think I want to get too stiff. Can anyone recomend an after market upgrade?

Thanks.

Skip

Skip,

Lets begin from square one. How much do you weigh and what type of riding do you do? The harley pieces mentioned provide no real level of performance and preload plus compression/rebound dampening adjustment are non existent. Not to mention they are not designed for your bike. Are you planning on matching the replacement aftermarket shocks with new fork springs?

Its great to make combat power but if it handles like a shopping kart your not going to have much fun. Its all about balance.

Well vipex, that might be your opinion, or maybe you are just trying to sell your expensive shocks. While I don't object to you posting your thoughts on the subject, I do object to you not clearly indicating in your post that you are expressing an opinion from a position of economic self interest.

Most of us are not interested in paying your price of over $400 for a pair of shocks. For our bikes, it is just a waste of money, unless we are involved in competitive type endeavors.

The Harley takeoffs are far superior to what the OEM put on these bikes 25-30 years ago, and are very inexpensive and available. It is true that they are not a "performance" shock by today's standards, but neither are these KZs "performance" bikes by today's standards. All things considered, the Harley takeoffs are an excellent match for our KZs, and are certainly better than the cheap off-brand new shocks people sell all the time on eBay for three times the price.

Post edited by: apeman, at: 2007/03/13 20:59

apeman wrote:

Well vipex, that might be your opinion, or maybe you are just trying to sell your expensive shocks. While I don't object to you posting your thoughts on the subject, I do object to you not clearly indicating in your post that you are expressing an opinion from a position of economic self interest.

Most of us are not interested in paying your price of over $400 for a pair of shocks. For our bikes, it is just a waste of money, unless we are involved in competitive type endeavors.

The Harley takeoffs are far superior to what the OEM put on these bikes 25-30 years ago, and are very inexpensive and available. It is true that they are not a "performance" shock by today's standards, but neither are these KZs "performance" bikes by today's standards. All things considered, the Harley takeoffs are an excellent match for our KZs, and are certainly better than the cheap off-brand new shocks people sell all the time on eBay for three times the price.<br><br>Post edited by: apeman, at: 2007/03/13 20:59

I can certainly respect your thoughts however the shocks we manufacture and sell are not 400 try 1/2 that ( i did not promote any product in the post).....i was only asking the guy to evaluate his riding habits and make an informed decision ....in any event a KZ can be made to perfrom a signifigantly higher level than stock....have you ever ridden an early 80s superbike?...145 hp and very settled in corners....no, its not a modern 600 but it will perfrom at a high level. Sportster shocks are glorified pogo sticks and not a great match for a KZ. But then again i spend time on vintage bikes at open track events. Some on a KZ1000.....no one uses harley sportster shocks there. It comes down to 2 main variables...budget and riding style.

hey.....opinions vary........

One last point Ohlins could run you $1500.....to me thats expensive...but some people will buy them for a megabuck resto rod.

id say just about any shock you can lay your hands on will outperform a stock 20 year old shock which wasnt really really geared for performance to begin with.id be willing to bet kawasaki bought up a bunch of shocks from a manufacturer based more on price and their ability to keep the back fender from rubbing on tire than for performance reasons.ive personally never been a fan of the piggy back style shocks,i had a set on a kz1000 many years ao for about 2 weeks till i got tired of everybody telling me they looked like they belonged on a dirtbike,they were right they do look like dirtbike shocks to me!:whistle:

Hi Vipex,
Your sight looks nice- thanks for chiming in! I am 180's average height. Part of the time I will have my girlfriend onboard and she's 110. As I am just getting started I don't know how far I'll take this new adventure- but I like the vintage look of my bike and I appreciate performance. I sense there is more to be had- and so I'm all ears. Improved handling going into corners and greater stability/feel for the road while in straight-line mode over rougher back roads are a place to start for me. Any ideas?

Skip

kZskip wrote:

Hi Vipex,
Your sight looks nice- thanks for chiming in! I am 180's average height. Part of the time I will have my girlfriend onboard and she's 110. As I am just getting started I don't know how far I'll take this new adventure- but I like the vintage look of my bike and I appreciate performance. I sense there is more to be had- and so I'm all ears. Improved handling going into corners and greater stability/feel for the road while in straight-line mode over rougher back roads are a place to start for me. Any ideas?

Skip

Skip,

Its sounds like your are a sport/tour kind of rider.
If budget is an issue - lets assume it is - I would rebuild the front forks with new seals and straight rate front springs - stock stiffness or slightly firmer(not progressives). Use the same viscosity of fork oil as the manufacturer recommends - A low buck alternative (but certainly not the best) is to use ATF. As far as the rear goes, here is a different approach and certainly inexpensive - Use your micrometer and measure the thickness of the wire of your springs ( use this formula A=pi R squared) and determine the cross sectional area of the wire in your spring. Then find a shock with an increased length from eye to eye of no more than 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch and the wire should be about 15% stiffer - use an increase of 15% in the wires cross sectional area as your guide (there is no point in getting into metallurgy here) we have to assume similar cold rolled mild steel coils.

How will your bike perform now? slightly firmer under all conditions. Alot better when riding 2 up and a dramatic ability to provide a more agressive 'turn in' while solo or two up riding - be careful riding aggressively two up - of course.
If you want more specific ideas please PM me I can email you a few alternative ideas - none of which require the purchase of new products.

Note: there was a comment about piggybacks and their 'appearance'. I guess thats a personal issue. However, do an image search for a ZRX1200 and ask yourself - do those shocks look out of place? Not to mention the enormous improvement in performance Vs non piggyback. If bone stock appearance is a consideration - I would agree a piggyback shock is not an option.