TOPIC:

Is their a standard shock length for KZs or Zs or the Z1R?......is it 13.25 inches eye to eye for all?

There is an important reason for my question....more on that later

it depends on how high you want bike to sit,but thats about average though.

firemun59 wrote:

Is their a standard shock length for KZs or Zs or the Z1R?....

Generally, two 60 second shots are enough to deep fry anything you can squeeze into the chair - even a KZ...

(..just kidding - Gris loaned me some of his 'nanners....)

hehehe ole sparkey! Not too comfortable at first but you sort of melt into it. Just make sure to wet the sponge that goes under the skullcap!

The NEW and improved SPARKEY!!

Just to "shock" you all into being serious for a moment!
There was a long discussion on the correct "eye to eye" measurement of a standard shock on another forum (ZOC-UK). Their unagreed conclusion afer many arguments was 350 mm (approx 13.8"). The dispute, I think, started over an after-market Z1 rear shock that was difficult to fit because it was 365 mm. It was in trouble with exhaust mount interference. The measurement (eye to eye) of 13.25" (which equates to approx 336.5mm) seems a little low.

I'm interested, mainly because of a statement from a member, a couple of years ago that used to race Z1's..... Taller shocks on the back and slight lowering of front forks solves many handling problems. So, I would always err towards the longer rear shocks!

Further, some information I got recently, when assembling a swing-arm on a Z1B. I found that the maximum (eye-to-eye) rear shock absorber that could be fitted to any Z1 series, without the swing-arm interferring with the exhaust holder mount, was 355mm (Approx 14").

RegardZ

i prefer the shorter shocks myself somewhere in neighborhood of 11- 11 1/4" myself to lower bike.

No, there is no actual standard rear shock length that relates to all of the KZ/Z models.
It all depends on which size KZ (250 ~ 1300) you're inquiring about, as there are actually quite a few different shock lengths that were used. Some models even having different lenghts from one year to another.

Like wireman said, it all depends on how you want the bike to sit. And of course what you're looking for in the way it performs.

Garn has a good point.
In using longer rear shocks and lowering the forks in the triple clamps slightly (about 1" to 1 1/2"), it will noticeably improve the steering response during hard cornering, but will give up some front end stability at higher speeds - been there done that, and have a puckered KZ seat to prove it too!


So, let us on on what ya got planned, and what bike it's on.
A KZ based chopper?
A cafe' styled racer?
Rat bike?
???

Firemun59:

Taken from a Progressive Shocks applications chart (not necessarily the same shocks if the same eye length)

12.5"--KZ250, 305, 750B

13"--KZ400, 440, 550C, 550F, 650

13.5"--KZ550A, 550D, 750(4), Z1 + all 900's, 1000's, and 1100's

14.25"--KZ1300

The stock ones off my Z1R, 13.5" center to center.

Lower front to rear height generally results in some "plowing" in the steering so the steering rate is slowed a bit. This usually results in coming out of high speed hard corning more on the outside of a curve. I'm surprised that 4R has improved handling when cornering, I'd be curious as to what the problem was before the change. Was the rear hopping?

Before getting too far into the shock height issue, read the attached discussion on sag. Sag is far more going to effect your riding characteristics than shock height. You'll end up reducing the preload on longer shocks just because when you first sit on it after installing them you'll feel like it is too stiff. So you are actually attempting to adjust the sag because what you might be calling stiffness or slight height changes is actually sag.

motorcyclebloggers.com/tech-talk-articles/suspension-101/part3/

Thanks go to Bear for the link to provide here.