ebay rear shocks?

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationI bought the repros from Z1E and remembered why they were so bad. Not good for turns. Got duel rate shocks and I like them though they could be stiffer. Maybe one day I'll get some racing like my S&W's I had before but for now I can "Ride the piss out if it." :woohoo:
Steve

Steve, you have to try a set of better quality shocks like the Hagon, Maxton, (or go for BROKE ohlins) to know just how not good the others are....

I tried the dual rate ones you have pictured - constantly bottomed out even when cranked up to maximum preload, no damping to speak nicely of...like I said, I paid $100 for them.... $100 too much, too. I think your roads are in better shape than the potholes and frost heaves we have here.

I have a set of S&W's, they are much better, and I 've heard that S&W was bought and merged into Progressive Suspension, so those progressive shocks might be the old S&W's now, but still pale in comparison to the better quality fox racing, and ohlins I've tried.

My S&w's were taller than stock. They worked great and were duel rate. They rusted while sitting 15 years so I had to replace them. I don't ride as hard as I did 20 years ago so these work for me. One day I may be able to spend $4-600 on shocks but for that money I'd rather go 1075 and get a 903 crank. I've got my eye on the crank and If I get it, I'll sell this Z2 750 crank to buy the rest of the goodies I want. Meanwhile I just RIDE and enjoy what I have.
Steve

I like my S&W's, too. I picked them up with about 1/2 life left, they look very good - for $90. I need a set of good twin shocks for one of my H - brand bikes, and I will probably spring the big coin for Ohlins or Maxtons, but Beater II is getting a single shock conversion to it's kz1000LTD frame....

Sounds good.
Steve

I'm considering a set of these Gazi shocks, they are made in Asia and re engineered by a guy named Paul Bushell in Australia, I've heard nothing but praise for these shocks and they are well priced, I've seen them on a couple of Aussie period Katana race bikes with over 150HP.

www.gazisuspension.com/products.html

They have a US distributor too..

www.gazi-usa.com/

Heres an article about them if anyone is interested...

New Thai Gazi shocks a triumph for retro bikes

A BIKE is only as good as its suspension and many manufacturers use cheap springs and shocks to keep prices competitive.

While the first thing most new owners change is the muffler, the biggest improvement they can make to their bike is to swap the standard shocks for aftermarket units that can cost as much as $1200 each.

A Brisbane partnership has developed twin-shock units that cost less but perform better than standard shocks.

Motorcycle industry veterans Allan Hall and Paul Bushell have formed Motocomponents to sell Thai-made Gazi shocks to the world.

"We discovered Gazi shocks about six years ago. The owner wanted to expand and we've spent the past few years researching, testing and developing them for a worldwide market," Bushell says.

He said most Asian shocks looked good, but did not perform well.

"Australia has harsh roads and we need tougher and better quality springs that last longer and perform better."

So they re-engineered the shocks with higher grade aluminium, a thicker 15mm shaft, a progressive spring, quality shims and valves, and high-grade Japanese synthetic oil.

"We use Japanese synthetic oil for long life and lower servicing. I can't tell you what sort; it's a trade secret," Bushell said.

Hall said their shock filled the gap between $500 Ikons and $1200 Ohlins.

"We have kept the cost down by making a quality shock that also can be used on a lot of bikes, not tailor-made for a bike like Ohlins do," he said.

"Ohlins make a gorgeous shock, but we're not out to have a go at them. We saw the need for a high-quality product at a realistic price."

Their shocks suit most twin-shock applications, particularly new and old Triumphs, modern retro-styled road bikes, light road and trail bikes and vintage motocrossers.

"We only do twin shocks and have no desire to do a single shock at the moment because most single shock units are reliable and good quality," Hall said.

The Gazis have been track, trail and road tested as well as bench tested on a suspension dyno at up to 75 degrees.

Hall said their shocks were not up to professional race standards, but were suitable for track days and included an interchangeable extra set of longer eyes to sharpen up the steering for the track.

The shock is also designed so it can be rebuilt by a suspension expert.

They come with a full set of different size bushes to fit most bikes, so you can keep the shocks when you sell the bike and fit them on your next purchase.

After more than 100,000km of real-world testing Hall and Bushell are happy with the results.

"It's been a long hard road but I think we've got it right. We didn't want to put it on the market until it was just right," Hall said.

However, they continue to test and develop for the next model which will have different spring rates to suit more bikes.

S&W were great shocks! They were definitely THE hot setup back in the day! I used them for many years on my KZ650. Below is Kenny Roberts TZ750 with them, a Rickman Kaw with them, and (of course) my KZ650-C1 with them. Mine never wore out, even after 35k+ miles and about 18 years. I switched to Hagons because the Hagons performed as well as the S&W shocks but looked much closer to stock. :laugh: Ed

The reproduction Z1 shocks are just junk. I bought a pair a few years ago and gave them away. Do yourself a favor and buy a set of IKON (formally koni) Basix shocks there about $285 bucks. Same design as the highly sought after Koni 76K 1343 special D, the best shock ever made for a Z1 or Kz900/1000. Althouth I never had a pair I looked at a set at the manufacturer bike show last winter. Definitely a nice shock.
I have a set of rebuilt koni 76K's on my 73 and it's about the best improvement one can do on a 40 year old motorcycle. I just recently had another set rebuilt for my turbo bike. Stock shocks never again

GregZ wrote: ................... Stock shocks never again

Agree! I bought my 1977 KZ650-C1 new. The stock shocks were by far the weakest link. They were barely adequate when new, and before the end of the 2nd year they were creating handling problems. That's when they went into the trash bin. Ed

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationWhat do you make of these?

G-tron wrote: What do you make of these?

(RedWing Shocks....)

I can't say myself, but on other forums they routinely rate an "o.k.", or "slightly better than stock". I would guess they are much better than the Emgo and other Chinese -iish shocks....it is a gamble buying them with no warrantee or specific fitment....who is to say what they will fit and are suited to?

For that much money, I would just add a few bucks to the budget and at least order a new set of Progressives....I don't like gambling on evil-bay!

Some OEM twin shocks were pretty good. I wish I still had a local bike wrecker here to pick from. When we had a salvage yard here, I used to go "shopping" just about once a month (they knew me really well and allowed me to just wander around in the various buildings and outdoor yard areas to look for treasures that the regular customers never got to see). The twin shocks from the CB900/1100F were pretty good if they came off a low mileage bike. I also used some from the '83 GS1100's and 750 / 900 Seca and later XJ750's. My rule was match the weight and only use sport bike shocks, and pay no more than $100 / set.

Occasionally, I would find real gold - Fox, S&W street strokers, Works Performance (still a good choice, BTW), even occasional Marzocchi's.
Those weren't cheap, even at the salvage yard....