TOPIC:

Street Fighter LTD wrote: Those 7614s look awesome !!!!

I will be needing a pair. So my question is will they be available for my 78 LTD 1000 ???????????????????????????????????

Dave

Dave, that's pretty much the best twin shock we sell, and your application is an oddball omission from the lineup. We do NOT appear to have an application in the 7614 for your bike as of yet, HOWEVER. The factory is more than awesome like this, and if you wanted that shock for that bike, I shall procure it. You just give me a few weeks' lead time when you are feeling the urge and it shall be done mon frere.

N.

rstnick wrote: I would love to send them to you.
Don't think I would try a go at them again, as I probably did not do a very good job.
Was looking at your site, to determine if it was worth it to rebuild them.
They do have the 4 click adjustments for dampening, so new similar units will be in the $500 range.
So rebuilding them could be an option.
They are holding the bike up at the moment, and the bike is buried under snow, so it will be a while before I can get to her.


Here is the post from some years back, on rebuilding Konis;
www.kzrider.com/forum/5-chassis/35294-ko...-rebuild-pics#197927
I had some problems, with a Gland Nut ring that was different in my shocks compared to Neil's set.
Later figured out the ring was two pieces.

There are a couple of oddball factory tools they provided that take the fight out of a few things, and a calculator for the amount of oil, and of course 20 years of institutional knowledge I can access that makes it easier. Any time at all, I'd be happy to service those for you, or I'll give you $75 off on a trade in, and use your shocks for spare parts.

Kapahulu wrote: I have a set of Ikons on my KZ900 and Koni's that I bought used on my H2. They're both great shocks! Buying used Koni's is a gamble but my set is okay.

I pulled a set off one of my CBXs to get trained, and they are now new shocks for all intents and purposes. The economics of rebuild vs buy new aren't super compelling for rebuilding, but on the other hand, if you're trying to keep a vintage bike vintage, the ability to get these old ones renewed is a pretty cool option.

Before long I am going to do as good a job as I can on the step-by-step of rebuilding these and make that available for folks. Other fish to fry at the moment though.

ayeckley wrote: Nils - were you working the Ikon booth st the Barber Vintage Festival? We may have met...

I was not at Barber, but I was at Long Beach at the IMS show! If you spoke with a dapper Australian fellow then that was Geoff Lowe, Mr Ikon himself, and the other fellow that was there is another dealer in PA - I have not met him.

So could you set up a set for drag racing ?
I need to do something for my KZ650 right now it got an 8 inch over swingarm and a set of factory ZRX shock's.
Me and the bike are right at 600 lbs total.

zukdave wrote: So could you set up a set for drag racing ?
I need to do something for my KZ650 right now it got an 8 inch over swingarm and a set of factory ZRX shock's.
Me and the bike are right at 600 lbs total.

Hey Dave,

When you lay that shock at that angle you more or less halved your effective spring rate, so I'm going to guess the bike squats like mad and that affects your launch. Short answer is "Sure!", I can make any length you want and dial the spring and damping up, too, I'd say we are probably best off using the gas charged shocks with the threaded preload so it can be fine tuned.

HOWEVER...

These are all emulsion shocks. Fine for street use and casual off road, but like all emulsion shocks they are prone to fade in extreme conditions. I don't frankly know if that's a factor for drag racing, but I'm interested in learning more and I'll work with you if you like.

For me fade is not an issue running 1/8th mile the shocks don't build much heat.
I had been running strut's and lowered and couldn't stop the wheelie's so I took the one's off my ZRX project
and used them to go back to shocks and get a base line of spring rate and valving.

At the track with the ZRX shocks I can launch it harder then I ever have and it's not wanting to wheelie
so I'm thinking some thing close

Dave, I will confer with the factory, although my main guy is travelling today, he is great about getting back with me,

Looks like that is 14.25" in standard free length for the ZRX - can you confirm that's what you're running? Looks like you're all the way rearward on your swingarm bracket - 1/2" shorter would put you in the middle so you'd have adjustment in either direction. Would that be useful?

Nils the brackets on the arm are just some temp plates I made to get shocks back on it here's the strut setup.

Once I get the shock and mounting points worked out I'm going to have D&G Chassis build me a crome molly arm

Let me add this I've been talking with Nils in pm's and he's gone out of his way looking into building me a set of drag shocks.
What I need in a drag shock is no where near what most of you need in a street shock.
For me and what I need it's not a simple look on the web and order a set nobody makes a drag shock for a 35 y/o 8" over KZ650
Nils is working on it and seeing what come up with thats pretty standup to me.

Happy to. This is great stuff. Thanks for the good words!