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All of the talk about the fork conversion and nothing about the rear shock. Is there a bolt in replacement for the rear shock? I want to have mine revalved and a new spring installed but don't want to be without the bike while the work is getting done. I'd like to find a shock that I can have rebuilt and do a direct swap with the stock one. Any ideas??

People have swapped in KX and Showa rear shocks. Both of these units need to be shortened to work right though.

http://kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopic.ph ... howa+shock
http://kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopic.ph ... t=kx+shock

Why don't you just buy another stock shock?

Thanks...I've been looking for another stock shock...any ideas?

Price a new one ($700 or so?) and you may decide that being down for a day isn't a big deal.

Corvallis!!??

Call Richard Wilson, KTM dealer in Eugene. Arrange with his schedule to have the thing turned around quick. He's done mine while I waited. His KYB shock revalve for the KDX is excellent! Tell him you want yours just like the maroon down in the Rogue Valley. He'll say, 'Huh?', 'cuz he won't have the slightest idea who that is..but it will make it sound like you've done your research! ;)

He's on the web: http://houseofhorsepower.com/

Done deal.

Done quick.

Save $700.

Come on down for a ride!!

...if you DO end up sending it to him, do NOT compress it!!

do not compress it?

Is there an echo?

Do not compress it.

Is there a question?

Maybe....Why not compress it?


Because the tuner said, 'Don't ever do that.' Simple enough.

He said THAT because I DID compress it (to fit it in a smaller box). Considering the pounding the thing takes under normal use, why would compression bother it for a day in a box?

He said it damages something..makes it more likely to leak. He replaced some parts inside that he normally would NOT have replaced had I NOT sent it compressed.

I suppose you could simply bleed the nitrogen charge out of it. There would BE no pressure in that case..and it's going to get recharged anyway.

CC are you sure the guy wasn't trying to get a few more buck out of you?
Like you said, the thing is really taking a pounding all the time, and I really don't seen which part would be damaged if compressed, especially if the N2 is gone.

It was the seal head.

'..if the N2 is gone.'

Well, yeah. But mine wasn't.

This guy isn't a bilker. He's good..he may change stuff that isn't completely worn to a frazzle..he may err on the side of caution..but he's good at what he does.

I'd much rather pay to have questionable parts replaced while the thing is apart than NOT to, then find those weepy rings around the shock piston all the time....until there's no oil left IN the shock to leave marks.

You're just bitter!

Do forks tend to leak when kept compressed?

A reputable source says this:

URBAN forklore:
Tying you bike down over night or all week does not cause seal problems. The pressure inside a fork actually increases its tendency to seal. If you have a leak after doing this it is from an imperfection (damage already done) and the extra internal pressure is just helping push oil out.

Hmmm . . . I've "heard" different. In fact, sales pitches for more than one product are built around the fact that holding forks compressed for a length of time causes damage: those plastic things you wedge between your front wheel and the fender for example.

Wait, there's more:

Bleeding your forks is a good idea for good performance, but has little to do with the seals life. If you fail to do this and notice a leak, it's from the same root cause as the bike being tided down myth of above.

Would the same hold true for the shock???

Reputable source? http://www.mx-tech.com/?id=articles_news&news_id=7

A fork: Oil on the inside...tries to go outside.
A seal: KEEPS oil on the inside.

More pressure on the inside is going to increase the tendency to seal?

Oh. That must be why my air assist forks on my Honda are to be pressurized to ONLY a few PSI...'cuz more pressure would make the seals work too good!

The last sentence of the 'folklore' part is bogus, anyway. Actually, the whole paragraph is bogus. Compressing forks may not cause problems in a goodly sealed fork, but neither does it AID (help) anything neither. The paragraph links a couple of ideas in an unlinkable manner. The premise is wrong, so any conclusion drawn from that premise is also wrong! That's a popular way to argue something that is inarguable. There's no logical way to logically argue AGAINST it, cuz it's illogical in the first place!

Towit:

The pressure inside a fork actually increases its tendency to seal.

That would be wrong.


BTW...I'm not arguing whether or not shipping a shock compressed hurts anything. I relayed what I was told. I don't buy it myself. The 'increased' pressure part comes from what? From the shaft displacing oil inside the cannister which 'pushes' against the charged bladder. IMO..if a shock sealing system can handle a couple hundred pounds of bike and 180# of rider hitting the ground from 3-4' in the air coming off a water bar, it can SIT compressed for a day in a box.

If BKK chooses to send his shock to Wilson (he should), why not ship it as the tuner says? Why would I argue with someone that has been tuning suspensions for decades? Easier to do as he says...whether I agree, disagree or anything inbetween.

Personally, I agree: The myth thing is a myth, and I believe the myth debunk part applies to a shock, too.

Jeb: I watch the same station all the time! I'm hardwired!!

Jeb wrote: Hmmm . . . I've "heard" different. In fact, sales pitches for more than one product are built around the fact that holding forks compressed for a length of time causes damage: those plastic things you wedge between your front wheel and the fender for example.


Bleeding your forks is a good idea for good performance, but has little to do with the seals life. If you fail to do this and notice a leak, it's from the same root cause as the bike being tided down myth of above.

Would the same hold true for the shock???

Reputable source? http://www.mx-tech.com/?id=articles_news&news_id=7

Well, if your trying to sell a 5 cent plastic item for 20 bux that holds the forks from compressing you'll make a bunch of claims.
When forks are compressed they'll create a stronger seal against the slider. The reason you bleed for performance is, the forks will actually suck in air causing a build up of air presser inside the tube. There was a time in the mid 70's we'd pull the springs out, tap in a shrader and use air only in our forks. That was until we wised up.
Majority of weeping forks are due to dirt/damage not due to being compressed in the back of your truck. But, anything compressed LONG ENOUGH will weep.
What I can see about a suspension builder not wanting the shaft fully compressed. Shock shafts never use the full travel of the shaft, they get stopped by bumpers & the spring coils being used up. Compressing the shaft fully into the body will take to areas never meant to be touched which could cause internal damage.

1. The pressure inside a fork actually increases its tendency to seal.

2. When forks are compressed they'll create a stronger seal against the slider.


Are you saying the meaning/intent of #1 was #2?

To be clear...by 'slider' you are referring to bushings? Or the inner tube?

Besides that, my personal bet would be it costs almost TWO nickels.