Suzuki SV650 Riders Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

GSXR shock swap - Why, How to, common issues, etc

182K views 417 replies 160 participants last post by  88blackzc02yellowsv 
#1 ·
This has been discussed before but it?s winter, so it?s a good time to post the topic again.

The information is already available in this site, I just put it together plus a couple of new pictures from my own shock swap. Thank you all who posted pics and comments and questions.

All comments and corrections are welcome.


Marcos
 
#385 ·
ok I know this is more them likely a silly question but I have a first gen sv 650. how do you tell your speed after you swap out the forks. you need a different front rim so the new shocks will not work with the reg first gen spedo how can I get the spedo too work>?
 
#392 ·
yeah I took a look at the ohlins website and the shock looks tiny, would need a completely custom linkage/knuckle to use those shocks, probably not worth it since after figuring all that out and having something custom machined it'd be cheeper and easier to buy a penske or ohlins
 
#398 ·
Anybody considering the GSXR-750 shock swap? If so, I have a 2001 (I think) shock that you can have for FREE! Looks like new. I bought it originally to install in my '02 SV naked. Decided to go with ohlin instead, so this shock is just sitting in my kitchen taking up space. You pay the $10 to ship, and it's yours. Aw, heck, I'll even pay shipping just to get that little bit of space in my kitchen back, and to do a favor for an SV rider. Just contact me here or via e-mail (which I think is available on our profiles), or reply to this post.
 
#400 ·
i am about to purcahse a used shock for my 02 650, but i have a couple more questions and would really appreciate the help from anybody who has completed this swap or has some knowledge they would like to share

1. in your opinion what is the best, cheapest, easiest to install shock for a 02 ridden by a 190 lb rider who occassionally rides two up with his 110 lb wife and enjoys spirited backroad riding and commuting but no actual racing?

2. i have noticed the 04-05 zx10r shocks have a resevior that sticks out about three inches at a 45 degree angle and the 06-07 ones have the resevior stick out about two inches at a 90 degree angle, which one would require less battery box trimming

thanks in advance if u can answer these qestions for me i appreciate it!
 
#404 ·
those ^^^^ are pics of zx10r shocks and after installing a 06 636 shock on my 02 naked i would say that for first gens the 06-07 zx10r shocks would reguire less fiddeling and battery box trimming to fit

i already did set the sag and got 30 mm in my racetech front and 30 mm in 636 shocked rear, which is within the accpeted range according to racetech

now i gotta properly dial the shock for my riding style and weight, any suggestions from others with a 636 shock installed on a first gen?
 
#405 · (Edited)
just wanted to update everbody on my shock swap after getting much help from others i would like to throw in my 2 cents and see if it helps anybody else:

for the record i ride a naked 02, i weigh 200 lbs, ride two up often with my 110 lb wife, commute frequently and enjoy back road spirited riding but no racing

i got a kawasaki 636 shock from d2cycles.com for 55 bux shipped with (hopefully) 5k miles on it
- shipping was fast
- shock was clean and included both bolts i had requested

installation was pretty easy and bolted right up but did require a couple of modifiactions:
- the battery box had to have about 1.5 inches removed
- the black plastic tray that holds a relay and the fuse book was removed (easily) and the fuses and relay tucked in a space behind the battery
- the battery itself no longer craddled by the battery box but instead fits snuggly within the confines of the shock on the bottom, the battery box/tray in the back, and the frame on the top corners (some thin foam will fit nicely in each "contact" area to decrease vibs)
- the bottom bolt required a very slight "shave" so as not to contact the dogbones

all and all a moderatly easy install that only requires a little cash, a little patience, a little skill, and hopefully increases in performance by a least as much as a little, while at the same time offering much more adjustabilty to different conditions, riding styles, weights, ect.

hope this helps and thanks again to those that helped me!
 
#407 ·
just wanted to update everbody on my shock swap after getting much help from others i would like to throw in my 2 cents and see if it helps anybody else:

for the record i ride a naked 02, i weigh 200 lbs, ride two up often with my 110 lb wife, commute frequently and enjoy back road spirited riding but no racing

i got a kawasaki 636 shock from d2cycles.com for 55 bux shipped with (hopefully) 5k miles on it
- shipping was fast
- shock was clean and included both bolts i had requested

installation was pretty easy and bolted right up but did require a couple of modifiactions:
- the battery box had to have about 1.5 inches removed
- the black plastic tray that holds a relay and the fuse book was removed (easily) and the fuses and relay tucked in a space behind the battery
- the battery itself no longer craddled by the battery box but instead fits snuggly within the confines of the shock on the front side, the battery box/tray in the back, and the frame on the top corners (some thin foam will fit nicely in each "contact" area to decrease vibs)
- the bottom bolt required a very slight "shave" so as not to contact the dogbones

all and all a moderatly easy install that only requires a little cash, a little patience, a little skill, and hopefully increases in performance by a least as much as a little, while at the same time offering much more adjustabilty to different conditions, riding styles, weights, ect.

hope this helps and thanks again to those that helped me!
That sounds like a different experience than others have had...got any pics?
ac
 
#408 ·
yeah i will get some pics up tomorow, but what sounds different?
 
#410 ·
as promised here are some pics of my 06 636 shock install on a 02 naked:
from the top-


from the side high-


from the side dirrectly-

hope that helps someboby
 
#417 ·
here are two more:
I don't get it... is the battery sitting on top of the shock res? clearly you cut the battery box, but how did you get the wires to reach the battery once you moved it up flush with the top?

I hadn't considered this as an option because the wires seem to be very taught already...
:eek:

could you take some pictures not zoomed-in, to get an overall picture of what exactly the undertail/battery tray is doing, and how everything fits together?
 
#418 ·
yes the battery is setting on top of the res, the wires are plenty long after you disconnect one of those plastic retainer clips under the back of the tank
 
#412 ·
Hi,

Can you recommend a shock swap for me? I am searching & trying to understand which shock would work best but I am not comprehending much of this. I ride around town & alot of twistys but no trackdays.
I have a 2004 sv650s. I weight 235 pounds & ride with my 130 pound wife alot. I Want a 636 or zx10 shock but don't know which year will work. Preferably the zx10 shock because I read I do not have to cut the battery box. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Which shock & year should I get?
Pete
 
#413 ·
Read most of the threads. Have been searching ebay for for zx 10 shock at right price .
Question has anybody had experience or knowledge of the 07 GSXR 1000 shocks on gen 2. It might be a stupid question but as the years go by new shocks become avaliable, different styles , shapes. Making for sometimes easier fitment, or better internals and so on. So we would like to put the newer parts on our bikes. Also the older the used shocks (depending on milage) the more worn out they could possibly be ,apart from the scratches, rust road wear on them.
There are a few new 07 gsxr 1000 shocks available for about US$80.00.

Could the suspension gurus give some advise on this.
Where can I get an Ohlins shock specifications sheet(pdf) showing stock spring rates and shock lengths.
 
#414 ·
I usually go to RaceTech.com to check on spring rates but I have not been able to find where on Ohlins site to find the shock lengths which others have found. That would be some great info to post up if anyone has a link or knows how to navigate the site.
 
#415 ·
Ok so I have read through just about all these posts and still not quite sure what to get. I am 190, ride 2 up with my 145lbs wife on occasion. I figured I will get a zx10 shock. Is this to heavy a spring rate if I am olny going to take her out maybe 5-10 times a season. Thanks for your time!
 
#416 ·
I also can't seem to find any info on the 2007 gsxr 1000 shock. It looks like the reservoir is mounted much like the 06-07 ZX10 shock which is in very short supply but installs easily. Anybody have any experience with this or know how to navigate http://www.ohlins.com/Motorcycle/tabid/53/Default.aspx in order to find the shock dimensions as was recommended in another thread. I can't seem to find the info there, but I could just be missing it.

05-06:


07-08:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top