'98 B12 shock spring rate?

[erik]

Does anyone know the shock spring rate on a '98 1200 bandit?

I had a 91 gsxr1100 shock on my b4, but I think it was a bit stiff, and also it lost gas pressure so I've changed back to the stock shock, which is bottoming out... A '98 b12 shock has come up for sale locally and if it's softer than the gsxr1100 spring, I might give it a go.

[tomacGTi]

Dunno what the spring rate is but here is what you can do for the GSXR rear.

-go to a bike shop and get a fox HP shock pump: $30USD.

-Undo the schrader valve at the end of the reservoir and pump in 200psi. Once the pump is removed it'll be at 175 or so.

-Ride.

Or:

-Go to a place that sells home beer brewing supplies and purchase nitrogen in small CO2 shaped containers. You can buy online as well.

-The go the bike shop and purchase: a Co2 inflator and shock pump You'll use the shock pump to bleed down the charge as there's no way to control it from the inflator.

-Recharge your own shock and be done.

-Randy

[erik]

Cheers for the reply. I've already got myself a mountain bike shock pump with the idea of doing that (although I didn't know what pressure to use), but I'd still like to get a softer spring. I didn't know you could get nitrogen in small cannisters like that, it's good to know.

I was thinking for a while that the longer gsxr shock might be making the linkage more progressive causing it to require heaps of preload to get the sag right. I had to have mine wound down quite a lot and I think I've read you said the same. But I made a spreadsheet for the linkage and (if it's working properly) it looks like the bandit linkage is only smoothly progressive (compared to the sv650 linkage which rises sharply at the end of travel).


OpenOffice spreadsheet:
http://cid-b37a983fa606d24a.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Stuff/rear%20shock%20linkage%20calculator%20-%20bandit%20400.ods

Excel version:
http://cid-b37a983fa606d24a.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Stuff/rear%20shock%20linkage%20calculator%20-%20bandit%20400.xls

[tomacGTi]

Eric,

With the newer GSXR rear shock, I needed minimal preload and was also able to achieve static sag, something that I was never able to achieve with the older shock.

Problem I think is with the sheer number of coils: there are significantly more in comparison meaning; although the rate is up there, the effect of preload is lessened due to the sheer number resulting in a softer spring. I may be taking out of my ass but that's what I'm guessing.

I played around with raising links and found it actually makes the linkage slightly more linear, soften the feel of the shock or rather causing more leverage.

-Randy