GSXR Rear Shock Help!

[Cyanide]

I've got ahold of a '00 GSXR 600/750 rear shock and I've started attempting to fit it.

Got the old shock out ok, took off the airbox, battery cage and coolant resivour and then grinded the linkage but the new shock's just too damn long.

I've tried everything I can think of but it just won't fit.  Can anyone suggest something that might help so I can get out while the weather's still good?  

[del la sol]

that would appear to be the same shock i put in mine so i can say it should work, others have as well, i used one off of a 00 750 which should be the same as yours

what i did, and mind you this method takes some time, basically lots of trial and error, but I'd stick the shock in and just stick a bolt through the top most mount so it stayed in the bike and try and line it up with the bottom mount, i'd look and see where the shock and linkage contacted each other stopping them from lining up, take it off and grind that area a little, put it back in the bike and repeat, it took literally probably 20 attempts and each time when i removed material from one area it would get closer to fitting and then it would contact in a new area... but that way you don't remove more metal than you need to and not in any wrong areas

maybe its just the photo, but it looks like you took a brillo pad to your shock linkage, mine looks like a maniac went at it with a chainsaw, and like I said i only removed just enough to make it clear, so I think you just haven't taken off enough material yet.  All in all i had to grind some off of the bottom shock mount itself, the front of the shock's bottom spring plate, i had to grind down the entire top of the shock linkage, as well as grinding a notch between the bearings... also i had an issue where the airbox kept the shock from rotating forward enough to line up, but if you've removed that then it shouldn't be giving you any problem

[Cyanide]

ultimately i had to grind some off of the bottom shock mount itself, the front of the shock's bottom spring plate, i had to grind down the entire top of the shock linkage, as well as grinding a notch between the bearings... also i had an issue where the airbox kept the shock from rotating forward enough to line up, but if you've removed that then it shouldn't be giving you any problem

So it takes a heck of a lot of grinding? I've taken loads off I'm just worred about weakening the spring, linkage etc... I don't suppose you have any pictures to show roughly how much needs to come off?

[del la sol]

I too was concerned about weakening the suspension components but figured others have done it on here and went for it.  So far I've probably put about a 1,000 miles of some pretty hard riding on it and it shows no signs of problems.  But yea in my experience you need to remove a significant amount of material in some areas, test fitting it and going back and grinding, and repeating should reveal exactly where you need to be taking off material and how much.  You could take all of the material off the shock linkage itself, but I tried to take a little bit off the shock just to share the burden with more than one part, but I'd as far as total removal it was like 80% linkage 20% shock

[Cyanide]

I've grinded the living hell out of it, about half the bottom spring/bottom plate, a huge chunk of mount and if I go any further through the linkage I'll hit the bearings and it still won't fit.

Is there a slightly longer linkage that might fit? There's several 600 Bandit links on ebay at the moment... will they fit if I screw this one up?

Thanks again guys

[del la sol]

hmm thats odd, if indeed your shock is of that year then it should fit

i don't know if it matters at all, but I adjusted the collars on it to make the ride height as low as possible, it usually only changes the height a few millimeters but doing so might have shortened it enough to fit, because as i could tell the only reason it won't bolt right up with zero modification is that it is longer, otherwise it would be a perfect fit

[Cyanide]

hmm thats odd, if indeed your shock is of that year then it should fit

i don't know if it matters at all, but I adjusted the collars on it to make the ride height as low as possible, it usually only changes the height a few millimeters but doing so might have shortened it enough to fit, because as i could tell the only reason it won't bolt right up with zero modification is that it is longer, otherwise it would be a perfect fit

I've got the adjuster all the way up to the top which I assume is the lowest setting?

I'll get some more pictures tomorrow when there's more light and less alcohol around  

[del la sol]

Maybe these photos will help...

The red line roughly indicates where the material went out to before I ground it down, I also took a few mills off the front of the bottom spring plate right there



This one came out blurry but this is where 90% of my clearance issue was getting the holes in the bottom of the shock to line up with the shock linkage, I ground up in the shock a few millimeters where you can see it is meeting the shock linkage and ground the linkage down there as well.  It looks like we may have a slightly different shock though, but as long as its GSXR from somewhere halfway in that generation it should be able to be made to fit.

[turbofb]

Your shock must be a bit longer than my 06' GSXR750 unit,I only had to shave a small amount off the rocker,like you have shown one the first pic,with the red line.Maybe 1-2 minutes of light work with an air die grinder.
My rocker also doenst sit at such a sharp angle to the ground,which indicates it the shock might be shorter,or our spring preload settings are miles apart.Thats probably why I didnt have to grind much,there was a smoother angle between the two parts.I thought you might have your bike on the centerstand and the rear susp. was drooping,but I see the C-stand is gone....like mine!

[BrianM]

This is a repost of info that Jay found...

Suzuki Bandit 600 2000-2004 319 55
Suzuki Bandit 650 2005 319.5 65.5
Suzuki Bandit 1200 1996-2000 306 64
Suzuki Bandit 1200 2001-2005 320 (+6/-0) 61
Suzuki GSXR 600 1992-1993 312 (+12/-0) 67
Suzuki GSXR 600 2001-2003 325.5 (+6/-0) 74 400in#
Suzuki GSXR 600 2004-2005 332.5 (+6/-0) 74 400in#
Suzuki GSXR 600 2006 500in#
Suzuki GSXR 750 1985-1987 290.5 61
Suzuki GSXR 750 1988-1991 312 (+12/-0) 67
Suzuki GSXR 750 1992-1995 312 (+12/-0) 67
Suzuki GSXR 750 1996-1999 356 (+6/-6) 79 425in#
Suzuki GSXR 750 2000-2003 325 (+6/-0) 74 425in#
Suzuki GSXR 750 2004-2005 332.5 (+6/-0) 74 425 in#
Suzuki GSXR 750 2006 500in#
Suzuki GSXR 1000 2001-2002 329.5 (+5.5/-0.5) 74 450in#
Suzuki GSXR 1000 2003-2004 332.5 (+6/-0) 74 450in#
Suzuki GSXR 1000 2005 319 70 475in#
Suzuki GSXR 1100 1986-1988 315 69
Suzuki GSXR 1100 1989-1992 312 70
Suzuki GSXR 1100 1993-1998 312 70
Suzuki Hayabusa 1999-2006 330 72

There's no 2000 600 shock listed up there, but I doubt it's the same as the 750... so listing it as a 600/750 is a misnomer.  But assuming it's 325mm long (center of eye to center of eye), then it'll fit.  It'll be a Touch longer than what's optimal for the B4 with a stock front end, which can lead to washing the front while the rear still has plenty of grip...  but that's something that most riders won't have to worry about (unless you're in the habit of making Really abrupt changes, then you have other issues to deal with).  

Make certain of the shock length, you really Don't want to be going longer than 320mm...  diminishing returns and all that.