| Author | Message | ||
     Buellrobot |
2002 X1 Lightning Like a fool, I didn't have the bike properly supported when taking out the front bolt that holds the shock assembly (and incidentally the chin fairing bracket that I wanted to remove was held down by this bolt). Long story short, I was able to keep the bike from tipping over and got the bolt back in, but in the process the fluid line between the buffed silver shock and the small black cartridge (not sure what it's called) was damaged and it leaked about 3 oz of a dark oily fluid under the bike. The banjo-bolt that connects the black cartridge to the fluid line doesn't seem damaged, and it stopped leaking, but the line may have been tugged hard somehow and released fluid at the sleeve where it connects to the banjo-bolt. So my questions are: a) How •••••• am I? Is it safe to ride it at all? (I rode around in garage a bit and the shock actually felt OK) b) If I do ride and the cartridge somehow fails more than it already has, what are the likely consequences? c) Is it likely that I can find someone who can repair this shock: re-compress the fluid and fit a new line? Is it still possible to find a replacement shock? I feel like a total moron. Thanks in advance for ideas/advice/chiding. | ||
| Buellrobot |
Just did some research and am seeing that I'll probably need to rebuild or replace it. Seems that I can try riding, but it's not going to be comfortable or particularly smart. The bike was pretty jittery/uncomfortable to begin with (suspension tuning was on my to-do list, after "remove chin fairing"), so maybe this isn't the end of the world. Still interested if anyone has any advice for shocks, rebuilding this one, finding a stock shock, or going for a WP or Penske. I'm not sure how to best balance cost, speed of getting back on road, and improved handling. Are Penskes that great? Thx in advance! | ||
| Pellis |
Are Penskes that great? YES | ||
| Brinnutz |
Yes they are I'd have gone with this one had I known it was available before I bought my Penske: http://cgi.ebay.it/MONO-AMMORTIZZATORE-OHLINS-BUELL-L1-X1-LIGHTNING-/150379829173?pt=Ricambi_e_Accessori_Moto&hash=item23035617b5 (Message edited by brinnutz on May 07, 2011) | ||
| Desertfox |
The WP isn't that bad. It's better than the original and the cheapest option. You can rebuild it yourself if you need to. Pretty basic. I like it on my X1. If you plan to start riding fast or aggressively, the penske is the way to go. It's a true race unit from what I hear. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I have a Works on my S2, and a Penske on my S1W. Usability, they're the same. TUNEability, the Penske has it all over the Works. Street riding, the Works does me just fine. And as Desertfox noted, you can bench-rebuild either one yourself if you have issues. That right there is worth the price of admission - you'll NEVER have to buy another shock. | ||
| Buellrobot |
Cool, I just ordered the lower end Penske. Kind of crazy price-wise, considering what the bike itself cost, but it sounds like a worthwhile investment. I ride in NYC/Brooklyn, so there are a TON of crappy roads all over the place. A shock upgrade seems almost mandatory here, after doing a lot of reading about it. Thx for the advice. | ||
| Ducxl |
I haven't ridden it yet.Too little time racing to reassemble an XB.I'd recommend a Penske tho.  Paid $940 for the #8983 shock. Another $315 for a separate Penske fork compression and rebound piston kit.$120 for GMD fork springs.Another $200 for R&R from GMD Computrack Paid G.M.D. Computrack I remember the time back in 2000 the first time i tried to remove the muffler(messed with the front shock bracket) and KABLAM!! The bike dropped and threw me into panic mode  (Message edited by ducxl on May 08, 2011) (Message edited by ducxl on May 08, 2011) | ||
| Rick_a |
Mine was replaced with a braided line years ago while rebuilding it. The reservoir was re-located from beside the header to a cooler spot. The lines and fittings are common brake line stuff. Refilling the suspension fluid and bleeding the air out is easy...finding someone to re-charge it locally may be difficult. It leaked some fluid and will likely start pogoing around a bit. It's sure to leak more. | ||
| Preybird1 |
You need a new shock. I rode around with my shock blown and it was terribly bouncy like a trampoline. and then it failed at Jtsperformance when they were working on mapping and tuning. So they made me an offer i could not refuse and gave me a works performance shock top of the line model at cost $(725.00) It is awesome. I didn't want to go with the penske shock as it has so many adjustments you would never even use them unless you are racing on the track and you do minor adjustments and do a lap and repeat. Or you could have the shock professionally set up for your weight and riding style on the bike. (Message edited by preybird1 on May 10, 2011) | ||
| Buellrobot |
"I remember the time back in 2000 the first time i tried to remove the muffler(messed with the front shock bracket) and KABLAM!! The bike dropped and threw me into panic mode" Yep, basically same thing here. I caught the bike on my forearm and managed to pull the beast up while I slid the bolt back in. Surprised the hell out of me. Can't figure out how to properly quote ppl on this site?? (the forum system is a bit archaic, heh) Anyways, really appreciate all the advice/support here. Penske is on its way (but they say it may go slow, bcz it's peak shock season). | ||
| Fasted |
cut and paste, add "...." | ||
| Dwardo |
So, does the Works shock improve the ride of the bike? The roads around here suck big time and the stiff rear suspension is the only thing about my M2L that I hate. I just put Works shocks on my Road King and they are hugely better than the stock air shocks. Having had neck surgery last year, I could justify buying the Works shock if it results in a better ride. Opinions? | ||
| Rick_a |
A better rear shock is the best handling improvement that can be made on these bikes. It's not hard to improve upon the stocker. |
