Hey guys, I've been waiting for years to get a crack at a reasonably priced rear shock upgrade for my 9'er, but I missed the last one a year ago by 20 minutes....oh well f' it. So now I'm trying one last ditch effort before sending my stocker off to ProPilot for a rebuild. I know LDH says this is a waste, but my dum asz hopes it's at least a little better, cuz there's no way I can see in this lifetime that I'm gonna be able to afford a $1000 Ohlins.
SOOOOO....Anybody got anything that is an upgrade for the 9'er? I'm open to rebuilt stocker like Zaq123 did, Penske, Ohlins, Fox, whatever really....
__________________
Spoiler:
ALL PARTS HAVE ARRIVED....let the wrenching begin!!!
My 9'er had a low side slide.....She's down but not out......and about to rise from the ashes!
Currently:
2004 Honda 919 Silver
599 Headlight
Buell M2 shield
Givi Crash bars
Dynojet PCIII
Akrapovic exhaust - GSXR shorty CF
Seat with gel insert and re-shape
Custom LED Rear lights w/ vizi-tech flasher
Competition Works Fender Eliminator
Front 3-way LED Turn Signals flushmount
6-Spoke wheel conversion ( 900rr / F3 )
Michelin Pilot Road 3 - New @ 19940 8/10/11
Dyna Beads for tire balancing
17t / 44t Sprockets
Piaa horns 400 & 500 hertz
Ohlins rear shock from an F3, Re-Valved/Sprung
F4i Forks, custom sprung/sealed
ASV levers - Black W/Red Adj.
Tech-Spec custom tank Pads
Napoleon bar end mirrors
SW-Motech center stand
Custom one-off Bars W/Heat
FuzeBlocks FZ-1 Power Distribution
RC51 front brakes w/Bremzen pads-10 button rotors
Buell Ulysses Foot Peg conversion
etc, etc,
By all means......give Mike@Traxxion a call..... tell him your from WristTwisters and that Brad Angus sent you his way.
I worked with him a while bike and Penske redesigned their base model 8900e Series shock to work with the 919. I believe it was in the $600 price range and also included a remote resevoir to a larger oil capacity. The shock also can with a custom rear spring, preload adjustment, height adjustment, and rebound...... Mine came with an upgrade coupon to make it a full Double Clicker shock for another $200. I'll probably send it in this winter for the upgrade. BTW ---- all of the Penske shocks are upgradeable....and even the more basic 8900e contains the same componants as the more expensive $1400 triple clicker.
So far.......this shock has been absolutely awesome. Do a search on this forum under my name with the word Penske in it....there's a long thread around here somewhere.
Another word of warning..... because the 919 has a TON of rear squat........ I'd never go below a 1,000 lb spring on the rear. If you weight more than 180-200 ---- you may need an even stiffer rear spring per your weight. I made the mistake of going with a 900 lb spring the first time around (which was the recommendation for my weight) and per the rear squat of the bike, the shock was bottoming out bad in the twisties.
I don't see how LDH can say it's a waste, he never seen/tested one that was rebuilt but I will say no more.
I will say this though, I'm happy with results and Jim at Propilot is a suspension guru in my book. He is Ohlins dealer and authorized service center. He could easily try to convince me to purchase Ohlins. Don't get me wrong, he did tell me that Ohlins would be the top choice but it's like buying fancy/multi adjustable top of the line struts for shevy cavalier. Would it ride well? hell yeah, it will be the best ride it will ever see.
Do you need to have fancy remote preload adjuster on the 919? Probably not. Believe it or not it adds almost $300 to the price of Ohlins. For $300 I can get my preload adjustment wrench out.
Would Olings get rid of that fancy preload adjuster for 919 and lowered the price for their 919 shock, I would probably consider it as reasonable purchase for 9er.
Why Ohlins went all out for 919 shock, I don't know.
ZAQ123...... what? is that a compression adjuster on an OEM 919 shock? Looks like its a different remote reservoir....
come on man, spill it!!!
zaq scoped it at the time.
A used single adjuster remote from something else was grafted on.
(I'm assuming a hi speed compression adjuster)
He got an Ohlins spring fitted.
I seem to recollect the body internals were redone to some degree.
It was stupid cheap, and at the time I figured few would be able to get a repeat price because of the used parts aspect.
I think that if a new remote had to be used, but the time one paid for that, labour and spring, a new Penske like yours would look much more favourable.
Why Ohlins went all out for 919 shock, I don't know.
I think that Ohlins did it for the European market, where the 919 has a good population and the riders there have a different expectation out of their chassis than the vast majority of NorAm 919 riders surely do. I am referring to NorAm 919 riders that don't even know that WristTwisters even exists.
Ohlins made 2 shocks for the 919 originally the full bore everything adjustable one still available and the significantly cheaper H0322.
My Ohlins man in New Zealand is building me a new one. He has checked through the Ohlins spec charts found a Kawasaki unit identical in stroke etc and he will alter the valving and lower fitting to match the Ohlins spec card for the 919. End result is a brand new HO322. I should receive it within 2 weeks
If you are on a tight budget maybe shoot a email off to Hagon shocks in England - they do a mono shock for the 919 for 295 pounds (around US$480) plus shipping of course, actually it will be a bit less as they have VAT tax which won't apply. I know a couple of guys who have used them on older GSXR's as a budget replacement and they are happy. Only thing is again they use a one size fits most progressively wound spring, so if you are a light weight or super heavy weight it probably won't!
I talked to Pro Pilot the other day, and they said for what I needed it would be about $200. I already have a Penske spring on an F3 shock, so to re-valve and rebuild with new seals and such it would be $200. Probably have to add in some shipping, and I doubt he was going to add on a new reservoir like on Zaqs, but still would be better than $1200 on an Ohlins. I spent $50 on the shock, $90 on the spring, so add in $250 for everything else and I probably could've bought something from Europe.....ah well, for me it's all about the trying and the learning that goes with it.
After having ridden a 9'er with an Ohlins on it, I definatly am not spending that kinda money for one, it's real nice and all, but not $1200 worth of nice...lol. I've seen the sale for the Penske deal, and am considering it, but it's still out of my price range, so I'd have to save up. I've had an offer for a Fox shock made for an F3, but I'd probably still need to rebuild that one for the 9'er, which is kinda where I'm already at. Kinda wish Zaq would sell me his re-worked shock.....hint hint.....lol. I know of at least one Penske that has been sitting on a shelf for the last 2 years, but that member will not part with it, seems he's happier letting it collect dust.....which is why I went ahead and made this post, just a shot in the dark that someone else had something stashed away they'd be willing to part with.....
__________________
Spoiler:
ALL PARTS HAVE ARRIVED....let the wrenching begin!!!
My 9'er had a low side slide.....She's down but not out......and about to rise from the ashes!
Currently:
2004 Honda 919 Silver
599 Headlight
Buell M2 shield
Givi Crash bars
Dynojet PCIII
Akrapovic exhaust - GSXR shorty CF
Seat with gel insert and re-shape
Custom LED Rear lights w/ vizi-tech flasher
Competition Works Fender Eliminator
Front 3-way LED Turn Signals flushmount
6-Spoke wheel conversion ( 900rr / F3 )
Michelin Pilot Road 3 - New @ 19940 8/10/11
Dyna Beads for tire balancing
17t / 44t Sprockets
Piaa horns 400 & 500 hertz
Ohlins rear shock from an F3, Re-Valved/Sprung
F4i Forks, custom sprung/sealed
ASV levers - Black W/Red Adj.
Tech-Spec custom tank Pads
Napoleon bar end mirrors
SW-Motech center stand
Custom one-off Bars W/Heat
FuzeBlocks FZ-1 Power Distribution
RC51 front brakes w/Bremzen pads-10 button rotors
Buell Ulysses Foot Peg conversion
etc, etc,
If you are on a tight budget maybe shoot a email off to Hagon shocks in England - they do a mono shock for the 919 for 295 pounds (around US$480) plus shipping of course, actually it will be a bit less as they have VAT tax which won't apply. I know a couple of guys who have used them on older GSXR's as a budget replacement and they are happy. Only thing is again they use a one size fits most progressively wound spring, so if you are a light weight or super heavy weight it probably won't!
WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If they only have one spring, and it is oriented towards a linked swingarm, using it on a 919 will be nothing short of disastrous.
The general rule of thumb is spring rates are half for linked vs unlinked.
There are a range of 'budget' end shocks that use progressively wound -'one size fits most' springs. If they are built better than the stock 919 'one size ....' shock you'll notice a improvement but I agree it is probably debatable if it is money well spent. I am sure Ohlins (and similar) agents shelves are littered with examples of these that have been replaced by 'better' products.
A Penske 8900e shock at their 'entry' level, with a spring for your weight, would be significantly better than a stock one and conceivably be good value.
I have yet to even have a need for a compression adjuster. I've attended one trackday with it while riding with 80-90% aggression....and I've also just completed a 1,000 mile trip with 50 pounds of luggage......
There are a range of 'budget' end shocks that use progressively wound -'one size fits most' springs. If they are built better than the stock 919 'one size ....' shock you'll notice a improvement but I agree it is probably debatable if it is money well spent. I am sure Ohlins (and similar) agents shelves are littered with examples of these that have been replaced by 'better' products.
A Penske 8900e shock at their 'entry' level, with a spring for your weight, would be significantly better than a stock one and conceivably be good value.
I believe the Penske 8900e entry level unit has the same main unit as their full bore three way unit.
IMO that would be superior to the Ohlins HO322 and be far superior to some universal type offering.
Penkse makes excellent units.
By all means......give Mike@Traxxion a call..... tell him your from WristTwisters and that Brad Angus sent you his way.
I worked with him a while back and Penske redesigned their base model 8900e Series shock to work with the 919. I believe it was in the $600 price range and also included a remote resevoir to a larger oil capacity. The shock also can with a custom rear spring, preload adjustment, height adjustment, and rebound...... Mine came with an upgrade coupon to make it a full Double Clicker shock for another $200. I'll probably send it in this winter for the upgrade. BTW ---- all of the Penske shocks are upgradeable....and even the more basic 8900e contains the same componants as the more expensive $1400 triple clicker.
So far.......this shock has been absolutely awesome. Do a search on this forum under my name with the word Penske in it....there's a long thread around here somewhere.
Another word of warning..... because the 919 has a TON of rear squat........ I'd never go below a 1,000 lb spring on the rear. If you weight more than 180-200 ---- you may need an even stiffer rear spring per your weight. I made the mistake of going with a 900 lb spring the first time around (which was the recommendation for my weight) and per the rear squat of the bike, the shock was bottoming out bad in the twisties.
arctic, you did all your Penske interface via Traxxion ?
And not directly with Traxxion ?
I'm asking only to be sure we all know whom Mike actually works for, Traxxion or Penske.
Please advise.
I believe the Penske 8900e entry level unit has the same main unit as their full bore three way unit.
IMO that would be superior to the Ohlins HO322 and be far superior to some universal type offering.
Penkse makes excellent units.
Yep ----- the Penske Triple Clicker uses the same remote reservoir and main shock body as the 919 version 8900e. (the 919 version comes with a remote reservoir......other 8900e versions do not...... they made that change for us 919'ers)
i had traxxion rebuild a cbr600f3 showa shock for my 9er with a 1100lbs spring, its pretty sweet. almost had to re-learn to ride the bike, the improvement is that drastic.
i had traxxion rebuild a cbr600f3 showa shock for my 9er with a 1100lbs spring, its pretty sweet. almost had to re-learn to ride the bike, the improvement is that drastic.
Some of the 600F rears can be made to fit but at least some of them are shorter in length be something like 1/2 inch.
Did you end up with the same shock length ?
Some of the 600F rears can be made to fit but at least some of them are shorter in length be something like 1/2 inch.
Did you end up with the same shock length ?
i did end up with the same length. i bought the f3 shock, f4i fork set up from a wt member, but didnt get the year of the bike the shock came off of. the only difference was the remote resevoir hose length. the 9er stock length was like 6 in long, the f3 was 2 ft. didnt think to have them change it when it was rebuilt.
i dropped the pieces off at traxxion, top notch facility and great people.
i did end up with the same length. i bought the f3 shock, f4i fork set up from a wt member, but didnt get the year of the bike the shock came off of. the only difference was the remote resevoir hose length. the 9er stock length was like 6 in long, the f3 was 2 ft. didnt think to have them change it when it was rebuilt.
i dropped the pieces off at traxxion, top notch facility and great people.
So what did they charge ya for doing that? Looks like $200 from ProPilot is the best price I've found so far....
__________________
Spoiler:
ALL PARTS HAVE ARRIVED....let the wrenching begin!!!
My 9'er had a low side slide.....She's down but not out......and about to rise from the ashes!
Currently:
2004 Honda 919 Silver
599 Headlight
Buell M2 shield
Givi Crash bars
Dynojet PCIII
Akrapovic exhaust - GSXR shorty CF
Seat with gel insert and re-shape
Custom LED Rear lights w/ vizi-tech flasher
Competition Works Fender Eliminator
Front 3-way LED Turn Signals flushmount
6-Spoke wheel conversion ( 900rr / F3 )
Michelin Pilot Road 3 - New @ 19940 8/10/11
Dyna Beads for tire balancing
17t / 44t Sprockets
Piaa horns 400 & 500 hertz
Ohlins rear shock from an F3, Re-Valved/Sprung
F4i Forks, custom sprung/sealed
ASV levers - Black W/Red Adj.
Tech-Spec custom tank Pads
Napoleon bar end mirrors
SW-Motech center stand
Custom one-off Bars W/Heat
FuzeBlocks FZ-1 Power Distribution
RC51 front brakes w/Bremzen pads-10 button rotors
Buell Ulysses Foot Peg conversion
etc, etc,
So what did they charge ya for doing that? Looks like $200 from ProPilot is the best price I've found so far....
He should give you new reservoir, he has no choice. Call Jim and remind him that 919 shock' reservoir is garbage and not rebuildable as it has reversed bladder. Or just ship him the shock and he will replace it as there is no other way around it. Reservoir he gave me is very nice, big bladder, large fluid amount and best of all comp adjustment
I worked with him a while bike and Penske redesigned their base model 8900e Series shock to work with the 919. I believe it was in the $600 price range and also included a remote resevoir to a larger oil capacity. The shock also can with a custom rear spring, preload adjustment, height adjustment, and rebound......
I just got an email back from MikeHimmelsbach@PenskeShocks.com and he quoted me $875 for the shock built to my specifics with 2-3 weeks lead time.
ya know.... now that you mention it, they were running a special on the 919 shock at the time. I paid quite a bit less for mine, and also received a coupon to upgrade my 8900E to a double clicker for $200 (or less) more. I'll probably do the upgrade this winter.
Sorry I led you in the wrong direction. I can say....the Penske has been an amazing upgrade.... I'm VERY happy with it.
ya know.... now that you mention it, they were running a special on the 919 shock at the time. I paid quite a bit less for mine, and also received a coupon to upgrade my 8900E to a double clicker for $200 (or less) more. I'll probably do the upgrade this winter.
Sorry I led you in the wrong direction. I can say....the Penske has been an amazing upgrade.... I'm VERY happy with it.
Yep....thats the shock.... except when I placed my order a while back Penske decided that the 8900e for the 919 really needed a remote reservoir...... hense the extra cost for the 919 version.
Again, I'd call Penske directly. Maybe you can talk them into starting another sale for the WristTwister guys......
This is the flyer that originally got my attention...... but then they added a little extra cost to the price because of the resevoir....The deal also included the upgrade coupon to eventually make it a full blown double clicker.
I tried to let everyone know on the forum that this was a good deal when it came out...........I don't think tooo many people took advantage of it.
My 9'er had a low side slide.....She's down but not out......and about to rise from the ashes! 
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