I'm not being lazy just pressed for time....what makes the 900RR shock better than the 'bird shock?

I have a line on one and need to know pretty quick what I'm getting into as far as upgrading before I pull the trigger.

In short, by the time you have it rebuilt and buy a new spring for the 'bird's weight, you'll have about as much into it as a slightly used Penske or Ohlins...

Mike

On the plus side.....It is externally adjustable for compression and rebound.
It has a remote reservoir.

On the minus side......You need a custom spring.
It is even older than your stock shock, and will need a rebuild for sure.
It will never work nearly as well as anything you can get from the aftermarket.

Don't do it.

Well I'll go the other way and say I am very happy with doing the RR shock on my 98 BB
The BB shock doesn't have compression damping like the RR, the RR's preload adjustment is way easier than the BB's and the RR shock is remote reservoir

I bought the bike from the original owner with ~32 000km and by 40 000km the rear shock was fubar, had lost all damping and was killing my back Also as I'm ~ 300lb's it was undersprung as well

Anyhow I got a low mileage 93 RR shock off eBay for $61 USD and $65 USD shipping, spent ~$165AUD on an upgraded Eibach spring and ~$120AUD on getting it rebuilt and a collar made up for the spring, all up ~$460AUD
A new Penske/Ohlins/Wilbers shock here in Aus is ~$1500AUD+ and even buying one from the US is around $900AUD I could probably have gotten away with rebuilding it the 1st time as well and saved money

The shock was still on there when I spat the bike down the road about a month ago and had ~60 350km on it and was still doing fine I had entertained the idea of maybe getting it rebuilt and some valving changes done but it wasn't a huge priority

Thanks everybody for the input.

I was quoted $424 to rebuild the OEM shock including correct spring for my weight. I was offered a 97 RR shock for $30 and the rebuild of that shock was also quoted at $424. So is the extra $30 worth the switch to a 900RR shock? Maybe, huh?

Then I started looking for "a slightly used Penske or Ohlins" price. Realized that price (penske) is higher than I can go now. Especially since I want the forks redone as well. And what model ohlins would I want any way? I'm a daily commuter that rides at a 5/10ths pace 90% of the time. Every once in a while I'll get tot he twisties and ride a 7/10ths pace. OK, make that a 6.5/10ths pace.

Now I'm suffering analysis paralysis.....

You're looking to dump $454 into what will still be an OEM shock with all the attached shortcomings. For about another $100 you can get a NEW Penske 8900 series sprung for your weight.


If you're going to spend hundreds doing it, for an extra 20% or so it's worth doing right, IMO.

If you're not going to do any track days, I think you would be happy with rebuilding the 900RR shock. I hope the $454 includes damping and spring rate for your weight.

So, Tim, exactly where can I get a new Penske 8900 shock for "about" $554?

Google is your friend- $566.50 here, and that was the first site I clicked on.

It's ultimately about return on your investment. Even a bottom of the line Penske is going to be waaaay better than a 13 year old rebuilt OEM shock. My thinking is that once you've decided to drop some major coin on your suspension (and $450 is up there) you're better of spending a little more and doing it right, track or not. But that's just me ;)

Oh, and also keep in mind that you'll be able to sell the Penske down the road for a decent price, probably at least $300-$350. You'd be lucky to see $100 out of a rebuilt RR shock, which doesn't even cover the spring.

more paralysis....but hopefully headed to a good decision. I appreciate all the input I'm getting here.

Doing a bit of web surfing, I see 8900E Penske's mentioned on a lot of forums. I can get behind the idea that it is the base model shock for Penske but much better than BB OEM. I know I need to get one set up for the bird and my weight. But other than the spring will any 8900E fit on the bird? Say I buy one lightly used form some bloke on a Ducati Monster board or some gal on a SV forum? Will thier 8900E bolt on to my '99BB? After having the the spring changed if necessary?

No, it most likely won't. Different lengths, valving and mounting systems. I've heard it said that Penske can modify a shock from one bike to work on another (change length, valving, ect..), but that's more cost, you'd have to find a hell of a deal on the donor unit.