Replacement Shock Q's

[Hokie]

Does anybody have the part numbers of the 900 RR shocks that work?

I couldn't find them with a search.

Also, it this a worthwhile mod, or would an Ohlins upgrade be better.

Also need to do the forks, any advice?

Thanks.

[Mithrandir]

Anything aftermarket is typically better than stock. They'll all be worth upgrading to.

If you are going to put in a 900RR shock, at least get it serviced and the correct spring weight put on it before you fit it to the bike. If you don't do that, then there's really no point. As a guide, aftermarket shock manufacturers recommend having the shock (not forks) serviced every 25,000Km (about 18,000mi). This is to replace the oil (which has deteriorated with use), check on the seals etc etc. The 900RR is getting old now, so any shock that you will find will be well over those recommended service intervals.

Add to that a spring of the correct weight for you, and you'll be up around the cost of an Ohlins/Fox/Penske/WP shock.

[Hokie]

Anything aftermarket is typically better than stock. They'll all be worth upgrading to.  

If you are going to put in a 900RR shock, at least get it serviced and the correct spring weight put on it before you fit it to the bike. If you don't do that, then there's really no point. As a guide, aftermarket shock manufacturers recommend having the shock (not forks) serviced every 25,000Km (about 18,000mi).  This is to replace the oil (which has deteriorated with use), check on the seals etc etc. The 900RR is getting old now, so any shock that you will find will be well over those recommended service intervals.  

Add to that a spring of the correct weight for you, and you'll be up around the cost of an Ohlins/Fox/Penske/WP shock.

The spring was on the plate to get upgraded as well.

Forgot about the servicing though.

[DRB NW WA State]

I’d be hard-pressed to see how the cost of a CBR900RR unit, reworked, equilibrates to any Penske or Ohlins shock I’m aware of the for the Bird.

Based on my recollection from the forum in previous incarnation(s), one can find the CBR9000RR unit for $50-$150 used from some junkyard. Let’s call it $150.

Add a spring, rate depending on needs. I believe those are a hundred bucks or less from Parts 411 or wherever. As I recall, heavier springs required by the Blackbird and heavier riders (like me) are hard to find, though it didn’t pose a problem for Traxxion Dynamics when I ordered mine in January.

Send both to, say, GP Tech or Traxxion Dynamics. Ask them to renew the shock, plus install the spring. Lindemann Engineering did this for me for $100 some years back; maybe that’s a valid amount, maybe not. My guts tell me we’re fairly close.

With a little luck, at $350-$400 you’ll have a genuinely decent shock, albeit probably not as compliant as a quality aftermarket unit. That’s hard to say, though, and exactly how much “compliance” does one need on a beast bike?

Break through to $500 on cost, though, the game’s up: a Traxxion Dynamics Penske Sport Shock with custom spring ran me $550 this past winter. But let’s be fair: that one doesn’t have compression adjustment. Rebound and sag adjust easily and cause noticeable changes, however. The rear end is hugely more compliant with the Penske over the stocker.

I’ve not seen a group Ohlins buy for shocks costing less than about seven hundred bucks, even in volume. The three-way Ohlins and Penske each run roughly $1,100, last I checked.

[XXTi]

I bought a used Penske 8981 with rebound and compression damping adjustments. I can't believe the difference between this great shock and the stock unit. Several other guys have the Ohlins and seem to like them.

I haven't seen the Ohlins units, but I understand the Penske is more substantial and is better built.

[Mithrandir]

You're right DRB if the stock RR shock is around the $150 mark. I was working on a base cost of $300.

Compliance is just a matter of having the right valving and shim stacks. WIthin there lies a whole art in and of itself. If you sent it off to Traxxion, you'll probably want to get a new valve put in it, and from there you can pretty much make the shock feel almost as good, if not better than the brand-name aftermarkets.

[CasterTroy]

FWIW

I just got my 1000 lb spring from LE with the collar for $110 and put it on my $50 95 900RR shock. It goes to the KTM dealer for a $60 service tommorrow and onto my bird next week.

$220 total......yeah..I think it's worth it

[Redbird]

A base cost of $300 is way off. If you pay more than $100 for the donor unit to be reworked, you've been robbed.

I went through all this a couple years ago, sans the rebuild it cost me around $200, including paying a local dealer to swap the spring. Ultimately I didn't end up using it and it went to another member here.

That'd is about a quarter the cost of a new three way ajustable Ohlins. Tack on a rebuild and you get up around a third. As good? No and I'm not trying to say it is, but it's waaay cheaper.