ST1300 Race Tech shock rebuild
- Thread starter wjbertrand
- Start date
Throttlejockey
Padden is my hero
How much $$$ was it for the Race Tech shock rebuild?
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wjbertrand
Ventura Highway
Ok, that's same set I have. I've got to say the rear shock feels downright plush compared to before.
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wjbertrand
Ventura Highway
'Taint cheap! Spending around $600 and I already had the front and rear springs. Besides that, I'm doing the fork valving myself.
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2006
- Messages
- 9,682
- Location
- Jacksonville
- Bike
- GL1800 R1200RT NC700
- 2024 Miles
- 008131
- STOC #
- 6651
RT charged me about $350 in the spring of this year for the rear shock rebuild. I had to pay shipping east coast to west coast so it came to about $380. They paid shipping back to me.
If you call about a quote make sure the person quoting gives you all the details including parts and labor. I was first quoted a price that was much lower but it did not include parts required for the upgrade. I didn't think to ask if it included everything so the extra $100 on the total was a surprise.
If you call about a quote make sure the person quoting gives you all the details including parts and labor. I was first quoted a price that was much lower but it did not include parts required for the upgrade. I didn't think to ask if it included everything so the extra $100 on the total was a surprise.
Throttlejockey
Padden is my hero
Wow, I guess not!
Hummm RaceTech charged me $400 plus shipping out there for the shock. They paid the shipping to my house. Got the discount for taking the Total control class. Got my Gold valves for the forks with the discount also. About $375?? maybe? Plus the charge of the install..Maybe about $800 total..
If you are gonna keep the bike for a while, it's worth it... A way better handling bike IMHO.
Throw on a FCE and your tubby lady can now really dance!!
mitch
If you are gonna keep the bike for a while, it's worth it... A way better handling bike IMHO.
Throw on a FCE and your tubby lady can now really dance!!
mitch
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wjbertrand
Ventura Highway
Tried to get the preload better dialed in last night, kinda fiddly doing it by yourself, 'specially with all your gear on! Anyway, ended up cranking the adjuster knob in a few turns and then added 1/4 rebound damping (from the "standard position).
Bike feels firmer and the harshness on sharp edged bumps is still noticeably improved from OEM. Handling felt really confident this morning, of course it helps that the roads are dry today!
Bike feels firmer and the harshness on sharp edged bumps is still noticeably improved from OEM. Handling felt really confident this morning, of course it helps that the roads are dry today!
Jeff, You are probably wasting your time adjusting the rear, until you get the front sorted. (new valving, springs,preload spacers, bushings, oil level, sag) It will totally change the rear setup. IMHO. willy
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wjbertrand
Ventura Highway
Hmmmm, don't see how changing the front damping set up will affect rear preload setting. That's a static sag setting. I will be using the same sonic springs and preload up front that I have now after re-valving the fork.
It's possible some additional rear damping adjustment might be warranted though, just to balance everything out once the forks are done.
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wjbertrand
Ventura Highway
Race Tech'd my Forks today!
And then went for a short test ride. Suspension is noticeably more compliant and handles small sharp-edged bumps better. Dive under braking seems well controlled too. Between the Race Tech rebuilt shock and the Gold Valves in the forks, the fork changes are more noticeable. I'm still tweaking the rear end in with respect to preload and rebound setting. Think I'll make a run up 33 or over to the Rock Store and see If I can't finish dialing it in.
Only had to call tech support a couple of times, missing step in the instructions and an extra backing plate shim for the rebound valve, that it turns out I don't need. I changed all the bushings and seals whilst I was at it as well.
And then went for a short test ride. Suspension is noticeably more compliant and handles small sharp-edged bumps better. Dive under braking seems well controlled too. Between the Race Tech rebuilt shock and the Gold Valves in the forks, the fork changes are more noticeable. I'm still tweaking the rear end in with respect to preload and rebound setting. Think I'll make a run up 33 or over to the Rock Store and see If I can't finish dialing it in.
Only had to call tech support a couple of times, missing step in the instructions and an extra backing plate shim for the rebound valve, that it turns out I don't need. I changed all the bushings and seals whilst I was at it as well.
Silver Bullet
Retired
Re: Race Tech'd my Forks today!
Hey Jeff sounds like a good improvement. The stock forks are harsh and don,t respond to any jolts or ripples in the pavement ! Honda never could make forks compliant on any of their bikes ,seems like they always rely to much on the damping to control movement and to light on the springing ! They even do it on their dirt bikes also ! Got a new 96 CR 250 ,the forks were like rocks, did some research and found out they put the oil level to the max . The fix was next higher spring rate and less oil ,wow what a difference ,compliant and very adjustable !Honda owns Showa ,so they have to use their crappy forks ! Think I will be doing a change on mine at the first tire change, probably next fall or there abouts ! Done plenty of seal and bushing jobs over the years ,so shouldn,t be a big deal ! Let us know how they work over time and miles !
MIKE
Hey Jeff sounds like a good improvement. The stock forks are harsh and don,t respond to any jolts or ripples in the pavement ! Honda never could make forks compliant on any of their bikes ,seems like they always rely to much on the damping to control movement and to light on the springing ! They even do it on their dirt bikes also ! Got a new 96 CR 250 ,the forks were like rocks, did some research and found out they put the oil level to the max . The fix was next higher spring rate and less oil ,wow what a difference ,compliant and very adjustable !Honda owns Showa ,so they have to use their crappy forks ! Think I will be doing a change on mine at the first tire change, probably next fall or there abouts ! Done plenty of seal and bushing jobs over the years ,so shouldn,t be a big deal ! Let us know how they work over time and miles !
MIKE
Re: Race Tech'd my Forks today!
Jeff,
What weight oil did you use up front?? After a local RaceTech suspension mechanic did my Gold valves he put in 15 wt oil.. I was thinking of changing to 10 or 7 wt.. Racetech says to use 5...
mitch
Jeff,
What weight oil did you use up front?? After a local RaceTech suspension mechanic did my Gold valves he put in 15 wt oil.. I was thinking of changing to 10 or 7 wt.. Racetech says to use 5...
mitch
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wjbertrand
Ventura Highway
Re: Race Tech'd my Forks today!
Mitch, I used Redline 5wt synthetic as recommended by Race Tech. I'm thinking 15wt must be pretty harsh? I bought 2 bottles of Redline only to find out one bottle (16oz.) wasn't quite enough to fill the fork up to the recommended 110mm. I had a bottle of Redline 10wt. on the shelf so used a couple ounces of that in each leg to top them off.
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Mitch, I used Redline 5wt synthetic as recommended by Race Tech. I'm thinking 15wt must be pretty harsh? I bought 2 bottles of Redline only to find out one bottle (16oz.) wasn't quite enough to fill the fork up to the recommended 110mm. I had a bottle of Redline 10wt. on the shelf so used a couple ounces of that in each leg to top them off.
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Re: Race Tech'd my Forks today!
The guy who did the work knows better than racetech
mitch
Wait a min, I putting the fillings back in my teeth........... YES and not as bad as it sounds.
The guy who did the work knows better than racetech
mitch
Blue STreak
Bob Meyer
Re: Race Tech'd my Forks today!
So how difficult was this, Jeff. I've been considering it, but have been a little reluctant to tear my forks apart myself.
So how difficult was this, Jeff. I've been considering it, but have been a little reluctant to tear my forks apart myself.
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wjbertrand
Ventura Highway
Re: Race Tech'd my Forks today!
Not too bad Bob, more like finesse work though. The trickiest part is doing the rebound valve which rides on the damper rod. The valve body and shim stack are held on by a nut threaded to the end of the rod. The threaded section is hollow and instead of using threadlocker, Honda puts some kind of a punch into the hollow end and swages it over. Once you get the nut off, the threaded section seems to be expanded a bit. That and the buggered end makes it difficult to thread the Race Tech retainer piece on. Since the RT part is brass, you don't want to force it. I ended up finessing the end with my bench grinder and then running an M7 X 1.0 thread die over it to clean and re-size the threads. After that it's just a matter of assembling the valve bits and shims per Race Tech's instructions. The compression valves in the base of the cartridge are pre- assembled and pretty much pop right in once you realize the aluminum end of the cartridge slips off of the steel body.
Posted via Mobile Device
Not too bad Bob, more like finesse work though. The trickiest part is doing the rebound valve which rides on the damper rod. The valve body and shim stack are held on by a nut threaded to the end of the rod. The threaded section is hollow and instead of using threadlocker, Honda puts some kind of a punch into the hollow end and swages it over. Once you get the nut off, the threaded section seems to be expanded a bit. That and the buggered end makes it difficult to thread the Race Tech retainer piece on. Since the RT part is brass, you don't want to force it. I ended up finessing the end with my bench grinder and then running an M7 X 1.0 thread die over it to clean and re-size the threads. After that it's just a matter of assembling the valve bits and shims per Race Tech's instructions. The compression valves in the base of the cartridge are pre- assembled and pretty much pop right in once you realize the aluminum end of the cartridge slips off of the steel body.
Posted via Mobile Device
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wjbertrand
Ventura Highway
Re: Race Tech'd my Forks today!
Update:
Sweet! I've got a ~100+ miles or so of twisties under my belt and have done a couple of commutes to work (46 miles one-way). The transformation of the front suspension is just amazing after the Gold Valve implant! I can feel the fork working but almost all of the kick I used to get through the bars is gone. Front dive on braking is greatly reduced as well. How do they accomplish both? Coming into work this morning over the poor road surfaces on 101, I had a flash back to riding my ST1100, freeway manners seem a lot more calm and less busy than before.
I've almost got the Race Tech modified rear shock dialed in as well. It's better than OEM, but still seems a bit less plush than the front. As I dial out the preload it keeps getting better.
For the record, I am using the Sonic 1.2 springs up front with about 19mm (3/4") of preload. Out back, besides the Gold valve transplant, Race Tech fitted a 1200lb spring based on their on-line calculator
Update:
Sweet! I've got a ~100+ miles or so of twisties under my belt and have done a couple of commutes to work (46 miles one-way). The transformation of the front suspension is just amazing after the Gold Valve implant! I can feel the fork working but almost all of the kick I used to get through the bars is gone. Front dive on braking is greatly reduced as well. How do they accomplish both? Coming into work this morning over the poor road surfaces on 101, I had a flash back to riding my ST1100, freeway manners seem a lot more calm and less busy than before.
I've almost got the Race Tech modified rear shock dialed in as well. It's better than OEM, but still seems a bit less plush than the front. As I dial out the preload it keeps getting better.
For the record, I am using the Sonic 1.2 springs up front with about 19mm (3/4") of preload. Out back, besides the Gold valve transplant, Race Tech fitted a 1200lb spring based on their on-line calculator
Re: Race Tech'd my Forks today!
Man oh man, why didn't you take pics of this install????
Man oh man, why didn't you take pics of this install????
Re: Race Tech'd my Forks today!
I'm attempting to repeat your sucess on my bike. This is the spot I was at when I called it quits for the evening. The aluminum end on my bike would not allow the compression valve to come out ( circlip was removed ). I'll have to try "slipping" that cap off tomorrow. That would be easier than opening the hole a bit with emery paper!