YSS shock review

[Paladin33rus]

It doesn't NEED to be a stronger spring. The best shock set up is the one you are happy with and keeps your wheels firmly planted on whatever roads you are riding on.

There are plenty of ST Riders who tour around on the OEM shock with overloaded bikes and half empty preloaders and have no complaints and couldn't care less about sag.

The shock with the 1200 # spring that works well for @Catmandu2 riding style and conditions may not be right for you. There is no "one size fits all" for suspension. Suspension specialists will spend time understanding your particular style, load and conditions before they recommend and customize a shock for you.

If you were happy with the OEM shock, chances are another OEM might still work for you.

Most who switch to YSS consider it an upgrade. The Beemer Shop wouldn't sell them if customers were complaining!

Given that you don't seem to be the type to play much with suspension adjustments, it may be better not to go with anything stronger than the 1000 # spring offered with the YSS. You can get a stronger spring to feel like you are on a flying carpet, but precise adjustments become more critical (hence also better to have remote preload for them).

What is wrong with your current shock that has only 31K on it? Leaking? What improvements are you hoping for?

.

Hey @MidLife thanks for coming back to this topic.

All provisions you put above are valid, especially in regarding suspension adjustments shamanism. I've fed up with this in mountain bike suspensions service and racing deeds. Definitely there is no one size for all, let's continue this discussion.

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To your questions:

What is wrong with your current shock that has only 31K on it? Leaking?

31k miles - meant mine total on this bike. I've bought used one. Total odometer is at least 70k miles (if only no one cheated this reading). So OEM part is quite old. From diagnostics I'm able to report the following:

• slurping during operation -> that means there is cavitation in oil volume -> that means damping/compression performs different to original design
• leaking - most probably from preload slave cylinder -> not a big deal, I can fill it up yearly

Non objective things - I feel I'm losing something with under-baked suspension (front fork either).

What improvements are you hoping for?

First of all - I expecting maintainable part, which means I will be able to change oil. I've looked for options to convert OEM to maintainable, however no luck yet.
Downside is: I'll need to obtain YSS remote pre-loader.
YSS bit longer than OEM, which means geometry change (shorter trail, bigger ground clearance) - just curious how it will work out.
Rest things: compressions (low and high) are non-adjustable, rebound velocity is only, preload - just same to OEM, I hope YSS has put more efforts, compare to Showa.

So in short - I just want to maintain good-old worker lad.

 

[MidLife]

Total odometer is at least 70k miles (if only no one cheated this reading). So OEM part is quite old. From diagnostics I'm able to report the following:

• slurping during operation -> that means there is cavitation in oil volume -> that means damping/compression performs different to original design

• Non objective things - I feel I'm losing something with under-baked suspension (front fork either).

This mileage makes it more likely your OEM shock could be close to its end of life.

• leaking - most probably from preload slave cylinder -> not a big deal, I can fill it up yearly

What you say here could be misinterpreted. I've seen people asking if preload fluid was connected to shock fluid, which they are absolutely not. But I suppose you know that.

First of all - I expecting maintainable part, which means I will be able to change oil. I've looked for options to convert OEM to maintainable, however no luck yet.
Downside is: I'll need to obtain YSS remote pre-loader.
YSS bit longer than OEM, which means geometry change (shorter trail, bigger ground clearance) - just curious how it will work out.
Rest things: compressions (low and high) are non-adjustable, rebound velocity is only, preload - just same to OEM, I hope YSS has put more efforts, compare to Showa.

So in short - I just want to maintain good-old worker lad.

Maintainable doesn't necessarily mean "Maintainable by Owner". There is more to it than changing the oil, many shocks like YSS are emulsion shocks and will also need a nitrogen charge. Best left to a specialist.

YSS longer than OEM?

From what @TerryS said in first post above, the height CAN be adjusted, but can also be left equal to EOM.

A small detail on rebound adjustment "only". The fluid goes through the same orifice for compression and rebound, so when you adjust rebound, you also indirectly (want it or not) affect compression damping.

It is called rebound adjustment because the adjustment has more effect on rebound than it does on compression (like 80% rebound vs, 20% compression, every manufacturer has its own recipe) but it does also affect compression and some people can feel the difference in compression damping when they adjust rebound.

And for preload, again, @TerryS seems to make do without remote adjustment. if you were not playing much with preload before, you may not need the extra cost and maintenance of a remote adjuster. He said the adjustment nut is accessible and easy to adjust.

What you'll get with the YSS is a plusher ride.

But given how worn out your current shock seems to be, you'll certainly feel an improvement with a replacement OEM as well....!

But chances are you'll feel more firmly planted on the 1000 # spring of the YSS.

 

[TerryS]

This mileage makes it more likely your OEM shock could be close to its end of life.



What you say here could be misinterpreted. I've seen people asking if preload fluid was connected to shock fluid, which they are absolutely not. But I suppose you know that.




Maintainable doesn't necessarily mean "Maintainable by Owner". There is more to it than changing the oil, many shocks like YSS are emulsion shocks and will also need a nitrogen charge. Best left to a specialist.

YSS longer than OEM?

From what @TerryS said in first post above, the height CAN be adjusted, but can also be left equal to EOM.

A small detail on rebound adjustment "only". The fluid goes through the same orifice for compression and rebound, so when you adjust rebound, you also indirectly (want it or not) affect compression damping.

It is called rebound adjustment because the adjustment has more effect on rebound than it does on compression (like 80% rebound vs, 20% compression, every manufacturer has its own recipe) but it does also affect compression and some people can feel the difference in compression damping when they adjust rebound.

And for preload, again, @TerryS seems to make do without remote adjustment. if you were not playing much with preload before, you may not need the extra cost and maintenance of a remote adjuster. He said the adjustment nut is accessible and easy to adjust.

What you'll get with the YSS is a plusher ride.

But given how worn out your current shock seems to be, you'll certainly feel an improvement with a replacement OEM as well....!

But chances are you'll feel more firmly planted on the 1000 # spring of the YSS.

Well put Midlife. I agree with all of those comments. The length can be set to the same, longer or shorter than stock. The preload adjuster is very easy to reach once the seat and sidecover are removed, and much better than most monoshock bikes where the shock sits centrally over a linkage.

 

[Paladin33rus]

Hello again, gentlemen!

This mileage makes it more likely your OEM shock could be close to its end of life.

Particularly this would be main reason for switch, indeed. In 2024, since I've made back to Russia, there is not much options to obtain, YSS will send it most probably. (。﹏。*)

YSS longer than OEM?

Apologies, I've implicitly meant could be longer, thank for pointing this out.

A small detail on rebound adjustment "only". The fluid goes through the same orifice for compression and rebound, so when you adjust rebound, you also indirectly (want it or not) affect compression damping.

It is called rebound adjustment because the adjustment has more effect on rebound than it does on compression (like 80% rebound vs, 20% compression, every manufacturer has its own recipe) but it does also affect compression and some people can feel the difference in compression damping when they adjust rebound.

This is something I completely wasn't aware of. Although I have disassembled/maintained/assembled back more than one Fox shock absorber. Thanks for lesson, mate!

And for preload, again, TerryS seems to make do without remote adjustment. if you were not playing much with preload before, you may not need the extra cost and maintenance of a remote adjuster. He said the adjustment nut is accessible and easy to adjust.

In my use case remote preload worth to have - I'm changing it each time I taking/leaving passenger. I see, you may conclude from my posts I'm pretty easy with suspension adjustments, it is fair. However I do rotating particularly that knob pretty often. This means seat and side cover mount efforts looks cumbersome for me.

What you'll get with the YSS is a plusher ride.

But given how worn out your current shock seems to be, you'll certainly feel an improvement with a replacement OEM as well....!

But chances are you'll feel more firmly planted on the 1000 # spring of the YSS.

Thanks for your commitment! Will write back, once suspension swap wrapped up. Most probably operation would take place at autumn time.

P.S. 'firmly planted' - damn fine word combination =)

 

[MidLife]

In my use case remote preload worth to have - I'm changing it each time I taking/leaving passenger. I see, you may conclude from my posts I'm pretty easy with suspension adjustments, it is fair. However I do rotating particularly that knob pretty often. This means seat and side cover mount efforts looks cumbersome for me.

If you often "play" with the suspension, another advantage of the YSS over OEM is the ease of rebound adjustment: no tools required and the adjustment nut is easy to access.