sv shock...worth it?

[ninja_steve]

i am wondering if it is worth swapping out my stock shock on my '89 for an sv shock.  i heard it will raise the bike 2" and i kind of like how it sits low as is, but i am 6 feet tall so it shouldnt matter.  what do yall think...worth doing or no?  i can probably get an sv shock for next to nothing.

[scratch]

Absolutely.

[Alphamazing]

The general consensus is that the SV shock isn't that much better than the GS shock, and it's really more of a replacement. A better idea would be to get a Katana 600 shock, as it is a direct bolt in without any modification. You get full adjustability and it raises the rear a bit too. If you can't get a hold of a Kat shock, then go with the SV's if the GS's is worn out. It will require some grinding of the shock and your linkage, IIRC.

[ninja_steve]

from what i have seen online, it is a direct replacement.  i found a stocker for $10, so i can always toss it on ebay if its no good.

[Lukewarm Wilson]

Dont forget RGV250 shocks  

[ninja_steve]

Dont forget RGV250 shocks  

haha, you lucky aussies.  i would kill to find an rgv250 here  :lol:

[Lukewarm Wilson]

oops forgot they didn't get to all countries  

[budget speed demon]

one thing I hate about north america is the lack of cool and fast small displacement bikes. RGV250, CBR400, GSXR400, that aprila 125, and I'm sure theres a bunch of others that I've never even herd of. my buddy just bought a gsxr400 that was imported and I'm so jelious!! 400cc and the thing makes like 65hp or somthing. can't wait till the spring when he lets me ride it

[philzphly]

I was also wondering about swapping out shocks

If I tried to get a katana 600 shock should I match the model years? does that matter?

I have a 97 GS

[gsbethesda]

Actually this thread is perfect... I am 6'3 and the little GS, is well... little. How much of an increase in height would it give me?

[Jace009gs]

ok first off the GS stock shocks is just about as close as you can get to non-adjustable. it is 12" long from center to center of the mounting i-lets.

Ok the katana shock is defently night and day more adjustable and much better performance in terms of it's fluids and rebounding rates and so forth...It is the standard 13" from center to center. However due to the frame's geometry and swing arm the katana shock will raise  your seat height almost 3". To compensate for this you can adjust the shock to the lowest preload setting on the katana shock and the seat height will be just about the same as stock. This is based on a 175lb rider so if you are lighter in body weight then ya seat height will always be taller with the katana shock unless you get some lowering links....

Now I have researched extensively on dimensions of rear shocks for my FZR which stock takes a 12" ctc. the YZF 600R6 is a 13" shock 3.5" in diameter and has a remote mounted resivor. It is ultra nice and fits perfectly on an FZR having zip tied the resivor to the frame and allowed clearance for  the movement of the swing arm. I got the R6 shock because they are dirt cheap on e-bay...l$10 a donzen...but a ninja zx-9 and the z636 have the same dimension as the R6. The r1 stock shock has the same dimension but the spring compressionrate is very stiff compared to others [r6,ninja,katana,sv] so I would only say opt for an r1 shock is you are in the 200#club.

IMHO the SV shock is some where inbetween the katana and stock Gs shock. Ya it's an up grade but for a little $$$ you can do better.


Watch out tho as I got dimension for many of suzuki's GSXR and their shocks are not "bolt" ins by any means. Their resivors are mounted a top the shocks and I'm 99% sure that they will hit the frame in the GS. my FZR had 3 and 3/4" clearance and I could just by looking at a picture tell the GSXR's wern't going to fit.

sry to ramble on
JT

[Alphamazing]

Jace, from what I've read the Kat shock won't raise the rear 3". Not even close. The most I've ever seen someone say it raises it is 1", and more commonly it has a rise of .75".

[Jace009gs]

Alpha that's the raise in the shock lenght of 1"....YOU have you remember I'm refering to actual furthest point of the rear end. The swing arm and frame form an angle with the rear shock controling the degrees in which the fram and swing arm move in relativness to the "stationary" frame. So If you make that inital stock 1" longer and that gives you an additonal frame degees of 5* [ok ok actual is 4.86* but bla bla w/e :guns:] coupled with a swing arm of 13 and 3/4" [from suzuki.com]long the whole frame geometry is stretched out with the hypotunse [the height] being 3" longer. AKA-the frame inside the tail piece is 3" higher off the ground with the katana shock [shock set up = to the gs's preload and spring compression of course] ok ok ok bla bla bla that all great right? your probably right my wording of seat height is wrong. I set up a MathCAD function for calculating my FZR's estimate and after reading this post I pulled up the program and pluged in the GS's variables and got 3" of frame raise Seat height would fo course be less because of the frame's design to mold around the seat and the fact the shock mounts just about under the seat so the effects are min. Only a passenger would "feel" 3inces higher

On my FZR fitted with the r6 shock the rear "END" was raised 4 and 1/8 inches but that's due to the longer swing arm. I still have to get the preload set up right for my body weight and such but I know just from playing around I can "tighten" it up and the bike dosn't sag when I sit on it or I can "loosen" it up and the seat becomes level when I sit on the bike.    [/b]so bottom line is that[/b] the preload and compression are facts you defently need to consider with upgrading the the rear shock. and the only real numbers to compare that have any effect on this is the bike's weight which manufactures use to test and fit a specific spring compression rate to the bike. The GS is a light weight on tune with many "modern [00+] 600cc bikes.....My FZR is 448lbs wet [I dunno 410 dry??] so the r6's is about the same give or take 15lb of lard :nana:

sorry if I mis lead anyone
Jason