Different standard shock depending on year ?

[zOU]

Hi,

I just bought a GSE500 on ebay.
It was said to be compatible with '89 to '96 GSE.

I've got a 1996 GSE.

I tried to fit the shock today and I've got a pb:

Left: new shock
Right: old shock (not my actual shock that an picture found on the net but it shows my pb)



The part in blue hits the linking arm (red on picture below)



Can I grind the part on red on the linking arm without any potential issue ?

it looks like the shocks may be different depending on the year, or I've been sold a non-GSE shock...


what do you think ?

edit: i made a search on the forum but there is so much topics about rear shocks... it's har to find something relevant

[l3uddha]

yes you can grind the linkage where you noted. I ground mine down a pretty good amount to fit in a GSX-R shock. just be sure to cover it with some good spraypaint afterwards.

[zOU]

thank you, I'm still digging topics about rear shock on the forum just in case

[coll0412]

Your original shock of your bike is not a GS500 shock. Judging by the picture, it looks like a katana shock, which when I looked on my bike matches the end.

Is the shock leaking, and why are you replacing the shock, most view the katana shock as an upgrade

The original shock should not hit the pivot unless that was replaced as well, which would be odd.

Snap a picture of the links and such with a measurment device(ruler) in the pics and somebody will know if they have been changed also

[zOU]

as I said the picture of the right shock is not a picture of my current shock.

I'm just using that picture because it shows a short clevise shock (like the one I bought) and a long clevise shock (like the one installed on me GSE)

Both shocks have the  exact same total length and are identical in all points except clevise length.

Thus my question

[zOU]

UP..

anyone knows if thisa is normal to find standard GSE500 shock with clevise of different length ?

If yes, maybe we should document this in the Wiki ?

[coll0412]

Have you owned this bike since 1996, then this would be very odd and rare


If you bought it second hand, then, most likely some one has put something from a different bike on there. Whether it be a pivot, linkages, or the shock?  I have never heard of the GS500E shock changing from 89-2002 for the 3 years I have been on this forum.

Take a picture of what you are working with so we may better understand what this looks like, and maybe we can see the problem.

My though is maybe it has lowering links on it(which are longer than stock correct?) and makes the pivot rotate counter-clockwise when looking from the right side of the bike(gear shifting lever side)

Just a thought

EDIT- Looked at MrCycles, and the same shock is used 1989-2002(i.e. same part number) so unless there is something different with the new bikes shocks some thing is fishy with yours

hey alphaX5, do you remember your OE shock having a long clevis, or was it the same as the left picture in zOU first post

[Alphamazing]

hey alphaX5, do you remember your OE shock having a long clevis, or was it the same as the left picture in zOU first post

The shocks between my '04 and my '92 were the same.

[zOU]

Have you owned this bike since 1996, then this would be very odd and rare


If you bought it second hand, then, most likely some one has put something from a different bike on there. Whether it be a pivot, linkages, or the shock?  I have never heard of the GS500E shock changing from 89-2002 for the 3 years I have been on this forum.

Take a picture of what you are working with so we may better understand what this looks like, and maybe we can see the problem.

My though is maybe it has lowering links on it(which are longer than stock correct?) and makes the pivot rotate counter-clockwise when looking from the right side of the bike(gear shifting lever side)

Just a thought

EDIT- Looked at MrCycles, and the same shock is used 1989-2002(i.e. same part number) so unless there is something different with the new bikes shocks some thing is fishy with yours

hey alphaX5, do you remember your OE shock having a long clevis, or was it the same as the left picture in zOU first post

Yep bought it second hand.

Actual shock has a long clevise.
bought one on ebay with a short clevis and it doesn't fit (I would have to grind the linking arm)
I strongly believe that the current shock has 75k km because he is knackered... so it should be the original.

the fact that a short clevise shock doesn't fit also points in that direction.

When I removed my shock fromm the bike I compared it to the one pictured below and they have the exact same total length, only the clevise length changes.

I'm thus very surprised that someone can sell a GSE500 shock with a short clevise....

Picture of the shock with the sort clevise (clickable thumbnail):


Close up(clickable thumbnail):

[The Buddha]

The 89 had a short clevice shock cos it had a alloy linkage, sometime in mid 90 they changed the shock and the linkage to that steel linkage. Shave the linkage if its steel. That will be the only one that has that problem. Its freaking tall at the point it mounts to the shock.
Cool.
Srinath.

[zOU]

EDIT- Looked at MrCycles, and the same shock is used 1989-2002(i.e. same part number) so unless there is something different with the new bikes shocks some thing is fishy with yours

The 89 had a short clevice shock cos it had a alloy linkage, sometime in mid 90 they changed the shock and the linkage to that steel linkage. Shave the linkage if its steel. That will be the only one that has that problem. Its freaking tall at the point it mounts to the shock.
Cool.
Srinath.

By mid 90 do you mean "during the year 1990" or sometimes in the 90's ?

I know that I'll have to either find a shock with a long clevise or grind my linking arm, but I found this issue interesting and I would like to document it as precisely as possible in the Wiki so that no one has the pb

[The Buddha]

Somewhere in 1990. And yea grind your linkage, its only like 30000 % over built. bent flat bar steel. I'll bet you can toss it on the highway and have trucks run on it all day long and still not affect it 1 bit.
Cool.
Srinath.