Katana 600 Shock Compared with SV650 Shock

[Rattlesnake]

Hey all, I've read a wealth of information on this board about the Katana 600 rear shock and the SV650 rear shock mods, but I have yet to find a good comprehensive comparison of the two.

What are the strong points/weak points of each?
How much does each lift the rear end?
Is one better than the other for any reason?

Thanks!

[tt_four]

I'm pretty sure the determination is that the katana shock is better. Everyone has moved on from the SV shock, it will lift your tail 2 inches but the katana shock works a little better for the GS. The other newer option is the 06-07 R6 shock. It has adjustable preload, compression and rebound, but Buddha still swears the katana shock is better. I have the R6 shock on mine, but to be honest I never even set it up. I just stuck it on straight out of the box and went with it. No complaints.

[centuryghost]

If you want lift, the sv is the way to go. From what I've experienced, the kat is nice with the possibility of slightly too hard. But of course I'm biased, I like the lift I got from the SV's and the dampening is'nt as bad as peeps would let on.

[Rattlesnake]

That helps a lot, thanks.  So do I understand correctly that the Kat shock does not lift the rear compared to stock while the SV lifts it ~ 2 inches?

[burning1]

I can confirm that the Katana 600, Katana 750, and R6 shocks will not lift the rear end at all. My understanding is that the SV650 shock may be bolt on, but that it will lift the rear end nearly 2 inches. Same is true for a late model GSX-R shock. Some of the older GSX-R shocks are also bolt on. IIRC, they are the same length as the stock GS shock.

The RGV250 shock is also bolt on. It will lift your rear end, but my understanding is that it will lift it 3/4th of an inch or so, rather than 2 inches as with the SV/Modern GSX-R shock.

Lifting the rear end can be beneficial for our bikes... The factory rear sets tend to scrape when ridden at race pace, and the conservative steering geometry can be sharpened up by pointing the bike slightly nose down. IMO, 2 inches may be a little much however, without raising the front end up to compensate. The extra height will also change the geometry of your suspension linkage (probably for the worse,) and may also lead to clearance issues.

Big determining factor between shocks is the installed spring, and the tuning of the damping circuits. The Katana 600/750 have suspension geometry very similar to our GS, they are simply stiffer, with more expensive suspension parts. The Katana 750 spring is very stiff (~50% stiffer than stock) and best suited to racers and very heavy riders (200+lbs. I weigh 180 and race, and it's still a little stiff for me.) Likewise, it has a stiff rebound and compression damping circuit. On the other hand, it's a modern reservoir design, rather than an emulsion shock, with compression and rebound adjustment. So, it's better than both the GS and the Kat 600 shock. It may cause some clearance issues during installation (which can usually be solved with a dremmel.

The Kat 600 shock isn't as nice as the Kat 750 shock, but it's softer and easier to install. For that reason, it's better suited for more typical street riders, and lighter racers. Spring rates are still easily 30% stiffer than stock. Damping circuits are spot on. I have NFI if it's an emulsion type shock, or uses an internal diaphram. I'd guess emulsion, which is the less preferable design.

The R6 shock is about 10%-15% stiffer than stock, but designed for totally different suspension geometry. My suspension guy suggests that it probably won't have enough rebound damping for race use on a GS500. It would be a good upgrade for a lightweight street rider, however. And yes, better than stock.

I have no current experience with the RGV and GSXR shocks, though I'm looking into them for use with my new RGV rear end.

[burning1]

BTW: I'd take the Kat shock over the SV shock every time.

[The Buddha]

Kat shocks are more adjustable than the sv shock.
The r6 shock actually I have one lying about but am yet to try it. There is a spring swap for it ... you're supposed to put the yellow spring in place of the read or vice versa ... some BS.
Kat6/7, rf6/9, B12 etc all fit and work great. Its not like anything else is going to be that much better ... so I wont bother, but to each his own.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Twism86]

If anyone wants a yellow SV shock i have one cheap, as is a few bucks plus shipping.

Ive been too lazy as of recently to install my kat 600 shock.

[murf425]

If anyone wants a yellow SV shock i have one cheap, as is a few bucks plus shipping.

Ive been too lazy as of recently to install my kat 600 shock.

PM inbound

[Rattlesnake]

Thanks, everyone, for the responses.  This is really helpful information!

Further questions...would a used shock with 15k miles on it be well worn or still have a lot of life left?

If I'm buying a shock from ebay how would I know whether or not it's leaking?

If I bought a used shock that doesn't leak, how would I go about cleaning it up?

[gsf500RR]

I got a SV650 shock and I like it very much 

[burning1]

At 15K, the shock is due for service, but will probably go for quite a while longer before its performance is seriously affected. Service costs ~$100 on most shocks (oil, nitrogen fill.)

If the shock is described in used, but working condition, it shouldn't be leaking. If the shock is leaking when it arrives, arrange to return it to sender, and if that doesn't work, file a paypal dispute.

[burning1]

I really need to correct myself on this thread, since I made a few major errors.

First, the R6 shock is significantly stiffer than stock. Stock shock is 8.7kg/mm, where the SV shock is 9.8kg/mm.

The RGV250 shock is softer than stock, about 7kg/mm from what I could find online. The RGV is a lighter bike than the GS, with significantly different suspension geometry. Spring rates on the Katana 600/750 are similar: 10.7kg/mm and 10.9kg/mm respectively.

The short version of this, based on my experience at a local trackday, is that the R6 shock is going to be pretty ideal for most riders, *if* you get it setup correctly. The shock has so many knobs and settings that getting it wrong is very easy. I strongly suggest anyone who goes this route take the bike to a professional suspension tuner if one is available.

Also, while the SV650 shock is much longer than the GS500 shock, it has a very long clevis. This is an advantage, as it's pretty easy to modify the SV shock to tune the rear ride height. With the stock fork height, raising the rear end up will gain some cornering clearance, and help make the bike a little more nimble.

Regarding installation of the R6 shock: The R6 shock is nearly identical to the GS500 shock in terms of length and mounting dimensions. To install it, use the stock GS500 bolt on the upper eyebolt mount. On the lower mount, slip the R6 spacer (aka inner bearing race) into the GS500 lower link. Use the R6 bolt and lockwasher. The R6 coil is narrower than the Katana 750 coil, and it should install easier. However, the R6 piggyback reservior rests against the airbox, and may not clear the OEM charcoal canister. Check before installing.

Newer R6 shocks may provide more clearance, with their redesigned reservior.

[RichDesmond]

...where the SV shock is 9.8kg/mm....

That's the first gen SV shock, 99-02. The length on that one is ~338mm. The second gen SV shock is a lot softer ~7.7kg/mm and shorter, 330mm.

[mass-hole]

I have the R6 shock on mine as a daily rider to and from work. While it is stiffer that the stock spring, the rebound seems to be a bit light at the setting it came on(bought from a fellow GSer but not sure that he ever used it). I have not played around with the rebound and damping settings on it yet but will plan on doing so at some point coming up. Plus it looks Bad ass.

[Pelikan]

The kat 600 rear + .85 springs up front are a good combo in my experience.  Not fun going over rail tracks (nor hitting a sweet bump at 60mph)...but nonetheless.

[burning1]

.85s are awfully stiff for a street bike. Racetech suggests them for a 210lb rider... Definitely way firmer than the R6 shock.

[burning1]

BTW: I just put my Katana shock up for sale if anyone is interested.

[Pelikan]

.85s are awfully stiff for a street bike. Racetech suggests them for a 210lb rider... Definitely way firmer than the R6 shock.

.85 up front and 15w oil is what Rich at sonic recommended for me (180 w/o gear).  They seem to be doing the trick.  Mix of surface streets and freeway riding.

[mass-hole]

.85s are awfully stiff for a street bike. Racetech suggests them for a 210lb rider... Definitely way firmer than the R6 shock.

I am currently at 210-215, and was around 200-205 when I bought the springs last summer(DAMN IT). The R6 is defiantly a bit weak in comparison to the fronts but much better than it was before. I plan on at least getting a new spring from racetech.

I saw you said that the R6 could be the best raceday shock if set up properly. By this do you mean new springs and valving from Racetech? I was reading through your tread in the Racing section and you were heading in that direction but you never made any final conclusions.