Ok, so I have a few bucks to spend on something for the GS so I figured it should be katana shock, prog springs, (which I can't find on ebay), or SS brake line. I think i'm going to go katana shock because its about the cheapest and the brakes seem to be working fine for how I ride thus far. So to get to the question, the differing shocks that I'm looking at, some have the remote rebound adjuster and others do not, so do I have to set the preload/rebound before I install the shock? Also, is rebound adjustable while the shock is installed or am I screwed once I put it in. Do the people with these shocks prefer the kind with the remote adjuster better or is it more of a PITA than its worth? Anybody can chime in!
I have the simple shock, supposedly much easier to install, you don't have to squeeze in the separate reservoir (is that what you mean by remote rebound adjuster, or am I just confused? :icon_confused:)
I liked mine because it's just a straight swap, and you can adjust both preload and rebound on it while it's on the bike, rebound is just reach in and spin the little wheel on top. Preload adjusts really easily with the same shock wrench the GS uses. At least on mine. You can preset it at say 4 before you install it, it's a good place to start, was too hard for me though. If I had NOT upgraded my fork springs first though, I would do that, the front end is more seriously deficient than the stock rear shock. It will totally change the feel of the bike. I have Sonics (.85s), they're stiff but the bike handles really well.
I put in the katana shock and no matter what I set it to, it is too stiff for me. I use the stock shock now and it rides a lot smoother for me.
The Katana shock I use is the basic shock with preload adjustment like the GS and the rebound adjustment on the top.Be aware that the small lift the Kat shock gives will make the soft front suspension worse.The Kat shock puts a little more weight on the front end depending on the settings used.