Anyone have experience putting a SOFTER sprung shock on the GS rear?
After a great run down for the Philip Island Classics, my back is a mess! (Old injury). The bike has a '93 GSX shock on it which is hammering my vertebrae, and whilst I prefer firm suspension for performance, I'm just going to have to soften it up so I can ride without it crippling me. My thoughts were maybe a softer spring, a complete shock off maybe a 250 with lighter springing, I'm also getting a wrecked '09 GS500 soon, anyone have any idea if the shocker off that will be softer sprung?
(I know... everyone is looking for firmer solutions while I'm going all softcock!!!)

Unless the 93 is mightily worn, the stock GS shock will definitely be softer.

Is the one you have set on its lightest settings?

Yup the GSX shock set on the lightest setting, (preload and damping) but there's a lot of metal in those springs - still too hard.

You've also neglected to mention the most obvious and direct course of a action:

get a new back!   

Mate, don't get me started on cynical profiteering in the health industry!!! If I were wealthy I'd have a new one already. I'm on a 2 year waiting list for the op.

My surgically repaired but under-rehabilitated right knee feels your pain.

There's instructions somewhere around here for shock disassembly. As you know, GS shocks can be had for next to nothing. I'm waffling on whether to replace mine. Finding a way to get Pokey to be less inclined to follow lines and undulations in the road is bit more pertinent at the moment.

Your problem isn't the shock it's the spring around the shock.  There is a specific "compression rate" for the spring but I don't have any idea where you would find it.  It's not perfect but:  Take a caliper and measure the diameter of the spring wire.  Now find a same length (or near it) spring with a smaller wire diameter.  Usually a smaller diameter wire means a softer compression rate.  You can order different compression rate springs for racing bikes but I don't know if any are the same size as the GS spring.

Good luck and sorry about the back.

Yeah I understand that mate, it's the spring RATE which is the issue... (gauge of the spring wire and number of coils) -the damping only controls the action/reaction of the spring. The GSX600 spring is pretty heavy gauge wire and pretty tightly coiled (looks pretty similar to my old Gixxer spring... too heavy for a light 500 with a light rider). Mind you it'd be good on the track, just too hard for my 'ammer 'n tack!

I can't tell if the R6 shock spring rate is harder than stock, it's been so long since I used a stocker for the last time, but, since you're not using the stocker anymore, I'd suggest you to try a R6's shock, definitely softer that the Katana shock, so I actually can feel the damping action as the spring smoothly goes up and down, IMHO.

At some point, somebody aground here is going to get bored and creative enough to build a device to demonstrate the various rates at various settings of the various shocks we clamp onto the Grandpa Suspension 500...

crikey ... not good for the back! .. im a heavy rider .. 130kg geared up .. i put in a katana 600 shock late last year ... had it dialed up to 5 on the preload and it shook my kidneys about ... so i wound it back down to 2 and its great! ... so to recap .. 130kg at preload 2 is comfy for me...

and the general consensus seems to be that the katana shock is for us 'fat bastards' .. while the r6 shock is better for you 'midgets' 

im not any type of shock expert ..  .. but i would side heavily with the r6 option at this point .. slightly heavier sprung than the stocker ... BUT ... you get damping as well!!

if you want i have a stock shock i can send you ... and you might then have a 'spare' katana shock you could send me!  .. of course if you feel that some cash needs to be exchanged then i can ante up a little for you ... 

as a matter of fact!!! .. if this interests you Jools , and you are not in an arse tearing hurry .. i am taking a truck to richmond on the 27th feb.... and another to horsham probably the first week in march? .. both trips are confirmed ... just the timing of the horsham one is still flexi .. i see by your profile you are halfway between ballarat and melb kinda .. so it shouldnt present too much of a meetup hassle.

as well as... if by chance the swap suits you .. and the truck trip option suits you .. and you had any other bits you are after that needed to be collected from syd or something ... i'll bring them too! ...

i was gonna PM this .. but i figured i leave it public .. might be some other vic-wegians want stuff taken down also .. whether or not you are keen on my 'deal' 

Godonya Janx!  -Eat yer heart out (literally ) -I'm the 65kg streak and I can scoff as many cream cakes as I like.
Mate I'll keep in touch re: the possible meetup on your Horsham trip. The Katana shock will be available I reckon.
Tomorrow I'm collecting the wrecked '09 bike I bought off ebay. Front end damage, so the rear shock should be the go unless it's been upgraded already. -I'll know more when I get it.
I put an R6 shock into my kid's RZ Yamaha last year and it works really well on that - I guess the RZ would be around 160-170kg. Anyway I'll start off with the standard one off the wrecked bike and go from there.
Cheers buddy
Jools

okily dokily duderino 

i can eat as many cream cakes as i want too!!! ... it just means i have to work harder or use the rowing machine eh! .. 5-10km of rowing isnt the best fun though