900ss Rear Shock Upgrade Options - Uk

This link should take you to my comments on a YSS shock towards the end of the thread.

https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threa...-absorber-eye-junk-or-not.93100/#post-2019763

And as a follow up after 7 months or so of use, is that it is still performing admirably even after I've added more preload & damping in a vain attempt at convincing myself I know what I'm doing. Ho hum...

 

We have used several different brands of shock at Cadwell on my son’s 900SSie track bike.
Every one has been notably better than the Sachs unit it came with.
Nitron is the one that stayed on the bike.

 

I have an Ohlins from the later ie model on my 94 SS, because it came along, brand new at a reasonable price some years ago.
I am currently looking to upgrade the pogo stick on my Aprilia and have considered
YSS - Price is good and I will now read the link above.
Nitron - More expensive but reputation is excellent.
Maxton - probably even more expensive, but not on my list at the minute as they did not reply to my enquiry a few months ago. I assume they are too busy with Race stuff.
Right now I'm skint, so have to continue bouncing along the country lanes or get my 900 out if it stops raining.

 

My own has Maxton front and rear, I recommend them, communication was very good when I was dealing with them, and since. Product is excellent. Expensive but cheaper than Ohlins at the time. I cannot fault it, rebuilt front end with Maxton internals. It's set up for my weight and style and it handles superbly. For both ends though, it was not cheap.

 

The Maxton (twin) shocks I installed on the Darmah are excellent after we found the correct spring rate for them.

I'm beginning to think spring rate is the most important part of a shock and when a particular make suits one person it's probably because it's spring rate suits the rider's & bike's weight. Yes, I know damping is important but if the spring is over/under reacting then no amount of magic damping or preloading is gonna help.

 

Only part of the chassis set-up of course, but the bike manages consistent 1:41 laps in the fast group with a standard engine at Cadwell.

 

Sure, just the R1 with the combined comp and reb damping. It seems to be really nicely balanced with the basic no-linkage swingarm, and fewer ways to set it up wrong. We have run a very nice (and very expensive) Technoflex shock in the past (amongst others) with not only separate comp and reb, but high and low speed damping adjustment too, and ultimately, it was not noticeably better when it was right, but there were lots of ways to set it “not quite right”. Jon

 

Spot on - i would agree also, spring rate is key.

 

+1 for Maxton. Huge step forward over the OE replacing with a cartridge kit and complete rear shock for a 937 Monster. Andy

 

Hi Andy, please do tell more! Is the OEM shock off a 937 Monster a direct replacement? - I put an ssie shock on my carby, which was a good replacement in terms of quickening up the steering, but the quality just isn't there and it shows when pushed.

 

A bit of confusion, my fault. Was just supporting the recommendation for looking at Maxton for sourcing a replacement. The 937 has no relevance to the OP’s problem. Andy

 

Not tried YSS but have Nitron (a 2014 model) and Maxton (2022 version) on my SSs and thinking you'd like both.

From my own experience where I tested them back to back on track, I'd say Nitron is a massive step up from stock and you can dial in the character you want with the damping. But I preferred the Maxton as it was a lot smoother, to the point it disappeared from the feel and you only noticed the tyre not the shock.

I'd be happy with either on my road bike.

Hope that helps.

 

And that's exactly how the Maxton's on the Darmah feel... you don't really notice what they are doing.

 

Forgot to add, the key is getting the spring and shims set up for you and your riding!

And in relation to forks, highly rate the MCT piston kit, super impressive and not far off the Maxton cartridge kit though didn't test back to back, definitely a smaller gap between these than the Nitron and Maxton shocks

 

I have Nitron front and rear on my MV and its great kit, but on the Ducati I took another route and got Darren at MCT to sort the front end out and on the rear I went for the following. Told them what i wanted, weight etc and they built it. It looks like now they cover a lot more bikes. The shock is great, damping is a simple single unit adjuster but its effective.
https://shock-factory.co.uk/home/28-m-shock-bike-shock-absorber.html

 

And thinking if someone paid £2500 for Maxtons it was for the SD25 Cartridge Kit and GP10 Shock, not shock alone..... That's what I paid anyhow

Nitron shock and MCT fork piston much better value IMHO