Starting to get a bit miffed with my bike. Last few rides i haven't really enjoyed the bike much due to the suspension. Also unrelated, the quick shifter is starting to miss shifts or not return the lever after and up shift, which is bloody annoying... The bike is so unsettled by bumps on either normal OR comfort settings. The front feels harsh and the rear just bounces around all over and never settles. Some days I'm aching with the constant bouncing around on it. On roads where my fireblade would float along, this just bobs around and doesn't compose itself. I can't figure out if its the front or the back which is worse - i think the rear shock is a piece of junk to be honest and tempted to change it. Ive noticed the last few times out that its hard to actually focus on the road as my body and head are being bounced up and down so much. has anyone changed out a 959 or 899 rear shock and did it make much difference? I was going to take the bike to get suspension set up, but i think there is only so much the rear shock is capable of, so didn't think it would be worth wasting the time polishing a turd to be honest.
Your not alone in thinking the rear shock is junk,i changed to Ohlins after 4 weeks,quite a few options out there,new rear shock is expensive ranging from £500 to £1100,@Phill748 is your man for info on having the standard shock reworked.
tried normal and comfort and then something in between the two (which was an improvement) but can't get the thing to stop bobbing around
I felt the same about the rear of my 899 so decided to treat myself to a Nitron - only the cheapest model NTR1 but sprung for my weight it's transformed the back end which now absorbs bumps far better than the standard shock even after trying various settings. The front now feels harsh compared to the rear but no more bouncing off the seat at least!
Yeah, the standard bike just won't offer a set up at the rear which gives a consistent feel. The issue is that the rear just feels 'disconnected and vague' but also u will be riding a long and hit a bump and the rear will just totally lock out! Regardless of setting. MCT are well aware of it and say it's an issue with the shim stack restricting oil flow. They reworked mine for £200 and it's bloody excellent now! I had the compression set at 1 turn out for track and it felt lovely and consistent all day, forgot to Change it and went out the other day and it was harsh, so took it back a turn and could immediately feel a noticeable and CONSISTENT improvement. The front to me feels okay, I think I just have half a turn less compression on the front. MCT turned my shock around in 3 days btw, honestly don't go spending Ohlins money without trying it. The Ohlins will be fantastic of course but try this! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
yep i know - it should be a lot better out of the box IMO. I would consider the revalve. Ive had a few done by k-tech on the past and it made difference
It's not really a straight revalve on the rear, they modify the oil way, some sort of machining, and then they out a different config oil shim in there Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah, they were really good. Also the forks, a simple oil change might be worth it. From new they apparently use something called 'first fill' oil and it's gritty to the touch (so say JHS). So a proper aftermarket oil with anti friction additives will probably make the front feel really plush Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I bought mine with a KTech rear already fitted so I can't say if they make a difference or not. The fronts have apparently been rebuilt with KTech internals too. Riders set the bike up for my weight before I took delivery. I would say in comparison to my old GSXR the 899 is harsher. I had a shot on a S1000rr recently and it seemed to deal with the bumps better too. I just put it down to it being a Ducati. I wasn't expecting it to be comfortable but as a road bike it should definitely have some sort of compliance
as you say i wouldn't expect it to be comfortable but i would expect it to be more compliant Spoke to MCT today who told me the rear shock is actually a decent unit once modified and ohlins would be no better on the road. Going to send it off and get modified I think. He mentioned the front forks need different oil and slightly softer springs I think, but I think the majority of my issues is the rear end doesn't work with he front at all
That's my honest appraisal, it now feels comparable to both the Ohlins units I have had on My Daytona. I'm not suggesting that the Ohlins unit isn't better, just the adjustment it has is far superior but in terms of feel I'm really happy with it. And I'm sure on track in fast group conditions it would be easy to find its limit but again, on the road, excellent The front for me was okay Spring wise but he did say I should consider an oil change, trouble is MCT are 3.5 hours away. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Changed the rear to ohlins ttx - amazing how it transformed the bike. Also getting the front & rear set up properly really helps. Made a great bike into a brilliant bike for me, in my opinion the best thing to do to a 899
I fancied the ohlins, partly for the quality, partly for the bling and partly for the resale value (a revalve is money you can't recoup). The value of the revalve is good though and he said on the road there would be very little in it and actually they know how to make the Sachs shock work, so would probably be better unless the ohlins was properly dialled in. I'm at Snetterton next week in the car, so might try and drop the shock off while I'm down there. I ordered and abba stand so I can remove the shock anyway
Do you have to lift the tank to get the shock off? Ohlins instructions say to lift the tank and remove the plastic cylinder head cover, but I'm not sure if that's just to allow for the larger shock body?
