I am in the process of moving from my 2008 690 Enduro that I have had since new to a used 2012 690 Enduro. I have really been struggling with this move as my '08 has been dead solid reliable and still runs like new but I decided to take the leap. Part of the process of moving to the newer bike involved changing out the custom spring on the rear shock of the '08 that I had made for my...uh.... higher that average weight . In doing so, I notice that the construction of the '08 WP shock and the '12 WP shock was substantially different. The are the exact same length, but the '12 is lighter and constructed of different material. In the picture the '08 shock is on top and the '12 is on the bottom. Does anyone know what the difference is and if one is consider better or more reliable than the other?? Any opinions are welcome!
Looks like this is as big a mystery to everyone else as it is me. I have written email to WP to ask them about the difference and will reply here if I get any information. In the meantime all other opinions are welcome. Thanks
This came from John of Rally Raid in the UK: Hi, The 08 shocks were 1 piece forged, and WP called them the "torpedo" shock because of their shape. The locking ring thread on the 08 only is 56mm, all others are 54mm. The later shock are of a more modular design. There is very little difference internally, and the spring can be swapped, only the locking ring needs changing. If you can copy and pate this into the thread that would be great. Also, there is a 690 Suspension Thread in Thumpers with more info. regards John Rally-Raid Products Ltd
If you're putting in a stiffer spring, you may want to invest in a RRUK or Superplush aftermarket spring collar because the OEM one (at least pre-2012) often seized with stiffer springs. This is the Superplush aftermarket collar:
