KLR rear shock sacrilege - Page 5

Zerodog · 05-08-2008, 01:23 PM

Man it is the linkage on that bike screwing with you and a PDS shock. You do need a straight rate and it does need to be pretty light. Something like an 8.2? It will depend a lot on what the leverage is on your linkage. You might need to get a very light one. You definately do not need a progressive spring. That would be progression from the linkage, PDS system, and a spring.

BDKW1 · 05-08-2008, 02:01 PM

Yeah, It had a PDS 8 spring on it i think. It was one of the heavier ones. The stock spring calced out to about 277#'s with very little pre-load. So I went up about 10% in spring rate from a stock KLR. The PDS spring calced out like a strait rate came out to be about 528#'s

The valving was the really weird part, I've never seen Digressive valving done like that. Usually they just cut a concave taper on the face of the piston. The 2 piece shims would make it much easier to adjust though, I'm going to have to keep that in mind for the truck world.

As for the pics, I'm working on it. For some reason last night I decided to hack into the wiring loom to get rid of all the extra crap in it. Colored spaghetti anyone?

BDKW1 · 05-08-2008, 05:14 PM

OK, the PDS spring was actually a 76-95/260

Super trick reservoir mount

Hose routing and some electrical crap that needs to move

New mount and adjuster.

And the new links

I don't know if you can see it, but in the last pic the kickstand is cracked where the tube is welded on to the top lug ( thanks for knocking My bike over Mike). I need to make it a little longer and straiten it anyway.

Zerodog · 05-08-2008, 08:23 PM

I wouldnt call it digressive. It is progressive. The split shims suck. They are used as a funky 2 stage system. Most tuners get rid of them and none of the newer 05 and up shocks use them.

Your issue is with the secondary compression stack. And the needle transition. The secondary comp should be really light so the primary piston does most of the work.

With the linkage you just don't need so much damping deeper in the stroke.

BDKW1 · 05-08-2008, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerodog

I wouldnt call it digressive. It is progressive.

Really? That's not how I see it working. Bilstien is really fond of this, On theres, they concave valve face pre-loads the shims so that the initial blow off pressure is higher. After blow off, the rate is the same as a regular stack. With the KTM stack, the 2nd split washer has a thinner inner shim and the outer is a little thicker pre-loading the stack above the second shim. This would have the same effect as the concave face. No?

Basiacally what I did was swap the top shim with #2 on both comp stacks and rebound on the main piston. No more pre-load and light low speed damping. I lightened up the comp on the secondary piston as well. I left the floating 1ST shim deal on the rebound though.

I custom (die grinder shhhhhhh) ground a little ramp on the needle to slow that down some too.

If the high speed is still to stiff, which I think it might be, I'll move the 3rd shim on the comp stack to the top too......

BDKW1 · 05-10-2008, 06:21 PM

SIDETRACK!!!!!

Well, as I was working on the shock, the wiring harness really started to bug Me. Way to much crap in there that doesn't need to be there.

Did you know you can cut all this out and the bike still runs fine?

Plus I needed to move the CDI box and all that other junk to make way for the other radiator.

I cut the stock bracket and welded it to the frame, everything now fit in the center of the tank.

Whole I was there, I put in a PCV valve I got at Napa. Its a nice right angle one that I plumbed to the currently unused vacuum port.

How does it work? beats Me, I'm going riding tommorow.......

rufus · 05-25-2008, 05:45 PM

How did the ride go?

guns_equal_freedom · 05-25-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDKW1

Plus I needed to move the CDI box and all that other junk to make way for the other radiator.

Details please.

BDKW1 · 05-26-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guns_equal_freedom

Details please.

Working on it.......

Still haven't got that ride in

Too many Honey-do's.......

klxmack · 05-26-2008, 03:33 PM

I would have cut the frame first!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDKW1

Well, after a nice long off-road trip to the San Felipe 250 I have come to a couple of conclusions on My KLR650. The front fork swap was totally worth it and I need to get My arse moving on the rear suspension. Actually, it needs to move without My arse moving, but whatever.......

I want this thing to ride like a 73 Caddy Fleetwood on the street and still be able to hit the whoops like My KLX 300.

So, to that end I got a White Power PDS shock from a KTM for a transplant.

Wussy stock shock, meet your replacement!

Wait, the reservoirs in the wrong spot? Hold on a second, there, this should fix that......

More later..........

P.S. I'm just using this shock to watch the KTM guys twitch

SamM · 07-10-2008, 08:06 AM

Whatever happened to this project?

I have a set of KTM 950 Adventure WP inverted forks, trees, brakes and a 950 rear shock sitting in my shop. I may do some measuring. A better idea may be to sell the 950 parts and have the stock KLR suspension redone by the pros.

Great project. Please update us on your progress.

SamM

holycaveman · 07-10-2008, 08:30 AM

Nice headlights

BDKW1 · 07-10-2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamM

Whatever happens to this project?

It works very well! Haven't riden it much latley as I have been real busy at work. Also been abusing the 300 on single track....

It needs a roller for the chain as the extra drop out gives the chain a little to much slack and it starts to make noise. May put one on the top side also. It really needs a real chain guide..... I'm working on that also.

So far, no regrets.

07-10-2008, 08:06 AM	#71
SamM Adventurer Joined: Nov 2004 Location: West Virginia Oddometer: 1,459	Whatever happened to this project? I have a set of KTM 950 Adventure WP inverted forks, trees, brakes and a 950 rear shock sitting in my shop. I may do some measuring. A better idea may be to sell the 950 parts and have the stock KLR suspension redone by the pros. Great project. Please update us on your progress. SamM __________________ 2009 Kawasaki KLX250S SamM screwed with this post 07-10-2008 at 11:13 PM

07-10-2008, 08:30 AM	#72
holycaveman Beastly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2005 Oddometer: 14,374	Nice headlights __________________ Banned for the truth.

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05-08-2008, 01:23 PM	#61
Zerodog Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2006 Location: SLC, UT Oddometer: 1,233	Man it is the linkage on that bike screwing with you and a PDS shock. You do need a straight rate and it does need to be pretty light. Something like an 8.2? It will depend a lot on what the leverage is on your linkage. You might need to get a very light one. You definately do not need a progressive spring. That would be progression from the linkage, PDS system, and a spring.

05-08-2008, 02:01 PM	#62
BDKW1 ^OP KL"X" not "R" Joined: Jul 2006 Location: SoCal Oddometer: 884	Yeah, It had a PDS 8 spring on it i think. It was one of the heavier ones. The stock spring calced out to about 277#'s with very little pre-load. So I went up about 10% in spring rate from a stock KLR. The PDS spring calced out like a strait rate came out to be about 528#'s The valving was the really weird part, I've never seen Digressive valving done like that. Usually they just cut a concave taper on the face of the piston. The 2 piece shims would make it much easier to adjust though, I'm going to have to keep that in mind for the truck world. As for the pics, I'm working on it. For some reason last night I decided to hack into the wiring loom to get rid of all the extra crap in it. Colored spaghetti anyone?

05-08-2008, 05:14 PM	#63
BDKW1 ^OP KL"X" not "R" Joined: Jul 2006 Location: SoCal Oddometer: 884	OK, the PDS spring was actually a 76-95/260 Super trick reservoir mount Hose routing and some electrical crap that needs to move New mount and adjuster. And the new links I don't know if you can see it, but in the last pic the kickstand is cracked where the tube is welded on to the top lug ( thanks for knocking My bike over Mike). I need to make it a little longer and straiten it anyway.

05-08-2008, 08:23 PM	#64
Zerodog Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2006 Location: SLC, UT Oddometer: 1,233	I wouldnt call it digressive. It is progressive. The split shims suck. They are used as a funky 2 stage system. Most tuners get rid of them and none of the newer 05 and up shocks use them. Your issue is with the secondary compression stack. And the needle transition. The secondary comp should be really light so the primary piston does most of the work. With the linkage you just don't need so much damping deeper in the stroke.

05-10-2008, 06:21 PM	#66
BDKW1 ^OP KL"X" not "R" Joined: Jul 2006 Location: SoCal Oddometer: 884	SIDETRACK!!!!! Well, as I was working on the shock, the wiring harness really started to bug Me. Way to much crap in there that doesn't need to be there. Did you know you can cut all this out and the bike still runs fine? Plus I needed to move the CDI box and all that other junk to make way for the other radiator. I cut the stock bracket and welded it to the frame, everything now fit in the center of the tank. Whole I was there, I put in a PCV valve I got at Napa. Its a nice right angle one that I plumbed to the currently unused vacuum port. How does it work? beats Me, I'm going riding tommorow.......

05-25-2008, 05:45 PM	#67
rufus We're burning daylight... Joined: Sep 2004 Location: Coweta Oklahoma Oddometer: 3,551	How did the ride go?