Ricor Rear shock in final stages

[ladder106]

I just received an email from Ricor this am. They are in the final stages of the build for the AT rear shock.

Here's a quick link for reviews from the KLR650 guys
http://www.klr650.net/forums/showthr...ighlight=ricor

...and a link to Ricors site:
http://store.ricorshocks.com/

WE NEED THE STANDARD AT SHOCK SPRING RATE !!

If anyone has this information, please let me know

Frantically searching the web.

[coldstart]

Hi ladder106.
I would like to help, but I don´t even know what yoy´re asking. Exept that it has something to do with the tension and size of the spring. Is this something that can be measured?

What about other aftermarked shock manufacturers like Öhlins, WP or Hagon? They must have this information, and it can´t be that big a secret...???

Come on guys!! What do you say? I´m sure someone here could help out. Another option on aftermarked shocks could´nt hurt now could it?

[YEN_POWELL]

I've already send this to Don, don't know if he got it or even if it has any useful information.

I can get the spring removed from one of my spare shocks if anyone knows how to test the spring rate or someone who can.

[jarl]

Wild plan at best, but it may be possible to get a rough number- if someone has weighed front and back at the same time to get the weight distribution, then you could possibly use sag from the bikes own weight to get a spring rate?

(i.e, 100kg at the rear wheel, 20mm sag = 50N/mm spring rate, using completely made up numbers)

[ladder106]

A quick update:

I'm happy to see that there is some interest here. Here's what has happened in the last few days.

E-mails flying back and forth with Ricor. We decided that the best way to solve the problem (short of my riding to Southern Nevada.....which will most likely still happen in the next few weeks) was to ship my RD04 shock to Ricor.

I sent the shock out Friday PM and it should arrive tomorrow. So, they will have the actual shock to measure and dyno.

The other thing I did was to measure the standard RD04 spring and run it though this site:

Calculator

I measured the spring at 13.25 mm wire diameter, 81mm outside diameter and 8 free coils. That gave a calculated spring rate of 702 pounds.

It will be interesting to see what Ricor measures it as. This is well outside our methods to measure the spring on a household scale since (at least in this country) the top measurement is 300 lbs. (However, when I look at most of my countrymen the max should probably be raised to 400).

In summary, work is progressing. Since the shock is almost identical between the RD03 and 04, I think this will be the first ones produced. The RD07 takes a somewhat longer shock so I will probably be asking for one of you with an 07 to remove and measure the shock along with the width of the bottom bearing to which the shock attaches. The bottom clevis on the Ricor shock is billet, not stamped steel as on the Honda shock, and has to be machined with precision so that it will fit over the bottom mount but also fit snugly so the pivot action happens in the bearing as it was meant to and not between the inner bearing race and the mounting bolt as would occur if the measurement is too loose.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd think that there are more RD07 bikes in the UK (and Europe [notice that I did not include you in the EU...hope that's acceptable]). If so there may be more demand for the new shock for the RD07s that the 03s and 04s. Opinions?

Thanks again for the interest. I'll update this as soon as more information becomes available.

Oh, in case anyone is wondering, I don't work for Ricor and am not being payed for using their products. Ricor has provided me with some of their products free of charge. I have tried to test them without bias. ATs were not imported to the US so Ricor asked me to test stuff for them since I am relatively close, geographically.

[coldstart]

Good news ladder106!!

As you probably know, Rd 03 was made 88-89, Rd04 90-92, Rd07 93-95 and Rd07a 96-2003.
So yes, there are a lot more of the Rd07/07a on the roads.
(Rd07 and 07a are almost identical and shocks are the same)

Have no statistics to go on here, but from the adds of bikes for sale I would guess that 07´s make about 80% of all AT´s on the roads.

So i would say definetly more demand for Rd07 shocks!!

[diskow]

...If so there may be more demand for the new shock for the RD07s that the 03s and 04s. Opinions?...

Possibility for longer shock without paying extra fortune of money would make the shock also desirable for tall riders (me).
Around 1-2 cm longer shock option!
My bike is raised and so are many more......

... thanks

[coldstart]

Possibility for longer shock without paying extra fortune of money would make the shock also desirable for tall riders (me).
Around 1-2 cm longer shock option!
My bike is raised and so are many more......

... thanks

I second that!!!!!

Diskow: How much would 1-2 cm raise it? I´m thinking about getting the African Queens front raisers, and and I´m wandering if a longer shock would be a better option than the AQ rear raiser with standard shock. But my concern is how to know the bike is leveled.....???
How did you do it?

[jasonbc]

I just received an email from Ricor this am. They are in the final stages of the build for the AT rear shock.

Here's a quick link for reviews from the KLR650 guys
SHOCKING Revolutionary change - KLR650.NET - Your Kawasaki KLR650 Resource! - The Original KLR650 Forum!

...and a link to Ricors site:
http://store.ricorshocks.com/

WE NEED THE STANDARD AT SHOCK SPRING RATE !!

If anyone has this information, please let me know

Frantically searching the web.

They should be able to work it out for you. When k-tech rebuilt my xr's (i know it's a smaller bike) they took my weight and height so that they could work out which spring was required as they do loads of different spring with different ratings to suit any rider and type of riding.

So i'm surprised that this firm need you to supply the info

[diskow]

I second that!!!!!

Diskow: How much would 1-2 cm raise it? I´m thinking about getting the African Queens front raisers, and and I´m wandering if a longer shock would be a better option than the AQ rear raiser with standard shock. But my concern is how to know the bike is leveled.....???
How did you do it?

1,5cm longer shock at the back gives you somewhere around 5cm in height at the back.
I will sell my AQ raisers (front only), if you are interested PM me.