Author Topic: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s  (Read 3171 times)

Offline KJM00

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WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« on: February 22, 2020, 03:18:43 PM »
Per Title, looking to buy aftermarket rearshock.  Used, Like-New, or New please let me know what you have.

In Nebraska, ZIP: 69521 (for the purposes of shipping)
  • Lincoln, Nebraska
  • K75S 1993 blue and 2001 Kawasaki KL-250G SS

Offline duckhawk

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2020, 08:58:46 AM »
I like my Works shock. Heard they are back in business, but cannot find the website.


  • Cowconsin
  • 95 K75
"Go soothingly on the grease mud as there lurk the skid devil."

 In Clancy's Boots: The Greatest Ever Round-The-World Motorbike Adventure.
 - Geoff Hill

Offline The Mighty Gryphon

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2020, 01:01:01 PM »
I like my Works shock. Heard they are back in business, but cannot find the website.

Try spelling it Worx.

http://www.worxshocks.com/

I think his daughter took over the business.
  • In my garage in Marilla, NY
  • '91K100RS White/Blue
Current:
'91 K100RS16V "Moby Brick Too"

Past:
'94 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
'92 K100RS16V "Moby Brick" (RIP, deceased in a vehicular assault)
'94 K75S Special Edition Dakar Yellow "Cheetos"
'89 K100RS Special Edition "Special Ed"

Offline duckhawk

  • duckhawk
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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2020, 08:03:16 PM »
I would not hesitate getting one from them.

Have your weight, intended riding style etc, ready so they can customize it to your needs. I don't 2-up saddlebag tour  with my K75 and they got the rebuild spot on.
I added 10# to my actual weight for future inevitable personal mass increase due to beer and my wife's great cooking. 

 :k75s :k75s :k75s
  • Cowconsin
  • 95 K75
"Go soothingly on the grease mud as there lurk the skid devil."

 In Clancy's Boots: The Greatest Ever Round-The-World Motorbike Adventure.
 - Geoff Hill

Offline KJM00

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2020, 08:38:15 AM »
Thank you all :)
  • Lincoln, Nebraska
  • K75S 1993 blue and 2001 Kawasaki KL-250G SS

Offline volador

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2020, 05:17:45 PM »
You looking for stock or shorter length damper?
  • NYC NY
  • 1991 K100RS 1993 K75S ABS
5 BOROUGHS SISYPHEAN SOCIETY  MAINTAINING THE OBSESSION

Offline KJM00

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2020, 08:34:09 PM »
Y'know, I'm not sure what I'm looking for entirely in terms of ride performance.  Just an appropriately set Rear-Shock thats quality made.  I'm 5'11 and 160lbs, so not all that heavy on my commute ride.  But I do enjoy being able to set it up for 2-up and long rides, or at minimum solo vacation with all three saddlebags (and more) loaded up fully geared. So 160 + 100-150lbs for vacations, 2-up riding to take the missus , and set most of the time for work commutes for my skinny ass.  I realize the Shock would need to be adjusted accordingly for all ride sets for the most part. 
  • Lincoln, Nebraska
  • K75S 1993 blue and 2001 Kawasaki KL-250G SS
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Offline The Mighty Gryphon

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2020, 11:02:14 PM »
On the six K bikes I've owned the past 6 years I've had two Fox twin clickers, three Works Performance(now Worx), and a YSS.

Of the three different brands, in my opinion the Twin Clicker when dialed in is the nicest for a plush ride and good control.  I had one on my first 16V K100RS and now have another on my K100RS SE.  Unfortunately they aren't made anymore and used units are getting pretty scarce.  My only complaint is that with all the preload and damping settings, it's really easy to get it set up wrong.  It took a whole summer of fiddling to finally get it dialed in.  Even though they are out of production, there is at least one outfit selling rebuild kits and servicing them.

The next is the Works Performance(Worx) that I have had on my K75's, the RT and my K75S.  Both had the three stage spring unit.  These shocks are pretty easy to set up, if they built it for you all you have to do is put it on the bike.  There is a lever that lets you set how much travel you get in the lightest spring before switching over to the next heavier of the three springs.  Basically, switching that transition is how you adjust for heavier or lighter loads on the bike.  It works pretty well.  The ride on my K75RT is plush but controlled, it makes it easy to do up to 14 hour days when I'm trying to cover a lot of ground.  They are still made, and you can get them serviced pretty reasonably.  If I recall, I had the one on my K75S rebuilt and the length changed for a bit over $100.  Length is adjusted by installing a spacer inside the body on the rod.  Makes changing length pretty easy when doing a rebuild.  I bought a seal kit and rebuilt the one on my K75RT at home.  Was pretty easy, all I needed was a spring compressor for special tools.

The YSS is sort of a johnny-come-lately and I've only had it on my latest 16V K100RS for a bit over a year.  It has a single spring with adjustable preload and rebound damping adjustment.  So far, I really like the way the bike feels and handles with it.  They are "custom" built for your weight, bike, and riding style.  They are also one of the least expensive aftermarket shocks you can get for a brick. 

Bottom line is that I wouldn't hesitate recommending any one of the three for a K bike.  If you can do a rebuild, the Fox and the Works can still be had reasonably on ebay from time to time.  For a new shock the Worx or YSS are good choices.  The YSS is a little less expensive than the Worx if you are on a budget.

There are others out there, but I have a hard time with putting a $900+ shock on a $2000 bike.  I'm just not able to justify that price for a 30 year old bike.  If the handling at high speed is that important to you, you should probably be riding a modern bike, not a brick.
  • In my garage in Marilla, NY
  • '91K100RS White/Blue
Current:
'91 K100RS16V "Moby Brick Too"

Past:
'94 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
'92 K100RS16V "Moby Brick" (RIP, deceased in a vehicular assault)
'94 K75S Special Edition Dakar Yellow "Cheetos"
'89 K100RS Special Edition "Special Ed"
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Offline Laitch

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2020, 07:13:35 AM »
If your mode of riding is alternating from solo to two-up frequently then the ease of adjusting a shock absorber to accommodate changing loads should be considered. Gryphon has indicated how complex it can be with certain models

Basic shocks just adjust for sag—the amount of compression a load puts on the shock. On the OEM shock, that's the two-position ring at the top. For optimal ride quality that should be adjusted for weight changes like two-up, traveling with camping gear, or beer and Buffalo wing consumption. The next levels also have adjustment for rebound to accommodate loads or road conditions. The level after that includes adjustment for speed of compression.

The cost seems to increase not only because of construction material and level of adjustment but also ease of adjustment. If you aren't demanding racing performance but rather load accommodation, sag and rebound adjustment should be enough. Look at shocks based on how easy and how refined those adjustments are made.

My moto's shock has a threaded ring adjustment for sag and a five-position dial adjuster for rebound. I set the sag adjustment for me and twenty pounds of gear, the rebound adjustment for gravel road washboards and potholes, and for tar-snaked pavement. When we ride two up, I only change the rebound level. The moto handles well enough for us with only that adjustment for day trips. I'd adjust sag for two-up extended touring. I can't allow myself to get bogged down in adjustment; I want to ride. If we're not bottoming or bouncing, we're good.  :laughing4-giggles:

Consider disassembling and inspecting your moto's fork tube assemblies if you haven't made that a regular part of maintenance. If you don't know the weight of oil in them or the oil isn't fresh, drain and replace with 7.5W as a starting point to determine the handling characteristics. Once you install a new shock, you'll have a clear picture of the effect adjustments have on overall handling.
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles
I wept because I had no radials until I met a man who had no splines.
https://tinyurl.com/RillRider

Offline gkanai

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2022, 01:23:13 AM »
Try spelling it Worx.

http://www.worxshocks.com/

I think his daughter took over the business.

For what it is worth, when I contacted Worx in April 2022, I got the strangest reply. It was a printout of my email, with a handwritten response on the paper printout of the email, that they do not have a shock for my K75C.
  • Japan
  • K75C

Offline The Mighty Gryphon

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2022, 08:14:38 AM »
It's been two years now, I wonder what KJM00 finally did and how it worked out for him. 

Sad to hear about Worx.  They made a very good shock and were nice people to do business with.  I guess there isn't enough demand for shocks for bikes that are over 30 years old to make it worthwhile to keep making them.
  • In my garage in Marilla, NY
  • '91K100RS White/Blue
Current:
'91 K100RS16V "Moby Brick Too"

Past:
'94 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
'92 K100RS16V "Moby Brick" (RIP, deceased in a vehicular assault)
'94 K75S Special Edition Dakar Yellow "Cheetos"
'89 K100RS Special Edition "Special Ed"

Offline frankenduck

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2022, 12:02:17 PM »
FYI: Ted Porter's Beemershop has several aftermarket shocks for Ks:
https://www.beemershop.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=K75_S_SUS

If you buy from Ted Porter then call them to discuss your needs/budget when deciding on what shock to buy.


And BSK Speedworks makes K shocks:
https://www.bskspeedworks.co.uk/ram-rear-shocks.html

The RAM shock from BSK is good if you want to be able to swap springs easily.

Once I had a Collie pup. Dug a hole and covered him up. Now I sit there by the hour. Waiting for a Collie-flower.
New to K bikes? Click here.
K Bike Maintenance & Mods: Click here.
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Offline PickledBrick

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2022, 03:23:53 AM »
The original thread here is old so I'm wondering what the latest available aftermarket shocks are. I intend to ride two up occasionally and also carry significant cargo running errands and commuting. I'm 200 on a good day and so is the Mrs. Also the current stock unit bottoms hard with 2 up so what's the best set up using available adjustments on the stock pogo stick. ?
  • Bay area
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Offline Laitch

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2022, 07:48:24 AM »
Also the current stock unit bottoms hard with 2 up so what's the best set up using available adjustments on the stock pogo stick. ?
Replace it with one of the shocks recommended in this thread. The YSS is likely to be the least expensive. I bought mine from Porter after filling in Porter's form about personal weight, luggage weight and riding habits so the implication was that a spring would be installed in conformance with those stats. I was able to fine tune its compression and rebound after I received it and it works well on the pothole fields I navigate. How long it will survive them has yet to be determined.  :laughing4-giggles:
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles
I wept because I had no radials until I met a man who had no splines.
https://tinyurl.com/RillRider

Offline Past-my-Prime

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2022, 03:58:46 PM »
I was feeling VERY indulgent and hadn't taken a holiday in two years and had some work to do on mine so to cut the story short, I bought one from Wilbers. (It cost me about probably 1/3 the price I'd pay to replace my entire bike.) It took about six weeks from order to delivery; it arrived in the middle of winter.  Here, it is currently "the end of winter". Yet to be installed. I'll post up a review and photos once I've installed.


Next of course will be to focus on the front suspension -- emulators and all kinds of other things I don't really understand?

  • North Shore of Lake Superior (in my garage)
  • BRICK: 1989 K75 RT - Rocinante; NON-BRICK: 2007 F650 GS Dakar - Betty Blue

Offline KJM00

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #15 on: August 07, 2022, 07:49:44 AM »
I ended up going with YSS, been very good to me for a year now or so. :)
  • Lincoln, Nebraska
  • K75S 1993 blue and 2001 Kawasaki KL-250G SS

Offline Laitch

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Re: WTB AfterMarket RearShock for K75s
« Reply #16 on: August 07, 2022, 11:11:40 AM »
Thanks for the update, KMJ.  112350
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles
I wept because I had no radials until I met a man who had no splines.
https://tinyurl.com/RillRider

Tags: rear shock