Rear Shock gone?... Please advise.

[Guest ziggatron]

Hail NC700/50 riders...

 

I work as a courier.

 

Today I swapped my company bike for a replacement due to slow puncture. (which the company mech/garage was aware of before he gave it to me??)

 

The replacement bike, nc700s (exactly the same model) 2013,  had 20,000 less miles on it at 34,000.

 

When I left the garage I was pleased that the engine was quieter, smoother. The bike had new brakes, sprocket and chain, and also felt lighter on the steering - So what's to complain about, it was a good trade, or so I thought.

 

An hour later, having had the opportunity to tackle some of the smaller roads round central London, my back was in pieces.

 

We have some pretty poor smaller roads (the short cuts basically) in terms of sink holes, pot holes etc and then the dreaded speed bumps..

 

Basically the bike feels like it is grounding out as it hits any significant bump and then again as it lands.

 

The shock coming up through your spine is crippling. Even when I got off to walk my back really painful.

 

You can try to ride around keeping all your weight on the foot pegs, but as soon as your concentration slides for a moment and there is another bump, you get buried. 

 

My back became so sore that even pretty trivial bumps became painful.

 

WTF?

 

Allegedly the bike was serviced by a Honda main dealer 3 weeks ago?

 

The rear wheel rim has fairly significant dent in it - don't think it would pass an MOT. (A significant dent in the rim is a fail isn't it?)

 

I have ridden bikes with knackered shocks in the past (very briefly before I remedied the prob.) zzr1100 and a susuki TL1000S. Both caused the same symptoms.,

 

Wondering what I can do?

 

Thinking of seeing if I can adjust the pre-load on the spring - (I have a large - VERY LARGE - custom back box for luggage which has always got 20 - 40 kilos in it + I weigh 85kg.)

 

See if that helps?

 

Still, not like I've got my hugely fat bird on the back, is it?

 

Wondering if you can get to the spring adjuster with the bike as is (dark tonight so couldn't see very well) - figure you should be able to - but I don't have the adjuster tool, so I will be imposing upon a friendly local garage tomorrow hopefully.

 

Company / Work is sort of saying "Well, if a certified Honda dealer serviced the bike 3 weeks ago, it must be alright......"

 

LF.

 

Just for the record, I am a fairly hardy type of chap , if I say it is crippling, it really is.

 

Don't want to waste half another work day tomorrow, going back to the company ""Mechanic"". (Loose definition)

 

Service manual would be useful, make sure the rear shock is at default setting to start with. (Probably be exactly half way.)

 

Any advise would be welcome......

 

 

 

 

[Guest ziggatron]

You are a handsome bugger aren't you..?...

[Guest ziggatron]

_{Oh sh*t you can see it was me who wrote that....oops}   

[Guest ziggatron]

Sorry, extremely fat finger, predictive text error there...

 

I thought I was on a different computer, in a different country, it was a Friday and I was talking to my dog, Fugly.

[Guest Thwaitie]

Adjusting spring strength will not correct a failed damper.  Doubtful they can be repaired.  Rear shockers usually need replacing. 

MOT tester showed how to check it.  Press hard down to compress the spring and when released note a dampened delayed return.

If it bounces straight back up, (also noticeably giving a bouncy ride) its a fail, which makes it unroadworthy and dangerous to ride.

[nelmo 563]

You are a handsome bugger aren't you..?...

Having a few post-work drinks, hey?

Bike sounds scr#%&ed, to be frank. Any bike with a dent in the wheel would make me run a mile - imagine the whack it must have taken to do that? What else was damaged?

Just goes to show - mileage is not a good indicator of condition.

Edited November 17, 2015 by nelmo

[DB1965 224]

Shocks on these bike are really poor my Bro had 2 on his go both failed after a prix 200 miles both changed under Warranty he weight around 14th ill so well under the max weight the bike shows as max load ie 208 kilo take it back an stand your ground sounds light the damper seals gone which is what happened to both is

[Guest ziggatron]

Thanks for your replies..

 

Sadly sober I am afraid... sounds like a good idea though.

 

If the shock is gone, the bike has to go back to the company's main dealer (supplier). That means significant delay, and I'll get the higher mileage bike back.

 

Either way, I will lose another half a days work to get up there.

 

Surprised (or am I?) that a main Honda dealer would miss that, in the service three weeks ago?

 

Still, if they didn't notice the dented rear rim - which is a significant dent - the rim is flattened and splays out across 1.5 / 2 inches - then who knows what the mechanic was focusing on, cause it sure wasn't the bike.

 

Maybe they have a new receptionist round there.

 

Is there a service manual I can download anywhere?

 

Cheers.

[Guest Krzysztof]

My shock was gone at about 30.000 but luckily replaced under warranty.

I've asked to set the preload for new shock to maximum. 

 

Works fine but it's still super soft. I don't think it should be ridden with any other setting. I weight 70kg and can bottom it at higher speed.

[Slowboy 20,613]

Never had a problem with mine, (2012 NC700X) and after 24,000 miles it still glides like a magic carpet, even on the roads of devon. But then I did used to ride Ducatis before, and yes I do have a bad back due to a severe spinal compression from another life. I can honestly say I've never experienced back pain on the NC even after a 600 mile day. I will be interested to see what improvements are made by a replacement.

[bazza 3,629]

Hail NC700/50 riders...

 

I work as a courier.

 

Today I swapped my company bike for a replacement due to slow puncture. (which the company mech/garage was aware of before he gave it to me??)

 

The replacement bike, nc700s (exactly the same model) 2013,  had 20,000 less miles on it at 34,000.

 

When I left the garage I was pleased that the engine was quieter, smoother. The bike had new brakes, sprocket and chain, and also felt lighter on the steering - So what's to complain about, it was a good trade, or so I thought.

 

An hour later, having had the opportunity to tackle some of the smaller roads round central London, my back was in pieces.

 

We have some pretty poor smaller roads (the short cuts basically) in terms of sink holes, pot holes etc and then the dreaded speed bumps..

 

Basically the bike feels like it is grounding out as it hits any significant bump and then again as it lands.

 

The shock coming up through your spine is crippling. Even when I got off to walk my back really painful.

 

You can try to ride around keeping all your weight on the foot pegs, but as soon as your concentration slides for a moment and there is another bump, you get buried. 

 

My back became so sore that even pretty trivial bumps became painful.

 

WTF?

 

Allegedly the bike was serviced by a Honda main dealer 3 weeks ago?

 

The rear wheel rim has fairly significant dent in it - don't think it would pass an MOT. (A significant dent in the rim is a fail isn't it?)

 

I have ridden bikes with knackered shocks in the past (very briefly before I remedied the prob.) zzr1100 and a susuki TL1000S. Both caused the same symptoms.,

 

Wondering what I can do?

 

Thinking of seeing if I can adjust the pre-load on the spring - (I have a large - VERY LARGE - custom back box for luggage which has always got 20 - 40 kilos in it + I weigh 85kg.)

 

See if that helps?

 

Still, not like I've got my hugely fat bird on the back, is it?

 

Wondering if you can get to the spring adjuster with the bike as is (dark tonight so couldn't see very well) - figure you should be able to - but I don't have the adjuster tool, so I will be imposing upon a friendly local garage tomorrow hopefully.

 

Company / Work is sort of saying "Well, if a certified Honda dealer serviced the bike 3 weeks ago, it must be alright......"

 

LF.

 

Just for the record, I am a fairly hardy type of chap , if I say it is crippling, it really is.

 

Don't want to waste half another work day tomorrow, going back to the company ""Mechanic"". (Loose definition)

 

Service manual would be useful, make sure the rear shock is at default setting to start with. (Probably be exactly half way.)

 

Any advise would be welcome......

i have a standard one replaced by a quality unit -yours for £50 + postage- as a temporary fix? It had done 3000 miles before changing -off a Nc750 XA DCT

[motorbykcourier 293]

My shock was knackerd at 30k miles as well.

The options I had were a) get it overhauled or get a new one.

I chose option b - even though it was the most expensive, for the long term it was the better option

MCT in Stowmarket could have rebuilt the unit with new oil, valving and spring for a few hundred, BUT they reckoned it would only last a similar mileage before going again.

Ended up putting a Wilber unit on it - best thing I've ever done to the bike !

These are just my comments from my experience - nothing more

Seems like NC Guru has offered you an excellent option !

[Guest ziggatron]

Morning,

 

Thanks for your replies.

 

I will see what I can get done today, and how the situation progresses.

 

@Bazza  Thanks for the offer, that is a solution worth considering. Can you send me contact details and I'll give you a bell later today.

 

I will update the thread as the situation progresses - see if it helps someone else in the future.

 

Speak later.

[rjp996 1,091]

how can you tell if the shock has failed - mine rides over bumps like there is no suspension at all - not bouncy, but thumps you up the spine over even small man hole covers. I noticed the ride get way worse first time after having my wife on as pillion (now i'm 12.5 stone, and she is prob only 9 stone, so way within limits).

[Guest Krzysztof]

It was easy to tell on mine as the rear get lower. Low enough so putting on a side stand was a challenge.

[Rocker66 34,498]

Would be interested to know which Honda dealer missed the damaged wheel

[Slowboy 20,613]

Just a thought, it might be worth stripping the rear linkages and re-greasing them, as I've done, as it made quite a difference, and mine had grease in from new, It might save the cost of a shock.

 

(Edited for smelling pizztakes)

Edited November 18, 2015 by slowboy

[Guest ziggatron]

I took the bike to an independent mechanic. Videoed the whole thing, for the record.

 

His opinion, the shock was way too soft. He rode it up and down the curb a few times outside his garage.

 

Went to the company mechanic.

 

Got one of the employees (I recon he weighed in at 90 - 100 kilos, I'm a PT and I know this type of thing.) to test ride the bike.

 

Came back and confirmed the bike was grounding out, with the impact transferring up his back.,

 

Also it was stated that the Honda dealer would not have tested the compression on the shock during their scheduled service unless the shock was leaking oil etc.

 

Decide to wind the pre-load right up initially, and give it a go. I didn't want to hand the bike back because in every other way, it was superior to the machine I had just swapped in - which was offered back to me.

 

So with the pre-load fully activated - (spring fully compressed within the screw adjuster nuts range.) the bike now doesn't ground out. My back is still tender from yesterday and after 10 hours on the bike today I was in some pain - but nothing like yesterday - It was painful to walk when after I dismounted to deliver to client.

 

I have adopted a different riding style, where I transfer my weight to the foot pegs upon any bumpy terrain, and to be honest I think the shock is fcuk'ed, but I don't want to swap the bike for the higher milage one, and the adjustment has certainly improved things.

 

My total carry weight would not exceed 120 kilo's including me, for the record.

 

If you want to firm the bike up a bit (if it is grounding out over bumps for example), you need to slacken off the top 'locking' adjuster on the shock, then tighten the lower adjuster nut as far as you want to go - I used all available thread - then re-tighten the top 'locking' adjuster.

 

There is a special tool specifically for this. It is a lever type spanner with a hook in the end - not supplied in the tool kit.

 

Bear in mind - it doesn't tighten very willingly.

 

In the end myself and the mechanic resorted to removing the rear wheel, and utilising the old 'hammer and flat head screw driver' to get it moving - not really recommended as it damages the nuts - but got the job done.

 

I'll keep riding it, and hopefully my back will stop hurting - if not - it will go back to Honda for a replacement shock.

 

Thanks for your time and responses.

 

All the best.

[Guest Krzysztof]

I know that my Honda dealer refused to replace rear shocks for a courier company and I was very lucky to get a new one few weeks before end of warranty. 

[NCX-Tom 160]

Hallo,

see the diference in finish. Our NC´s are low budget bikes. Never rode a bike with that bad rear suspension.But that, I knew before. The stock shock has now (5000km), already light oil foam at the sealing. Consider, the poor stock damper must work in a range from 70 kg up to 200 kg (maximum load) without any posibility to adjust. Therefore it has stiff compression ratio. Doesn´t like short bumps.

Now, Wilbers 640 mounted, a complete differnd world.

besides: price in Germany

stock: 447,- Euro

wilbers: 499,-

 

Thomas

Edited November 19, 2015 by NCX-Tom

[kharli 100]

My shock failed at 24000 but was replaced under warrenty  . i was told to use a sock to try prevent scottish winter mud n salt ruining the new one and promptly purchased a shock tube . Bought a new one ready for next failure for 25 quid on flea bay from an nc owner swapping out from new .

 Symptoms were oil dripping out of the shock ,and bottoming out with pillion.(though I'm not sure why ..is it the damping slowing the spring crush rate ?) 

  I personally wouldn't worry about mileage on this bike if maintained to spec.

[roddy 845]

My shock is grounding out 'I think' at 25,000 miles going to try and get it replaced under warranty, will let you know the outcome.