digest number 10701

[hotrodkawi]

I'm looking to replace the suspension front and rear on my 07 KLR. I'm leaning to the 420 progessive setup fron and rear. Any thoughts. recomendations? The next option would be the Moab shock with the progressive springs up front. If anybody has expirenced both I would really like to know if the Moab is worth the extra dough. I am not a rich man. Has anybody put the Progressive rear shock on their bike. I'm interested on how it works off road.. I do a fair amount of off roading on my bike. would like to know if the Progressive set up is good off and on road.

[Jim Mastrantonio]

I have bought two progressive rear shocks and one set of front springs for my 05. The first shock the adjustment stripped out so I sent it back it was under warranty then it stripped out once more now it was out of warranty so I kept on riding on it for a long time it worked great in dirt and road. One day we road on a rough trail and the shaft came unscrewed so I road it home with no suspension my butt was killing me. By the time we got home the shock was damaged beyond repair. So, I put my old stock shock back on and road it that way for a while. It sucked, so I purchase another Progressive shock again. So far so good. With the front fork springs it handles great in dirt and on the road. I like it so much I bought the 2nd shock. In addition, I put 15 weight oil in the forks and made it stiffer. PS: I bought the bike new, now it has almost 18,000 miles on it. I really like it a lot.

--- On Sat, 11/1/08, hotrodkawi wrote: From: hotrodkawi Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Suspension upgrade. To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, November 1, 2008, 1:48 PM I'm looking to replace the suspension front and rear on my 07 KLR. I'm leaning to the 420 progessive setup fron and rear. Any thoughts. recomendations? The next option would be the Moab shock with the progressive springs up front. If anybody has expirenced both I would really like to know if the Moab is worth the extra dough. I am not a rich man. Has anybody put the Progressive rear shock on their bike. I'm interested on how it works off road.. I do a fair amount of off roading on my bike. would like to know if the Progressive set up is good off and on road. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Jim Mastrantonio wrote:

> > I have bought two progressive rear shocks and one set of front

springs for my 05.

> The first shock the adjustment stripped out so I sent it back it

was under warranty

> then it stripped out once more now it was out of warranty so I kept

on riding on it for a long time it worked great in dirt and road.

>

Hi Jim, Would you 1. name the brand of shock that failed 2x, 2. how it failed (in more detail about the adjustment stripped out) 2a. What was the warrenty period? and the 3. brand #2 of progressive shock you bought the 2d time. 4. Why you think Brand #2 will work better. revmaaatin.

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "hotrodkawi" wrote:

> I'm looking to replace the suspension front and rear on my 07 KLR. I'm > leaning to the 420 progessive setup fron and rear. Any thoughts.

The 420 rear setup has a very poor reputation for giving up the ghost when riding off-road. I would personally upgrade the stock shock with a stiffer spring if I were not interested in paying the extra money for the Moab, the stock shock has proven far more reliable than the 420 in actual use and it has sufficient rebound damping to handle a stiffer spring. The Moab exists because the guys doing the USMC bikes tried the 420 on USMC bikes and the 420 just did not hold up. 'Nuff said. The Progressive front spring is a good enhancement for the front. The other thing that is a *massive* improvement for the front is cartridge emulators, which finally gets rid of the front end bouncing around on short sharp shocks such as washboard roads -- they just start absorbing those shocks, as they should.

[fmhilton]

Any Suggestion of brand an model for the KLR? "The other thing that is a *massive* improvement for the front is cartridge emulators, " [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[andykisz]

Fred at Arrowhead has them (Race Tech Cartridge Emulators) as does Rick at Cogent Dynamics (home of the Moab shock). http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/parts_frames.html http://www.motocd.com/

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "fmhilton" wrote: > > Any Suggestion of brand an model for the KLR? > > "The other thing that is a > *massive* improvement for the front is cartridge emulators, " > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[Jim Mastrantonio]

Hi, Revmaatin, Nice to finally talk to you, I read a lot of your emails anyway is here answer to your question. Answer to the 1st question; both shocks and springs are made by Progressive. Answer to the 2nd question; there is a nylon or plastic adjustment for the dampening of the shock. It is suppose to click from 1 to 5 when you put in an allen wrench to turn but when it broke it just spun freely and stayed on what ever I last put it on. Answer to the 3rd question; it was the same shock the one that is a inch shorter which ever on that is. Answer to the 4th question; I was told by Happy Trails that it was very rare what happened to my shock. When the shaft came unscrewed from the base of the shock then folded over. And the stripped out adjustment is rare too, hopefully. But when they were working they worked great.

--- On Sat, 11/1/08, revmaaatin wrote: From: revmaaatin Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Suspension upgrade. To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, November 1, 2008, 8:16 PM --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogro ups.com, Jim Mastrantonio wrote: > > I have bought two progressive rear shocks and one set of front springs for my 05. > The first shock the adjustment stripped out so I sent it back it was under warranty > then it stripped out once more now it was out of warranty so I kept on riding on it for a long time it worked great in dirt and road. > Hi Jim, Would you 1. name the brand of shock that failed 2x, 2. how it failed (in more detail about the adjustment stripped out) 2a. What was the warrenty period? and the 3. brand #2 of progressive shock you bought the 2d time. 4. Why you think Brand #2 will work better. revmaaatin. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Dean Wegner]

On my '02 with 24K mi I went with the Moab shock and Race Tech Cartridge Emulators from Cogent Dynamics. It completely improved the off-road and on-road handling of the bike. Well worth the $700 or so that it cost. When off-road I always had a slipping feeling in the front end like it was about to wash out on me. This went away after the new springs and Cartridge Emulators were installed. On-road manners are much improved with a much more compliant ride when going over bumps and rough pavement. The bike actually goes where I point it, rather than tracking the groves in the pavement. Sorry, I don't know about the Progressive 420, my change was from stock to the Moab. Cogent Dynamics gave me a discount when I bought all the parts from them. YMMV Dean Wegner '02 KLR650 West Bend, Wisconsin

On 11/1/08, hotrodkawi wrote: > I'm looking to replace the suspension front and rear on my 07 KLR. I'm > leaning to the 420 progessive setup fron and rear. Any thoughts. > recomendations? The next option would be the Moab shock with the > progressive springs up front. If anybody has expirenced both I would > really like to know if the Moab is worth the extra dough. I am not a > rich man. Has anybody put the Progressive rear shock on their bike. > I'm interested on how it works off road.. I do a fair amount of off > roading on my bike. would like to know if the Progressive set up is > good off and on road. > >

[revmaaatin]

Messages repaginated for clarity- --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogro ups.com, Jim Mastrantonio

> > wrote: > > I have bought two progressive rear shocks and one set of front > springs for my 05. > > The first shock the adjustment stripped out so I sent it back it > was under warranty > > then it stripped out once more now it was out of warranty so I

kept

> on riding on it for a long time it worked great in dirt and road. > --- On Sat, 11/1/08, revmaaatin wrote: > From: revmaaatin > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Suspension upgrade. > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > Date: Saturday, November 1, 2008, 8:16 PM > Hi Jim, > Would you > 1. name the brand of shock that failed 2x, > 2. how it failed (in more detail about the adjustment stripped out) > 2a. What was the warrenty period? > and the > 3. brand #2 of progressive shock you bought the 2d time. > 4. Why you think Brand #2 will work better.

revmaaatin. --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Jim Mastrantonio wrote:

> > Hi, Revmaatin, > > Nice to finally talk to you, I read a lot of your emails anyway is

here answer to your question.

> Answer to the 1st question; both shocks and springs are made by

Progressive.

> Answer to the 2nd question; there is a nylon or plastic adjustment

for the dampening of the shock. It is suppose to click from 1 to 5 when you put in an allen wrench to turn but when it broke it just spun freely and stayed on what ever I last put it on.

> Answer to the 3rd question; it was the same shock the one that is a

inch shorter which ever on that is.

> Answer to the 4th question; I was told by Happy Trails that it was

very rare what happened to my shock. When the shaft came unscrewed from the base of the shock then folded over.

> And the stripped out adjustment is rare too, hopefully. But when

they were working they worked great.

>

Hi Jim, Nice to talk to you as well! Your news is not what I was hoping but everything I feared. My shock exhibts the symptoms of the broken adjuster as well. 1. My 98' new-to-me in May/08bike also has a Progressive shock--also has the nylon or plastic adjustment--that was broken at ~1500 miles after installation--broken when I tried to make the first adjustment. There was no resistance in the adjusment knob. Any body else have any idea if this is an on going problem--or is there any easy fix besides slipping in a new shock? Any bypass for the broken adjustment device? Seems rather odd for a nearly $500 farkle. revmaaatin.

[fmhilton]

Thanks for the feedback Andy. Mike H

----- Original Message ----- From: andykisz To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 6:30 PM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Suspension upgrade. Fred at Arrowhead has them (Race Tech Cartridge Emulators) as does Rick at Cogent Dynamics (home of the Moab shock). http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/parts_frames.html http://www.motocd.com/ --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "fmhilton" wrote: > > Any Suggestion of brand an model for the KLR? > > "The other thing that is a > *massive* improvement for the front is cartridge emulators, " > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]