Evo 1100 rear shock - possible upgrade?

Luddite · 22-01-2021, 02:57 PM

Bet you can't wait, Paul! I think chris.p will agree with me here that this work will transform the enjoyment of your Evo. By the way, did you manage to order your shock with the bespoke spring you wanted or did you have to buy that separately?

A couple of tips for when you reinstall your forks.

Pushing the forks up through the yokes can scratch the gold anodising. If you have some old-style sprung wooden clothes pegs, pull a couple apart to use as wedges.

Push them into the yokes to open the clamps slightly and the forks will slide right in without touching the yokes. And being wood, they won't damage the finish on the yokes.

As for positioning the forks, it can be difficult to measure the distance shown on the workshop manual as the yokes get in the way. An alternative is to put some masking tape around the fork 195mm from the underside of the bottom yoke to the end of the top tube (where the rubber dust cover meets the gold).

Slide the forks back in and, when the tape touches the bottom yoke, you're there! Also, if you apply the tape to each fork side by side, you can ensure they're both identical do they'll be exactly level when you reinstall them.

bigredduke · 22-01-2021, 07:37 PM

Excellent tips there Vince! much appreciated. I have some plastic window-fitting wedges available, they should do the trick for opening up the fork yokes. Measuring from the bottom of the fork seems easier than to the top so I will try that approach thank you.

James asked Ohlins about the rear shock spring and apparently the 115nm standard spring will be ok for my bulk so he has ordered that one.

It will be interesting to assess the difference once the bike is properly set up. Assuming of course that I am capable of doing so! *

*Assessing the difference, that is, not setting it up.

Omar · 23-01-2021, 09:58 AM

Thanks for that Luddite, as my forks will be coming out, useful tips for me too.

Luddite · 23-01-2021, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omar

Thanks for that Luddite, as my forks will be coming out, useful tips for me too.

One more tip if you're planning to strip the forks yourself, (rather than send them away), is to loosen the top caps while the forks are still clamped in the yokes - much easier than trying to undo them on loose forks.

22-01-2021, 07:37 PM	#2
bigredduke Nothing to see here Join Date: May 2005 Location: brough Bike: M1100evo Posts: 1,546	Excellent tips there Vince! much appreciated. I have some plastic window-fitting wedges available, they should do the trick for opening up the fork yokes. Measuring from the bottom of the fork seems easier than to the top so I will try that approach thank you. James asked Ohlins about the rear shock spring and apparently the 115nm standard spring will be ok for my bulk so he has ordered that one. It will be interesting to assess the difference once the bike is properly set up. Assuming of course that I am capable of doing so! * Assessing the difference, that is, not setting it up. Last edited by bigredduke; 22-01-2021 at 09:18 PM.. Reason: addition*

22-01-2021, 02:57 PM	#1
Luddite Registered User Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Southampton Bike: M1100evo Posts: 2,465	Bet you can't wait, Paul! I think chris.p will agree with me here that this work will transform the enjoyment of your Evo. By the way, did you manage to order your shock with the bespoke spring you wanted or did you have to buy that separately? A couple of tips for when you reinstall your forks. Pushing the forks up through the yokes can scratch the gold anodising. If you have some old-style sprung wooden clothes pegs, pull a couple apart to use as wedges. Push them into the yokes to open the clamps slightly and the forks will slide right in without touching the yokes. And being wood, they won't damage the finish on the yokes. As for positioning the forks, it can be difficult to measure the distance shown on the workshop manual as the yokes get in the way. An alternative is to put some masking tape around the fork 195mm from the underside of the bottom yoke to the end of the top tube (where the rubber dust cover meets the gold). Slide the forks back in and, when the tape touches the bottom yoke, you're there! Also, if you apply the tape to each fork side by side, you can ensure they're both identical do they'll be exactly level when you reinstall them.

23-01-2021, 09:58 AM	#3
Omar Registered User Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: grimsby Bike: M1100evo Posts: 95	Thanks for that Luddite, as my forks will be coming out, useful tips for me too.