ratty old bike - part out or sell whole

[hill_buster]

I just received & installed the progressive 420-1030 rear shock on my 2001 KLR. Everything was torqued to spec. I find that there is about the thickness of a washer of lateral movement at the upper bolt, I can push / pull the shock. Is this normal? The 2 (upper) side bushings are where they should be. Up & down movement appears tight. Brian

[West Hovland]

I don't have the shock but my first impression would be "No, that is not normal" You may actually feel that slop going over stutter bumps and it may cause abnormal wear in the region of the movement. Others will chime in ... West____ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[boulder_adv_rider]

2 years ago I noticed this with my Progressive 500/560. It's a small amount but noticeable. Everything is tight/properly torqued as well. Clearly the bushing/top mount in the shock isn't spec'ed properly or the manufacturer has some specific reason for the play. If I had to guess...the extra slop is to ensure non-binding movement, but really this is a good email question for the manufacturer. Fortunately, I quit wonderrying 10k miles ago. -Brian

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, WEST HOVLAND wrote: > > I don't have the shock but my first impression would be "No, that is not normal" > > You may actually feel that slop going over stutter bumps and it may cause abnormal wear in the region of the movement. > > Others will chime in ... > > West____ > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[Doug Pippin]

KLR owners looking for a rear shock upgrade I know the progressive shock is some improvement over the stock shock but if you want a great shock (mot an emulsion shock like the progressive) KLR owners owe it to themselves to look at the Cogent Moab shock available from Cogent Dynamics. The spring can be customized for your weight and riding style. I have the Moab shock on my 02 KLR and it's the best one on the market. I can say this because I've seen the inside of both of these shocks and the construction, quality and performance of the Moab shock is much better quality, not to mention the performance. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/moabshock>http://tinyurl.com/moabshock Doug ---------- At 10:59 AM 8/24/2008, you wrote:

>progressive rear shock / spring > Posted by: "hill_buster" tsucol11@... hill_buster > Date: Sat Aug 23, 2008 12:24 pm ((PDT)) > >I just received & installed the progressive 420-1030 rear shock on >my 2001 KLR. > >Everything was torqued to spec. I find that there is about the >thickness of a washer of lateral movement at the upper bolt, I can >push / pull the shock. Is this normal? The 2 (upper) side bushings >are where they should be. Up & down movement appears tight. > > >Brian

---------- Doug Pippin 828-684-8488 d_pippin_89@... ---------- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Tumu Rock]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Doug Pippin wrote:

> > KLR owners looking for a rear shock upgrade > > I know the progressive shock is some improvement over the stock

shock

> but if you want a great shock (mot an emulsion shock like the > progressive) KLR owners owe it to themselves to look at the Cogent > Moab shock available from Cogent Dynamics. > > The spring can be customized for your weight and riding style. > > I have the Moab shock on my 02 KLR and it's the best one on the > market. I can say this because I've seen the inside of both of

these

> shocks and the construction, quality and performance of the Moab > shock is much better quality, not to mention the performance. > > Check it out at

http://tinyurl.com/moabshock>http://tinyurl.com/moabshock

> > Doug

Doug, Have you actually ridden on both shocks in the same terrain? Just curious. I have known others in the past who weren't overly impressed with the Progressive shock but I haven't known anyone who has personal knowledge of the performance of more than one brand of aftermarket shocks. Obviously, any shock can be set up with a specific spring for riding style/weight, so what is better about the Cogent? da Vermonster

[Tengai Mark Van Horn]

At 11:52 AM -0400 8/24/08, Doug Pippin wrote:

>KLR owners looking for a rear shock upgrade > >.... if you want a great shock (mot an emulsion shock like the >progressive) KLR owners owe it to themselves to look at the Cogent >Moab shock available from Cogent Dynamics.

The Progressive shock is *not* an emulsion shock. The main drawback to the Progressive is that it is not user-serviceable. The Cogent does look like a nice piece of hardware. However, I think non-emulsion shocks are overrated for use on a KLR. The KLR is not a race bike, and 99.9% of them will never see the duty that would allow a non-emulsion shock's performance to be noticeable. From a reliability standpoint, an emulsion shock has the advantage of still being able to function if gas pressure is irreversibly lost. Mark

[boulder_adv_rider]

I have the 500/560 Progressive rear and paid around $400. At the time, this Moab shock wasn't available. My thoughts on the L.R. Progressive rear (and front, too) are all positive. I noticed a huge difference over stock--mostly not bottoming out which is why I rushed to replace the stock shock. It has adjustability, but I'm not a fiddler so I set it and forget it. I certainly didn't test it in a lab, but I'd conclude it has performed well for over 12k combat miles. It has met my expectations and it's hard to beat the price. I'd be happy to give it a go to provide feedback for the vendor, but it's hard for me to believe it's a break-through compared to the Progressive. Again, like many of the items discussed here, people have different needs and experiences. Few are backed by more than anecdotal evidence. For example, I for one had a horrible experience with comfort and performance with the Corbin dished seat. Fine quality but comfort scored a D with me, and I didn't appreciate (nor my rider) always being forced into the dish. Others seem to really enjoy the seat. I don't recommend it, but the those that do I'm happy for you. And exhausts...again we can argue all kinds of things, but frankly I like the sound (tone and quieter) and extreme durability of the stock exhaust. Note I replaced my original with another when it started tweeting. I didn't like the tweet, but for $50 I'm back in the game and happy for nearly 12k tweet-less more miles. Plus, I like the durability. Smash it on rocks, etc. it's virtually maintenance-free and bullet proof. In fact, at 50 yards a .22 cal won't penetrate it, but that's another story. The bottom-line is people will have different experiences. That's what we're here to share. Personally, I do take cautious comments saying something is "the best" especially when there are vested- interests in a product's success or the part was supplied gratis for testing/review. Truly, I think to review independently in a product, you need to buy it yourself with your own hard-earned money. Outside this, in order to do a competitive review, you need to acquire all the competitors and subject them to the same (scientific) tests and conditions and then simply present the results. I respect manufacturers' gusto and pride behind a product, but claims aren't always substantiated. Then again, if the consumer is happy with the product and the price s/he paid, what difference does it make? In the end, I'll tell you I'd rather be riding a KTM 990 Adventurer and love for others to buy one, but when it comes to weight, cost to maintain, and parts/support, I'll choose the KLR 100% of the time. The

[RM]

On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:49:05 -0000, "Arden Kysely" said:

> Any idea of what your clapped-out KLR is worth as a whole, or what > you'd ask for it?

no clue. $1k maybe? RM

[Doug Pippin]

da Vermonster Can't say that I've ridden both shocks on the same terrain. I can say that people that I've talked to with a Progressive shock are not overly impressed with them. They are definitely an improvement over the stock KLR emulsion shock. And the Progressive 420 is actually not an emulsion shock. It has a gas bladder inside so the nitrogen and the shock oil are separate. They do have problems with the bladders breaking and then it becomes an emulsion shock. The list cost of a Progressive 420 is $450 and you can find them on sale in the $385 range. It has an anodized shock body which is better than the stock shock that is just plain aluminum. It has a five setting rebound adjustment and the only spring it comes with is a 500/560. No optional springs are available. I'll guarantee you that a 120 lb rider would need a different spring rate than a 300 lb rider if the shock is to perform properly. The only way to have a 420 serviced is to return it to Progressive. Their rebuild prices start at $100. After opening the shock if it needs extensive work over the $100 start price they'll call you with a cost estimate. The price for the Cogent Moab shock is $525 I has a steel body that has a Nikasil type coating making it very durable on the inside and rust resistant on the outside. It has 14 rebound settings and an easy to use spring pre-load adjuster. There are optional spring weights available for various weight riders and for a few extra dollars you can have a spring customized just for you. Cogent recommends that the Moab shock be serviced every 2 years depending of course on your use. You can service the shock yourself if you wish or send it to Cogent to be serviced for $70. All parts are lifetime guaranteed for the original owner so there is never any part cost over the $70 service price. I've seen both of these shocks disassembled and believe me there is a huge difference in quality not only in parts but design. If you're going to spend the money for an after-market shock you might as well have a quality shock that will make your riding pleasurable. Doug ---------- At 12:47 PM 8/25/2008, you wrote:

>Doug, > >Have you actually ridden on both shocks in the same terrain? Just >curious. I have known others in the past who weren't overly >impressed with the Progressive shock but I haven't known anyone who >has personal knowledge of the performance of more than one brand of >aftermarket shocks. Obviously, any shock can be set up with a >specific spring for riding style/weight, so what is better about the >Cogent? > >da Vermonster

---------- Doug Pippin 828-684-8488 d_pippin_89@... ---------- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]