Topic: RFY Shocks for 550?

[somesuch]

Just saw Carpy's build page for a 1970 CB750 he did....looks like he used those shocks on it, wonder how well they are working?

http://www.cb750cafe.com/photo.php?photo=upload/photos/2878_0.jpg&folder=photos

--Nick

[chimmychong86]

You think for the price of his bikes he'd put on something better quality? Did anyone ever end up testhing these things? I ended up just putting on some Hagons for my own peace of mind.

[eideteker]

You think for the price of his bikes he'd put on something better quality? Did anyone ever end up testhing these things? I ended up just putting on some Hagons for my own peace of mind.

No empirical testing, anyway - the butt says they work OK, but since I don't know what really good shocks feel like I wouldn't necessarily take my word.  I also haven't attacked any turns with them yet, have some wheel/spoke issues to deal with at the moment.

[Brandotheamazing]

Well i got them on my bike, they don't ride bad at all, and they're good Two up. no problems, i'm not pushing the bike hard, but they sure as he** ride better than the beaten used stockers I had on the bike.

[lennlen]

Just to chime in as well, I just put these on my 78 CB 550.  The lower clevis (aluminum stock, not cast) required some modification to drill out and retap for the M10 1.25 stock clevis bolt.  The ride is certainly taller than stock, without measuring, I would say they are 13.5 eye to eye at the shortest adjustment, and can probably be threaded out to 15".

I've only taken a quick ride around, and they certainly perform similar, if not better than the OEM shocks.  It is likely that they are charged with too much air though, as the ride is still quite firm.  For those who were wondering, it is unlikely that the shocks will bottom out when riding two up.

I can't say much for durability, but the clevis arms and screw look substantial enough.  My only reservation would be that they are made out of aluminum, and in my mind, would be brittle (break instead of bend).  My observations on performance are only subjective, as I too, have never owned a set of top tier shocks.  Hope this helps some of you!

[Brandotheamazing]

I left the ground with them, they didn't bottom out, they didn't break. they're good in my book for the price.

[m in sc]

have em on my 72 S2, and my 78 DS185...they work just fine. my rd has a set of works, they aren't nearly as good as those for sure, but they ARE better than the MDI shocks a lot of people use. just my .o2

[lucky]

Wish I could've gotten my shocks for that price...they had to be modified on the s/a end for an eye instead of a clevis.  They can be had for a fairly reasonable price considering.  I think I paid $400 for my pair. Not bad for a $1200+ unit!



But my buddy just ordered a set of these RFY shocks for his XS650 and he rides the hell out of his bike.  I'll comment when he gives the verdict.

$1200.00 for rear motorcycle shocks!!!!INSANE!!!
That is like a $750-1500.00 garbage can mufflers!
$700.00 foot rests etc.,.

Someone really thinks we are stupid and are loaded with cash.

[Retro Rocket]

I have read 2 reports where they have broken the clevis , the guy that did the repairs on them to make them work properly changed them out for some stainless ones, as well as changing many other parts... I still have mine but they are only used for mocking up..

[lucky]

Wish I could've gotten my shocks for that price...they had to be modified on the s/a end for an eye instead of a clevis.  They can be had for a fairly reasonable price considering.  I think I paid $400 for my pair. Not bad for a $1200+ unit!



But my buddy just ordered a set of these RFY shocks for his XS650 and he rides the hell out of his bike.  I'll comment when he gives the verdict.

$1200 dollars for shocks!!! Totally insane. They really think we are stupid don't they.
They are laughing all the way to the bank.

Even $800 is insane!!!
Makes me sick.

[Retro Rocket]

Now he's an expert on shocks.....   You pay peanuts you get monkeys. I like the piece of mind knowing next time i throw my bike into a corner that my expensive shocks haven't lost dampening due to fade caused by heat build up. You want to putt round like a grandma then buy cheap shocks, you want your bike to perform well, absorb bumps and have correct damping and rebound,  then spend some money and buy the right shocks. The ones you are looking at in another thread {and this one} are cheap #$%* and i would never use them unless they are completely rebuilt and have some parts changed, they are rubbish....

[lennlen]

For those of you who are curious, they're installed and work well for my type of around-town partially spirited riding:

Just about done by LenWong, on Flickr

[somesuch]

When it stops raining, I wil take my cb750 out for a ride to try them out as well.

[INSANE REINDEER]

I could not see paying $1200 for shocks for a bike I spent $800 on. I don't think the stock shocks I have are THAT bad. Maybe it is just me. I will replace shocks eventually. $80 sounds nice to me for a pair that will work. Maybe Ill get some depending on what happens with these few people who bought them.

[fastbroshi]

Wow, your paint looks great.  Or is she a 15-footer? 

[somesuch]

They're here!  The unboxing:



Ugh to styrofoam:



Two shocks, two spanners, two eyes:



They feel rather substantial, about 3.5 lbs. apiece:



It appears my riding season for this year is going to start, oh, approximately NEVER so it might be awhile before I have butt dyno/road test opinions.  I was serious about getting them on a shock dyno though - anyone know of a place?

Just tested mine for the first time (took a while) yesterday on my 1973 CB750. All the mounting and lower clevis issues have been already discussed (for now I just shimmed with washers, and used the clevis extensions that I got with the shocks to get the total length to about 13 3/4") I had to add about an inch of preload on the springs to stop the bottoming out during my test ride on local winding roads. That took all of the free sag out, so they need a bit stiffer springs for my weight 185lbs. The damping is too light, both compression and rebound, but overall, the shocks work better than stock and if they last at all they would be a good value. I'll take some pictures of the lower extensions as I have not seen ones like this for sale locally in the US

[somesuch]

Here are some pics of the shocks installed, the washers are just there for now, I will make a better arrangement after I sort out the damping/oil/clevis/etc....

[somesuch]

some more