[bhalleran]

Hi all,

I just purchased a 2023 zx6r rear shock with ~1000 miles. I am planning to install it on my 2011 zx6r as I am told it is a direct fit since the frame and swingarm are the same from 09-2023. Can anyone confirm this? I figured while it won't necessarily be a huge upgrade in performance, it's still basically a brand new shock with fresh fluid inside and my 2011 shock probably has never been serviced. The spring is also black which I want instead of my current red spring, so that is just an added bonus.

Any insight into swapping them out or if anyone has any good youtube videos to reference would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[mmattockx]

No direct advice for your model year, but download a service manual for you bike and it will show how the factory suggests tackling the job.

Master Service Manual Thread

I got tired of having 50 threads stuck to the top of this sub forum, so I've made one master thread which I'll keep updated to the best of my ability. If you have a new manual to add to the list, or if one of the links is broken, then PM me. At the time of this posting all links are valid and...

www.zx6r.com

Mark

 

[bhalleran]

No direct advice for your model year, but download a service manual for you bike and it will show how the factory suggests tackling the job.

Master Service Manual Thread

I got tired of having 50 threads stuck to the top of this sub forum, so I've made one master thread which I'll keep updated to the best of my ability. If you have a new manual to add to the list, or if one of the links is broken, then PM me. At the time of this posting all links are valid and...

www.zx6r.com

Mark

Thank you, I appreciate it!

 

[RJ2112]

I went down this path, and spent the money on a cast off OEM shock. It didn't last long, but defnitely showed me I needed to spend the money on a aftermarket shock. On RiversZZR's recommendation I bought a Penske for around $800 and have been very happy with it. Going on 5-6 years with that decision.

 

[bhalleran]

I went down this path, and spent the money on a cast off OEM shock. It didn't last long, but defnitely showed me I needed to spend the money on a aftermarket shock. On RiversZZR's recommendation I bought a Penske for around $800 and have been very happy with it. Going on 5-6 years with that decision.

Any idea if it will be a direct swap, or will I run into any issues? I just had the forks rebuilt at the end of last season, and still only have one season on this bike, so I figured I'd get a good feel for the stock suspension this year and probably will go with aftermarket suspension next winter

 

[RJ2112]

It should be a direct bolt in replacement. The question will be whether the spring is the same # of kg/mm. Damping will almost certainly be better than a sacked out unit; if the shock has a weak spring the same as what you had before that my not be a noticeable thing for you. You will CERTAINLY be able to tell, when it's finally right.

 

[bhalleran]

It should be a direct bolt in replacement. The question will be whether the spring is the same # of kg/mm. Damping will almost certainly be better than a sacked out unit; if the shock has a weak spring the same as what you had before that my not be a noticeable thing for you. You will CERTAINLY be able to tell, when it's finally right.

Thank you!!

 

[RJ2112]

I couldn’t tell how bad the back was until I refreshed the front. When you have good damping you don’t worry about your line. You just go where you look.

 

[Scumbag]

I couldn’t tell how bad the back was until I refreshed the front. When you have good damping you don’t worry about your line. You just go where you look.

This is alot of the time with suspension. In motocross my suspension guy always sets my bikes up notably wrong then adjust to its perfect. It’s almost like you have to feel how bad bad is to know where right Exactly is. If that makes sense lol

 

[RJ2112]

It's right, when it's calm and collected. Hard to understand until you experience really good, and then nothing else will satisfy. I comfortably picked up at least 10 MPH in any corner I could describe. Often, much more.

 

[Scumbag]

100%. Being comfortable and confident in your bikes ability is a so much more enjoyable ride.

 

[mmattockx]

Hard to understand until you experience really good, and then nothing else will satisfy.

This is very much the truth. Once you know how good it can be then the shortcomings of everything are glaringly obvious to you and the cost for good suspension seems much less onerous.


Mark

 

[RJ2112]

I was a salesperson at Fun Bike Center in Sand Diego (Mira Mesa) for a number of months in 1990 as a part time job. I got to ride a LOT of used bikes, almost all of which were in a reasonable state of repair -- anything used, the salespeople were encouraged to put a few miles on them to keep them charged up, no stale gas, etc..... anything we sold, we of course had to do the 'safety check' before we handed over the keys.... Long and short of that I ended up riding a VFR, probably around a 90 or 91 that had a cartridge fork. That was a revelation in how good a street bike's front suspension could be. I'd spent quite a bit of time on dirt bikes before monoshock had come into common use, but 6"+ suspension travel was typical compared to the <4" street bikes actually had. 13" of travel was amazing, after that -- the VFR was the first street bike I rode that came close to that ability to erase imperfections.

It's been a chase on every bike I have owned since that time. Suspension is for me more important than power, or brakes. It's usually fixed after the brakes however as it requires more work to make it right. Brake lines and pads, nearly anyone can do in an afternoon.

 

[bhalleran]

I was a salesperson at Fun Bike Center in Sand Diego (Mira Mesa) for a number of months in 1990 as a part time job. I got to ride a LOT of used bikes, almost all of which were in a reasonable state of repair -- anything used, the salespeople were encouraged to put a few miles on them to keep them charged up, no stale gas, etc..... anything we sold, we of course had to do the 'safety check' before we handed over the keys.... Long and short of that I ended up riding a VFR, probably around a 90 or 91 that had a cartridge fork. That was a revelation in how good a street bike's front suspension could be. I'd spent quite a bit of time on dirt bikes before monoshock had come into common use, but 6"+ suspension travel was typical compared to the <4" street bikes actually had. 13" of travel was amazing, after that -- the VFR was the first street bike I rode that came close to that ability to erase imperfections.

It's been a chase on every bike I have owned since that time. Suspension is for me more important than power, or brakes. It's usually fixed after the brakes however as it requires more work to make it right. Brake lines and pads, nearly anyone can do in an afternoon.

My street bike (and track bike before I got a ZX-6R) is a 2014 FZ-09 which is known to have terrible stock suspension. This was the first bike I ever put on aftermarket suspension - Nitron TVT22 front cartridges and Nitron NTR R2 rear shock. I remember riding it home from the shop and it felt like the handlebars were literally welded into the ground, they were completely stable. Then after going open throttle just feeling the way the bike squatted. Night and day difference.

 

[RJ2112]

The saddest part is that I have seen for a long time that Yamaha will cheap out on the suspension and (for me) ruin a wonderful bike. My 2005 FZ6 had horrible suspension. I had GP suspension rework the forks, and fitted an Ohlins double clicker on the back, both ends of the bike with the right springs for my weight....... completely transformed a fast bike that wallowed into a scalpel. It was bad enough on the OEM setup that how much fuel I had in the tank influenced how the suspension worked. (The more fuel the better, oddly enough.)

 

[RJ2112]

One more point on this.... when you have multiple interacting things, which add up to less than ideal handling it's tough to isolate down to what is actually going on. Lots of armchair quarterbacks out there. Tire pressure is so minor relative to the right springs and damping that it's lost in the noise until you fix the fundamental issues.

Most fundamental of all..... the right springs (front and rear) so the chassis holds the correct attitude with respect to the road. This isn't really a function of preload, and all springs are NOT created equal. There are books out there on this subject.