Sit right back and you'll hear a tale....

Hi all.....first post....

So I'm new to trials, not new to motorcycles and picked up my 2010 Sherco 2.9 last year. I've ridden it a fair bit and found that I bottomed it out pretty easily off of any kind of medium sized drop - 3 footish.... I also found that it was pretty damned tough to do tight bar to bar work without plowing. Despite that I managed to win the beginner trial in my club! Chocking all my problems up to inexperience, which is mostly true. Since day one though the bike sat way too straight on the kickstand. Constantly falling over unless it was just so. Kept noticing that my bike was raked out significantly more than others and it sat kinda low. So a year later I get down and look....lower shock bolt is 1/2 way out and jammed on one of the idler arms (not sure what they're called). So I've been riding with 1/2 rear suspension for a year.....yes....I'm an idiot but thought I'd share it to give everyone a good laugh.

On to my question, the shock has an offset on the lower end. I tried it both ways and put it in the way that fit best, all went together smooth and the bike feels good. But....thought I'd ask. Which is the correct orientation - or is it a height adjustment (or trail maybe?) to spin it around?

Shock should be straight. There is no offset.

Edited November 19, 201411 yr by copemech

Here's a pic. Not sure if you can make it out, but the lower (pointing up) mount has probably a 10 degree offset to it.

Hmmmm....not sure how to edit posts....

It went together fine when I oriented it correctly - I think it was offset pointing forward. Not catching on anything and seems to operate fine (for now). It doesn't look to me like the shock shaft is bent at all, the offset is where the lower mount attaches. Could be bent but seems to work okay.....

Shaft is likely bent where it enters the piece in top as pictured( which is the way mine is oriented on "12 bike).

Not sure where you are located, but contact Splatshop UK, as I believe they can fix it up for about half the cost of a new, or just order yourself an Ohlins! It is , how you say, knackered!

it's bent.

rob

as the French might say...Tres fukt

Lol....so it is.... Damn. Ah well, it seems to be bent at the joint, not further up the shaft. Seems to work okay, but I'm going to try adjusting the damping just to be sure that there's oil in the shock still. Can't afford $650 for a new shock just yet. So far it looks like the TRP is the least expensive aftermarket and the Ollie OEM is the cheapest? Ohlins is around $800 or so. I'm talking US/Cnd $$ here. A TRP and stiffer fork springs would sure set the bike up nicely though....I'm 90kg so the stock suspension is a bit light.....

Believe it or not the price of a ohlins shock from splatshop is very close to the price of the standard olle, at the moment the olle is 50pounds cheaper but normally it's actually about the same amount dearer

http://www.splatshop.co.uk/performance-parts/suspension.html?limit=15

So a $300 repair is not so bad! He may even have a heavy spring for you!

if it were me, i wouldn't put that back on the bike, i would get it repaired first.

hope you get it sorted, good luck

rob