Have You Ever Experienced Total Shock Failure?

OP
OP
Phil Tarman

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
I picked the bike up from Sun Honda today. I had had them replace fork seals and fluid as well as the shock absorber. The "bite" was $797.

They charged me $300 for the shock, which was $280 less than Honda's list price for the part.

I wish Honda had paid for it, but I'm not upset about paying for it myself. I tend to agree that by 97,000 miles, most shocks are going to need replacing, so I can just shrug my shoulders about it being called a wear item.

It sure felt different coming home than it had the last time I was riding on I-25.
 

JQL

Growing old disgracefully
Joined
Dec 19, 2010
Messages
831
Location
Val de Marne, France
Bike
2010 NT700 & 2019 FJR1300
Phil,

Come on, 97,000 miles on a single shock ain't that bad especially after some of the surfaces you travelled on during the Epic Ride. :)

Just think, you've only got 100,000 to go on the new one! :rofl1:
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
2,007
Location
Tijeras, NM
Bike
1984 Moto Guzzi T5
I still have to say I am surprised Honda did what they did.

The bike is way out of warranty. Heck, even if the frame cracked I'd not expect them to do anything.

It's like saying that Moto Guzzi should have replaced the steering head bearings, throttle cables, clutch cables, front shocks, etc on my bike cause it only has 80k miles on it. So what if it is 30 yrs old. After the warranty expires ANYTHING that happens is up to you to pay for it.
 
OP
OP
Phil Tarman

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
Charlie, I agree. But, my extended warranty doesn't expire until March 30th.

And the honest truth is that I don't know if Honda gave me the shock at cost or if it was Sun Honda. They have gone way above and beyond the call of duty in their service on my bike. Only two techs have worked on it and the guy who's done the last two or three jobs really impresses me.
 

JQL

Growing old disgracefully
Joined
Dec 19, 2010
Messages
831
Location
Val de Marne, France
Bike
2010 NT700 & 2019 FJR1300
In Europe the Extend Warranty is 3 years tops. You got a real deal with 5 years.

Mine's been out of warranty for 2 years and she's only 6 weeks older than yours!
 
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Messages
1,231
Location
oregon
Bike
2011 NT, 01 Ultra, 04 VLX
Phil,

For sure you have definatly received your money's worth for the extended warranty investment! I have just gotten the headlight shell assy on mine and at that point I felt that I had broke even on mine!

I think they did very well by you for the just under 800,00 . The fork rebuild alone is well over 400 withnew seals and bushingsplus labour for removeal and installation.. The rear I won't even make a guess about , but having b een around many GL 1800 rear shock changes etc I imagine it is pretty much the sme job , not really a easy task unless you have done enough of them that you can almost do them in your sleep, which is the way some of the wing guys I know from the work parties are, I have seen as many as 15 front fork and rear shock rebuilds done over a 2 1/2 day weekend in a mas production work party with 6-8 guys working , each doing his specific job , sort of like a assembly line, and still have time to party in the late evening, and have a organized lunch break and a diner break with the food all being prepped there by a wife or two and a couple of voleenters.

Eldon
 
OP
OP
Phil Tarman

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
The rear shock was a $580 part that I got for $300. Labor for Removal and Replacement was 1 hour @ $99/hr, so the rear cost me $399 (plus tax and the omnipresent "shop charge" of $10).
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
2,007
Location
Tijeras, NM
Bike
1984 Moto Guzzi T5
If in warranty then that's another thing. But, like others said, shocks are wear items as are all bearings and such.

I found out the hard way, many years ago, that a bearing issue is not considered a warranty item unless you have a 'bumper to bumper' that does not exclude them.
 
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
36
Location
Kent, UK
My bike is in for new brake disc and caliper on the rear, new main stand and swingarm bearings (All ordered from Partzilla. I try not to pay UK prices.). MOT (annual test) is due. Dealer calls me to say rear shock is shot. 70,000 miles 7 years.
Just ordered one from Hagon, hope to have it in a few days. ?299.50
Been an expensive month over ?1000 ($1600)
 
OP
OP
Phil Tarman

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
Was it leaking? Mine lost almost all the shock fluid in about 80 miles. Riding the bike with no working shock was...uh, interesting, to say the least. We had met some guys for lunch and when I sat back down on it after we ate, it bottomed out -- and I hadn't even eaten that much.
 
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
36
Location
Kent, UK
Yes apparently it was leaking quite badly. The last couple of weeks I had pulled over a few times to look at tyre pressures because the handling didn't feel right. Put it down to the rear tyre being right on the limit. Knew it was going into the shop to have swingarm bearings, rear brake sorted and tyre fitted at the same time so left it. Remember seeing a drop of oil underneath a couple of times and assumed it was off a neighbours car. To clarify I hardly ever see my bike in daylight in the winter. Leave for work at 5.30am home about 8pm.
 
OP
OP
Phil Tarman

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
Yes apparently it was leaking quite badly. The last couple of weeks I had pulled over a few times to look at tyre pressures because the handling didn't feel right. Put it down to the rear tyre being right on the limit. Knew it was going into the shop to have swingarm bearings, rear brake sorted and tyre fitted at the same time so left it. Remember seeing a drop of oil underneath a couple of times and assumed it was off a neighbours car. To clarify I hardly ever see my bike in daylight in the winter. Leave for work at 5.30am home about 8pm.
I can understand that. Mine may have been leaking before the day I noticed it wasn't absorbing any shock. But the day I notice, it was really leaking.
 

DirtFlier

Site Supporter
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
3,332
Location
Troy, OH
Bike
2010 Silver NT700V/ABS
There is very little oil in the rear shock so even a tiny leak in the seal can cause it to go away quickly. I'm sure your shock had been leaking oil for some time and since it's way down low, it's not something you will notice easily.
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
36
Location
Kent, UK
I now have the bike back on the road, no thanks to UPS. The ride quality from the Hagon shock is way better than I remember the Honda one being even when new. I deliberately covered some poor quality roads on the way home tonight. Hardly noticed most sections.
UPS delivered the shock to a wrong address. Hagon sent out another one and UPS delivered that to the same wrong address.
Hagons phoned the bike shop to check they hadn't signed for it and one of the mechanics went to the other address (a gas station). The guy behind the counter denied receiving anything but the mechanic spotted one iof the parcels under a desk behind him. Got possession of both shocks, second one returned to Hagons.
Not happy with UPS or the petrol station.
 
Joined
Mar 2, 2016
Messages
114
Location
Silicon Valley
I took my CX Turbo up to some ghost towns in Canada several years back. Camping gear on the back of the bike. Got back onto a main highway after doing some off-road riding, and something in the suspension felt hard as a rock. Made riding so unpleasant that I cut my trip short. Got back home and pushed the rear of the bike down while it was in the front wheel chock, and the rear shock took several seconds. A local shock rebuilder, Lindemann Engineering, told me it was not unheard of for mid-eighties Honda shocks to bend a damper road internally if it took a big hit, or something like that. Unrepairable.
 
Top Bottom