Hyperpro 460/461 rear shock ?

[Fisherdave]

Last year I upgraded the front springs with a set of Hyperpro springs. The result was a very significant improvement in ride and handling. This year I'm contemplating replacing the rear shock unit with a Hyperpro 460 or 461. From what I can tell they are the same shock, but the 461 had a remote hydraulic pre-load adjuster.

My initial instinct is to go with the simplest unit. The remote adjuster cost an additional $270 & I'm pretty sure once I get it set right I won't be doing too much adjusting anyway. EMP -( http://www.epmperf.com/) also offers the option of sending the OEM shock to them & the OEM pre-load adjuster can be transferred to the new shock.

I'm pretty sure that this is an upgrade that I will add to my 2010 NT. I would, however, very much appreciate any additional thoughts on this subject.

Obviously the more features that I include in this shock upgrade the higher the price will be. Before I drop that sort of cash ($619 for the basic Hyperpro 460 emulsion type unit w/no remote adjuster) I would like to check to see what the collective wisdom of this group may be.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

[DirtFlier]

If you opt for the 460, make sure it has preload adjustment at the bottom. The top of the shock when mounted in the NT is about 95% invisible so any changes in preload would require shock removal.

In what way did the HyperPro springs improve the NT's ride? And do you ride with a passenger?

 

[Fisherdave]

Thanks much for the advice. I'm currently looking for adjustment instructions on-line, so your point is well-taken.

I never have a passenger. The ride was improved by the front spring change because it took the "dive" out of hard braking. It also reduced the jarring impact when riding on the rough IL roads. They are really bad in the summer, and this year will be worse because of the frost heave we have had all winter. The bike feels more planted and stable. My arms and neck don't take as much of a beating either.

It was -6 this morning, so my riding season is likely many weeks/months away. I figured this may be a good time to improve the ride quality. On of the features I liked was that they, EMP, said they could utilize the OEM pe-load system. I would just have to remove the shock & send it to them. I don't know how complicated it will be to remove it. It's too cold in the garage to fool around w/cold metal.

 

[EX Winger]

How many miles were on your bike whenyou did theupgrade to the forks? how many miles on it now as you consider the rear shock?
I have thought aout the possibility of upgrading , but at this point withslightly over 40,000 mine is doing fine, Not to say it couldn't be improved. On my previous Gl 1800 Wing I had 75,000 on stock suspension and upgraded to full traxion both front & rear. It did make a major improvement in it's abilities, but once set up for me and the loads I carried when touring, or pulling a trailer I never changed it, nor did I ride it much harder/faster in a given situation.I am not a Kenny Roberts, Dick Mann, Cal Rayborn or any other big name competitive rider and there is no way I will ever be in that form and attempting to push the bike to those limits.
If a person is young and rides at a competitiveleval the upgrades are a must.
for me I will upgrade at the time I feel that the stock is worn outas I did with the wing. AT 75,000 it was due roe replacing stock suspension , so for the few extra dollars it was worthwhile.I think that at least 75 % of us on NT 700's are in the non competitive group and most of us are at or pushing at, or have become senior citizens. A lot of us are young at heart, but don't need competitive track bikes for everyday road riding.

Eldon

 

[Fisherdave]

I did the fork upgrade at around 16K. I know that seems pretty soon, but the fork seals were leaking so it seemed the the perfect opportunity to do it.

My brother rides a Suzuki Bandit 1250 & he changed out his suspension components. I was impressed with the difference between stock and aftermarket. So I'm also considering it.

In absolute terms; no this isn't necessary. However, having said that I have also come to the realization that anything I can do to make the bike ride more comfortably helps me in the long run. This isn't a competitive upgrade, unless you factor in that I'm competing with the calendar. I've been riding since the late 60s so let's just say that I notice the bumps a little more than I used to. I might call this a "tired butt upgrade". I'm sure there might be some other out there who can relate.

Besides it's a whole lot cheaper than a Yamaha FJR. I really enjoy my NT, but I do get tempted. That is especially true when I look at the 2014 FJR. They have made some seriously fine additions to that bike. If money was no object, I'd have one of each. Right now I have around 22K on the NT & it will likely last me a long time yet.

 

[ARKNT]

Keep us posted on your shock upgrade if you do it. I have never been too excited with the rear shock on the NT but don't really want to spring (pun intended) for a new one just yet.
I have adjusted preload all over but it seems too harsh most all the time.

Brad

 

[DirtFlier]

[..I have adjusted preload all over but it seems too harsh most all the time...]

I had the same feeling when I first got my NT (Dec 09) but at the time no one had any suspension parts for this model. Last winter I finally bit the bullet and ordered a complete new shock from Works Performance. There was no additional charge to make it 10 mm shorter to retain the lowered seat height provided by my Showa (OEM) shock with HyperPro shock eye and they also put the manual preload adjuster on the bottom so it would be accessible.

I've been buying their stuff since the late-70s so am comfy with the process and happy with their customer service. I put 90k miles on the Works shocks on my previous street bike.

Works calculated that the standard NT shock spring was dual-rate 1600-2500 pounds per inch. The 1600 portion of the spring is fairly short so just sitting on the bike puts you into the hard 2500 pound section. My new shock is fitted with a straight rate 1500 pound spring and it works great for me (165 lbs). The internal valving is set-up for touring which is what I do 98% of the time but I've yet to make it bottom or misbehave when riding at high speed on bumpy roads.

I didn't opt for adjustable compression or rebound damping. With the way the NT shock is 95% hidden, the rebound adjuster would be totally hidden and compression damping by itself is not too useful.

 

[bicyclist]

Works calculated that the standard NT shock spring was dual-rate 1600-2500 pounds per inch

Holy catfish! That sounds pretty high. But I have zero knowledge of spring rates.

 

[Phil Tarman]

DirtFlier, what did Works charge for the shock?

 

[DirtFlier]

I believe it came to around $700 but I'd have to look at all my paperwork to be sure.

At the time, no one else (Ohlins, Progressive, Wilbers, Penske, etc) had a shock for the NT700 nor were they interested in making a one-off. I even checked in the UK but only found one shop who'd rebuild the original Showa shock but nothing in the way of new shocks. My first choice was always Works Performance so I was looking mainly out of curiosity.

To Bicyclist: the spring rates don't mean anything by themselves and I only provided the old spring rate (1600/2500) as a comparison to the new spring (1500). I've yet to bottom the shock so their calculation of using a 1500 pound spring was dead-on, plus it gives a comfy ride. I gave them my weight plus the weight of all my stuff that I'd take on a cross-country trip with both saddlebags and Givi top box full plus a waterproof bag strapped to the passenger seat.

 

[Fisherdave]

I recently emailed Klaus at EPM (http://www.epmperf.com/) to ask a few more questions about the Hyperpro 460 shock. I was particularly concerned about the adjustability factor. He was very informative & helpful.

He went on to say that he would consider a discount price for a group buy for folks on this site.

I'm pretty much sure that I'm going to go ahead w/this purchase. I'm just waiting for my wrenches to warm up a little more before I tear into it.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom/advice/hints/suggestions regarding the best way to remove the rear shock? It appears to be pretty straight forward - remove the plastic & then a top & bottom bolt. I believe I will likely remove it and send it to him so he can transfer the OEM adjuster to the new shock.

I do appreciate any thoughts or advice you folks may have on the subject.

 

[DirtFlier]

The rear shock is much easier to remove if you remove the rear wheel and also allow the left side footpeg mount to swing down out of the way. If you're going the send the shock you should remove the spring because it probably weighs more than the shock, unless you like to pay extra postage for nothing.

 

[ARKNT]

One of the reasons for me not pursuing rear shocks was the seeming lack of experience with the NT from the suspension people. The NT is not the hottest seller so they won't sell many shock upgrades.
I once did a shock travel experiment over a road with a few expansion joint issues. I never came close to bottoming the shock but the ride was rough enough to hear the rear wheel loose traction as it went over the joints. The info from works performance would pretty well decribe my ride.
I usually ride solo and little cargo so if you do things like load up a top case you may not have a harsh ride.

Brad

 

[Fisherdave]

Today I got to try out my new rear suspension for the first time, so this is an "initial impression report". Today started off cold & rainy - about 40 or so. I didn't think I'd get out for a ride, but then the rain stopped & the mailman dropped off my new heated jacket liner. I don't know which one impressed me more, the suspension or the liner, but the combination turned a cold crappy day into a very enjoyable experience.

I rode about 75 miles over a variety of road surfaces; interstates to back roads. The new Hyperpro rear suspension made a considerable difference in the ride characteristics of the bike. I road a very familiar route in an attempt to make a better comparison between OEM and the new rear unit. It's a little hard to put words to a largely kinetic experience. The best I can do is to say that for the first time the front & rear suspension actually seemed to work together. The ride was comfortable and controlled. The rough roads are still rough, but not jarring. The shock of the bumps wasn't transmitted all the way through my spine as it was in the past. It was a much more relaxed experience, in matter of fact I more or less forgot about the suspension & just enjoyed the ride.

I also really enjoyed the "RapidFire" heated jacket liner. It's the first time I've ridden with heated clothing & I was very impressed with it. I believe the heated gear is going to make a huge difference in how I pack & when I find the temp. acceptable to ride. I would recommend it.

In conclusion, the rear suspension unit is very much better than the OEM. I will report back after a couple hundred more miles. For me, at this point it was worth the money.