Creak!!

Hi All,

Recently noticed I have a creak on the 'cat. It's only noticeable when I put it on the side stand or push down pretty hard on the rear.
I've just cleaned and regreased the dogbone bearings and all the other ones to do with the rear suspension linkage, so don't think it's that?

Has anyone experienced this before? The bottom adjuster on the shock is seized so imagine the shock is shot.

Any help appreciated.

Regards

Mike

Mine has a squeak, it's my shock that has gone,

Glad I'm not the only one! Is it similar symptoms to mine? Might be time for a new shock/shock reconditioning!

Regards

Mike

Also, does anyone know, can I disconnect the shock from the linkage and then put the bike back on it's side stand? Or would it collapse into a heap on the floor? Want to rule out the shock.

Regards

Mike

mikeyzf600 wrote:Also, does anyone know, can I disconnect the shock from the linkage and then put the bike back on it's side stand? Or would it collapse into a heap on the floor? Want to rule out the shock.

Regards

Mike

Heap on the floor, I think.

I guess you could make up a dummy shock in the form of a solid link made from e.g. flat steel with a hole at each end to take the mounting bolts. Or re-fit the wheel and put a suitably-sized block between the tyre and the underside of the rear subframe?

If it's the original shock there's a fair bit of dismantling to do to get it right out, because of the connecting pipe to the reservoir under the side panel. A one-piece shock such as a Hagon is easier.

It'll collapse

Got an ABBA stand?

Yeh I thought it may collapse - just wanted to check before I wrote the bike off!

I think I'll go down the R6 shock conversion instead. Cheaper and easier. I sprayed some lube on the top and bottom of the shock where the spring is compressed between the 2 bits of metal and it seems to have quietened the creaking. Thing part of it is the sidestand too?

Yes, have a stand which lifts from the swingarm pivot points.

Regards

Mike

Some people in here had had success suspending it from their garage roof by the grab rails with two loading straps.

I've never tried it, so I'm not sure if the rails are far enough apart to stop it tipping over on the front wheel.

The bike will hang from the rear grab rails ok. As for the creak, have you checked the swing arm bearings? The R6 shock up grade is worth while I've just got around to fitting it to my bike, it's a lot better shock but you will also require a bottom adapter bracket and a pair of bushes and a new bolt for the top mount. The Cat top bush is wider and fitted with a 12mm bolt, the R6 has a 10mm bolt.

Another option would be to turn your passenger foot pegs upside down and use axle stands to hold the bike up.

Furball enlightened me to this method and it works a treat.

You'll need at least one other strong helper (the more the merrier) lift the rear of the bike and get the axle stands in place.

Just remember to put the foot pegs back the right way when you are finished or you'll have an unhappy passenger.

Cheers
Rosco

Don't think I trust my garage rafters, maybe use the upside down pegs trick like you mention, Rosco?
Haven't tried the swingarm bearings yet, it sounds further forward than that, around the front sprocket/sidestand/engine mount, any ideas?
Think I've found a place that does the required parts for the R6 shock. Will any year of shock work? Where did you get the adapter etc?

Regards

Mike

I forgot about the footpegs trick, that's a corker.  

http://www.lewisfab.com/ bottom and top brackets. But an American site.
http://www.projection-components.co.uk/r6-shock-adapter-fits-all-06-on-r6-shocks-17-p.asp only the bottom bracket, well made and didn't take to long to arrive and I made my own top bushes. I also replaced all the bolts with A4 grade stainless steel bolts(not set screws)
The shock that I got was off a 2008 bike. The swing arm bearings do make a noise if worn and the sound will travel up the frame. On the standard R6 shock settings the bike is a little stiff but I suspect it will be well suited for pillion riding.

I found projection components - glad you've had a positive experience from them. Apparently they can do the bushes for an extra £5. Where did you get the bolts from?
Do you know if a 2014 shock will fit? Have they changed at all since 2008?
I may look at the swing arm bearings when I do the shock in that case.
I'm just looking forward to having some adjustability. My adjuster on the bottom of the shock is seized solid.

Regards

Mike

I think that the shock changes at 2013 but don't know in what way. The bolts I bought from a local marine supplier. I cut and rethreaded the bolts so that the shank of the bolt was the same length as the width of the brackets. With a bit of setting up the rear end of the bike will be nice to ride but on the road test after fitting the shock I did feel the front end beginning to push wide on corners, so the forks will need adjusting as well.

Well the one I've just bought is 290mm from centre to centre. So hopefully that's right? So I know, the standard bottom bolt for the shock should fit? I'll just need a new bolt for the top?
I've never fiddled with the suspension settings so could be interesting. Think my forks are in need of an overhaul too.

Regards

Mike

Sounds like a refurb would be less hassle.

I thought that originally. But it's more the cost for me. Just got a brand new 2014 R6 shock for less than £100. Plus the adapter for £40 and that should be roughly all it'll cost apart from the odd bolt. Think my current shock is beyond repair with the adjuster seized etc.

Regards

Mike

Also not all 'Cat shocks can be refurbed. Prices sound good, I'm pricing them up at the moment and Hagon's start at £300.

There's a few shocks on eBay kicking around still. That was my worry was that they wouldn't have been able to refurb it fully if it all.

Regards

Mike

You'd think that the likes of Brook would mention that: http://www.brooksuspension.co.uk/yamaha-yzf600r-thundercat-shock-absorber-rebuild-service.html

Looking around it seems that it's Yamaha themselves that don't consider them able to be refurbed, so they don't supply the parts and Racetech parts have to be used instead.
...then again, I bow to greater experience.   

Top bolt is a 10mm x 75mm bolt(from end of the threads to under the head) and you will also need Two bolts for the bottom, the Yamaha bolt shank is not long enough to go through both sides of the adapter and you'll not get a full nut on the threads. The bolts for the bottom need a shank length of 45mm and they're 12mm. I overhauled the forks 6000 miles ago and fitted new bushes and weighted Yacugar springs, well worth doing. They also do a valve kit, I'm in to minds about doing that mod. The Yamaha shock was replaced with a Hagon shock 40000 miles ago, but it had a standard spring on it, which is a bit weak for, shall we say the more robust built of us, I wished that I had a weighted spring fitted ever since. The R6 shock has the correct weight spring on it as standard plus it also has ramp style preload adjuster and high and low speed compression damping. Stainless bolts, lock nuts and washers work out to about a tenner.

Wooster wrote:You'd think that the likes of Brook would mention that 

FTR Suspension told me it could be done, booked it in and when it was taken out I was then told it couldn't be done. They were surprised as they had done it before - maybe I had been hoodwinked, was a most unhappy bunny. If the ploy was to get me to buy a new shock it didn't work - I had ordered an uprated progressive Yacugar spring, which they fitted to the original factory shock and it's been fine till this last weekend.

past-it wrote: I overhauled the forks 6000 miles ago and fitted new bushes and weighted Yacugar springs, well worth doing.

I agree, the difference was night and day

After playing with oil weights, air gaps, set up and fork heights, the biggest difference and the best value for money is the correct spring weights for the load applied to the bike. The correct springs also give the dampers a lot less work to do so it's a double benefit. The R6 mod also gives you a 10 year newer shock design and it is a far, far better shock. It also gives you an excuse to grease the shock linkage.

Past-it:
If I was to pay you for parts and your time, would you be willing to sort the bolts out for me?

Is there a way to free the bottom adjuster on forks when changing the oil etc? Or are mine stuck forever?

Regards

Mike