YSS shocks?

[yamahaggis88]

Anyone heard of, heard about or used/is using one of these? Mate just picked one up for his Bandit 250 at cost (just over $500 landed), looks like a really well built reliable shock, compared to the usual cheap shit, it doesnt try to be anything more than it needs to be, nice and plain and OEM looking in black and silver with easily accessible knobs etc and its fully adjustable. Reason i'm asking is, as some of you know, i've had issues with the back end of my Gixxer since i got it, now i've had a Suzuki dealership look at it and they say the stiffness is nothing to do with swingarm bearings, or a fucked shock, but simply a bad setup for someone of my size. Now the shocks nearing 30 years old and I wouldn't mind replacing it, as well as getting the bike set up for me, as i'm planning on doing a track day in the near future and hanging on to the old girl til I get my full (FINALLY got my learners, looking at new 250s at the moment), and the shocks gonna have to be replaced at some point anyway. So basically, yay or nay? If not, what are some good alternatives?

[Robert Taylor]

Anyone heard of, heard about or used/is using one of these? Mate just picked one up for his Bandit 250 at cost (just over $500 landed), looks like a really well built reliable shock, compared to the usual cheap shit, it doesnt try to be anything more than it needs to be, nice and plain and OEM looking in black and silver with easily accessible knobs etc and its fully adjustable. Reason i'm asking is, as some of you know, i've had issues with the back end of my Gixxer since i got it, now i've had a Suzuki dealership look at it and they say the stiffness is nothing to do with swingarm bearings, or a fucked shock, but simply a bad setup for someone of my size. Now the shocks nearing 30 years old and I wouldn't mind replacing it, as well as getting the bike set up for me, as i'm planning on doing a track day in the near future and hanging on to the old girl til I get my full (FINALLY got my learners, looking at new 250s at the moment), and the shocks gonna have to be replaced at some point anyway. So basically, yay or nay? If not, what are some good alternatives?

Im not going to comment on the brand but what I will say is ''fully adjustable'' is a marketing term used by lots of shock manufacturers at all ends of the scale. Thats total fiction.
It will matter not if the shocks a Koni or an Ohlins or something inbetween. It fundamentally has to have the correct spring for your personal height and weight. It must also have INTERNAL valving that matches the motion ratio that the linkage imparts to it and it must have INTERNAL rebound valving calibrated to match the spring rate fitted.
If you are doing trackdays the need for those factors to be correct is magnified somewhat
Any shock will only remain as a bargain purchase if it actually works, irrespective of its pedigee or otherwise

[yamahaggis88]

Well, in that case, would I be better off spending the money rebuilding what I have?

[Robert Taylor]

Well, in that case, would I be better off spending the money rebuilding what I have?

Its so long since Ive looked at one of those bikes I cannot recall if its a single tube ''sealed for life throwaway'' shock or if it has a reservoir and can be serviced. Some images of it would help.

If it is indeed rebuildable a rebuild in itself will improve it BUT will not address all the issues especially if you of ''well fed'' stature. Fundamentally the spring rate has to be in tune with the rider stats. Thats a cost. Also the stock piston and valving design is likely to be crude, affording little low speed compression modulation. That gives poor acceleration squat control. But also its likely that the high speed compression is so restrictive it spikes across square edge bumps. Again another cost to replace on top of rebuild parts.
Its up to you how much you want to pay but a low cost ''solution'' more often than not falls well short of expectations. The cost of suspension is not indexed percentage wise to the value of the bike, it costs just as much to sort it all out properly irrespective if the bike is worth $2000 or $20000!