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Pricey Shocks

Started by RDFL, November 09, 2020, 06:12:18 PM

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1976RD400C

#15
I bought these maybe 8 years ago from Works. No dampening adjustment but they asked about the bike and rider weight so they could set it up right. They also said if I thought something was not right I could send them back so they could may any changes for free. They really work great. It's nice to know that whatever choppy stuff you hit they handle it fine. The last thought I have is my bike is going to do something crazy like some other bikes I've had.  They were on sale for about $500 back then.

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'76 RD400 green  '76 RD400 red   '84 RZ350

sav0r

Works is out of business, unfortunately. They did make nice stuff though.

Contrary to what people believe, there isn't a lot of magic inside dampers, not until you are looking at four ways with blow offs and what not. The most important part is having enough rebound damping to control the spring. Once that is sorted, you get to play with other stuff. Very few are adjusting much on the rebound damping side for a difference in 40lbs of spring rate, that just isn't enough of a change to require different damping. So when you get "custom setup" or whatever, it's generally just a spring rate that they pick out. The dampers don't change. For example, on a race car we might swing the spring rate 400lbs, and we still wouldn't touch the rebound damping.
www.chrislivengood.net - for my projects and musings.

m in sc

i agree, i have a set of works that have been pretty damn good, also made for the bike I have. I also agree, not magic at all.

teazer

#18
I thought that I read somewhere that WORKS are back in business, now run by the late Gil's (owner of Works Performance) daughter or son.

Don't recall the details but that was only a few days ago I read it

Here it is:  http://www.worxshocks.com/


As an aside, I had a pair of TZ350E forks "revalved" by Jim Rasheed at  Four and Six in Chicago (they have been defunct for years now)  and he spent days, welding up the rebound holes in the damper rods and re-drilling them until he got the rebound right and changed the compression damping with oil viscosity. IIRC.

I was going to fit a pair of Gold valves but decided to use FZR400 forks instead.  BTW, TZ forks look just like RD forks but damping rods are a little different and they are much lighter.




sav0r

My understanding was that they rebooted and then didn't make it. I could be very wrong.
www.chrislivengood.net - for my projects and musings.

teazer

You could be right. They need to work really hard to make that sort of small business work and Gil was well known in the ARHMA crowd so that helped - and there was less competition back then.  Now there are many more choices including reworked RFY shocks for the street.  ;D :clap:

m in sc

i emailed them for an rfq. lets see if i hear anything. been looking to upgrade the t500 and the cb1100.

paul1478

Quote from: m in sc on November 11, 2020, 11:53:09 AM
i emailed them for an rfq. lets see if i hear anything. been looking to upgrade the t500 and the cb1100.
cool. Shocks are on my list (along with swing arm, refirb gauges, etc).
76 Team Scream RD400
1993 FJ1200
2006 Goldwing
2022 Ducati V2 Panigale

tony27

I'm surprised Noleen hasn't come up in this conversation, I know they're very well thought of by the vintage mx guys & cheaper than Ohlins.
I saw quite a lot of them being used when I travelled from New Zealand to race the CZ world champs a couple of years ago & ended up ordering a set for the bike I finished up earlier this year after talking with quite a few guys who raved about them. I have 2 bikes with very similar set up except 1 bike has Ohlins shocks & the other Noleen & so far the Noleens seem very well set up with a plush ride initially but good bottoming resistance
Shocks are listed for Kawasaki triples & RD350/400 but nothing for Suzuki guys unfortunately

Hawaii-Mike