Anyone have a stock Sachs shock sitting around??

So I've decided to revalve my own forks (got a thread going on that).  I'll then need to rework the shock too ... my plan was to use a suspension specialist shop to revalve the stock Sachs shock for me.  Well ... turns out no one wants to do that.  And I get it ... they've never revalved a GRiSO Sachs shock, so they have no idea what to do, and they would want to do a good job ... so nobody wants to touch it.

So now I'm thinking, what the heck, might as well try to revalve my shock myself too.  I've rebuilt 1 shock in my life, a KYB or Showa on a Suzuki 650 and then went off on a 3500 mile trip with zero issues, so I got that one right!  

But I don't really want to open up my GRiSO Sachs shock, figure stuff out, order parts, step thru stuff, and then get all back together.  Basically it would probably be laying on a work bench for 1-2 weeks getting this all done.  And if things don't go well and I end up deciding to order a Matris/Penske/Ohlins shock I'd have to probably wait another 2-3 weeks to get that.  

So ... for all you guys that put a nice expensive shock on your GRiSO, do you have your stock Sachs shock sitting around collecting dust in your garage/workshop?  

And if so, could we work something out?  I'm thinking ship it to me ... I'll pull it apart, take pics, post them up here, do the revalve, list what I did and the parts needed, etc.

Then I would take my stock one off, put this reworked one on, test out.  I doubt I'll nail it with the first iteration.  So then I would re do my stock shock as Version 2.  Swap out.  Maybe Version 3? 4?   Repeat until great suspension.  

So I'd get your shock to that latest version, and then I don't know.  Maybe someone here would want to buy it from you?  Or I just ship it back and you put it back in your garage/workshop?  

Any takers?  

I've got several but I'm a bit of a way away...

Four months ago I had just what you're asking for; a discarded Sachs. But binned it !

The general consensus was that the Sachs wasn't worth spending much time on, free or not, considering what you can get for reasonable outlay.

Following (blindly some may say ) the example of Waterbottle for one, I found a decent oem Ohlins from an Aprilia for $320- & had it reconditioned for $250. So all in $600-

Good luck ! Keep posting

I have one but also a bit far away.

I have changed to a standard Stelvio Shock, (no fancy stuff here!) and it works very well

It could be worth trying revalving the stock shock. I have my stock shock revalved and slightly lengthened and find it fine.
A good friend is a suspension engineer and has a wall full of shock odds n sods. He pulled my shock down and installed better shaped valves. I think they were from a Honda, so probably Showa or similar. He said the taper on these valves was less steep and therefore adjustments more incremental. He managed to get another few mm out of the shaft, raising the rear end. Lastly an Ohlins spring picked for my weight.
The shock now responds well to adjustments and runs on 5 wt oil.
I'm pleased with the result.

A year or two ago I talked with a gent at Traxxion Dynamics, locaated in Atlanta, GA. He seemed keen on taking on the work of revalving the stock Sachs, but I never took him up on it.

Uzidzit, a member who used to post fairly regularly here, was (is) quite knowledgeable about MC suspensions (his discussion input could push my limits of comprehension), and as I recall he held the Sachs in fairly high regard, just in need of a revalve.

My understanding is that the linkage on the GRiSO is very progressive. I think that logically, (as a non-expert on these things) if you were to get the valving a bit wrong, that progressive linkage would tend to magnify just how wrong you had gotten it. A challenge to get the Sachs right, no doubt, but with time and patience the effort could pay off, I'd wager. Good luck.

I put a Matris kit in my Norge forks,works fabulously.

They want your weight when you order.
I don't know if they have a kit for the GRiSO.

humboldtguzzi wrote:

I put a Matris kit in my Norge forks,works fabulously.

They want your weight when you order.
 I don't know if they have a kit for the GRiSO.

Yes Matris has a fork kit for the GRiSO, about $1000 for the kit. But I'm a thrifty guy that thinks the stock stuff can be configured to work well.

We will see if my thrifty approach works.

RMR Suspension on Sumas mountain Abbotsford did mine, I figured it was toast since I blew all the oil out on the Dempster highway. Charged just a tad over $200 he's a guy who specializes in race machines, and does a lot of work for owners state side.

He does most of the work for local shops
Has a post box in Sumas I think
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I've got the stock shock off of a 2015 GRiSO with around 5K on it. I replaced it with a Mupo and no longer need it. I'd rather know that it's getting used than collecting dust in my spares box, so if you'll pay shipping from NC, it's yours. Let me know. Cheers!

woodrow53 wrote:

I've got the stock shock off of a 2015 GRiSO with around 5K on it. I replaced it with a Mupo and no longer need it. I'd rather know that it's getting used than collecting dust in my spares box, so if you'll pay shipping from NC, it's yours. Let me know. Cheers!

Awesome! Let's do it. I'm PM you on details.

Thanks!

Dig your avatar, Woodrow!

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Street wrote:

Dig your avatar, Woodrow!

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Who's that guy riding pillion?

That's Jellybean The Sidecar Queen!

You've got me beat, Street! Mine will only ride in the back of a pickup truck. Cool get up!

Ok, following up on this.

Woodrow53 boxed up his Sachs and got it to me. Thank you thank you!!

As I go through the process, not sure if folks want to hear the trials and tribulations or just pretty pictures with words of success. I've already had a few "what the heck" moments, due mostly to my inexperience and ignorance. I'll start a new post/thread on the "work" I'm doing.

As for having a professional shop redo the stock Sachs shock ... I found two:
1) Traxxion Dynamics in Georgia (USA)
2) JPH Suspension in San Francisco Bay Area

I talked with both. Both felt that even at my 155lbs (70kg) I needed a stiffer rear spring. And revalving of both the compression and rebound shim stack. Both felt the Sachs shock is a good unit and worth the effort vs. tossing it. JPH mentioned opening up the ports in the stock piston as he didn't think it flowed enough oil.