SuzukiSavage.com - Savage rear suspension

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Savage rear suspension
09/16/15 at 09:24:46

Hi everybody!

I am the owner of a Suzuki Savage (Ls650) from Spain. We recently ended bobber transformation and we're having some troubles with the rear dampers. We put the rear fender close to the tyre (the distance between them is about 1 inch). On bumpy roads they impact each other. We're looking for hard suspension, the original is too soft for the build.

Does anybody know good alternatives for the OEM Suzuki suspension?

Thanks in advance!

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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18098 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #1 - 09/16/15 at 09:44:46 The stock shocks have about 1.5" of travel......what made you think you only needed an inch of clearance between the tire and fender? With so little clearance...about the only thing you can do is put on some longer shocks. (Stock shocks are 10.5" long), or put struts on the bike and make is a hardtail.
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28659 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #2 - 09/16/15 at 10:32:23 If you want the rear fender that low,.. you need to make it unsprung and add struts...
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Re: Savage rear suspension
Reply #3 - 09/16/15 at 13:09:37

Dave wrote on 09/16/15 at 09:44:46:

The stock shocks have about 1.5" of travel......what made you think you only needed an inch of clearance between the tire and fender?

With so little clearance...about the only thing you can do is put on some longer shocks. (Stock shocks are 10.5" long), or put struts on the bike and make is a hardtail.

Thank you Dave! My friends made a Kawasaki KZ400 Bobber transfromation with the same rear fender concept and worked well with my weight (I think that the shocks on the Kawa are harder than Savages). Thats the reason why we chose that little clearance. But, I see now the mistake... Grin

Making hardtail the bike doesnt work for Spain, it's forbidden. So, I think I need to focus on find a harder suspension.

Thanks!

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Dave

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Re: Savage rear suspension
Reply #4 - 09/16/15 at 13:54:50

Did you crank the "pre-load" setting on the shocks all the way up?

Progressive makes travel limiters that can be inserted to limit how far the shock moves. They most likely would work on these shocks.....you might have to drill out the center hole if the Savage shocks have a bigger rod size, and you might need a couple in each shock if you need more thickness (they come in 1/4 and 1/2 inch thickness).

http://www.summitracing.com/search/product-line/progressive-suspension-shock-...

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irishjake YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 33	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #5 - 09/16/15 at 15:31:53 Just put on a pair of secondhand Koni 12.5 inch shocks and dropped the front by 2 inches, really like the way it sits
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #6 - 09/16/15 at 19:12:21 If the fender moves with the swingarm you can have that clearance.
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Re: Savage rear suspension
Reply #7 - 09/21/15 at 05:49:07

Dave wrote on 09/16/15 at 13:54:50:

Did you crank the "pre-load" setting on the shocks all the way up?

Progressive makes travel limiters that can be inserted to limit how far the shock moves. They most likely would work on these shocks.....you might have to drill out the center hole if the Savage shocks have a bigger rod size, and you might need a couple in each shock if you need more thickness (they come in 1/4 and 1/2 inch thickness).

http://www.summitracing.com/search/product-line/progressive-suspension-shock-...

Thank you Dave!

The shocks are all the way up for sure.
We choose the limiters fix so, size and number of limiters needed? I think that one inch for sure (2*1/2 inch each shock).

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28886 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #8 - 09/21/15 at 07:40:26 In the tech section, there's a post on lowering shocks, making them shorter. http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1186949485 This will explain how to take it apart. What I'd do, is have a part made like the limiters. easy to do in a lathe. you could even just stack up washers till you're happy.
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norm92de Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1180 El Paso TX Gender:	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #9 - 09/21/15 at 08:29:12 Irish Jake, What is the seat height with the Konis? I have a set of the same shocks but the bike needs a few other mods to make them fit. Thanks, Norman.
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18098 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #10 - 09/21/15 at 08:58:15 I looked at the thread.....should work fine if you can get your shocks apart. I certainly wouldn't recommend using the vice grips on the shafts though....that most certainly will leave gouges that will destroy the oil seals.
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irishjake YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 33	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #11 - 09/21/15 at 23:21:16 I will measure later but as you can see the seat is quite thin
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irishjake YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 33	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #12 - 09/22/15 at 10:33:36 Just measured seat height 26 3/4 inches at the lowest point
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norm92de Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1180 El Paso TX Gender:	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #13 - 09/22/15 at 12:10:53 Thanks IrishJake, It looks so right at that height. With the stock seat it will be higher but not as much as I thought it would be. Norman.
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norm92de Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1180 El Paso TX Gender:	Re: Savage rear suspension Reply #14 - 09/22/15 at 12:17:36 I tried to fit the 12.5" shocks but the boss for the passenger foot peg hit the silencer. It would have to be cut down to almost nothing or the silencer moved outboard. Not too difficult either way especially as I have no inteniton of using the pillion.
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