03/04 Gsxr1k shock rebuild

sixpack577

sixpack577

Top Gun
Donating Member
Registered
My 2003 Gsxr1k has almost 40k miles on it.
I've been collecting parts for a while now, as I'll be replacing everything maintenance related.
Forks were recently done, and I can do those anyway.
For the rear shock; can I rebuild it? Yes..but I have no idea where to get the parts. Plus, I'll have to take it somewhere to get nitrogen put in it.
And, the real kicker is...this is a 40k mile 20 year old 1k.
It's a good bike...but I don't want to spend a grand on real shock for it, or anywhere close.
I'de like to rebuild it myself, or send it to someone that can change the oil and seals.
I weigh 190 lbs in full gear, and a stock shock is good enough.
I'm not changing valving or the spring, as then the cost starts going up alot.
Does anyone know of any businesses that offer this service, or sell the parts?
I've searched and searched to no avail, and RaceTech has very little 03/04 Gsxr anything.
I also cannot find anything newer that will just bolt in.
Thanks for any info.
 
sixpack577 said:
My 2003 Gsxr1k has almost 40k miles on it.
I've been collecting parts for a while now, as I'll be replacing everything maintenance related.
Forks were recently done, and I can do those anyway.
For the rear shock; can I rebuild it? Yes..but I have no idea where to get the parts. Plus, I'll have to take it somewhere to get nitrogen put in it.
And, the real kicker is...this is a 40k mile 20 year old 1k.
It's a good bike...but I don't want to spend a grand on real shock for it, or anywhere close.
I'de like to rebuild it myself, or send it to someone that can change the oil and seals.
I weigh 190 lbs in full gear, and a stock shock is good enough.
I'm not changing valving or the spring, as then the cost starts going up alot.
Does anyone know of any businesses that offer this service, or sell the parts?
I've searched and searched to no avail, and RaceTech has very little 03/04 Gsxr anything.
I also cannot find anything newer that will just bolt in.
Thanks for any info.
Click to expand...
I rebuilt the shock on my YZ250. I know, way different genre but mono shocks are not so different on street bikes. My local bike shop was able to refill the nitrogen for me and look up the spec for it as well. I got the rebuild parts from motosport.com, it was a kit, everything you need + shock fluid spearate. RockyMountainAtv has youtube channel with really great "How to Rebuild" videos you can use as a guide. This was the first time rebuilding a shock for me and what I found is it was mostly easier than rebuilding my forks which I have done many times on street and motocross bikes. Minus the hassle of taken it to the shop for nitrogen which they didn't charge me for but I've been a patron there for many years.
 
MonkeyButtRides said:
I rebuilt the shock on my YZ250. I know, way different genre but mono shocks are not so different on street bikes. My local bike shop was able to refill the nitrogen for me and look up the spec for it as well. I got the rebuild parts from motosport.com, it was a kit, everything you need + shock fluid spearate. RockyMountainAtv has youtube channel with really great "How to Rebuild" videos you can use as a guide. This was the first time rebuilding a shock for me and what I found is it was mostly easier than rebuilding my forks which I have done many times on street and motocross bikes. Minus the hassle of taken it to the shop for nitrogen which they didn't charge me for but I've been a patron there for many years.
Click to expand...

Thanks, but I already looked at Motosport, and the only shock rebuild kits they have are for dirtbikes.
 
sixpack577 said:
My 2003 Gsxr1k has almost 40k miles on it.
I've been collecting parts for a while now, as I'll be replacing everything maintenance related.
Forks were recently done, and I can do those anyway.
For the rear shock; can I rebuild it? Yes..but I have no idea where to get the parts. Plus, I'll have to take it somewhere to get nitrogen put in it.
And, the real kicker is...this is a 40k mile 20 year old 1k.
It's a good bike...but I don't want to spend a grand on real shock for it, or anywhere close.
I'de like to rebuild it myself, or send it to someone that can change the oil and seals.
I weigh 190 lbs in full gear, and a stock shock is good enough.
I'm not changing valving or the spring, as then the cost starts going up alot.
Does anyone know of any businesses that offer this service, or sell the parts?
I've searched and searched to no avail, and RaceTech has very little 03/04 Gsxr anything.
I also cannot find anything newer that will just bolt in.
Thanks for any info.
Click to expand...
Sorry, don’t know of any business you can send it to without having to spend a good chunk of cash. I serviced mine and another member’s myself and have a guy that lives within reasonable distance that specializes in dirt bike suspension and I give him $10 dollars to recharge it for me once I’m done. Have done a couple this way and the one on the busa I installed the race tech gold valve kit and I’m happy. May want to check the race tech website for authorized distributors/installers near you and see if they have some tricks to source wear parts and service it? That’s how I found the guy I normally use to recharge them. On both DR650s I’ve owned, I sourced 1990s ohlins units out of KTMs of that era and then found the correct size bushings for the top mount to work on my bike and called ohlins to order the correct spring for my application and bushings, so maybe the forums would shed some light on what newer units can be installed with minor changes?
 
mabupa said:
Sorry, don’t know of any business you can send it to without having to spend a good chunk of cash. I serviced mine and another member’s myself and have a guy that lives within reasonable distance that specializes in dirt bike suspension and I give him $10 dollars to recharge it for me once I’m done. Have done a couple this way and the one on the busa I installed the race tech gold valve kit and I’m happy. May want to check the race tech website for authorized distributors/installers near you and see if they have some tricks to source wear parts and service it? That’s how I found the guy I normally use to recharge them. On both DR650s I’ve owned, I sourced 1990s ohlins units out of KTMs of that era and then found the correct size bushings for the top mount to work on my bike and called ohlins to order the correct spring for my application and bushings, so maybe the forums would shed some light on what newer units can be installed with minor changes?
Click to expand...

Thanks Miguel,
I have looked, and 01-06 Gsxr1k shocks interchange, but 01/02, 03/04, 05/06 all have different linkage, leverage, and ride height by up to 4mm, with 03/04 being the tallest.
Regardless, they're all old, and there is no big advantage to any in particular.
I was just hoping to spend a couple hundred bucks and have someone do seals and oil, or pay about half that in parts and do it myself, assuming I could get them.
I'm not really interested intaking it apart, then trying to find what I need.
Oh well, I'll keep looking.
 
Mate, mate, MATE!!!
I reckon I can get all the shock rebuild parts necessary for your shock from our local wholesale supplier here in ChCh NZ!
I've purchased various shock parts for various bike shocks from All Balls . . .
If you can't get them in the US there is something very very wrong lol.

If you can not get them, I could purchase them here, send them to you, and you could reimburse me thru Pay Pal or whatever.
Let me know k.
Kiwi.
 
Last edited:
zeepopo2 said:
Chances are that shock is not built for a rebuild. So it has to be drilled to be drained and filled of nitrogen. Racetech is used to doing this kind of job so I'm sure they will sell you the parts required to do it. Just need to drill the casing to access the bladder.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but I havn't taken it out of the bike yet.
Thanks man.
 
Kiwi Rider said:
Mate, mate, MATE!!!
I reckon I can get all the shock rebuild parts necessary for your shock from our local wholesale supplier here in ChCh NZ!
I've purchased various shock parts for various bike shocks from All Balls . . .
If you can't get them in the US there is something very very wrong lol.

If you can not get them, I could purchase them here, send them to you, and you could reimburse me thru Pay Pal or whatever.
Let me know k.
Kiwi.
Click to expand...

That would be Awesome!
The local(75 mile round trip)dealer, I don't know, their attitude and sales are much better than the old owners and group, but I'm not that confident in them finding me parts that aren't on the oem fische/
parts pages, lol.
I'm going to call RaceTech later today, but they don't open for another 4 hours or so.
Do you know roughly what all the parts should cost?
Thanks alot man, I'll let you know what I find out.
 
sixpack577 said:
Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but I havn't taken it out of the bike yet.
Thanks man.
Click to expand...
Years (and years) ago I changed out the rear shock on my '02.....I can't recall if it was rebuildable but I went to a different shock anyway....

That bike was a weapon when I was done with it (for it's time).

Be good if it is rebuildable though....

Sadly up to about 3 years ago, I had the original shock in my garage with about 100 kms on it.....I gave it to a guy for his bike.
 
Bumblebee said:
Years (and years) ago I changed out the rear shock on my '02.....I can't recall if it was rebuildable but I went to a different shock anyway....

That bike was a weapon when I was done with it (for it's time).

Be good if it is rebuildable though....

Sadly up to about 3 years ago, I had the original shock in my garage with about 100 kms on it.....I gave it to a guy for his bike.
Click to expand...

I would really like to put a good shock on this bike too, but then I would have to upgrade the forks, and this, and that, lol, and I just don't want to go down the rabbit hole on this one.
I like this bike, and it runs great, but I'm not in love enough to sink that kind of money into it.
I know that this shock can be rebuilt too, even if it technically isn't serviceable.

As for the rest of the money pit, All stock parts, with the exceptions of,

Zero Gravity clear stock shape shield
ProGrip 761 grips
Rearsets(havn't bought yet)
EK3D chain 520mm conversion, Vortex aluminum +2 rear sprocket.
Slip-on(undecided so far)
Heal-Tech Smart TRE with gear indicator(this model ecu Cannot be flashed, and not spending power commander, full exhaust and dyno tune money on it)
Bmc race air filter.
Ebc Extreme Pro Pads.
Core-Moto ss lines,
Currently looking at used '16-'20 zx10 oem Brembo font master cylinders.
Alot of these parts, and lots of new stock stuff, I already have.
The rest of them are cutting into my new Rabaconda Street tire changer money, lol

And...maybe that old Kiwi can just send me a refurbished shock, ready to bolt in...what would that cost me Greg??
lmao
 
sixpack577 said:
I would really like to put a good shock on this bike too, but then I would have to upgrade the forks, and this, and that, lol, and I just don't want to go down the rabbit hole on this one.
I like this bike, and it runs great, but I'm not in love enough to sink that kind of money into it.
I know that this shock can be rebuilt too, even if it technically isn't serviceable.

As for the rest of the money pit, All stock parts, with the exceptions of,

Zero Gravity clear stock shape shield
ProGrip 761 grips
Rearsets(havn't bought yet)
EK3D chain 520mm conversion, Vortex aluminum +2 rear sprocket.
Slip-on(undecided so far)
Heal-Tech Smart TRE with gear indicator(this model ecu Cannot be flashed, and not spending power commander, full exhaust and dyno tune money on it)
Bmc race air filter.
Ebc Extreme Pro Pads.
Core-Moto ss lines,
Currently looking at used '16-'20 zx10 oem Brembo font master cylinders.
Alot of these parts, and lots of new stock stuff, I already have.
The rest of them are cutting into my new Rabaconda Street tire changer money, lol

And...maybe that old Kiwi can just send me a refurbished shock, ready to bolt in...what would that cost me Greg??
lmao
Click to expand...
It is very easy to fall into the sink hole of modding for sure.....

I had the fortune to modify mine when it was new...I'd be hard pressed to do so on an old bike now so I hear you loud and clear....
 
Bumblebee said:
It is very easy to fall into the sink hole of modding for sure.....

I had the fortune to modify mine when it was new...I'd be hard pressed to do so on an old bike now so I hear you loud and clear....
Click to expand...

I think I'de be ok putting too much into the right bike, even an old one.
I just don't think it's this one.
Which bike? I don't know yet.
There's a couple I can think of, I just havn't found one at the right price yet.
I think I may sell the '03 once everything is done, and buy a ?
Hayabusa Wannabe said:
I do not know for this application but you should at least check with Jamie Daugherty (out of Fort Wayne).
(260)710-4049
jamie@daughertymotorsports.com
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks man
I will check it out!
 
sixpack577 said:
I would really like to put a good shock on this bike too, but then I would have to upgrade the forks, and this, and that, lol, and I just don't want to go down the rabbit hole on this one.
I like this bike, and it runs great, but I'm not in love enough to sink that kind of money into it.
I know that this shock can be rebuilt too, even if it technically isn't serviceable.

As for the rest of the money pit, All stock parts, with the exceptions of,

Zero Gravity clear stock shape shield
ProGrip 761 grips
Rearsets(havn't bought yet)
EK3D chain 520mm conversion, Vortex aluminum +2 rear sprocket.
Slip-on(undecided so far)
Heal-Tech Smart TRE with gear indicator(this model ecu Cannot be flashed, and not spending power commander, full exhaust and dyno tune money on it)
Bmc race air filter.
Ebc Extreme Pro Pads.
Core-Moto ss lines,
Currently looking at used '16-'20 zx10 oem Brembo font master cylinders.
Alot of these parts, and lots of new stock stuff, I already have.
The rest of them are cutting into my new Rabaconda Street tire changer money, lol

And...maybe that old Kiwi can just send me a refurbished shock, ready to bolt in...what would that cost me Greg??
lmao
Click to expand...
Lol… “that old Kiwi” ha!
Look, if the seal on your shock isn’t leaking and the bump stop is still in reasonable condition, all that is needed is to be stripped, cleaned thoroughly and reassembled with fresh 2.5W fork oil, doesn’t have to be shock oil, but if you can get a hold of shock oil, all the better!
We use fork oil and it works just fine.
I cleaned the internals of my Busa shock, filled it with new oil, bled it of air, reassembled it and gassed it up to 145psi with nitrogen and wow what a difference it made in the ride quality!
As far as finding a shock and sending it… the postage cost would be high I’d imagine and even finding one here in NZ would be a real search exercise.
I’ll look into parts availability for getting the seal head and bump stop tomorrow k.
 
Last edited:
Kiwi Rider said:
Lol… “that old Kiwi” ha!
Look, if the seal on your shock isn’t leaking and the bump stop is still in reasonable condition, all that is needed is to be stripped, cleaned thoroughly and reassembled with fresh 2.5W fork oil, doesn’t have to be shock oil, but if you can get a hold of shock oil, all the better!
We use fork oil and it works just fine.
I cleaned the internals of my Busa shock, filled it with new oil, bled it of air, reassembled it and gassed it up to 145psi with nitrogen and wow what a difference it made in the ride quality!
As far as finding a shock and sending it… the postage cost would be high I’d imagine and even finding one here in NZ would be a real search exercise.
I’ll look into parts availability for getting the seal head and bump stop tomorrow k.
Click to expand...

Right on, Thanks Greg.
I figured the shipping would only be a few hundred anyway, lol
I called RaceTech, if I send it to them, not including about $80 shipping both ways...$380...lol, pass
They said to send sales an email on what just the parts will cost me, and I did.
I'll let you know what they say, but I'm not optomistic about the price.
If you're able to find part numbers for the seal and stop, that would be great, as I'de prefer to do it myself anyway.
Thanks again man, you're always there for those 'head-scratchers and now what' situations, and it's much appreciated.
 
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