[Minlak]

Most people don't even think about shocks / forks as service items - People would be way more onto it if they did a service - Even just a oil change makes such a difference and this stuff is moving 100% of the time when the bike is moving
We did our mountain bike forks every 25 hrs for oil service - 50 hrs minor service and 100 hrs full service - used to ride about 15 hrs a week

 

[rcannon409]

Minlak, you are right, but the topic is very similar to a good ecu reflash. Changing ninja 1000 shock oil will turn into a 350.00 adventure and you don't know what to expect. The only way you find out is to spend the money. The person doing it has only blind faith to guide them.

Minlak doesn't know this, but I did take a picture of him, on his bike. The pic is a few years old. A 9 year old rcannon409 saved up and bought one of these. As it turned out, the bike was useless. It weighed over 40 lbs. Lance Armstrong couldn't ride it for any distance

 

[Minlak]

Minlak, you are right, but the topic is very similar to a good ecu reflash. Changing ninja 1000 shock oil will turn into a 350.00 adventure and you don't know what to expect. The only way you find out is to spend the money. The person doing it has only blind faith to guide them.

Not really blind faith - As there is plenty of accurate information out there to show you it is worth it - Even a thicker oil by even 5 weight makes a difference to the feel - However you are relying on your pants dyno to measure the difference and I think in reality a lot of people have no idea at all what they are experiencing - look at shock set up - nothing hard about yet so many people want you to give them the figures to dial in even though it is subjective and personal to set up.

The other major problem as I see it is money - People buy bikes thinking "Cheaper" transport (and to be fair so many marketing campaigns revolved around this) and bikes are not cheap at all - My N1K (Aud pricing) Bought it for 22k 12 mths ago - Had to fit an exhaust (slip on) as everyone tells you too $1200 - added my personalised bling like frame sliders / red guards etc $800 - Month 1 (1000kms) $150 - 6mths $190 service $500 tryes - 12 mths coming up $600 rego - $700 insurance - $300 service - Will prob get them to do forks $350 - and this does not factor in the 12000kms of fuel I paid for and rode in 12 mths purely for recreation

 

[rcannon409]

I felt blind faith like when I bought my Traxxion Dynamics stuff. There was one specific guy who built a really nice, solid green Ninja 1000. He even ordered body parts , and a tank, from Canada. In 2011, USA didn't get the green bike.

But, the choice of what level to buy at was difficult. Especially when it really wasn't needed. It wasn't like the stock suspension was dangerous. The stock fuel cut was, but not the suspension.