suspension upgrades for 6th generation

has anyone put after market shock on 6th gen? What kind and was it worth the money?? I looked at penske and olins they are expensive but are they worth it?? also what kind of fork upgrades are there for 6th gen? all I found were heavy springs does anyone know or had their forks done?? also on after market shocks do they need a different link or do they have a ride hieght adjustment? thank you please post pics if you have done any of these upgrades I am leaning toward the olin but man expensive...thanks...

 

Deepdish,I use an Ohlins S46DR1S rear shock. It is preload and rebound adjustable only,no ride height adjuster. The compression circuit is set at the factory and is non adjustable. The preload adjuster is remote mounted,so you can make preload adjustments on the fly. Definitely worth the money imho. It erases road bumps and makes for a noticeably smoother and more compliant ride compared to the stock shock. Ohlins also offers the S46HR1C1LS that is compression,rebound,and preload adjustable. Compression and preload adjusters are remote mounted,and it has an adjustable ride height clevis as well. Think big $$$ for that shock though. I revalved my forks with Race Tech compression and rebound Gold Valves and used a slightly softer than stock Race Tech front fork spring. I installed a set of Thurn Motorsport lowering triangles and raised the forks 10mm in the triple clamps. This lowers the bike slightly and effectively shortens the wheelbase just a bit. It makes the bike steer quicker,which imho improves the handling of the bike immeasureably. I'm currently looking into installing a GPR V1 steering damper as well. You can find pics of my bike in the VFR Intercepter Discussions Photo Gallery under the Forums column on the Home Page. My thread is titled "Pics of my '03 VFR800 Jokermobile". There are a couple of left side pics so you can get a peek at the shock. Hope this helps you.

 

Worth it? For me, TOTALLY! But I ride a lot and the stock suspension wasn't the greatest for my weight.

Is it worth it for you? Depends on the type of riding you do and how much you weigh. If you don't ride that often then maybe not. If you commute, love the twisties, or do track days then probably would be worth it. My Ohlin's on the 5th gen was about $900 USD shipped I believe. Then I found out a shop makes Penske's less than 20 minutes from me. Probably could have got a better deal from them.

IF you do replace the rear shock, highly recommend doing the forks at the same time then. Race Tech Springs or Sonic Springs with a Race Tech Gold Valve Kit.

Pretty much the standard setup for suspension.

 

I installed the The Ohlins 46HRCLS model shock, it's worth the extra money. If you don't really understand suspension adjustment i wouldn't buy a three way adjustable shock with a ride height adjustment. you'll never get your money out of it, because you'll probably just run the settings it comes with anyway.