Race Tech 4th gen rear shock rebuild

As most of us VFR owners know, our stock suspensions are not very good. Add the fact many of us 3rd and 4th generation (and generations before) owners have worn out suspension components we soon realize our rides can be a bit…well…shitty. Especially when you start doing track days. In addition very few companies provide an aftermarket rear shock. Penske still does, but they are one of the only ones and the price is around 700 to 800 bucks. Is it worth it? Sure the Penske is worth it but you don’t ride on the track, or you only do the occasional track day. Or all you do is commute. So what to do?

Well Bubba did his research and the friendly folks at Race Tech are kind enough to provide a wide variety of services for our worn out rear stock shocks! Or newer shocks that are not sprung for your weight. I spoke to Jennifer Leos at Race Tech and she informed me the stock shock on the 97 I ride can be rebuilt, its just a matter of what I want done to it. You can just have a new spring for your weight thrown on for around 150 bucks all the way to “the works” which was around 500 bucks. I fell in between the two prices.

Jennifer said mail my shock into them, with instructions on the type of riding I do and the work I want done. BE VERY SPECIFIC! and include your contact info so they can confirm what you want done, payment, etc.

Based upon what I needed Race Tech recharged the shock with nitrogen, new oil, put in a gold valve and replaced various bushings and odds and ends for a grand total of $340.95 including shipping. Oddly, I didn’t need a new spring! Race Tech tested the original one its still in good shape and it fits my weight! So that was good news.

Once its in the bike and the weather warms up, I’ll give a review.

Race Tech
1501 Pomona Road
Corona, CA 92880
951-279-6655
Jennifer Leos

Here it is:

 

That is pretty cool news..

 

So cool you posted twice:cheersaf:

 

RVFR is just upping his post count...
Craig :smile:

 

RVFR is just upping his post count...

Craig :smile:

 

If I'm not mistaken, Progressive Suspension still makes a rear shock for the 3rd Gen, 1990 - 93, VFR.

I've too, spoke to Race Tech, but I got an estimate for $500, to start w/o any bells or whistles.

 

My '07 VFR is at my dealer's shop, awaiting the return of the front-forks and rear shock, from Race Tech in California. Jennifer called me the other day to inform me that all of the work was completed and they were shipping everything back to my dealer, including detailed set-up instructions/suggestions for their technician.

I had the same work done to the rear shock as Bubba Z did (thanks for suggesting this to me, Bubba!), except I also had the rear spring replaced, since it could be that Race Tech's spring might be just a little better quality than the stock spring (this was an additional $110.00). At any rate, I figured that since I'm already going to all of this effort, I might as well go for 'the works', so to speak.

My front-fork rebuild included 'the works' as well, including new springs, HFR (High Frequency Response) Gold Valve kit, etc. Total cost from Race Tech for parts, labor, oil, shipping, etc. was $930.00.

As I mentioned, my dealer is doing all of the work for me. (Race Tech first sent them all of the necessary shipping and packing materials, per my request.) It took the dealer 1 hour to remove the front forks, and 2 hours to remove the rear shock. And of course, there will be additional shop hours to put everything back together and then do a preliminary tweaking. (On a related note, while my motorcycle is shopped, the dealer will also be installing an electronic cruise control from Motorcycle Cruise Controls - ATV, 4 Wheelers and Quad Bike Accessory & Parts, as well as a PIAA Sport Horn.)

Jennifer really knows her stuff, and she has been a real pleasure to work with! Before I ever decided to go ahead with all of this work, she patiently and cheerfully answered my many questions over the course of at least a half-dozen phone calls, and if she didn't know an answer to a given question, she researched it and got right back to me.

As Bubba Z. mentioned, once Race Tech receives your parts, they will not proceed any further until they contact you by phone in order to carefully review and finalize the work to be done and the cost, as well as to verify the return shipping address. (In my case, the return shipping address was that of my dealer.)

Once Race Tech has completed all of the specified work, they will call and notify you, and you will then be required to fully pay your bill before they ship. [Up to this point (at least in my case) Race Tech never asked me for a dime. They didn't require any sort of down payment or pre-payment, nor did they require having a valid credit card number on file, etc.]

Now, I have a few lingering questions...

Tony, who is the Race Tech's technician I spoke with at one point (please forgive me if I fail to recall the following details very well), said something to the effect that my 2007 VFR 800A's stock rear-shock doesn't include a valve or nipple (rather like a tire-stem valve?) for recharging it with nitrogen (does the stock rear-shock even possess any nitrogen gas?), nor can the oil in the rear-shock be easily changed(?). Instead, my vague recollection is that Race Tech somehow modifies the stock rear-shock in such a way that it then has a rechargeable nitrogen valve, as well as a means for readily changing the oil? (Please help me to better understand all of this.)

Tony said that once Race Tech has modified the rear-shock, they recommend that it be recharged with nitrogen (at ~285 psi), and its oil replaced every 6000-10,000 miles, or perhaps at the end of every riding season if one puts this many miles on the bike per riding season. Does this sound right?

Tony also said that the front-forks should have the oil replaced at the same intervals, and that while most any good shop can easily do this work on the front-forks, the work required on the rear shock is very tricky, complicated, and best left to those who really know what the f*ck they're doing. Otherwise, Race Tech recommends that the rear-shock be sent to them each winter for this sort of inspection and servicing. (FWIW, I mentioned this to my dealer's service mgr., who said that they don't have the expertise to do the recommended yearly maintencnce with the Race Tech modified rear-shock, and that I ought to send it back to Race Tech as directed. Of course, the dealer is happy to remove the rear shock and send it to Race Tech, etc.)

Again, any help you can provide in clarifying these matters will be most appreciated! (And by the way, many thanks to those at this forum whose many previous postings and discussions gave me the idea to go with Race Tech modifications in the first place. I can hardly wait for spring to arrive.)

 

Nitro:

You are right, Progressive still makes a rear shock for 3rd and 4th gens. But for the price I've heard they are just OK.

I'd call Race Tech again and speak with Jennifer. If you are only having your rear shock re-sprung and re-oiled, I don't know why it would be so much?

BZ

 

Redrover:

I only ever spoke to Jennifer, but I know that my shock has a nitrogen nipple on top. If you click on the picture you can see it. I don't have a before pic of the shock becasue it was at the mechanic I go to, but when I got it back I could tell Race Tech had taken it apart and used the shell of the shock only. Its a 'new' shock now and their is the nitrogen nipple that was tapped and added on.

If memory serves, the stock shock does have a nitrogen charge and oil in it, but Honda never designed it to be re-worked. It was all internal and sealed. So when it wore out it was toast. Race Tech figured out a way pull it apart and replace the internals with their goodies.

As far as the servcing interval Redrover, I'd say a 10,000 mile refresh is probably NOT a bad idea. Guys who have Penske and Ohlins shocks at the track are always talking about "It's time to remove my rear shock and have it inspected and re-oiled". Alls Race Tech has done is one, improve your stock VFR shock and two, make it a rebuildable shock.

Just my 2 cents.

Oh, and glad my review was helpful too! Your VFR once its set up is gonna rail brother.

BZ

 

There is that better, LOL, I had no idea it did that. It's still a good upgrade for the money..Have you done anything to the front forks yet?

 

Yeah RVFR, I've been blessed with the same Race Tech springs and F3 internals mod you did!

We talked about it before, damn, you may be getting alzheimers!

LOL!

BZ

 

so you think this will let you keep up with the Gen3 rockets on Thunderbolt? Doubtful!

 

Keep antagonizing me and see what happens!:vader:

 

would have bought one of these if I were you

 

thinking more, you would need one of these too

 

but thinking thru all of this, I would just be easier to buy one of these....

 

Ya know, hmm what? shiiet??????

 

hey, pardon me for jumping in here being new and all, but could somebody point me to that front fork mod thread you refered to? i am in need of some advice, i just took my forks off yesterday, have not started on them yet. when you would hit the fornt brakes, the thing would dive 4 inches before any resistance was felt. some 2nd gear wheelie landings didnt help im sure. i have a close friend who went to mmi and works at a shop thats willing to help me, im just wondering what the standard procedure is for upgrading stock 20,000 mile forks is. if this is the wrong spot or i should start a new thread, somebody move it or let me know thanks

 

Say that shit, say that shit:tongue:

BZ

 

No man its cool.

The mod RVFR and I are talking about is taking the "internals" from a CBR F3's forks and putting them in the VFR fork tubes. This mod will give you 'some' rebound dampening.

In addition to this mod, you add Race Tech springs for your weight and their oil.

Now just replacing the spings and oil is a huge improvement. In addition, if you are going to wheelie, make sure you learn how to bring her down softly. Otherwise your just beating the shit out of the fork components and it will really cost you in the end.

The Race Tech spring and oil upgrade should only cost around 180.00 bucks. If you have the extra cash, add the gold valves too. This will require more work, but if you have professional help, shouldn't be bad.

BZ