Learned collective, a possibly dumb question if I may?
My FF was absolutely fine when I parked it up for the winter (yes, I know, I’m a whimp). Now the back end is very soft; it compresses easily (too easily) and it knocks when ‘bounced’, like it’s bottoming out. Putting 40psi in it stops the knock when it’s bounced, but it’s nowhere near as stiff as it should be at that pressure and it still compresses too easily.
Symptomatically, if I was forced to guess, I’d say the spring has broken.
It doesn’t appear to be leaking oil.
Now to my dumb questions…
Have these springs been known to physically fail in the past?
Is there anything else that can present these symptoms other than a knackered shock?
If it was fine when last ridden, what could have caused the soft, weak back end while it was parked and not being ridden?
It’s an original fit Showa shock if that helps. I know they were crap when they were new, but they weren’t THAT crap.
If it’s the original Showa shock then it’s an air shock. Try looking for the air valve on the end of the hose coming out of the top of the shock. Add air and see how you go?
The shocks still have springs. The air is to add “pre-load”. And he stated he did add air, the max of 40 PSI.
While I have never heard of a spring breaking in the stock shocks, it sure sounds like your shock has failed. I’ve had them do what yours did. And I’ve had them “lock” and not allow movement.
In any case, sounds like it’s time for a new shock. The stock ones are, in my opinion, not worth rebuilding. And if it’s the dampening circuits, which it has been for me, I don’t think there’s anything you can do about it.
Mine had been standing for 15 years when I bought it, shock was fine until I started moving it around and it did the same thing. Complete collapse. I assumed it was a perished seal inside that finally gave in once it began to move. Can recommend the YSS mono.