So I didn't put my side stand up and first left I tried to take sent me down. For my first time. It was low speed, maybe 10 mph. Didn't leave first gear. I checked the bike over real quick but and the only immediate problems I noticed was a snapped clutch lever (since replaced) and a small ding on my exhaust where the center stand must've contacted it when the thing hit the pavement.
Next day in tinkin around with it, going through the front brakes and handlebars to make sure nothing got twacked out. I go to sit on the bike and it feels low. I mean inches lower than normal. So I hop off and attempt to get it on the center stand. Which was harder than usual due to how low the rear was sagging. Once on the center stand, I notice the rear springs slow decompressing. Crap. What the hell did I do? Remove the springs and move the swingarm up and down. It moves easily, like it feels like it should. So I chalk it up to bent springs, they're 30 years old anyways, order an OEM pair off eBay and figured that was that.
Get the new springs, shine em up and slap them on. Go for a quick ride and notice they're sticking again. This time instead of slowly decompressing, lifting up on the sissy bar makes then twang or fling back into their resting position. I pull the shocks off and notice the piston rods look bent. During the test ride the bike handled a bit different. It seemed easier to flick left and right (could have been that I hadn't ridden in a week and wasn't used to the shocks or because they were set to the highest preload and/or that they were stuck in compressed mode). I also noticed some oil on the piston after removing them that I didn't notice before when cleaning them. Although they were dirty as hell when I got them.
I used a fluorescent tube and some chalk to see how the rear wheel stacked up against the front and nothing seems out of place. The ebayed shocks are both bent in what appears to be the same spot. I wish I would have inspected them more closely while I was shining them. I have a new in box pair on order. But what are my options here? Is it possible I bent my swingarm and the shocks weren't bent when I got them, putting them on my bike is what bent them? It's a shaft driven bike so it's kind difficult to look at the swingarm to determine whether its bent or not. Maybe my frame is bent? I'm at a bit of a loss. eBay dude said he'd take the old shocks back. On grounds that I pay shipping which I kinda think is bogus because I paid to have them shipped to begin with.
Tl;dr dropped bike,shocks stick, bought used pair, they stick too. Did I bend something or were the second set of shocks most likely bent as well?
Next day in tinkin around with it, going through the front brakes and handlebars to make sure nothing got twacked out. I go to sit on the bike and it feels low. I mean inches lower than normal. So I hop off and attempt to get it on the center stand. Which was harder than usual due to how low the rear was sagging. Once on the center stand, I notice the rear springs slow decompressing. Crap. What the hell did I do? Remove the springs and move the swingarm up and down. It moves easily, like it feels like it should. So I chalk it up to bent springs, they're 30 years old anyways, order an OEM pair off eBay and figured that was that.
Get the new springs, shine em up and slap them on. Go for a quick ride and notice they're sticking again. This time instead of slowly decompressing, lifting up on the sissy bar makes then twang or fling back into their resting position. I pull the shocks off and notice the piston rods look bent. During the test ride the bike handled a bit different. It seemed easier to flick left and right (could have been that I hadn't ridden in a week and wasn't used to the shocks or because they were set to the highest preload and/or that they were stuck in compressed mode). I also noticed some oil on the piston after removing them that I didn't notice before when cleaning them. Although they were dirty as hell when I got them.
I used a fluorescent tube and some chalk to see how the rear wheel stacked up against the front and nothing seems out of place. The ebayed shocks are both bent in what appears to be the same spot. I wish I would have inspected them more closely while I was shining them. I have a new in box pair on order. But what are my options here? Is it possible I bent my swingarm and the shocks weren't bent when I got them, putting them on my bike is what bent them? It's a shaft driven bike so it's kind difficult to look at the swingarm to determine whether its bent or not. Maybe my frame is bent? I'm at a bit of a loss. eBay dude said he'd take the old shocks back. On grounds that I pay shipping which I kinda think is bogus because I paid to have them shipped to begin with.
Tl;dr dropped bike,shocks stick, bought used pair, they stick too. Did I bend something or were the second set of shocks most likely bent as well?
