70s bike tries to spit off rider

Non-shock.

Well, it was as the Guzzi doesn't do "kill the rider".
Soon found out why:
http://www.sweller.dynalias.org/kdr/

 

sweller says...

British made parts fail yet again.

The only corrosion on my Gixer appears to be on the British made discs
and calipers, which are much newer than the bike itself. Well done
Britain, we all know why there's **** all really in the way of a motor
industry over here.

 

Going by the black crap around the parts I'd say that's been corroding for a
while. Unless it's gunge after they separated.
I've seen crystallisation in alloy like that after exposure to salts and
stuff from the sea etc
Be thankful it weren't worse eh.....


--


--
Robbo

Trophy 1200 1998
BotaFOF #19. E.O.S.M 2001/2002/2003/2004.
B.O.S.M 2003, 2004, 2005
FURSWB#1 KotL..YTC449
PM#7
..

 

****!

Glad you're ok. I mate of minespent 3 months in hospital straightening his
spine out after a Koni piston rod sheared on his Dommie 650.

Hmm. got koni's on the TVR...

 

Dutch, YTC.

 

Koni's are made in Holland aren't they?

 

(The Older Gentleman) wrote in

Damn, Ginged by a minute or two. Shouldn't have re-edited to remove the disc
and caliper stuff.

On the subject of which, are the rotors cast iron Lozz?
And what make are the calipers?

 

The black - with a little number 3 - is the damping adjustment wheel
which was seized when I fitted them.
http://www.sweller.dynalias.org/kdr/photos/photo2.html

I think the shocks are about 15 years old as I've had them 8 years and
they were secondhand then.

 

I think so, there's a big Koni factory down the road in Oud Beijerland.

 

tallbloke says...

Bollocks, I was hoping no-one would know that.

They are AP Racing calipers and AP cast iron 320mm fully floating
discs. Weirdly the rotors themselves don't rust much, but all the
bobbins are in a totally shit corroded state, as are the pad retaining
pins. I'll be replacing the lot soon, but sending them off to be
properly replated before I fit them.

 

Not fucking surprising that it happened then, innit?

 

Ah. Joined the choir invisible, have they, or are you at this very moment
unearthing a 20-year-old tube of Araldite from the back of the shed?

 

It was a bit of surprise it snapped.

On reflection they were only 10 or 11 years old as my mate didn't have
them on his Guzzi that long until he took them off and gave them to me.

 

The shocks on the back of my Matchless are at least 25 years old. No sign of
that british engineering falling to bits though.

 

TBH there wasn't any sign of the Konis falling to bits until one let go.

I think it's very unusual for a shock to structurally fail in service as
they normally lose damping, leak etc. long before corrosion sets in.
British made or otherwise...

 

The koni that failed on my mates Dommie showed signs of corrosion to about
half way across on the sheared faces of the piston rod. Maybe it's worth
getting old koni's dye penetrant tested before trusting them.

 

Or save yourself the trouble and buy anything else instead.

 

Koni DARs were about the best twinshocks available at a reasonable price,
particularly for the Guzzis. Unfortunately they're no longer available
so secondhand is really the only way to get them. The rebuild places
aren't that cheap either.

The basic Hagons (approx £100) are shit on the bigger Guzzis and can't
cope with harder riding.

The Hagon Nitros (£300) are better but need the rear brake bracket
modifying which isn't too much of a problem.
http://www.hagon-shocks.co.uk/nitro.htm

Maxtons make handbuilt to riders weight and use for £360. Although I
don't know if there are fitting problems.
http://www.maxton.netspinners.co.uk/files/twinshocks.htm

There's also IKON an Australian firm with the old Koni tooling and at
£215 from Motorworks seem reasonable but I don't know anything of them.
http://www.ikonsuspension.com/index.html

Then there's Falco (UK), EV (Fra) and Wilburs (Ger) but I know nothing
about them at all or even how to contact the suppliers.

There's this from the US listing twinshock options but seems to be aimed
at the newer machines.
http://www.guzzitech.com/RearShocks.html


Inside trade opinions?

 

<snip> Summary of options.


Good post Si.

You'll be lucky. Twinshock sir? We don't ride those anymore...

 

Nice summary. I wa thinking of buying anything secondhand except *used*
Konis, if they fail like this. New, no probs, but if you can't get
'em.....

Don't Marzocchi make anything?