Hi Andre, I'd just like to thank you for the video you produced on changing the rear shock on the CRF 300 Rally. I found the suspension far too soft (as it seems do most owners), and was advised that a replacement was the best option. Your video was invaluable. Not only was it simple to follow, but it highlighted all the areas that needed attention/caution, and you also provided important bits of information, such as lube on the lower bolts, and the required torque settings. It gave me the confidence to have a go myself, and as I am regularly being told, there is no better way of getting to know how your bike works, and how to look after it. I am immensely grateful to you.
Hi Tony, thanks and you’re very welcome. Most of these things I do for me, and the filming and sharing is generally to allow for others to learn from my mistakes. This isn’t my job, and I doubt it ever will be but I’m always delighted when my messing around in the garage helps others. Glad it worked out. Ride safe!
I just want to echo Tony's thanks, I've watched this and others about changing rear shocks a few times now, however yours is the most helpful one as it contains all the errors you could make, the tools required and all the torque settings, plus its the only Rally300 one I've seen. So as always a big thumbs up from me as well.... I've gone for the K-tech razor lite from Brookes, they were awesomely helpful when I ordered. Once I've done the back, I also have a spring to swap in the front... I think that looks more tricky but still DIY'able. Unfortunately you sent yours off so no video from you, as far as I can see, but I think I am ready for it.. need a stand before I start it too.
@@steveh100 thanks! I’d like to think I make as many errors as possible. I’d pretend it was on purpose, but people would know! 🤣. Sounds like a great setup that you have. Enjoy the ride!
Thanks for the excellent how-to video. I just installed a YSS shock on my 300L and this was just the ticket. Including what not to do helped as well. With the 300L you only need to remove left side bodywork to access the upper shock nut. Otherwise much the same. Removing the rear wheel first does make shock removal and install an easy 1 person job - lining up the bolts and everything takes no effort. Was able to do it without the extra set of hands.
Yup. That makes sense. I’ll do that next time. I was going to remove the swingarm and grease the swingarm linkage at some point, so will take it all apart then. Autumn perhaps!
Hello from Melbourne Australia, First time commenting on your channel, I'd like to start by saying how much I enjoy watching your videos, I can't believe I have found a channel that actually backs up there findings with facts and science. Thank you for sharing all your hard work as even though I am so far away, I can still appreciate how easy you make it for everyone especially on such a new model. I will be waiting & watching for your future videos, cheers.
Hello in Melbourne! (Apologies for the delayed reply, for some reason this message, and this alone, was moved to 'Held for Review'.... no idea why) Thanks for the feedback. Ideally I'd back everything up, but some things are easy (weighing components for a weight saving comparison, or measuring the exhaust volume to existing standards). I'm still trying to think how I can explain the suspension changes... I can do sag measurements, but I think all that shows is that the new suspension confirms to the norms that all suspension should meet. Many use helpful references like 'it's completely transformed the bike'... I still don't know what this means. The challenge, for me at least, is that the suspension upgrade is so expensive, that justification though explanation without measurements to back it up is (in my opinion) not that helpful. I'd even go so far to say that if you're under 100kg, that it's not worth it. If over 100kg, and your budget has some spare capacity that it might be worth it. For me, and my personal circumstances, I think it is. I can afford it, and at 125kg in gear, the stock suspension was bottoming out. I'm also a fairly novice offroad rider and the increase in traction and control makes me look better than I am 😁. That said, even I rode the bike quite happily on stock tyres and suspension for 600 miles, so why not 6,000 or more..
Hey Andre, thanks for the video. You surely made it look very difficult. I've just replaced mine with one from Hagon Shocks and it was super easy. No need for fancy stands, taking off all the plastics, fixing wheel with ties and etc. Long bolt out, short out, top out, reverse. Done.
Hi Andre from down here in New Zealand. Just want to say a quick thank you for your fantastic videos, You do a brilliant explaination & video. Cheers mate . Grant
Great video. Informative and clear. It will save a lot of people a lot of time. It is crazy that you can buy an set of 2 Billstein shocks (with reservoirs), 2 Icon springs, and 2 Billstein coilovers to do a 2.5" lift on a 5th gen 4Runner for the price of that one shock for a $6,000 motorcycle. It makes no sense why they are that expensive. The absurd pricing is why I rarely upgrade suspension parts on bikes. I just can't get past the price on (1) coilover shock for a motorcycle when more robust, high performing parts for 4 wheel vehicles are far cheaper. Also, you need an impact wrench!
It is silly money, absolutely, but still cheaper than the other options. With the UK lockdown, there’s been no vacations for 15 months and pubs and restaurants have been closed for much of that, saving up for these ridiculous costs has been a bit easier than it would have been in previous years. And yes on the impact wrench! Though many of the Honda bolts are cheap and soft, so while the impact wrench would help for some, it might also round the heads off on others… am sort of hoping someone else tries that and shares the outcome first! There’s only so many things I’m willing to get wrong for the benefit of others!
@@PeakMotorcycles I have both electric (battery) and air tools. I find myself using the electric stuff most often. Most of the newer electric stuff allows you to vary the torque. They are far quieter than the air tools too. I use the 1/4" impact all the time on my bikes. No issues. I use the 1/2" impact strictly for my axle nut. Even if you don't use them to tighten, they are great for loosening. Another option is a battery powered drill with the clutch set high. Then use your wrenches to tighten to spec. Before I got my impacts I would use my Dewalt drill as one. 😂
@@someguy5035 I have a 1/4” Milwaukee 12v impact wrench which I mainly use for roofing bolts, fencing and gate fittings. It’s in the barn with the farm stuff. I never thought of using that in the workshop but will give it a go. 👍
Fair point but I think motorcycle suspension manufacturers are doubly affected the relatively small demand for their products. They have fewer sales to dilute the r&d costs and manufacture in quantities that make the unit cost significantly higher. I'm sure Honda could get a much better deal on quality suspension components if they wanted to...
@@natekerx85 absolutely. There’s also so much more variation depending on the rider vs the driver. In a car, different sized drivers might make a 3-5% weight difference, spread across 4 corners. On a bike, that same difference in rider weight would be 20-35% and from an engineering perspective, that needs far more variation, for which you might sell one rear shock. A lot or folks will ride it stock too so the cost reflects just how niche it is.
Thanks! I’ll know for next time. And yes, the camera angles are a pain. If only they made GoPro 7s with bigger screens. On the front. So you can actually see where they are pointing!
Sorry man didn't mean to be critical...My fault i thought this was a recent post didn't realise it was months ago. Like i said good video well explained and we are all learning all the time. (;
No problem at all. Criticism is fine, especially when due! Time is immaterial. It’ll be up for a while, and I’m sure you won’t be the last to set me right. All feedback is useful both to me and others. I even leave up the mean comments that aren’t helpful, (yours is helpful, so you’re good!). All comments are welcome and appreciated.
Sometimes four hands (or Mrs. Peak Motorcycles) would help. Thanks for showing us how to change the rear shock. Interesting that the high-quality Nitron shock weighs just the same. Hope it performs a lot better than the standard one. Looking forward to your riding test. Günter from Nürnberg/Germany
She was busy 😁 though did offer to help if required. I said I'd try on my own... and yes odd that it weighs the same, though I think that's because it's made from lighter materials but is more robust and the two balance out.
Hi, my apologies for the delayed reply, I was thinking how I could do it and be useful. I’m still struggling with that, but I was out for 5h on rocky tracks on Saturday, so tried to film various terrain and talk through how it is different (improved). I’m riding faster and have more confidence. Some of this may be practice, but where before I’d grab the bars and find my weight going back as I bumped over rocks, the suspension now just takes it. Even on rough cobbles on an old Roman road, it’s so much easier than it was. I still don’t think it’s a great way to show a comparison, but it’s the closest I can do for now. If you have any suggestions, I’d be happy to attempt. (I’ve thought about riding the same trail twice, but with image stabilisation on the GoPro, and my lack of consistency in riding, I don’t think it’s a useful comparison. Not enough at least.
@@PeakMotorcycles Great to hear. Sometimes words are enough. The main points were hitting the rear travel limits, being lifted in an anti-gravity state, do the forks help tame the front and last but not least, was the investment worth the effort if trails and unimproved roads are common. Thanks again.
Another great informative episode.The rear shock is possibly the most important imo. I'd be interested to know the final build cost. 6k bike plus all the after market parts versus a AJP PR7 at 9k. Thanks always entertaining and interesting.
I’m at £6k bike + £1600 mods so far. £1200 suspension, £200 exhaust, £200 everything else that will stay on the bike (so not counting luggage, rack or my GPS which I already had from my GS). I was asked about a similar comparison with a Tenere 700. I guess one question is if the stock PR7 suspension is the right spec for you? If it is, then is the extra cost worth it. For me, the benefit of the CRF is the weight and reliability. It’s not powerful, but for the riding I’m doing, it’s enough.
Hi Rocky, I've been thinking about how to do a comparison, and it's tricky because I'm not sure how to do it in a way that makes sense to the viewer. The shock effectiveness varies depending on weight, so for me, (at 120Kg in gear...) it makes a big difference, but if you're 70kg, then the stock shock with pre-load turned on will probably be fine. Also it's where you're riding; smooth forest trails are very different to the rocky trails we get over here. In an attempt to do something, I have a video out on Friday of a local trail ride that I did last weekend where I attempt to show and describe how it's changed. Not sure how successful it is, (and the GoPro image stabilisation doesn't help!) but see what you think. If you have specific questions, I'm happy to try to answer them, but I think the key one is understanding how heavy you are (in gear), and then what trails you're riding.
Fork upgrade was separate. At the time (May 2021) there weren’t any fork upgrades, so I sent my forks to Andreani in Italy, and they did mine as the first ‘Rally’ cartridge.
Nice detailed video. I imagine that is going to be just the ticket to improve the handling of this bike. Shame about the way the preload is dialed in, so difficult to get at I'm guessing.
Yup. I think it’s accessible if you remove the mudguard, but not something that’s easy to do if you’ve taken luggage off. I’m hoping Nitron will make a remote available. Others will I’m sure.
🤣. Maybe something stronger. ‘Still, at least lots of people pointed out what I was doing wrong, so at least it’s a good learning experience, even if the Balblair 90 causes memory loss 🥃
Love the videos. Could you expand on how you are able to adjust the preload once installed? I have the exact same setup and need to take a little preload out to get proper sag. Trying not to booger up my beautiful new shock.
It's top stuff! I had the Ohlins TTX on my old Speed Triple 1050R and it was awesome. Nothing available yet for the CRF300 (some have put the 250 shocks on, but they aren't made for the bike).
Hi Andre, yet another great video! Cheers! Where do you get your torque settings? I guess it’s from some kind of workshop manual, I just can’t get my hands on anything useful and I wonder if you could give me some pointers?
I don’t think you need to take all the plastics off. I think just the mudguard in front of the rear wheel which comes off with two screws. I’ll check though. It’s been over a year since I did mine, and other than a tweak on the damping (adjuster towards the bottom) I’ve left mine pretty much setup as it came for me.
I found a 300 rally. I live in Maine and had to drive 500 miles to Pennsylvania to get it! I’m definitely finding the suspension to be soft as I am 220 pounds without gear. Looking forward to hearing how the new shock is working out for you!
Tks for that. A good watch. Question. Did u film the 2nd and 3rd bolt removal in mirror image? I noticed the removal of them like they were reverse threaded
Very NICE grey spring NITRON but I don't understand why Ohlins hasn't yet done the REAR Shock/ dedicated / to the new Rally300L ( 2021 2022 ) Because the code HO703 Ohlins, "goes there" but modifies the geometry of the Bike..... I asked to Andreani if Ohlins is preparing the specific rear shock for this new RALLY 300L .... I await an answer Ciao!!!
I guess they started with the initial market in Asia? The bike was out there 6 months before any were for export (September ‘20 vs March ‘21 for the UK), though it has been a while and you’d think they’d have sorted it by now. You can’t beat a bit of yellow and gold!
@@PeakMotorcycles unfortunately no Ohlins is foreseen for our Rally (and normal 300L) I'm in the estimate and cost phase with Andreani and his Partner, here in Milan Italy, to assemble an Ohlins monoshock (prototype) with the same geometries, dimensions and stroke of the SHOWA OEM mounted .... (the cost will be around 1000 euros) they will change the stem and other components, probably working on the HO703 model (which has a shorter stroke but more length) 426 vs 413oem.
@@lukestringer2177 thanks for that. I guess it might be along at some point €1000 is a lot, but I’m sure some will pay it. It’s unfortunate that it’s taken this long. I probably would have gone for an Ohlins rear had it been available. It may be better than my Nitron, but perhaps not enough to justify the cost.
No fitting for the swing arm, I just used the strap that came with the skylift and put it round the axle. For the higher one, that’s just a regular ratchet strap looped round the seat and fixed to one of the pannier rack bolts.
Depends who you ask 🤣. For me, probably. (But I hear good things about the cheaper YSS shocks too) if you ask my wife, well, she can give you a list of things that the money could have been better spent on…
@@PeakMotorcycles fitted mine today following your excellent video, thank you Andre 😃 btw…did I see you at the Strines boozer supping coffee other day?
One off topic question. What is your tire pressure on rear tire? I am asking because i am a beginner rider and I still not bold enough to lean much the bike especially on knobby tires and as i can see on your rear tire it’s worn until the half of the 2nd row of knobs(i am barely touching the start of that row like 1-2mm not half of it like you) Don’t get me wrong this is not a chicken strips debate but pure educational question how normal experienced riders ride.
I’m not really an experienced rider, not off road at least, I’ve done quite a lot on road. I use the bike as a dual sport, riding on road to and from the trails, so if I’m riding rocky trails nearby (10-15 miles from home) I run 18psi front and back. If I have more roads to cover to get to the trails, such as Wales or the ABR Festival, then I run the spec 22psi front and back. That said, I felt I needed the 18psi for traction when on the stock suspension. With the upgrades, I don’t need the softness in the tyres as much to maintain grip and traction, so I expect I’ll run 20-22psi now, at least until I change the tyres and switch to HD tubes.
Enjoyed the video but you could have made the job much easier. No need to crawl on the floor when using the Sky lift, Just remove the rear strap and lift to required height the rear only will come up to waste height if need be and you could strap the rear wheel to the subframe to stop the swing arm from dropping too low or remove the rear wheel which would make the job lighter. But thumbs up anyway
@@zeez9053 I’m not sure about the bearings. I know the axles and the bolts for the rear suspension linkage are all somewhat light on grease. I’d heard the same about the swingarm (as Jay Box mentioned) but hadn’t noticed any friction, and as I wasn’t removing it to fit the shock, didn’t want to do more work than I had to. I expect I’ll do it when I change my rear tyre and strip down, clean and degrease it all then.
Sprung for my weight. Better damping which is also adjustable. Allows correct sag setting (10% unloaded, 30% static sag). Better handling, better traction. Less bouncy.
Hi, Unfortunately my Spanish is not as good as your English. I checked how it might work and I either need to type it (which is unlikely given my limited knowledge of Spanish) or RUclips will auto-subtitle it. support.google.com/youtube/answer/6373554?hl=en-GB#zippy=%2Cautomatic-captions-on-long-form-videos-and-shorts I've added Spanish to the two videos you requested. Not sure if this means they'll add it automatically, but we shall see. You have my apologies if they don't.
I got my from Brook Suspension in the UK: www.brooksuspension.co.uk/honda-crf300-rally-nitron-r1-shock-absorber-21/ Nitron also have several dealers in the US: www.nitron.co.uk/dealers
🤣🤣🤣 I think, including bodywork removal and refitting, it’s a 3-4hr job to make the switch. Despite the run time, I did try to keep it as short as possible, but there were a few bits where I though it was useful to show what I did wrong, or in the wrong sequence. Good luck!
🤣🤣🤣 the UK has been closed for 18 months so no vacations and I’ve just worked. You can’t take it with you, so might as well spend an excessive amount on suspension….
Really painful to watch. You make such a drama out of dropping the shock. The bike isn’t going to fall over as it’s clamped by the abba. Get a breaker bar or an electric gun instead of heaving on a short rachet handle. Do the top bolt last so you can hold the shock when you take the bolt out. You completely missed out all the bearings which are almost dry from the factory. Use a long tyre leaver under the rear tyre so you can lift it up and down when aligning the linkage bolts. The port in the top of the shock is not for remote preload it’s for gas charging. This is a way easier job than you made it appear.
Thanks! Sounds like you’ve got it all sorted. That advice would have been awesome before I started. Stable door. Horse bolted etc. , though apologies for causing pain, it was not intentional. Next time, just stop and stop the suffering.
@@PeakMotorcycles HORNET6 is right. You clearly are not experienced with the tools which is not a shot against you but you're offering advice on techniques you things you aren't skilled in. The quality of the vid's is good. Get someone else on the tools.
Get someone in? I think you overestimate the number of people around here and just how much money these videos make. 😉. The people who watch these, aren’t watching so that they know what to tell their mechanic to do. If anything, I’d rather make the mistakes and be corrected by experts like yourself so that they don’t make the same mistakes, and we all learn. Not you, obvs, but you and Mr. H already know it, so you’ll be just fine. Thanks for the feedback, every watch and comment feeds the algorithm and who know’s , maybe one day I’ll be able to pay someone to do this so that I don’t have to! Ride safe.
Hi Andre, I'd just like to thank you for the video you produced on changing the rear shock on the CRF 300 Rally. I found the suspension far too soft (as it seems do most owners), and was advised that a replacement was the best option. Your video was invaluable. Not only was it simple to follow, but it highlighted all the areas that needed attention/caution, and you also provided important bits of information, such as lube on the lower bolts, and the required torque settings. It gave me the confidence to have a go myself, and as I am regularly being told, there is no better way of getting to know how your bike works, and how to look after it. I am immensely grateful to you.
Hi Tony, thanks and you’re very welcome. Most of these things I do for me, and the filming and sharing is generally to allow for others to learn from my mistakes. This isn’t my job, and I doubt it ever will be but I’m always delighted when my messing around in the garage helps others. Glad it worked out. Ride safe!
I just want to echo Tony's thanks, I've watched this and others about changing rear shocks a few times now, however yours is the most helpful one as it contains all the errors you could make, the tools required and all the torque settings, plus its the only Rally300 one I've seen. So as always a big thumbs up from me as well.... I've gone for the K-tech razor lite from Brookes, they were awesomely helpful when I ordered. Once I've done the back, I also have a spring to swap in the front... I think that looks more tricky but still DIY'able. Unfortunately you sent yours off so no video from you, as far as I can see, but I think I am ready for it.. need a stand before I start it too.
@@steveh100 thanks! I’d like to think I make as many errors as possible. I’d pretend it was on purpose, but people would know! 🤣. Sounds like a great setup that you have. Enjoy the ride!
Thanks for the excellent how-to video. I just installed a YSS shock on my 300L and this was just the ticket. Including what not to do helped as well. With the 300L you only need to remove left side bodywork to access the upper shock nut. Otherwise much the same. Removing the rear wheel first does make shock removal and install an easy 1 person job - lining up the bolts and everything takes no effort. Was able to do it without the extra set of hands.
Good to know and glad it was helpful!
I always remove the rear wheel as it makes it much easier moving the swingarm as it's lighter. Quick and easy job too.
Yup. That makes sense. I’ll do that next time. I was going to remove the swingarm and grease the swingarm linkage at some point, so will take it all apart then. Autumn perhaps!
Thanks, that looked quite an effort to do and film. Looking forward to seeing how the shock works for you.
Yup, will get to that in the coming weeks. My apologies for the delay!
Hello from Melbourne Australia, First time commenting on your channel, I'd like to start by saying how much I enjoy watching your videos, I can't believe I have found a channel that actually backs up there findings with facts and science. Thank you for sharing all your hard work as even though I am so far away, I can still appreciate how easy you make it for everyone especially on such a new model. I will be waiting & watching for your future videos, cheers.
Hello in Melbourne! (Apologies for the delayed reply, for some reason this message, and this alone, was moved to 'Held for Review'.... no idea why) Thanks for the feedback. Ideally I'd back everything up, but some things are easy (weighing components for a weight saving comparison, or measuring the exhaust volume to existing standards). I'm still trying to think how I can explain the suspension changes... I can do sag measurements, but I think all that shows is that the new suspension confirms to the norms that all suspension should meet. Many use helpful references like 'it's completely transformed the bike'... I still don't know what this means. The challenge, for me at least, is that the suspension upgrade is so expensive, that justification though explanation without measurements to back it up is (in my opinion) not that helpful.
I'd even go so far to say that if you're under 100kg, that it's not worth it. If over 100kg, and your budget has some spare capacity that it might be worth it. For me, and my personal circumstances, I think it is. I can afford it, and at 125kg in gear, the stock suspension was bottoming out. I'm also a fairly novice offroad rider and the increase in traction and control makes me look better than I am 😁. That said, even I rode the bike quite happily on stock tyres and suspension for 600 miles, so why not 6,000 or more..
Looking forward to hear your thoughts on how this improves the bike
It's on the list, though I've done a few hundred miles so far with 20Kg of luggage, and it's so much more stable!
@@PeakMotorcycles Can you do some more videos of like Pros/Cons - of stock compared to this and did you do the Front fork springs?
Thanks again for another informative vid, The Nitron looks a quality unit,
Aye, it looks like it. Let’s hope it’s worth the cost!
Hey Andre, thanks for the video. You surely made it look very difficult. I've just replaced mine with one from Hagon Shocks and it was super easy. No need for fancy stands, taking off all the plastics, fixing wheel with ties and etc. Long bolt out, short out, top out, reverse. Done.
I should have done that 🤣
Hi Andre from down here in New Zealand. Just want to say a quick thank you for your fantastic videos, You do a brilliant explaination & video. Cheers mate . Grant
Thanks Grant
Great video. Informative and clear. It will save a lot of people a lot of time.
It is crazy that you can buy an set of 2 Billstein shocks (with reservoirs), 2 Icon springs, and 2 Billstein coilovers to do a 2.5" lift on a 5th gen 4Runner for the price of that one shock for a $6,000 motorcycle.
It makes no sense why they are that expensive. The absurd pricing is why I rarely upgrade suspension parts on bikes. I just can't get past the price on (1) coilover shock for a motorcycle when more robust, high performing parts for 4 wheel vehicles are far cheaper.
Also, you need an impact wrench!
It is silly money, absolutely, but still cheaper than the other options. With the UK lockdown, there’s been no vacations for 15 months and pubs and restaurants have been closed for much of that, saving up for these ridiculous costs has been a bit easier than it would have been in previous years.
And yes on the impact wrench! Though many of the Honda bolts are cheap and soft, so while the impact wrench would help for some, it might also round the heads off on others… am sort of hoping someone else tries that and shares the outcome first! There’s only so many things I’m willing to get wrong for the benefit of others!
@@PeakMotorcycles I have both electric (battery) and air tools. I find myself using the electric stuff most often. Most of the newer electric stuff allows you to vary the torque. They are far quieter than the air tools too. I use the 1/4" impact all the time on my bikes. No issues. I use the 1/2" impact strictly for my axle nut.
Even if you don't use them to tighten, they are great for loosening.
Another option is a battery powered drill with the clutch set high. Then use your wrenches to tighten to spec.
Before I got my impacts I would use my Dewalt drill as one. 😂
@@someguy5035 I have a 1/4” Milwaukee 12v impact wrench which I mainly use for roofing bolts, fencing and gate fittings. It’s in the barn with the farm stuff. I never thought of using that in the workshop but will give it a go. 👍
Fair point but I think motorcycle suspension manufacturers are doubly affected the relatively small demand for their products. They have fewer sales to dilute the r&d costs and manufacture in quantities that make the unit cost significantly higher. I'm sure Honda could get a much better deal on quality suspension components if they wanted to...
@@natekerx85 absolutely. There’s also so much more variation depending on the rider vs the driver. In a car, different sized drivers might make a 3-5% weight difference, spread across 4 corners. On a bike, that same difference in rider weight would be 20-35% and from an engineering perspective, that needs far more variation, for which you might sell one rear shock. A lot or folks will ride it stock too so the cost reflects just how niche it is.
Great video, great production (camera angles, etc). Thanks for sharing!!! And yes, this is a two man job.
Thanks! I’ll know for next time. And yes, the camera angles are a pain. If only they made GoPro 7s with bigger screens. On the front. So you can actually see where they are pointing!
Thanks for the jacking info - EXCELLENT!
You’re welcome.
Cracking vid as usual. I'm now thinking that I could do this myself. cheers
I’m sure you can. A few folk had mentioned ways that I could do it better, but it worked and continues to work! Good luck with yours.
Sorry man didn't mean to be critical...My fault i thought this was a recent post didn't realise it was months ago. Like i said good video well explained and we are all learning all the time. (;
No problem at all. Criticism is fine, especially when due! Time is immaterial. It’ll be up for a while, and I’m sure you won’t be the last to set me right. All feedback is useful both to me and others.
I even leave up the mean comments that aren’t helpful, (yours is helpful, so you’re good!). All comments are welcome and appreciated.
Sometimes four hands (or Mrs. Peak Motorcycles) would help. Thanks for showing us how to change the rear shock. Interesting that the high-quality Nitron shock weighs just the same. Hope it performs a lot better than the standard one. Looking forward to your riding test. Günter from Nürnberg/Germany
She was busy 😁 though did offer to help if required. I said I'd try on my own... and yes odd that it weighs the same, though I think that's because it's made from lighter materials but is more robust and the two balance out.
@@PeakMotorcycles A better shock with the same weight. Sounds good
Hello Peak, please do a future ride review of the nitron and upgrafed forks. Thanks for the videos
Hi, my apologies for the delayed reply, I was thinking how I could do it and be useful. I’m still struggling with that, but I was out for 5h on rocky tracks on Saturday, so tried to film various terrain and talk through how it is different (improved). I’m riding faster and have more confidence. Some of this may be practice, but where before I’d grab the bars and find my weight going back as I bumped over rocks, the suspension now just takes it. Even on rough cobbles on an old Roman road, it’s so much easier than it was. I still don’t think it’s a great way to show a comparison, but it’s the closest I can do for now. If you have any suggestions, I’d be happy to attempt. (I’ve thought about riding the same trail twice, but with image stabilisation on the GoPro, and my lack of consistency in riding, I don’t think it’s a useful comparison. Not enough at least.
@@PeakMotorcycles Great to hear. Sometimes words are enough. The main points were hitting the rear travel limits, being lifted in an anti-gravity state, do the forks help tame the front and last but not least, was the investment worth the effort if trails and unimproved roads are common. Thanks again.
Another great informative episode.The rear shock is possibly the most important imo. I'd be interested to know the final build cost. 6k bike plus all the after market parts versus a AJP PR7 at 9k.
Thanks always entertaining and interesting.
I’m at £6k bike + £1600 mods so far. £1200 suspension, £200 exhaust, £200 everything else that will stay on the bike (so not counting luggage, rack or my GPS which I already had from my GS). I was asked about a similar comparison with a Tenere 700. I guess one question is if the stock PR7 suspension is the right spec for you? If it is, then is the extra cost worth it. For me, the benefit of the CRF is the weight and reliability. It’s not powerful, but for the riding I’m doing, it’s enough.
I'd love to watch a review and comparison of this shock v. stock now it's installed!
Hi Rocky, I've been thinking about how to do a comparison, and it's tricky because I'm not sure how to do it in a way that makes sense to the viewer. The shock effectiveness varies depending on weight, so for me, (at 120Kg in gear...) it makes a big difference, but if you're 70kg, then the stock shock with pre-load turned on will probably be fine. Also it's where you're riding; smooth forest trails are very different to the rocky trails we get over here. In an attempt to do something, I have a video out on Friday of a local trail ride that I did last weekend where I attempt to show and describe how it's changed. Not sure how successful it is, (and the GoPro image stabilisation doesn't help!) but see what you think. If you have specific questions, I'm happy to try to answer them, but I think the key one is understanding how heavy you are (in gear), and then what trails you're riding.
thanks for the vid, very informative. Did you just change the rear shock or did you do the fork upgrade at the same time?
Fork upgrade was separate. At the time (May 2021) there weren’t any fork upgrades, so I sent my forks to Andreani in Italy, and they did mine as the first ‘Rally’ cartridge.
Nice detailed video. I imagine that is going to be just the ticket to improve the handling of this bike. Shame about the way the preload is dialed in, so difficult to get at I'm guessing.
Yup. I think it’s accessible if you remove the mudguard, but not something that’s easy to do if you’ve taken luggage off. I’m hoping Nitron will make a remote available. Others will I’m sure.
Hope you enjoyed a pint after that project. Great job!
🤣. Maybe something stronger. ‘Still, at least lots of people pointed out what I was doing wrong, so at least it’s a good learning experience, even if the Balblair 90 causes memory loss 🥃
Well done 👍 I am interested to see how easy it is to adjust the preload.
I read somewhere that the 250 Rally rear shock is the same size as the 300.
Not easy for the preload. If anything, it’s harder than the stock. The damping adjuster is very easy to get to.
Love the videos. Could you expand on how you are able to adjust the preload once installed? I have the exact same setup and need to take a little preload out to get proper sag. Trying not to booger up my beautiful new shock.
Awesome job bud 👌🏻
Thanks
nice work!!! i love the ohlins on our gsxr .
It's top stuff! I had the Ohlins TTX on my old Speed Triple 1050R and it was awesome. Nothing available yet for the CRF300 (some have put the 250 shocks on, but they aren't made for the bike).
Hi Andre, yet another great video! Cheers!
Where do you get your torque settings? I guess it’s from some kind of workshop manual, I just can’t get my hands on anything useful and I wonder if you could give me some pointers?
If you send me an email to admin@peakmotorcycles.com I’ll send you the .pdf 😉
You really should torque from the nut side, cool video
Thanks and yes, I should!
I saw some one put a dab of super glue on the washer & nut & then place them in the socket to get the top fixing easy
Yup. I guess that’ll work, though I didn’t find it that tricky to get the washer and nut on the bolt.
The fitting on the top that you faced forward can’t be for remote pre load as that would need to compress the spring?
Remote reservoir
It’s for refilling, not an external remote or reservoir.
Is it impossible or just difficult to change the preload without taking out the shock? And you can only do it if you take off all the plastic right?
I don’t think you need to take all the plastics off. I think just the mudguard in front of the rear wheel which comes off with two screws. I’ll check though. It’s been over a year since I did mine, and other than a tweak on the damping (adjuster towards the bottom) I’ve left mine pretty much setup as it came for me.
Great video…damn
It was ok. Great might be pushing it 🤣
This American is awake! Nice job. Where on earth did you find it?
Good morning! 🤣. Find it? The shock you mean? Or the bike? The shock came from Brook Suspension in the UK. The bike came from my Honda dealer.
I found a 300 rally. I live in Maine and had to drive 500 miles to Pennsylvania to get it! I’m definitely finding the suspension to be soft as I am 220 pounds without gear. Looking forward to hearing how the new shock is working out for you!
Cool
There wasn’t a lot of choice last year, but I’m still happy with it.
Tks for that. A good watch. Question. Did u film the 2nd and 3rd bolt removal in mirror image? I noticed the removal of them like they were reverse threaded
Nope, they are threaded the right way. Perhaps I was undoing from the other side, so it looks reversed but isn’t?
@@PeakMotorcycles I'll have another look at it. Probably I'm loosing it with age lol. Tks for reply. I'll need it if I change my 300L shock. Tks
Very NICE grey spring NITRON but I don't understand why Ohlins hasn't yet done the REAR Shock/ dedicated / to the new Rally300L ( 2021 2022 )
Because the code HO703 Ohlins, "goes there" but modifies the geometry of the Bike.....
I asked to Andreani if Ohlins is preparing the specific rear shock for this new RALLY 300L .... I await an answer
Ciao!!!
I guess they started with the initial market in Asia? The bike was out there 6 months before any were for export (September ‘20 vs March ‘21 for the UK), though it has been a while and you’d think they’d have sorted it by now. You can’t beat a bit of yellow and gold!
@@PeakMotorcycles unfortunately no Ohlins is foreseen for our Rally (and normal 300L) I'm in the estimate and cost phase with Andreani and his Partner, here in Milan Italy, to assemble an Ohlins monoshock (prototype) with the same geometries, dimensions and stroke of the SHOWA OEM mounted ....
(the cost will be around 1000 euros)
they will change the stem and other components, probably working on the HO703 model (which has a shorter stroke but more length) 426 vs 413oem.
@@lukestringer2177 thanks for that. I guess it might be along at some point €1000 is a lot, but I’m sure some will pay it. It’s unfortunate that it’s taken this long. I probably would have gone for an Ohlins rear had it been available. It may be better than my Nitron, but perhaps not enough to justify the cost.
I have the same ABBA lift I use for my Ducati Diavel. Where did you get the fitting for the swing arm for the 300L?
No fitting for the swing arm, I just used the strap that came with the skylift and put it round the axle. For the higher one, that’s just a regular ratchet strap looped round the seat and fixed to one of the pannier rack bolts.
Incorrect torque value for shock top bolt
crf300 service manual says 44nm and not 54nm
54nm is for crf250
Thanks. I think all I had was a CRF250 manual at the time. I shall check it. 👍 (though it’s been a year and a half and no problems yet)
Nice job! Money well spent I'm guessing.
Depends who you ask 🤣. For me, probably. (But I hear good things about the cheaper YSS shocks too) if you ask my wife, well, she can give you a list of things that the money could have been better spent on…
Torque settings: Top bolt 55nm, bottom linkage bolts 44nm yer know just fyi
Thanks Richard 👍
@@PeakMotorcycles fitted mine today following your excellent video, thank you Andre 😃 btw…did I see you at the Strines boozer supping coffee other day?
One off topic question. What is your tire pressure on rear tire? I am asking because i am a beginner rider and I still not bold enough to lean much the bike especially on knobby tires and as i can see on your rear tire it’s worn until the half of the 2nd row of knobs(i am barely touching the start of that row like 1-2mm not half of it like you) Don’t get me wrong this is not a chicken strips debate but pure educational question how normal experienced riders ride.
I’m not really an experienced rider, not off road at least, I’ve done quite a lot on road. I use the bike as a dual sport, riding on road to and from the trails, so if I’m riding rocky trails nearby (10-15 miles from home) I run 18psi front and back. If I have more roads to cover to get to the trails, such as Wales or the ABR Festival, then I run the spec 22psi front and back. That said, I felt I needed the 18psi for traction when on the stock suspension. With the upgrades, I don’t need the softness in the tyres as much to maintain grip and traction, so I expect I’ll run 20-22psi now, at least until I change the tyres and switch to HD tubes.
Enjoyed the video but you could have made the job much easier. No need to crawl on the floor when using the Sky lift, Just remove the rear strap and lift to required height the rear only will come up to waste height if need be and you could strap the rear wheel to the subframe to stop the swing arm from dropping too low or remove the rear wheel which would make the job lighter. But thumbs up anyway
Thanks Karlos, I’m still learning, and making mistakes so others don’t have to 🤣. All good advice though. Thank you.
Should’ve done the swing arm bearings while you had everything broken down
Yup. I realise that now. Winter is coming. I’m sure I can do it then.
Would you know how well they are packed with grease from factory.And when it’s reccomended to repack them ?
@@zeez9053 they’re not packed well at all. Almost bone dry. Best to make it your next project. Look up forums
Jay Box thanks although Honda packed the wheel bearings chock full with grease when I had a look
@@zeez9053 I’m not sure about the bearings. I know the axles and the bolts for the rear suspension linkage are all somewhat light on grease. I’d heard the same about the swingarm (as Jay Box mentioned) but hadn’t noticed any friction, and as I wasn’t removing it to fit the shock, didn’t want to do more work than I had to. I expect I’ll do it when I change my rear tyre and strip down, clean and degrease it all then.
What are the advantages with this shock over the stock one ?
Sprung for my weight. Better damping which is also adjustable. Allows correct sag setting (10% unloaded, 30% static sag). Better handling, better traction. Less bouncy.
Peak Motorcycles thank you for the information.Do you think they do one for the 250 Rally
@@zeez9053 I'm sure they do. Do you have a Nitron dealer nearby? I'm sure they can set one up for you. Not sure if they sell direct though.
A great video, please, so that you can be better understood, could you put subtitles in Spanish?greetings from Galicia Spain
Hi, Unfortunately my Spanish is not as good as your English. I checked how it might work and I either need to type it (which is unlikely given my limited knowledge of Spanish) or RUclips will auto-subtitle it. support.google.com/youtube/answer/6373554?hl=en-GB#zippy=%2Cautomatic-captions-on-long-form-videos-and-shorts
I've added Spanish to the two videos you requested. Not sure if this means they'll add it automatically, but we shall see.
You have my apologies if they don't.
Can you order this in the USA?
You can. Google is your friend 😉. Here you go: www.nitronracingshocks.com/
Lot better quality rear shock - where you buy it from?
I got my from Brook Suspension in the UK:
www.brooksuspension.co.uk/honda-crf300-rally-nitron-r1-shock-absorber-21/
Nitron also have several dealers in the US:
www.nitron.co.uk/dealers
Quick, while the Americans are still asleep!
🤣🤣🤣 I think, including bodywork removal and refitting, it’s a 3-4hr job to make the switch. Despite the run time, I did try to keep it as short as possible, but there were a few bits where I though it was useful to show what I did wrong, or in the wrong sequence. Good luck!
👍
🤣. You’re good.
So, you cheaped out on suspension, disappointed...
🤣🤣🤣 the UK has been closed for 18 months so no vacations and I’ve just worked. You can’t take it with you, so might as well spend an excessive amount on suspension….
Really painful to watch. You make such a drama out of dropping the shock.
The bike isn’t going to fall over as it’s clamped by the abba.
Get a breaker bar or an electric gun instead of heaving on a short rachet handle.
Do the top bolt last so you can hold the shock when you take the bolt out.
You completely missed out all the bearings which are almost dry from the factory.
Use a long tyre leaver under the rear tyre so you can lift it up and down when aligning the linkage bolts.
The port in the top of the shock is not for remote preload it’s for gas charging.
This is a way easier job than you made it appear.
Thanks! Sounds like you’ve got it all sorted. That advice would have been awesome before I started. Stable door. Horse bolted etc. , though apologies for causing pain, it was not intentional. Next time, just stop and stop the suffering.
@@PeakMotorcycles HORNET6 is right. You clearly are not experienced with the tools which is not a shot against you but you're offering advice on techniques you things you aren't skilled in. The quality of the vid's is good. Get someone else on the tools.
Get someone in? I think you overestimate the number of people around here and just how much money these videos make. 😉. The people who watch these, aren’t watching so that they know what to tell their mechanic to do. If anything, I’d rather make the mistakes and be corrected by experts like yourself so that they don’t make the same mistakes, and we all learn. Not you, obvs, but you and Mr. H already know it, so you’ll be just fine. Thanks for the feedback, every watch and comment feeds the algorithm and who know’s , maybe one day I’ll be able to pay someone to do this so that I don’t have to! Ride safe.
@@PeakMotorcycles 10/10 attitude. keep on riding and filming good buddy.