R1100R shocks

[queretaro]

My '95 R1100R has nearly 43,000 miles on the clock; the last 5,000 by me and the rest by previous owners. How can I determine if the shocks need replacing? The bike feels good to me but I don't have a benchmark.
If replacement is necessary, what do you recommend. I weigh about 180#, ride very conservatively, mainly short trips about 100 miles, no passenger or heavy loads.
regards,
Mark

[TheRoss]

I replaced my R1100RT's OEM shocks a couple of months ago with Ohlins. The bike had 90,000 miles on it. The original shocks had been out a long time. It was to the point where I almost rubbed a hole in the bottom of the side panel when the bike bottomed out in a tight curve. The bike would also bottom out easily when I had a passenger or was loaded up, even though the shock adjustment was full hard. That all went on for too long, but what finally made me drop the small fortune on new shocks was the feeling that the rear end was moving side to side at highway speeds, which didn't feel safe. Are you having any similiar experiences?

Obviously you will wear out a pair of shocks more quickly if you are real heavy, or usually ride with a passenger or with heavy loads. Based on the type of riding you say you do, if the bike feels okay you probably do not need new shocks yet.

I am happy with the Ohlins, but they are expensive and there are several other shock options out there. If you need any info on replacing the shocks let me know. I found the job very easy to do on the RT, and have pics I could send to you.

[queretaro]

Don't have any of the symptoms you describe.

Mark

[kbasa]

When you hit a large bump, the kind that compress the suspension pretty well, like a big wave, how many oscillations does the bike make afterwards?

Shocks usually lose their damping ability with age, which is evidenced by the chassis moving up and down a couple cycles after a large bump.

Some of what Ross describes are symptoms of a spring that doesn't have enough capacity for the load it has to carry.

[queretaro]

I don't recall any unusual oscillations after hitting a bump, but I'll pay attention to this on my next ride.
regards,
Mark