Bob's BMW Replica shocks
Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 4:53 pm
I bought a pair of Replica shocks from Bob's back in march and recently installed them (Procrastination is an Art Form)
I bought them primarily because they have the handles attached for spring preload adjustment, rather than having to dig out your tool roll whenever you want to give some sweet young thing a lift somewhere.(The hope that springs eternal) Anyway, I thought I was going crazy trying to install them until I realized, looking at the old shocks, that the BMW units are mirror imaged - there is a right and left shock. Bob's on the other hand had sent me a pair of "lefties" (perhaps a snide comment on Canadian politics) I called Bob's and pointed this out. What I got back was an exasperated, "I've had this call hundreds of times!" Turns out that Bob's only sells one side; they work OK, but the preload handle on the left side is pointing forward, and the handle on the right ide is pointing aft. I pointed out that if you have panniers, then you can't adjust the right side handles, because the handle comes up against the pannier frame. The person at Bob's, clearly frustrated, told me to put a rag over the end of the handle, and hit it with a hammer until it was bent up high enough to clear the pannier rack. I opined that it seemed like they were "making it up as they went along" but nevermind. I asked if the right-side shock collar from Motobins was compatible and thus could solve the problem. He replied, "That's a good question."
In the final analysis, the shocks seem to function OK (low speed in-town use so far) and if you are the kind of guy who wears his baseball cap cocked 30 degrees to port or starboard, they make your kind of fashion statement.
I got these on a clear-out price; if I had paid full pop, I'd be upset.
I bought them primarily because they have the handles attached for spring preload adjustment, rather than having to dig out your tool roll whenever you want to give some sweet young thing a lift somewhere.(The hope that springs eternal) Anyway, I thought I was going crazy trying to install them until I realized, looking at the old shocks, that the BMW units are mirror imaged - there is a right and left shock. Bob's on the other hand had sent me a pair of "lefties" (perhaps a snide comment on Canadian politics) I called Bob's and pointed this out. What I got back was an exasperated, "I've had this call hundreds of times!" Turns out that Bob's only sells one side; they work OK, but the preload handle on the left side is pointing forward, and the handle on the right ide is pointing aft. I pointed out that if you have panniers, then you can't adjust the right side handles, because the handle comes up against the pannier frame. The person at Bob's, clearly frustrated, told me to put a rag over the end of the handle, and hit it with a hammer until it was bent up high enough to clear the pannier rack. I opined that it seemed like they were "making it up as they went along" but nevermind. I asked if the right-side shock collar from Motobins was compatible and thus could solve the problem. He replied, "That's a good question."
In the final analysis, the shocks seem to function OK (low speed in-town use so far) and if you are the kind of guy who wears his baseball cap cocked 30 degrees to port or starboard, they make your kind of fashion statement.
I got these on a clear-out price; if I had paid full pop, I'd be upset.
