How to Install R6 Rear Shock on 600

[kwik]

I don't do pictures sorry about that But i can tell you how to do the R6 Rear shock Install.

First off you need material wise;

1 x R6 shock (99-02, Carb, 5EB)
1x M10 x 90mm bolt + Nylon Lock Nut (I have some pm me if needed)This is the bottom mount bolt
1x Metal insert from original shock bottom mount

And tool wise;

1x 17mm socket
1x 17mm spanner
1x 10mm spanner
1x Assistant(!)
1x C spanner(to adjust preload)
1x Flathead screwdriver
1x Philips screwdriver
and tools to adjust chain


Is pretty easy but you do need an assistant for install and atleast one of you has to be able to lift weight of rear.

No need to remove rear wheel either but centrestand will be rendered useless and need to find a longer sidestand cause bike sits way higher. I ended up doing this due to posts on here and my old shock shearing off at bottom mount and R6 shocks being plentiful and cheap on ebay and not one XJ600 shock on ebay or local breakers

Take off the seat, black side panels under tank and tank while bike on centre stand.
Undo bottom and top shock mounts and withdraw old unit through limited space
on the end of the original shocks bottom mount you will see two inserts take one out
cut off the washer like bit then cut insert in half(hackshaw i used was long!!)

Now we come to the fun bit installing r6 shock

With you or assistant holding rear off bike up clear of floor install r6 shock with the bladder at bottom facing up and slip the top bolt through the mounting point and shock so the top is done
The bottom is not that easy! (I found out while holding the bike the original bottom bolt is too thick to fit through R6 shock so after a visit to screwfix got the right bolt and sizes and repicked up bike!)
While bike still in air slip the new bottombolt through the swing arm then one half of the insert from original shock then r6 shock then the other half insert then through the other side of swingarm
After tighten everything and there you have installed a R6 shock!

DO NOT FORGET TO ADJUST CHAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will also add you need to set the shock correctly for you nice guide i found was www.yzfr6.net/manual/R6_manual_chk_adj.pdf but remember the shock is upside down on a R6!

I'm trying to get a c spanner to set my shock up but from what i can gather i either need a assistant to do adjustments whilei hold bike up again(great i hurt just thinking about it!lol) or lie the bike down to take weight off of the shock.

Hope this helps people

[liam hicks]

Thanks mine seems to be on its way out so helpful guide PS might need me one of them bolts

[kwik]

you can buy them from screwfix but they only come in packs of ten or send me a pm!lol

[CD]

You could park it on the centrestand on a 2" plank so there's lots of room for the wheel to move downwards. You can lift the wheel with another thin plank and a suitable wood batten/block to make a seesaw. Then you can do fit the shock without help.

What has jacking it up done to the steering?

None too stiff Divvie forks running at too steep an angle could a be a recipe for tank slappers.
But is this really the case?

[kwik]

what i've noticed before i've set up the rear shock is i got loads of sag but i guess thats cause i'm 19st! when it is standing is noticably higher though but sat goes to normal ride height but it has 5 more notches for preload so will probably go to max preload then tone it down if it's too hard. luckily enough the rebound is fine though.

TBH didn't know alot about suspension but did my research and now have a notion of what needs to be done

Gonna be getting a c spanner tomoz so will be able to set it up and go for a proper ride and tell you how it is. until i've adjusted it i can't really say how it is too ride if that makes sense

[kwik]

Right Adjusted preload with long screwdriver and spanner (1 click from max but i am a lump!) went for a test ride and is ALOT better!

No skitishness bike leans surely and back stays glued but soaks up bumps nicely. Also given beans the back doesn't dip loads and bike feels more surefooted.

Only gripe i need to find a longer sidestand as bike now leans to far over for my liking and as there is no centrestand want bike as upright as possible on sidestand. Gonna put a post up in general so people can give me some ideas............

[amorti]

May 18, 2010 0:36:02 GMT kwik said:

what i've noticed before i've set up the rear shock is i got loads of sag but i guess thats cause i'm 19st! when it is standing is noticably higher though but sat goes to normal ride height but it has 5 more notches for preload so will probably go to max preload then tone it down if it's too hard. luckily enough the rebound is fine though.

TBH didn't know alot about suspension but did my research and now have a notion of what needs to be done

Gonna be getting a c spanner tomoz so will be able to set it up and go for a proper ride and tell you how it is. until i've adjusted it i can't really say how it is too ride if that makes sense

No, it's because the spring is meant for a bike with linkages, and so the shock is undersprung for a bike without them. You can add preload, but the bike will still be undersprung. And it will sit even higher on the sidestand.

I thought this was covered and poo-poo'ed months ago?

[kwik]

May 18, 2010 21:28:27 GMT kwik said:

Right Adjusted preload with long screwdriver and spanner (1 click from max but i am a lump!) went for a test ride and is ALOT better!

No skitishness bike leans surely and back stays glued but soaks up bumps nicely. Also given beans the back doesn't dip loads and bike feels more surefooted.

Only gripe i need to find a longer sidestand as bike now leans to far over for my liking and as there is no centrestand want bike as upright as possible on sidestand. Gonna put a post up in general so people can give me some ideas............

I Adjusted it and it seems to be better Amorti that post was right below the post you quoted from!

The only reason i went r6 shock have you tried to find an xj600 shock without paying hundreds of pounds? The r6 shock all in was £9.49 from ebay and is more then up to the job. And i can find a uprated spring for the r6 shock if i weren't happy with how it is at the moment

[camy1960]

Followed Kwik's idea and fitted the R6 shock to my XJ600N, relatively easy job to do even by my standards lol only cut myself twice and swore lots lol, as kwik says centre stand is now obsolete unless I can add some tube on the bottom of centre stand, side stand is also to short but found I cant add to it as it will clatter off the link pipe for the exhaust( wish I'd fitted a four into one now lol). The bike sits a lot higher as said and the chain dangles like a dogs b******s but when you sit on the bike the chain is fine, rode the bike over a few nasty speed bumps and no clattering or shock bottoming out, handles fine round a few sharp bends and tackled the roundabout no problem.As kwik says the correct shock for the bike is like rocking horse sh*t so I opted to try the R6 one before I had to splash out nearly £300 for a hagen or £200 for the betor

[kwik]

cool glad my how to has helped!

[CD]

A motocross chain tensioner might sort the chain slack. I used to have one on my 1974 Honda XL250.

[camy1960]

thinking of removing the R6 shock and go back to the original if I can get the adjuster unsiezed, went out last night two up and had a few bum jarring moments going over normal bumps in the road, someone mentioned they would be undersprung think they might be right, the bikes ok one up but two up it bottomed out a few times

[amorti]

You might make it work by getting a heavier duty spring, but you'll be on your own picking the spring rate. There will be suspension experts (KAIS, maxton, et al) who will advise you, but even then the damping won't likely be correct. Depends how knackered your original shock is. Also the R6 shock will have a shorter stroke, as that is magnified by the linkage, so you will probably end up with reduced travel.

Ideally you should get a shock from a similar size bike, without linkages in the suspension. If you have a friendly breaker nearby, they tend to keep parts in boxes of grouped bits, so shocks would be together. Of course, no one says it has to be off a yamaha. Take your divvy shock in and hold it next to a few others, you might even be able to generate some useful knowledge

[kwik]

cool good tip there amorti!

[camy1960]

my original yamaha shock is siezed at the adjuster, but the fitter in my work is going to strip it down and try to release it so hopefully I'll have it back on and adjustable again tomorrow, ty for tips etc
camy

[camy1960]

Oh well nothing ventured nothing gained the botom mount snapped off while giving it welly with a set of stilsons lol
so a piece of 40mm timber secured to the side stand with a big cable tie will have to be sufice till my next idea comes along lol
If I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck at all lol lol

[denis]

Hi,

Thanks for useful info, my shocker has snapped off also - is this common ?

Will your suggestion work on a 95 Divi ?

Would 900 Divi shocker fit 600 ?

Ta for help

Denis

[CD]

The 900 shock is bigger and you'll be lucky to find a good one.

[bobh]

Also the 900 has a rocker linkage which the 600 doesn't.

[kwik]

apparently according to bike bits in ramsgate mech it is a very common problem thats why i opted the r6 shock as it is alot more substancial

[amorti]

Is your diversion spring the same sort of length as the R6 spring? could you swap them over?

[camy1960]

If my original shock cant be fixed I will check and see, think I'm just going to bite the bullet and get a hagon as I like my bike on its centre stand when parked up

[CD]

The Hagon is a better bet and its rebuildable.

[spudley81]

Hi can you help please I've just brought an R6 shock for my xj600s but can you tell me if I need too remove the metal insert from the bladder end to insert the original yamaha inserts
Cheers

Phil

[spudley81]

[m40man]

Reading kwik's instructions - "(I found out while holding the bike the original bottom bolt is too thick to fit through R6 shock so after a visit to screwfix got the right bolt and sizes and repicked up bike!)" Seems alternative bolt is required.

[spudley81]

I was on about using the actual spacers but I totally over looked the part about cutting them down to fit.....Thankyou for your reply though ?

[soggybiker]

If you cannot find a diversion shock the new XJ6 shock is a direct swap.

[spudley81]

Cheers soggy I have two xj's so if the other one goes I will remember that. I have already brought an R6 shock so I will use that and see how I get on with it

[spudley81]