Adjustable shox for Cafe Racers

[Roc City Cafe]

the cost of the block of aluminum isn't the biggest factor in good shocks, if you've ever rebuilt a quality shock, there are about 30 pieces inside that are all important and need to be of high quality and good design

[beachcomber]

for $100 more you could get a pair of piggyback ohlins, with the possibility of rebuilding the shim stack for proper tuning

Now I'm not a knockin' - I hold Ohlins in very high esteem - 500+ top circuit racers can't be wrong !

However, you must get a sensational deal in North America - here in the UK a pair of MX or SP shox is £687.00 - with or without piggy back [ same price ] and the nice man at Ohlins has just told me "they're not available for Yamaha XS650" - I just picked a popular bike at random. He tells me they are available in 340mm, 360mm and 380mm.[ in the UK ].

Ohlins will always be perceived as the best there is and a reputation well deserved, it's a free market and if you can afford the best - then great.

With questions from customers like "how do I set the pre-load [ sag ]" - I wouldn't think the average guy would be capable or even want to dismantle a shocker to "tune it".

Would I pay 25% / 30% more [ UK prices ] for "the best", when a less expensive alternate will do a very good job ...hhhmm, not sure.

[beachcomber]

Guys this has been a real long time in gestation - apologies to those of you who got all excited !

As you probably know by now - this is a personal mission of mine to get good stuff at reasonable prices. Things went somewhat pear shaped timewise in 2011 due mainly to health issues - now resolved.

However, in that period of time things have marched on dramatically.
 
I've been tempted to come out of retirement, my pal at Realm has given me a free hand to develop Cafe Racer parts and beginning this year there is a trading partnership deal been struck up with DWMS Racing to handle all the related parts in the US.

The bottom line is that the shox have been signed off after extensive road and lab testing and they are ready to go into full production. The main bugbear has always been that each sale would have attracted an individual carriage cost. Even though the shox are still good value, that meant paying a premium just to ship them. We still have to pay carriage of course, but by shipping larger numbers the unit cost will come down.

We are finalising the model database as we speak but essentially all the popular eye-eye and eye-clevis [ Honda ] will be catered for.

Prices and full model database will be availbale shortly through DWMS Racing.

There will be some exciting news later in the year about a record attempt that will be using RAM Classic twinshox.

[Mr.E]

Excellent! Bc, your products are coming about just in time for my next cb750 project. I hope my funding allows to incorporate some of your shocks... kinda sucks being married, broke, expecting a baby and building a bike sometimes, but I wouldn't trade any of it. Thanks for the work you've given the cafe world!

[Swagger]

Cost....

A lawyer writes a letter for a client and gives him a good deal and bills the client at $500.
The client is a donk and pisses and moans about it...."it's just paper and ink after all!"
The lawyer calmly rewrites the bill:
1) Written letter $5
2) Knowing what the fuck to write $495.

Quality costs. Be cheap if you want to.

[beachcomber]

Here's the good news - due to the recently struck deal with DWMS Racing it looks like we can get the US landed cost down about 5% - 10% from our original estimate. The actual US prices will be posted after the first batches have arrived, but take it that the original £445 per set WILL be improved upon. I'm doing my best here !

Secondly - a little help guys.

We WILL be producing the clevis [ yoke / fork ] lower / eye top Honda shox alongside the eye-eye versions from the off. That's due to the large amount of interest from you CB owners ! The eye-eye version is a done deal and in production. I need someone to come up with the clevis details so that we can exactly replicate the Honda requirements. This will require a new program and batches of the relevant clevis' so that the shox can be assembled as required.

A couple of high profile DTT bikes will be wearing RAM shox this year !

Any info. gratefully received - thanx in advance guys.

[Swagger]

Ok so I just measured three CB swingarms here in the shop: 450, 500t and a 750.
The mounting bit on the swinger measures 19mm wide and 30mm diameter overall.
Bolt hole measures 10mm.
Helpful I hope..

[beachcomber]

many thanx for that Lee.

Any chance just by way of a double check you could measure the o/a dims. of the actual clevis [ yoke / fork] ?

Thanx in advance.

[beachcomber]

All done now and in production.

Eye-eye and eye-clevis [ Honda ]. All shox come deep clear anodised over a polished body. ALL popular bikes catered for.

Direct your enquiries to Brother Joe over at DWMS Racing.................

[beachcomber]

Latest updates - we've redesigned the clevis adaptor for the shox to be sited in the USD orientation as this has proved to be the most popular request [ we're listening to you guys ! ]. The CNC shop is also looking at producing the same adaptor, but with eye fixing [ XS650s etc. ].

The normal orientation shox [ eye-eye ] are already in production and we anticipate the clevis bottom [ mainly Honda] to be ready in the next 3-4 weeks.

The other bit of good news is that due to demand we've been able to up the maufacturing run twhich in turn has meant reduced costs - which we're passing on. Good ole boys or what !

The kit comprises of - 2 alloy bodied fully adjustable shox [ deep clear anodised ]
                                  2 quality Black springs [ Red an on cost option ]
                                  1 "C" spanner adjuster wrench
                                  2 RAM decals
                                  All bushes and fixings - where applicable.
                                  Fitting / set up instructions  £415 per kit

Speak to Brother Joe over at DWMS Racing - I'll answer any other tech questions direct.

Several well known speciality builders have shown an interest in these products now.

[brandEn]

got any pics of some completed shocks?

[beachcomber]

BrandEn,

here's a pic of the Yamaha TR1 set up - it uses the 2.25" dia spring.

The other shot is the twinshock [ eye -eye ] with the 1.99" dia spring. All the shox look the same externally.

The Eye-Clevis has been redesigned to accomodate folks who are using larger chains / sprockets to give additional clearance. As soon as the new pieces are completed and anodised I'll ge some pix posted. BTW - yellow springs no longer available and Black is standard.

[beachcomber]

BrandEn - here's another pic of the RAM shocker

Unadulterated pure self trumpet blowing ...................Ben Kingham on his way to a first place at Snetterton 2 weeks ago [ after a string of 2nds ] with his RAM equipped [ Shock and progressive fork springs ] K100 in the European BEARS series.

The 2d Kay in the series [ Dave Matravers ] has had 2nds and 3rds - also RAM equipped.

Although we have been racing for best part of 25 years [ Cobra series ] with variations of these shox, this is our first foray into 2 wheel racing - not bad for a "road" shock ?

Watch out for a RAM shock equipped bike at Bonneville sometime ....say n' more - nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

[brandEn]

purty!

[beachcomber]

In the interests of fairness - here's Dave Matravers' Kay - 2nd.s and 3rd.s so far - then a brief "rest" due to a broken collarbone - courtesy of a highside at Mallory Park.