Rebuilding "Non rebuildable" gas shocks

[mosderek]

Hey guys, I have been hearing a lot of talk lately about rebuilding nonrebuildable gas charged shocks by simply drilling a hole for a schrader valve and refilling them. Now obviously you can't just drill the hole anywhere etc etc anyway I have t really been able to find much on this. I have the 79 or 80 klx250 shocks by kyb with the remote reservoir. Now I found a little on race tech site but the ones they are rebuilding don't have a reservoir etc. Now I have also seen where people are Installing bleed valves for oil. Obviously two different things but I'm guessing wouldn't hurt to do both??? Anyway i really just want to rebuild these kyb shocks I here they were top notch back In the day so I really don't want to downgrade to regular 18" progressives when That would be way more expensive anyway. If any one has ever rebuilt these please help. I believe they also came on the kdx and Kx for a while. Thanks guys.

[William Doe]

Save your money on both counts 

Those KYBs were the first thing to get binned in the day even before the stock bars got changed .

Progressives are not much better and still not rebuildable , spend the money on something decent that's rebulidable . You don't have to buy new , get a used pair and rebuild kit and your away probably for less than those progressives .

I see lots of really nice rebuilt bikes for sale that are let down by cheap progressive shocks 

[mosderek]

THANKS FOR THE INFO WILLIAM! i must have been mislead bc from what i read the kyb's were very nice shocks for the day, and maybe even for today. I will see what i can find, thanks for the heads up on progressive, i thought they were rebuildable. It will be hard to find some 18" used shocks that are rebuildable though. :/

[John Orchard]

I had a set of stock KX250A5 rear shocks rebuilt by Radd Suspension in Qld, I'm in Vic, within 1 week, they had straightened the shafts, re-chromed the shafts, new seals and re-oiled & re-gassed without spoiling the stock look by fitting a valve on the reservoir AND repainted them!  Plus I wanted the damping relieved a touch which they did.

They look and work as new, 1 week turn-around and I think it only cost me about $290  For sure they wouldn't work as good as a properly set-up modern shock but they sure as hell work better that a modern shock that isn't set-up right.

[JIM77]

Rad shocky are the best at shock rebuilds, price is right, they hard chrome on site and any of the sealed units they can still rebuild. He doesn't touch forks, but has forgotten more about shocks than most people know.

Rodney does the shock rebuilds for most of the bike shops in aus. I had a mate with a cbr shock that he was quoted $700 for replacement by a honda dealer in brisbane as they are supposedly sealed also, Rad rebuilt it for a couple hundred bucks.