YSS Shock Review

You know that feeling when your bike just isn't riding right?      Last fall, my 1992 K75S was starting to get sloppy despite new rubber and new front wheel bearings.   It appeared the tired OEM shock was ready for replacement.

I wanted a good shock at a reasonable price. Reading through various online forums for recommendations, I was surprised how many options were available. Ultimately,  I noticed a lot of positive comments about a particular guy named Klaus at a retailer called EPM Performance.     So, I gave him a call and Klaus walked me through a few options, including the YSS ME 302-360 I eventually ordered.  

Here's what the new YSS 302-360 shock looks like compared to stock.

As you can see, the YSS monoshock is adjustable for pre-load like the original.     The adjustment isn't notched like the OEM shock, so you can really dial it in for the weight you're carrying and conditions.      The spring is also progressively wound.  Fit and finish on the new shock can only be described as excellent, it's well made and attractive.      But how would it perform?

The picture above shows YSS on the left and the OEM shock on the right.      At first, I thought the YSS shock was missing its rubber bushing.   It turns out that the bushing has an aluminum collar on it, hiding the rubber from the elements and lending a cleaner appearance.     Very nice.

Installation was very easy, once you've got the luggage carrier out of the way, it's just a couple of bolts.    Just be sure to support the swing arm so it doesn't drop all the way,  pulling the rubber boot away from the front of the driveshaft.    Also be sure to torque to spec.

Once installed, I took it on a few canyon runs and adjusted the pre-load.  I also took the opportunity to flush the fork fluid so I was starting with a fresh set-up.  

Road trip to Santa Fe

Since installation and fine-tuning, I've put a few thousand miles on the bike and I'm extremely pleased with the shock's performance.   Compared to the shoddy and well worn OEM shock, the bike rides better than it ever has before.  It's just taught enough on the twisties to soak up imperfections and keep good contact with the road.    It's just soft enough on the long stretches to easily absorb larger bumps with a nice feel, but no jarring.     It feels like a new bike.

The Numbers
This review is unbiased.   I didn't tell Klaus or his assistant Michelle at EPM that I would be reviewing the shock.    I simply called and asked him for my options.  Unbeknownst to him, I also tried shopping for the shock internationally as authorized YSS retailers are pretty rare in the United States.   I like to price shop and know I'm getting a good deal.   Nothing came close to the price EPM offered and Klaus has a very good reputation in the BMW community, so I went ahead.    

Out the door, I paid $248 for the shock (which included $29 for shipping).    If you buy one, keep in mind that I ordered the ME 302-360, which is about 10mm taller than stock.    The shock is also available in stock height, the ME 302-350 and may even be available in a short shock.     Klaus also stocks Wilburs, Hyperpro, and other options.  

So, What Do You Really Think of My Aston Martin?

Best auto review I've seen in a long time.   Well done, Car Tech..

The Old GT

My old GT Terra has gone places.   I bought it for $25 as a beater commuter in New York City in 2001.   It came with a rusty chain and two flat tires.      I figured I wouldn't cry if someone stole it.     Nobody did.

When I moved to Boston, I added the 3 strut, tig welded "expendition" rack from Nashbar,  bright orange and brown Cannondale panniers from eBay, and fenders from Planet Bike.     Mostly, I commuted from my house in Medford to a research job in Cambridge.  Sometimes I'd attend workshops and other events near Harvard and occasionally I'd cruise over to Trader Joe's in Arlington.    I pretty much rode it all over Boston, but I never did make it to Sheldon's shop in Newton.

On Nantucket, I regularly rode to town from Surfside and all over the island too.   Two years on the gray lady and somehow it survived the salt air, unlike my car.    We've been in Boulder for seven years,  it's now a veteran of many cruiser rides and my tow-vehicle of choice for Marley on his chariot.  Last year, it was daily companion on the playa.    

So once again, I'm about to double down for parts and labor.   I could replace it with a used bike in better shape for about the same price as what I'm about to throw into it, but given the places I've gone, it just isn't worth it.  

Upcoming repairs and improvements;
Bottom Bracket  COMPLETE
Pedals COMPLETE
Tires
Grips
Saddle
Panniers
Wheel bearings
Wheel Tuning

The Cutest VW Bus Ever

I've seen a lot of buses, but this one might qualify as the cutest one ever.

This little green guy was spotted in the McGuckin parking lot in Boulder, CO.    California tags.

Intel WiFi Link Network Cards and HP Laptops

$10 part number

The wireless network card on my three year old HP laptop has recently been malfunctioning.  It was disconnecting by itself and not reconnecting without a reboot.    Naturally, this was occurring at convenient times like when I was doing client presentations.    Since the laptop didn't have any other real problems, it would be a shame to replace it for this issue.

And by "shame" I mean it would cost me $2,950 (after tax) for a brand new Apple Macbook Pro, not that I've been visiting the Apple Store to drool on them.

The device driver was up to date so I suspected the card simply had a loose or ever slightly corroded connection.   I pulled the card out, looked for physical signs of a problem (didn't see any), and reinstalled the card.  


So far, so good.

The card was easy to remove.   It's accessed by removing the speaker cover on the bottom of the laptop (one screw).    The antenna connections can be removed by gently pulling on the plugs with small pliers and two small screws secure the card in place.  Total time to pull the card - about 5 minutes.

Here's the curious thing.   Some bright young MBA at HP decided to label components that are likely to need replacement with HP part numbers.   The idea was probably to make it easy for HP repair monkeys ("technicians") to confirm that replacement parts match.  Too bad it doesn't make it easier for consumers to order the part.  

You'd think that searching HP's website by the HP part number would lead you to a simple way to purchase the part.   But that's not how it goes.   HP's website says that HP no longer carries the part but links to a list of resellers.   The list starts with Canadian companies and US companies are further down (why?).

The first US based HP reseller linked from the HP website didn't have a searchable website, so I gave up and easily found it on eBay and various other places for $15 to $18 (plus shipping).    I ripped off the haphazardly attached  HP label and searched eBay by the Intel part number where I found used network cards for as little as $3 (plus shipping) and brand new ones for $8 (free shipping).

Here's a few things that HP clearly doesn't understand.

1. Consumers develop relationships with products that extend onto the web.    An HP website that is 99% focused on selling new laptops and buries parts and service with crappy menus and poor search tools is deeply frustrating.   The relationship isn't positive here, it's negative.    Are you listening HP?   Fix your damn website.    

2.   If you're going to cover up the manufacturer label with your own part number, at least align the label and put it right side up.   And cross reference it with the OEM part number.

3.   Don't put links on your website to resellers who without online capabilities to search and purchase parts.  Our time is value and we aren't going to call a reseller, spend 20 minutes on the phone talking when we can spend 2 minutes searching the web.

References
Laptop:  HP HDX X18T-1200 CTO Premium
Wifi Card:  Intel WiFi link 5100 512AN_MMW
HP Part:  480985-001

Hitch Love (Why?)

Hitches are more than just a convenient attachment point for hauling trailers and cargo racks.   They're an urban defense.

Check out this parking job and note the evidence of previous abuse by the owner's bad parking behavior.

Tight parking

The Art of Motorcycle Globalization

Made in Germany, sold in America, and sent to Japan for repair.