Katana Owners Club U.K.

Blew down to Kent on the weekend, with deep pot holed B roads and off cambers more suited to 4x4's or crossers than a heavy Kat, and back along the south coast to Wales. Noticed today that one of the rear shocks had blown, puddle of oil on garage floor. These guys are the original 35 year olds, adjustable with the flip-up handle and dial-a-ride indicator at the top. Antiquated against what's available, but they seemed to do the job well enough till now. Shocks make a lot of difference to the feel of a bike, and I like the way its just not modern but can still put on a healthy turn of speed and doesn't handle that bad at all really. So want to keep them if possible.

Q: Looks like they can be taken apart, anybody advise where can I get the bits to rebuild them, and has anybody done/doing/thinking about doing the same thing -or advise against it?

i think you can break them down to a certain degree, but the actual shock absorber itself appears to be a sealed for life unit. how you would get the seals out might be beyond doing at home.

Think you're right, more I look at them starting to think it'll be a specialist job . . . if it can be done at all.
Not keen on being defeated by a shock though, some damper units unscrew, once the spring is out of the way, and you can get to the seals that way. Won't know until its apart, may be a complete waste of bloody time and should really be saving pennies to get a pair of used/newish replacements.

...specially since new old stock are coming up at £300 each - that 'aint happening this lifetime.

Got the spring out, couple of other bits off, but that was as far as I could go with the oil damper. In defeat bagged a pair off eBay ...so may have a spare LH one.