Ikon shock choice

Since the stock market has gone to hell and not back I figure it is my duty to spend what cash is left!
Shock time then: comments invited on the Koni 7610 v 7614. They seem gawdawful expensive so if anybody has hands on ( seat on really) feedback on road use (not roadrace use) Id be grateful.

Ikon 7610's here. The three position preload adjustment is much easier to deal with than the threaded adjusters on the 7614's and, for me at least, near enough for road use.
I didn't do a before and after test (old shocks to new) but these do give a nice ride.
The rebound adjustment is too soft at setting 1 on bumpy twisties, a slight fiddle to adjust as the dust cover is obstructed by the upper shock mount.
Are they worth the extra cost? It is the dreaded law of diminishing returns, quite a bit more for some improvement. I'd say they are "nice to have" rather than an essential upgrade.

I found same on set I put on the Trident. Even with my very light weight the rebound on 1 was simply ineffective. Looks to me that the Norton
specific set have a longer lower portion to clear the chain guard but it comes with a price bump compared to other bikes same internals.
Threaded adjusters look like could be trouble as time goes on.

I run 7610’s on my /5. They seem very well built and after 10 years work very well. I’m not sure they are worth the extra money though since I ride slow and don’t have great feedback skills.

I bought a set and am more than pleased!Talk to the distributor and he will set them up with the right spring and basic preload for your weight.There was an immediate difference from what I had. I am not a racer.Good service with any of my questions.You can also have them built with a choice of spring colors and I didn’t have to wait that long for them to arrive

I have the basic Ikon shocks. Adjustable only for spring preload. I've done about 60,000 miles with no complaints whatsoever. Spring preload on the lowest setting and when I need it, the rebuild kit is about 50 bucks, I believe. Excellent.

Onder said:

Since the stock market has gone to hell and not back I figure it is my duty to spend what cash is left!
Shock time then: comments invited on the Koni 7610 v 7614. They seem gawdawful expensive so if anybody has hands on ( seat on really) feedback on road use (not roadrace use) Id be grateful.

Click to expand...

Are you buying these in the U.K. ?

If so where from ?

Can you share details?

Maybe I’m just thick, but I find the Ikon uk web site a tad confusing with big differences in price but little info on why.

I can also not find the 7614s for Commandos.

Likewise, the IKON USA website is a confusing jumble of seemingly contradictory information. I too purchased their basic shock for
Commandos, which have the longer lower section that will clear the chain guard. I don't race or thrash my bike though I enjoy
a spirited run through the twisties. This model has only a 3 position spring load (no rebound adjustment) and is rebuildable. It
is about half of the cost of the upper range IKON shocks. This shock is definitely an improvement over the 12 year old Hagon
shock it replaced and while a little bit more money, I feel it to be good value.

Be aware there are two distributors with very similar names.

Basixs are $280/pair.

https://www.ikonshocksusa.com/products/76-3044

This is who I got mine from and the customer service was excellent.

I use 7610s on my Nortons and have been happy with their behavior in the 40 to 80 MPH range I generally ride in. I agree that the damping adjuster is difficult to get at and becomes less difficult with the seat knobs removed, however, once set I haven't found it necessary to revisit the adjustment. I don't set the damping until the the shocks have broken-in which I do as part of the 500 mile service.

The Ikons, on my current build, are paired with a set of the Consentino cartridge internals up front with the NYC Norton low sticksion bushing and seal kit which is new territory for me. I'm hoping that the shocks and cartridges work well with each other, but I'm prepared to upgrade the shocks if necessary. I use a clover leaf off a freeway where I can bring my speed up in increments until the suspension begins to misbehave and then start making adjustments. The beauty of this is that I'm always close to the speed that was safe, so a light touch of the brakes restores stability.

I have had, on various motorcycles, Hagons, Ikons, WP, Wilbers and Olins. The Wilbers/Olins are amazing, but at the speeds I ride at (have gotten down to) don't give a viable value proposition. WPs are pricey and on the edge of the price/performance border; if the Ikons don't play well with the Consentino cartridges I'll go there.

Best.

They call the Basix's the 76 series and the damping is non adjustable, but the old Koni 76 series did have adjustable damping but not easily accessible, you have to remove the spring, depress the rod and turn the rod to set the damping level. In some ways it was better than the dial a ride 7610's as you were not fixed to 4 settings. However the full extension bump stop washer was made from fibre and dissolved in fork oil. So when I rebuild the 76 series I replace the fibre washer with a nylon copy.

I have Koni's paired with Consentino cartridges and can't fault the setup.

How would you think they compare to Falcons?
I vowed in the 1980s never to buy anything from Norman Hyde again.

What does Norman Hyde sell that requires you to consider Falcons ?, nothing I have ever came from Norman.

Never used Falcon's to know the difference compared to Koni's, I buy the Koni's for £50 odd a pair and spend about £60 refurbishing them to new, Ikon's spare parts fit the 7610's directly, 76 series needs a spacer made to use the 7610 seal and seal holder.

ntst8 said:

Ikon 7610's here. The three position preload adjustment is much easier to deal with than the threaded adjusters on the 7614's and, for me at least, near enough for road use.
I didn't do a before and after test (old shocks to new) but these do give a nice ride.
The rebound adjustment is too soft at setting 1 on bumpy twisties, a slight fiddle to adjust as the dust cover is obstructed by the upper shock mount.
Are they worth the extra cost? It is the dreaded law of diminishing returns, quite a bit more for some improvement. I'd say they are "nice to have" rather than an essential upgrade.

Click to expand...

I TOTALLY agree with your comment re the threaded adjusters. I have them and wish I didn't!!!! It is Waaaay too fiddly! Sure, maybe on the track it would be useful to precisely dial in but on the street, absolutely not. In fact, I almost put the Hagons back on the bike after a couple of rides with the Ikons for that reason. Actually, if I hadn't 'retired' the Commando from being my daily rider a month or two ago, I think I would have done exactly that and tried to sell the Ikons!

Well, TBH, I never sell anything so the Ikons would have ended up hanging from a peg in the garage.

Personally I like the look of the 7614s. Unless you alternate frequently from pillion / solo (which I don’t on the Commando as it’s solo use only) I personally don’t find the threaded adjuster idea too fiddly, and I do like the adjustment it offers.

But I’m bamboozled by the info and completely vague pricing at the moment !

Fast Eddie said:

But I’m bamboozled by the info and completely vague pricing at the moment !

Click to expand...

What exactly don't you get?

What is it I don’t get??

Well, for starters, how much are they?

What are the difference between the different versions of 7610? Is it just cosmetic?

Do they do a 7614 for the Commando?


This the info on the 7614, no prices, nothing for the Commando, etc:



This is the info you get when you select ‘Norton’ ... several different versions of 7610 with prices from £246.67 up to £519.47... which would you choose ?!

I got the 7610-1653 SP9, which are the stock look with adjustable rebound. I am satisfied with them, even though I would love more than a three position pre-load.

https://www.ikonsuspension.com.au/product/7610-1653/



https://www.ikonsuspension.com.au/wp-content/uploads/full-ikon-shock-absorber-application-list.pdf

Thanks for that.

Trouble is, in the UK the 7610 1653 are £634 inc VAT that’s nearly £100 more than top of the line, custom made, Maxton’s.

I’m not sure if that means the Ikons or expensive, or the Maxton’s a bargain... or sumthin else !

Sounds like in the UK it would be Maxtons.

Wasnt there a tight fit issue there tho?