Stelvio Shock Versus GRiSO Shock

Best I could find picture wise.
Am running a 2.25 diameter 7inch length replacement spring rated 12.5kg.
Bike drops about half inch under its own weight from max travel, then a further 1inch or so with me on board.
Should work well once have set the sag for it.
My legs feel a tad more straight with feet planted firmly on the floor.
Where's the ground gone Only something a short arse would say
Gives the bike a bit more vertical stature which is no bad thing

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Looks good Paul....mine turns in a lot faster with weight leaning forward a bit. I've kept front 4 rings out but you could raise it to keep neutral steering change (and get even more height overall)

paulbrice wrote:

Looks good Paul....mine turns in a lot faster with weight leaning forward a bit. I've kept front 4 rings out but you could raise it to keep neutral steering change (and get even more height overall)

Thanx bud
Prob adjust it for correct sag 1inch 1/2 to 1inch 3/4.
See how that goes, its a kind of self leveler the sag.
Look even better with me new wheels I reckon

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Nice wheels ......did you find a 'cheap source' ?? PS Keeping your bike bits on the bed is a true sign of love, they must sleep sound

paulbrice wrote:

Nice wheels ......did you find a 'cheap source' ??  PS Keeping your bike bits on the bed is a true sign of love, they must sleep sound

Just some german group flogs a lot of wheels
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Prices can vary wildly for wheels, dont think many have sussed all the wheels fit all the bikes.
I didnt suss it either Pete told me.
As long as the wheels take
Front tire: 120/70-ZR17
Rear tire: 180/55-ZR17
Come from a GRiSO/Sport/Breva/Stelvio similar year, am sure there is another one.

There is a set for the Sport very expensive and chipped to f*ck

I paid £155 including shipping and import duty for the rear and £158 inclusive for front which is weird would assume rear to be more expensive.

I live in a council flat, garage is a council garage no electricity, front room is a shed, bedroom is office/front room, bed is settee/knocking shop
Often use bed for adverts to sell stuff, used to use a staffy in the photo too but he passed and she left.
Have to be careful with front as bearings greasy /oily already f*cked landing carpet doh.

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What's the point in changing from original to Stelvio shock? Is it comfort, seat height, better road contact, or what? Just wondering...

bjor wrote:

What's the point in changing from original to Stelvio shock? Is it comfort, seat height, better road contact, or what? Just wondering...

If you weigh in at around 80 kilos then the standard GRiSO shock may suit you.
Its travel to bottom or top is quite short. Its a sporty unit not built for comfort.
If your somewhat bigger say 90 plus kilos you may find you have a shock with its compression maxed out and a very harsh ride.
Two up and some crazy bottoming will likely ensue.
A Stelvio shock fits right in, its cheap and cheerful, being off the early Adventure model the travel is much longer.
Compression is easily adjusted using the knob on the side, with rebound same as the GRiSO shock a screw at the bottom.
Being 25mm longer it assists with fitting lower footpegs for taller riders.
Ground clearance is not enormous on the GRiSO as is, so if fit 1inch dropped pegs the ground will come up even sooner with the standard shock.
My take is the Stelvio shock is good for riders who are tall or overweight, for better comfort 1 or 2 up and if your tall a more comfy ride less cramped, a good fit for lower pegs.
They are getting rare and not so cheap, checkout decent new aftermarket shocks first.
If you able to customise a shock designed for the GRiSO with better spring and/or increased height maybe go with that.
If not then buy an after market new shock for the Stelvio.
You pays yer money you takes yer chances

Buellbloke wrote:

bjor wrote:

What's the point in changing from original to Stelvio shock? Is it comfort, seat height, better road contact, or what? Just wondering...

If you weigh in at around 80 kilos then the standard GRiSO shock may suit you.
Its travel to bottom or top is quite short. Its a sporty unit not built for comfort.
If your somewhat bigger say 90 plus kilos you may find you have a shock with its compression maxed out and a very harsh ride.
Two up and some crazy bottoming will likely ensue.
A Stelvio shock fits right in, its cheap and cheerful, being off the early Adventure model the travel is much longer.
Compression is easily adjusted using the knob on the side, with rebound same as the GRiSO shock a screw at the bottom.
Being 25mm longer it assists with fitting lower footpegs for taller riders.
Ground clearance is not enormous on the GRiSO as is, so if fit 1inch dropped pegs the ground will come up even sooner with the standard shock.
My take is the Stelvio shock is good for riders who are tall or overweight, for better comfort 1 or 2 up and if your tall a more comfy ride less cramped, a good fit for lower pegs.
They are getting rare and not so cheap, checkout decent new aftermarket shocks first.
If you able to customise a shock designed for the GRiSO with better spring and/or increased height maybe go with that.
If not then buy an after market new shock for the Stelvio.
You pays yer money you takes yer chances

Thanks for an excellent explanation! Now it's all clear  [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The Stelvio shock (at least the one i have - 2010) has no compression damping adjustment.
The big black knob at the side adjusts spring pre-load with a hydraulic piston under the knob and they can fail (well mine is dead).

The Stelvio shock is about 10mm longer than the GRiSO standard and has 10mm more stroke = that gives about 24.6mm or 1" more rear wheel travel. So the suspension is more likely to keep the wheel in touch with the road.
If you also have the right spring for your weight it is less likely to bottom out and will give a steeper steering head angle (which the GRiSO benefits from).

As BB wrote it raises the seat height and as i am 1.75m with a 74cm inside leg that is not good, but bearable

lcjohnny wrote:

The Stelvio shock (at least the one i have - 2010) has no compression damping adjustment.
The big black knob at the side adjusts spring pre-load with a hydraulic piston under the knob and they can fail (well mine is dead).

The Stelvio shock is about 10mm longer than the GRiSO standard and has 10mm more stroke = that gives about 24.6mm or 1" more rear wheel travel. So the suspension is more likely to keep the wheel in touch with the road.
If you also have the right spring for your weight it is less likely to bottom out and will give a steeper steering head angle (which the GRiSO benefits from).

As BB wrote it raises the seat height and as i am 1.75m with a 74cm inside leg that is not good, but bearable

I hope it failed after you did the sag at least for yourself.
Meant to say "Spring Preload" but at least was partly right cus it does Compress the f*cker, albiet permanently   ... well until you adjust it again unless it fails
Am glad you explained the length of the shock as well as the stroke.
Though my 10mm looks huge compared to Pete Ropers 10mm wtf is that all about, maybe his shock is the same length as the original but his travel is 10mm extra?

paulbrice wrote:

Nice wheels;)

Updated wheel pics, soon be tyre time, Pirelli Angel GT/II best reviews for tires I've seen yet!
Ended up settling for Avon RoadSmart III evidently tyre is more neutral than GT and tyre wear is supposedly good, getting around 9k from some blood riders out of a rear.

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For what it’s worth, here’s my take on the Stock to Stelio shock swap.
I’m 78kg now and the stock shock bottomed out regularly.
I put a refurbished Stelvio shock in about 7 months ago.
The ride is hugely improved, but with a 32” inside leg I’ve been shifting the forks up & down trying to find a balance between my ride height and the old feeling of neutral steering.
I don’t like a bike that falls into corners.
Everything is personal so…….
I’d rather put more effort in to tighten the turn than fight the bike tipping.
Finally settled on 2 rings (including the chamfered top one).

What front tyre pressure are you running Craig? And how worn are your tyres. I find mine flops into corners and is very heavy steering if the front pressure is too low. Once the tyre wears it also upsets things a lot more. I find mine very neutral with five rings showing on the Sachs forks but tyre pressure is critical. I hate fighting the steering on any bike.

What Pete said. I find just 2 psi makes a noticeable difference. I run 40-41 psi in the front.

Am running Michelin Pilot Road 5’s.
36 psi on front & 38 psi on back.
Got these settings off the ghetto somewhere years ago when I first got the bike.
Tyres aren’t ‘new’ but the wear is good on both. The front is older than the back.
I’ll try your suggestions and up the pressures & lower the forks again.

I’m also finding tyre pressure makes quite a difference. Going from 36 to 37 on the front made a small but noticeable improvement on the bike tracking through a corner. Worth trying.

To clarify, to reduce the bike ‘dropping into a corner’ you are lowering the forks. Meaning you are reducing the number of rings showing above the top yoke.

Clancy wrote:

Finally settled on 2 rings (including the chamfered top one).

The factory setting is two rings 8mm above top yoke.
I've dropped mine right to the top chamfer, being 6.2 bike feels a pretty decent height.
I've yet to adjust the sag, getting someone else to assist as well as good weekend weather is a pain in the arse.
Can do front solo but rear no chance.
Fork height will only be permanent once had a chance to test.
Did you find tyre pressures help as have mine at the factory 36 -42.
Tyre place what fitted new tyres went for that pressure too.
Did expose a somewhat nasty mark on the left leg raising it though am sorting a cover up.

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Interesting
I had to move the forks up in the yokes to the last line (5 rings showing) to get the turn-in light.
But i also set it at maximum preload to get the sag right.
So the overall ride height was probably the same as yours.
But compared to when i started it had more suspension travel left when the front hit ridges or bumps.

I weigh 100Kg so i am putting a 15mm spacer above the spring to get the correct sag at the mid point of preload adjsutment

lcjohnny wrote:

Interesting
I had to move the forks up in the yokes to the last line (5 rings showing) to get the turn-in light.
But i also set it at maximum preload to get the sag right.
So the overall ride height was probably the same as yours.
But compared to when i started it had more suspension travel left when the front hit ridges or bumps.

I weigh 100Kg so i am putting a 15mm spacer above the spring to get the correct sag at the mid point of preload adjsutment

Sounds to me like your fork springs are incorrect for your weight and your rear factory spring too soft.
I only dropped the forks to counter the 25mm rear end rise.
From what am seeing my total front end sag seated is 2inches, meaning I need to pull around 7mm out with pre load.
That should put me a tad under 1inch and three quarters.
One to maybe two rings in from max out should do it, sounds about right compared to the original setting of three.

Yep two rings at the front got me 1'' 3/4 of travel, both front end and rear end were approx 2inches prior to making adjustments.
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Rear took about 30 clicks, 1st 12 or so clicks dont actually do anything like its just taking up its own slack.
Bang on 1'' 1/2 at the rear. My spring is 12.5kg
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Buellbloke wrote:

Clancy wrote:

Finally settled on 2 rings (including the chamfered top one).

The factory setting is two rings 8mm above top yoke.
I've dropped mine right to the top chamfer, being 6.2 bike feels a pretty decent height.
I've yet to adjust the sag, getting someone else to assist as well as good weekend weather is a pain in the arse.
Can do front solo but rear no chance.
Fork height will only be permanent once had a chance to test.
Did you find tyre pressures help as have mine at the factory 36 -42.
Tyre place what fitted new tyres went for that pressure too.
Did expose a somewhat nasty mark on the left leg raising it though am sorting a cover up.

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That is 'comfort/cruiser settings ;-)

Other than setting the rear spring preload, or dropping the forks in the TT's, making suspension settings are fast and easy. I bought the bike from MI setup for the Prior Owner, and liked it, but wanted to experiment. I re- started with stock settings, didn't like it, went back to the MI setup, and made a few adjustments during an all day ride on various roads. This is for a 200lb rider with gear.

Have been running this setup for a few years, and set up a couple others.

**Start by completely closing the adjuster (clockwise) then opening or 'out' from fully closed by turning counter clockwise.  If you want to keep your current settings or go back to them, just count the # of turns and write them down. 4 screws for front, 2 screws rear. Easy Peasy, just take your time.

FRONT
TOP (rebound) 1.5 turns out
BOTTOM (compression) - 1 turn out
Preload - 4 lines showing tube is on 5th line
FORK – 2 rings showing (on 3rd)

REAR
TOP (compression) – 1 turn out
BOTTOM (rebound) - 30 clicks out
Preload - in stock position

I've been thinking about keeping all the same but pulling the forks up one more ring.

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Bulldog9 wrote:

That is 'comfort/cruiser settings ;-)

Have a Stelvio shock at the rear 25mm taller than stock, a taller back end and lower front tends to making the steering a bit quick.
The 8mm at the front will help some I imagine. if it slows it it up too much will drop it a ring.
Rear spring sag is set 1''1/2 of travel, front 1'' 3/4, other settings are factory for now.
Front springs are K-Tech for my weight 107kilos, settings are standard stuff set for correct sag.
Oil is 5w instead of 7.5w and content 470ml instead of 520ml.
Pre load and compression come later.

Bulldog9 wrote:

FRONT
TOP (rebound) 1.5 turns out
BOTTOM (compression) - 1 turn out (factory setting)
Preload - 4 lines showing tube is on 5th line (factory setting) Not needed on mine as higher rated spring
FORK – 2 rings showing (on 3rd) (factory setting)

REAR
TOP (compression) – 1 turn out
BOTTOM (rebound) - 30 clicks out
Preload - in stock position

Non of your rear settings apply as using a different shock.
Am also using a non standard spring rated for my weight.
The only way your setup would apply to me is if we were the same weight and had the same setup.

Buellbloke wrote:

Clancy wrote:

Finally settled on 2 rings (including the chamfered top one).

Did you find tyre pressures help as have mine at the factory 36 -42.

You know how I said that I'd settled......yeah, I haven't settled.
Am starting from scratch again with 4 rings showing.

Buellbloke wrote:

Bulldog9 wrote:

That is 'comfort/cruiser settings ;-)

Have a Stelvio shock at the rear 25mm taller than stock, a taller back end and lower front tends to making the steering a bit quick.
The 8mm at the front will help some I imagine. if it slows it it up too much will drop it a ring.
Rear spring sag is set 1''1/2 of travel, front 1'' 3/4, other settings are factory for now.
Front springs are K-Tech for my weight 107kilos, settings are standard stuff set for correct sag.
Oil is 5w instead of 7.5w and content 470ml instead of 520ml.
Pre load and compression come later.

Bulldog9 wrote:

FRONT
TOP (rebound) 1.5 turns out
BOTTOM (compression) - 1 turn out (factory setting)
Preload - 4 lines showing tube is on 5th line (factory setting) Not needed on mine as higher rated spring
FORK – 2 rings showing (on 3rd) (factory setting)

REAR
TOP (compression) – 1 turn out
BOTTOM (rebound) - 30 clicks out
Preload - in stock position

Non of your rear settings apply as using a different shock.
Am also using a non standard spring rated for my weight.
The only way your setup would apply to me is if we were the same weight and had the same setup.

It was an example, and info. Good luck with your setup and getting is sorted.

I just fouod out that the Stelvio and GRiSO shock both have the same collapsed length 290mm to the bump.stop.

So the ride height all rests on (joke) spring preload. And of course that depends on 5he spring rate.

lcjohnny wrote:

I just fouod out that the Stelvio and GRiSO shock both have the same collapsed length 290mm to the bump.stop.

So the ride height all rests on (joke)  spring preload. And of course that depends on 5he spring rate.

If you have a soft spring it could end up lower than the GRiSO Shock unless you load it up to max.
Sounds like you have a pre NTX shock like I bought.
Mines a beast now 12.5kg as opposed to original 9kg.
Seen others on here at 15stone going for the NTX versions or adapting the early stelvio shock with 10.9kg -11.2kg aftermarket springs.
I saw the matris shocks were rated as too harsh at 13kg plus for a 95 kilo bloke so opted for a 12.5kg spring rate for my lardy arse.
Its bang on the money for a 107kilo bloke, though maybe the matris rate would have suited me.
That said I had to load it up some, was 1 inch of bike sag 2 with me on board.
Could still end up bottoming this thing out.
Might have to reduce my 1'' 1/2 a few more mm 1.5 is the generous amount.
Maybe a 12.5kg suit you with less adjustment.

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Clancy wrote:

For what it’s worth, here’s my take on the Stock to Stelio shock swap.
I’m 78kg now and the stock shock bottomed out regularly.
I put a refurbished Stelvio shock in about 7 months ago.
The ride is hugely improved, but with a 32” inside leg  I’ve been shifting the forks up & down trying to find a balance between my ride height and the old feeling of neutral steering.
I don’t like a bike that falls into corners.
Everything is personal so…….

Since we are about equally heavy, I'm curious to know which version of the Stelvio shock you have (NTX or pre) and which N/mm-ratio your spring has got.

Regards Bjørn