New here

[fasterdammit]

My rear shock bit the dust, and I was told by European Cycle Services there weren't any rebuilds available for it; I bought a Works Performance unit which I actually purchased (new) from their ebay store at a pleasant discount. I've only got a hundred or so miles on it so far (after 2.5 years of not riding the bike), so I'm still reacquainting myself. This was the cheapest replacement I found; I think I paid about $300 shipped via ebay (I think the shock lists for ~$475 retail).

[loki1957]

I am thinking about buying The Works Performance as well.

[blazing928]

Welcome, bike looks sweet. I am also newish now, this is a brilliant forum
but do search and read the tech notes in all the forums.

The Wilbers is not cheap , AUD$1100, it does have lots of adjustment and for another AUD$400 you can add a hydraulic pre load adjuster. [Easy adjust for pillion or luggage]
The cannister , in my case because of the angle they fitted the hoses, now goes on the left and I fitted the pre load to the rh rear peg, [drilled and tapped] to hold. We had to guess the length of the preload hose as Wilbers had no spec, I went for 50cm, was perfect! Fluke!
It being there means I can reach it to adjust preload with my luggage strapped on.

Wilbers asks your weight, riding stlye and usage and the sets the shock and spring to suit.
Preload was perfect and you would only play with the adjustments if your were tracking or had a lot of weight on board, like pillion and luggage. You now maintain the correect steering geometry and won't rub a big hole in the under tray!

The Penske was about $USD900 I think.
Quite a few original shocks on ebay at times, for $50 or so. Then wait for a second hand Penske to come along and get into a bidding war

I had my other shock rebuilt, [2nd bike] but it was complete.
You may be able to rebuild it without the adjuster working any way.

One thing about your tyres having a worn flat profile is that, in my case, I found that the bike was a real pig to turn at low speeds. New Metzlers and it was transformed. I remember commenting about the famous Ducati slow steering was a pain, but it was just poor tyres!

A tyre should be thrown away after 6 years, they loose 1/2 their grip after 3 years.
This was highlighted on a DCOV [Duke Club of Victoria] ride to Tasmania last year. A rider went down when the tryes lost grip for no apparent reason. They found out that despite the tyres being new , they were in fact over 6 years old! Sat on the shelf for a long time....
There is a DOT code on the side showing week built and year, Eg 1009, would be week 10 2009, 4597 = week 47 1997.
Tyres are you life, don't be cheap

[randtcastell]

In regards to a shock for the 750 Paso: I contacted Wilbers and received this. Not so helpful, but there is contact info for the US:

Hi Randy,

I am out of the country on vacation this week with limited computer access. I return tomorrow and I'll be in touch then.

Thanks for the inquiry, I'll get back to you with information.

Ted Porter
Wilbers America
Scotts Valley, CA.
Direct Cell: 831-420-7776
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Ducati 750 Paso monoshock
From: randy castellon <randycastellon@mac.com>
Date: Mon, May 24, 2010 6:50 am
To: info@wilbersamerica.com

Greetings:

Can you fabricate a shock for a 1987 Ducati Paso? Ballpark Price? Lead
Time?

Thanks and Best Wishes,

Randy Castellon

[blazing928]

In Oz I gather they don't sell too many wilbers shocks, most likely similar to the states,
so the local dealer is a one man show, that does a lot of suspension work, but has tme off!
Have a look at the web site, there is a link to Wilbers in Germany.
It took about 6 weeks for mine to arrive from order date, but then he only does one shipment a month I think.

this is the link to the shock
http://www.asr.com.au/products/631a.php

[randtcastell]

The Wilbers US guy got back to me:

HI Randy,

Unfortunately there is no listing for the 750 Paso, only the 907 Paso has a Wilbers listing.

However Wilbers will prototype and hand build a shock for you. They do not charge extra to custom build a shock, but you would need to either send them your old shock, or be willing and able to give them the technical specs they require such as shock stroke, suspension travel and so on.

If you would like to pursue this further, it would be best for you to contact the factory directly. They have a very friendly and helpful english speaking person who is willing to answer your technical inquiries at:
USA@wilbers.de.

Typical pricing is $569.00 for an emulsion style shock with manual spring preload and rebound damping adjust. Up to $849.00 for a three way damping adjust model with high and low speed compression adjustability and a remote reservoir for maximum performance.

Wilbers shocks have a five year warranty and are fully rebuildable. They are hand built in Germany and are very high quality.

Thanks for the inqiury, let me know if I can help further.

Best regards,

Ted Porter
Wilbers America
Scotts Valley, CA.
831-438-1100


Good to know...

Best, Randy.

[persempre907]

Great, even if a good craftsman could manage to overhaul yours for a fraction of the cost.
Ciao

[delagem]

Egagnon

I ran across your old post today, where you mention running the Metzler tires with little modification. When you say "adjusted all the way out" are you referring to having to rotate the axle pivot backwards as far as possible with an extra 2 chain links, or spacing it sideways to clear the side of the tire?

If you're talking about moving the tire aft as far as possible, are you saying that even at full back position, there is only 1/8" between the tire and the swingarm?

Have there been any problems with this setup?

Michael

There is no need to do the 17" conversion, depending on what shape your wheels are in. I found some german Ducati bulletin on the FAQ section on this site it recommends:

Front: Metzler Sportec M3 - 130/70-16
Rear: Metzler Lastertec - 150/80-16

Now the front needs the front fender lifted, and the back will fit with just about 1/8" to spare with the chain adjusted all the way out with a new chain. But I've ridden with them now for month or so almost everyday for 40 miles a day, with no problems. Here's a what it looks like with the listed tires, sorta far away but it really shows the size difference in the rear tire. Also, with these tires I recommend putting on the centerstand to get gas, otherwise you can never fill it up all the way.