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Help! Rear shock broken in northern Kazakhstan Help! Rear shock broken in northern Kazakhstan
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  #1  
Old 3 Aug 2011
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Help! Rear shock broken in northern Kazakhstan
Hi all,

A few hours ago i watch in horror as the moab shock on my KLR 650 dumped all its oil onto the ground, south of Ayagoz in northeastern Kazakhstan With a dangerous-to-ride bike I'm scrambling for ideas...

Has anyone shipped a replacement part or new shock to Kazakhstan before? Would it be worth trying to get the bike to Russia? My biggest constraint right now is that I have a flight out of UB in three weeks

In terms of repairing, I believe i need a new seal head... Has anyone managed to repair a rear shock before without having proper replacement parts on hand?

Any and all help much appreciated!

Jake
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  #2  
Old 3 Aug 2011
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You might want to get it to Barnaul, Russia.
There is a shop or two there mentioned favorably in the past (search for info if someone doesn't re-post it by the time you read this.)
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Old 3 Aug 2011
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I would think that within 1 week you should be able to get a new shock DHL delivered to your nearest 'big' town like Ayagoz or if you can make it to Astana or Almaty depending on your direction of travel. It's only a couple of phone calls away... albeit very $$$

In the meantime, why don't you see what the locals can do to fix your shock. I'm sure they are far more resourceful than either you or I give them credit for. Even if a temporary fix only gets you 100kms, it's still better than no shock at all!

If you don't repair it and keep on riding then you risk damaging your sub-frame. This would be a lot more time consuming and expensive to fix.

To put it into perspective, if you didn't break down you wouldn't have such a great story to tell at the end of your adventure! Hope you find a way to make the most of your time on off the bike.
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Old 3 Aug 2011
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Thanks guys,

Turbocharger, I actually didnt consider the subframe aspect and was preparring to drive 350km tomorrow to Semey where the locals here tell me they can fill shocks with oil. I guess you'd recommend not doing that? For those familiar with the KLR650 i did the drill through with the subframe (ie the connection between subframe and frame is much better, screws won't snap), will this help?

If there's one thing I've learned on this trip its that theres more than one way to fix something, and the "locals" always come up with something that works. I'm just not sure with this one, it being a more complex part not made from metal (the seal gave out i think). Anyone have experience repairing one?

In regards to shipping a new shock, i've read and heard here that getting parts from abroad can take an much longer than one would expect (see below) as customs takes a long time.I met a couple a few days ago who waited 4 weeks for a new shock in Barnaul, similar story in the link below.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...k-russia-57422

Thanks for the quick replies!

Jake
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Old 3 Aug 2011
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agree with Chris in Tokyo ... if its rideable (you still have a spring I guess) ... you can ride it easy to Barnaul. Russians will be able to fix it. I would be a lot less confident about a quality repair in KZ in general, and Semey in particular.

As long as you dont bottom out the spring, I think there will be less stress on your subframe than if the shock was working, as the natural movement of the rear end of the bike will be less impeded without a working shock. So dont bottom out the spring and your subframe will be fine. If you do bottom out your spring though, then all bets are off

Barnaul is only 2 days ride from Ayagoz ... its going to be over a day to Almaty or Astana anyway.
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Old 3 Aug 2011
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Thanks Colebatch,

Well if there's suitable shops in Barnaul i'll try to get there (any recommendations?) I did drive 90km on the spring today and it was pretty difficult, and somewhat dangerous. I'll give it another shot and see how it goes.

I'm being quoted by USPS express mail 3-5 days to semey. Sounds a bit optimistic to me, seeing that it usually takes weeks. If the costs aren't prohibitive, maybe I'd consider Barnaul as well (it'd give me something to do while I wait!) Anyone shipped from the states to this part of the world before?

Thanks again for the help,

Jake
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