Lindemann/Penske TL Shock Kit

The Suzuki TL1000S's suspension takes a fair bit of dialing in before you can get things right, and even then it leaves a little to be desired when the going gets rough. Jim Lindemann has been marketing a Penske replacement shock kit for the past year or so, and after experiencing his suspension magic on various bikes in the past, we decided to give it a try. The Lindemann kit replaces the stock rotary damper unit with a conventional, fully adjustable Penske shock absorber, sans spring; Lindemann has provided a choice of two springs with higher rates to replace the spring on the stocker's separate unit.

Replacing the spring was a chore, however. The spring unit is packed tightly into the right side, an requires some maneuvering to remove. You need to grind off the peened-over shock shaft inside the clevis in order to loose the bottom lockout so the accessory spring can be installed. (Or you can simply send your spring unit to Lindemann and have it converted for a small fee.) Once all the components are mounted (including the fram support block that fits in the space previously occupied by the rotary damper), dial-in is a snap. You'll need a very small Allen wrench to make rebound-damping adjustments on the shock, however.

Overall suspension action with the Lindemann kit was greatly improved. Damping was much more consistens accross the suspension stroke, with a  more supple movement over smaller ripples, while large midcorner bumps failed to upset the chassis. As a result, traction in the gnarlier corners was greatly enhanced, increasing corner speeds.

At $975, the Lindemann kit isn't exactly cheap, but for those looking to improve their TL1000S's handling to a point far beyond the stocker's capabilities, it's a sound investment.