Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

He will advise you the most cost-effective solution.  Since the preload adjustment wheel is separated from the shock by a hydraulic pipe, I don't think you will need to replace the shock.  Possibly just a gasket or seal.

Claus,

Nothing terminal, no need to panic.

The pre-load is hydraulic, there is a small reservoir of hydraulic oil and when you turn the pre-load wheel you are pumping that oil into the sleeve chamber which consequentially pushes the sleeve on the shock downwards, compressing the spring.

Monitor  it regularly, and meantime start fishing out what Martin or other would charge to replace the sleeve and pump seals.

It is extremely rare for this to leak.

Most shocks are good for life.

Even abuse is not known to hurt them.

If you said you had lot sof corrugated road, that would aggravate the system by the constant pounding.

Several contemprories  have come to grief with a 'collapsed shock" on the road from Wadi Halfa to Khartoum in the Sudan and also the stretch from Addis to Moyale in Ethiopia.

Several times when corresponding with Cairo to Cape Town bikers, I warn them of the extreme corrugations and to ride for 30 minutes, then let the shocks cool down.

But after half a day in the tepid heat and dust they get impatient and I get a call asking for help with Shocks. 450 kilometers of arb patternless corrugations just get to people. They lose patience or concept of time. they just have to get on an out the region- to their expensive downfall- excuse the pun.

While I've never done the route myself, 

Chris Handschuh  at Jungle junction threw away dozens of collapsed rear shocks when he moved from his old Jungle jungle Backpackers in Nairobi.

The constant hard working of a bike loaded for an adventure, over hot very corrugated roads, causes the dampers to work overtime- heating the oil till it losses the viscosity and even degrades. But do this hour after hour and the oil expands and blows the seals in a spectacular fashion.

Then it is only the coil spring left and no damping and riding is down to 14 khp.

Many a biker has had to get in a bakkie to take his bike to Moyale, from where Chris will collect you (ion the border post) and take you to his backpackers.

There in his extensive workshop you can change shocks.

Martin has helped rebuild some of them.

Oma Mansour (Cairo), Chris and myself have babysat many a biker and 4x4 adventurer, passing them on to each other as they progress.

I must say the shocks collapsing before Khartoum, despite warnings of the consequences of 'pushing it' is one of the biggest common challenges.