Stock shock S2R 800 partially purple - good/bad/cool?

[stopintime]

My '07 still has the stock shock and the lower inch or so is light purple - the rest is golden/silver.
I don't use it for enduro races, but I am weighing 230 and riders sag is roughly two inches. Could it be that the abnormal travel will be too much for the poor shock, getting it hot enough to change colors

I'm already planning a full suspension rebuild, so we don't need to discuss new parts - I'm just curious about the color change

[Speeddog]

My '07 still has the stock shock and the lower inch or so is light purple - the rest is golden/silver.
I don't use it for enduro races, but I am weighing 230 and riders sag is roughly two inches. Could it be that the abnormal travel will be too much for the poor shock, getting it hot enough to change colors

I'm already planning a full suspension rebuild, so we don't need to discuss new parts - I'm just curious about the color change

Got a picture?

Are you sure this is a new situation, or maybe you just didn't notice it before?

If it was getting that hot, I'd expect it to have puked all the oil out.

[stopintime]

No oil anywhere.
Might have been like this for a "long" time, but not from birth I would think

I'm still figuring out how to work the new invention - the digital camera - and how to post pictures.

[CairnsDuc]

I'm about the same weight as you and my Shock (same bike and year) is not purple,

Maybe I ride like a little girl?

[stopintime]

I'm about the same weight as you and my Shock (same bike and year) is not purple,

Maybe I ride like a little girl?

  I don't know if you do, but I know that I do.      Well, not really, but I go for spirited group rides of +/- 150 miles about once a month.
I can't imagine my rides to be especially challenging to the shocks other than the fact that they might suffer under the long travel from my weight/wrong spring rate. If it was purple all over, which it isn't, I guess it could have been from degreasing/washing.

[Speeddog]

Perhaps there's a slight oil film there from the tiny bit of oil that the seal lets by.
Or a residue from washing/degreasing.

[tangueroHondo]

Hey there you Norweigian. My 05 S2R  has a bluish hue to the piston shaft to about half of full travel.  My sag is 1.25 inches.   Mine is certainly not the result of heat. 

[stopintime]

Me Norwegian, me

I was able to take a good look at it today in different light conditions. The one inch I was referring to is a lot less with the light hitting it differently.
Slight film and/or residues sound like the closest to an explanation - if there really is a need for one. I'm not worried about it now.
Thanks for the feedback guys

[CairnsDuc]

Well, there you go, I went out this morning to give the Bike it's weekly tub, and sure enough, the bottom of the shock has turned just slightly purple, had to on the right angle to see it.
Not sure if that has been like that since day one, but for as many times as I have cleaned the bike, oiled the chain and all the other things I have done near the shock I have never noticed it.

Maybe I don't ride such a little girl after all! 

Not to worried though, an Ohlins will be on it's way to replace it soon.


PS: Maybe we should stop referring to our unused parts of the tyre as Chicken strips, maybe we should start referring to them as  Strips. Might make a topic about that....