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Suspension: Rear Shock
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Hello all
I'm strongly considering using an AT to go round the world (in fact, proberbly will!). The question is - Do I really need to upgrade the rear shock? I haven't bought the bike yet but when I do all being well it won't have many miles on the clock. I know the recommended carrying capacity is 194kg or so and I may exceed this by maybe 20 to 30 kg as I'm riding 2 up with camping equipment etc. Stuff like tools etc. will be carried low down at the front and the bike 'should' be well balanced when loaded. I'll no doubt upgrade the front shocks with heavier springs and oil though which may may make the bike 'front end stiff'. When we're talking £500 GB for a rear shock it's alot of dosh so am I better off riding with the origonal until it falls to bits and then changing it when I need to? (The first 20 - 30,000 miles will be in a big loop of the Americas, starting off in the North.) Any advice will earn you eternal respect but little else other than thanks! Safe travels Chris Oooops - I'll have a 43 litre tank on the bike too so that 20 - 30kg over the recomended carrying capacity could be more! Silly me |
Generic answer for most any bike:
Once upon a time, long long ago, I used to tell people that "the stock shock was carefully designed to hold the rear fender off the tire when the bike is in the crate, on it's way to you". While clearly no longer completely true, I think it is still largely true for those of us running long trips two-up. Overall, my personal feeling is that it is VERY important to put a good rear shock on any bike for a two-up round the world trip. It's not just a matter of "will the stock shock survive" but "will it work well in the meantime"? The difference in handling - and therefore safety - between a hopelessly inadequate and overloaded stock shock and a shock built for the load is HUGE. My bike for instance handles very well fully loaded - and many G/S riders don't believe me - because they are riding on a stock shock, and have no idea of the difference. The rear shock is responsible for easily 80% of the handling of the bike, especially on a two-up and loaded tourer. For another opinion, ask Chris Bright about how good stock shocks are - on his BMW R100GS he went through 4 stock shocks before he got wise and installed (I think) an Ohlins. Getting shocks shipped into Africa and South America is very expensive and a lot of hassle, and shocks have been know to fail spectacularly - breaking in half isn't unheard of. Finally, no matter how hard you try, you will never get the load "balanced" - (short of putting 125 pounds of luggage in front of you to offset your passenger) you can only reduce the imbalance. "Balanced" is solo unloaded, (on some TOURING bikes balanced is two-up light load. The AT doesn't fit that category!) Check out Works Performance (see the links page) for a shock for your bike - they custom make each one to suit the load and conditions. And their price is reasonable. You could get it installed in LA when you get there. Then you will really appreciate the difference! Tell them I sent you. Specific to AT: I know zip about AT's, and they may well come with a great shock for the job - but I'd be mighty surprised! I've discussed our (as in 'world traveller') requirements at length with a real shock expert, and the conclusion is that it is practically impossible to build a shock that will work perfectly solo unloaded AND two-up fully loaded. The mechanics of the current shock / suspension system, and the characteristics of springs, are such that it just can't be done at an acceptable price and complexity. So if a bike is good solo from the factory, it has to be inadequately sprung fully-loaded two-up. A good compromise is all we can get. Forgive the long-winded ramble, but I hope this clarifies things somewhat for all. ------------------ Grant Johnson Seek, and ye shall find. ------------------------ One world, Two wheels. www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
Grant, you need to re-package the spiel on rear shocks and post it somewhere where more people will find it. I found it very useful and will likely go for a Works Performance shock next summer when I'll be in LA.
------------------ Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius - William Blake |
Daniel, glad you liked it! Good idea - it's now linked to from the Trip planning and Tech pages. Will get around to a rewrite someday... http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/eek.gif Any volunteers to cruise through the HUBB for good topics that should be linked to from the Tech or Trip planning pages? The link and a description and category/page it should be in, in a plain text email (feedback form) would be great... http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/biggrin.gif ------------------ Grant Johnson Seek, and ye shall find. ------------------------ One world, Two wheels. www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
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Well, when the great Maestro Grant calleth, Chris Bright cometh running... http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif I would indeed have to concur that good suspension, that is a. front forks, springs and oil and b. (particularly) rear shock are very important for a big trip. I indeed broke 4 stock rear shocks (including one that snapped into 3 pieces on the Ruta 40 in Patagonia!). I was riding solo, but with a lot of luggage and also giving the bike more abuse than it was ever designed for. After I put on an Ohlins shock the chassis snapped and my trip ended! I don't think these two acts were related!? Before buying my BMW I rode an AT for 40 thousand miles with a stock shock with no problems. However it was only on European roads. I would strongly suggest you buy an Ohlins and have one less thing to worry about and give you stress. If you consider the stress, freight charges and import tax of having a new shock shipped to somewhere exotic, it is cheaper in the long run, to set off with something reliable under your butt. An Africa Twin is a great choice of travel bike. Good luck, ChrisB |
Well thats pretty definitive, definately not rambling as well. Thanks for the advice Grant and Chris. I think I'll be making a stop in LA!
Thanks Chris |
My wife and i left home August 2001 on our Africa Twin. We have covered 44,500 mile on it on our overland trip to Australia.
I admit everyones story is different and opinions differ on the rear shock.We have had no problems with ours and have found it to be perfectley adequate for the job.We are carrying 100kg of luggage as well as water and fuel when needed. Alot of people seem to think you have to fit some fancy named/coloured shock with more knobs and dials than you can figure out what to do with.Ive met so many people bragging about the fact that there shock is rebuildable.Yeh thats fantastic but you try and get it rebuilt in the middle of India! The SHOWA rear shock is put on the bike for a reason,because it works! We carry our jerry cans(2x10ltrs) on either side of the crashbars mounted low down and have got an African Queen tool box mounted to the front of the bash plate again to keep the weight low and forward.With the weight spread out evenly and a set of progressive fork springs fitted with heavier fork oil we have found the bike has been able to handle anything weve needed it to.sure anyone can break a rear shock if you take it past the point of what it will really cope with. Give the O.E. shock ago as the money saved will take you along way on your trip! |
just completed round the world trip on domminator 2 up sometimes carrying water fuel 2 tyres and on all the worst outback tracks, and all on a standard shock.
we met many people with problems who had changed their suspension to after market shocks especially white power! |
Hello all:
My bike is an AT RD04 1991, I have a 40 liters fuel tank and habitually do trips two-up and very loaded, bike already counts on 90,000 km and the shock still works of wonders. Probably, before the 100,000 it makes it review by a specialist, but I am sure only it will be necessary to do a change of seals, oil and gas to him. Nor in dreams it could spend on “Ohlins” or “white power”. Single it would kill by the possibility of regulating it on road comfortably. What yes I have noticed is that in the RD07 it would seem to be less resistant. With which yes I have had problems, because I don’t give the suitable attention to him, it is with the bearings of the progressive system. Good luck. Javier K. Buenos Aires. |
Have a '92 Africa Twin (RD04) with 60,000 kms. Have covered around 22,000 kms between Melbourne (Aus) and Broome and places and spaces in between. We ride two-up, with a lot of weight,
mainly camping gear, for up to a month at a time. Recenly we noted leakage from the rear shock cannister. Unsure if it's due to tinkerers we found messing with the AT in a carpark; or overloading the bike through some horrendous offroad corrugations; or a combination of both. Currently quite a long way from service facilities. Will pumping air into the cannister adversely affect the rear shock... ie., mess with the nitrogen... or further screw up the rear suspension? This would only be a temporary measure, until we get to a shock specialist..... . Paul |
I am on my third Af Twin rear shock. The first lasted 40,000+ KMs. 17K of which were off road in Africa. My luggage weighs in at around 90kg I weigh 85kg.
The second shock (original Honda) lasted just a few thousand ks the third lasted just a few thousand too!! Re loads, the weight since Africa is less and the roads generally better??!! I reckon that Honda's supplier have reduced the build spec. since the 1999 model.... perhaps some one can confirm or denie this? I am trying to get my hands on an Ohlins. I reckon it would be better to switch straight to an Ohlins after the first one fails.... |
I had an Ohlins on my R100GS which failed after 4,500 miles. Unfortunately the warranty period had expired and I had to fork out for another one. I fitted another Ohlins to my Africa Twin which was faulty from new and replaced by the dealer. This lasted for 6,000 miles. I put the original Showa shock back on the bike and it was still going strong when I sold the bike at 23,000 miles.
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Thanks for the warning about Ohlins....
So, from our experiences, neither manufacturers are reliable! One thing with the Ohlnis, is at least its repairable, the honda shock (showa) is a sealed unit, unless you can tell me otherwise.. Could you also let me know what weight you were riding with and on what surface?? This may help diagnose a consistant fault? All sounds like a gamble?? |
Yes, the Showa is a sealed unit and the Ohlins repairable. Even White Power as used on KTM's and I believe, the new BM's have problems. You pay your money and take your choice. Best to go with what your happy with. In most parts fo the world you can get a new shock or parts couriered to you.
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Wait!!!!
I know that the manual say than the Showa is a sealed unit but here and spouses in the most parts of the world exist some specialist who cant rebuild the shocks and make it repairable. They can open it, mechanize the coil in the tube and make a new screw cover, to change all seals, oil, to make the re-valving, of being necessary to change the rod and to place in the canister a valve by where to put nitrogen. All this operation (in the Argentina) does not exceed a cost of $150 or $200 dollars less, less than what costs a new aftermarket shock Javier Kaper |
Thanks for the tip.. however I do not think the standard spring on the Af Twin standd shock is upto it.... so I have ordered the Ohlins..
One thing I wish I had done with hindsight.. (a wonderful thing!) is take the spring to its maximum strength... ie screw down the setting nut to make the spring work to its max... I think this may have helped.... we did this for my wifes Transalp and its covered the same roads as mine with a similar (respective load).... and is still going strong! |
Well, since I started this topic Sooooo long ago I thought I'd better let people know how I went on. I bought the Ohlins rear shock and have never regreted it. To date I've done about 22,000 miles 2 up through USA, Mexico, Canada and USA again (in that order) and its going strong. We've thrown some hard roads at it too. Plenty of forest roads with all the gear loaded up.
Given I changed the shock before this trip I don't know how the standard shock would have held up but having said that the Ohlins bottoms out far less than the old shock did and there is far more adjustment for different riding conditions. In short I'm far happier with the Ohlins. Cheers all Chris |
Chris
I am about to recieve my shock from Ohlins, do you have any advice/tips on set up? Thanks Simon |
FOr best set up proceedure follow the guidelines in the manual that comes with the shock. That's a cop out but its true. I located the damping adjuster on the under side of the reat faring just above the exhaust and the rebound adjuster beside the rear break push rod. They work well in those two positions.
For further info on the actual set up of the shock there are people on the site far mre qualified to advise on that. ANYONE PLEASE! Good luck with it CHris |
3 yearold posts but hows it going?
Just been searching for info about Ohlins rear shocks for my AT.2002 model with 14,000kms on original Showa...no problem with it but i want to upgrade after some recent rough riding in Morocco got me thinking would ohlins or WP be any better.Plan some more African trips soon and i am sure i will be going on rough pistes so would like to go prepared with 'quality' set up.I have no idea of the difference in handling until i actually spend the money and replace the part......i assume it would improve things....(a friend has WP on a small trials bike and said the difference is amazing)even if i am happy with the Showa do you think its worth the money?I very rarely ride 2 up and am of the mind that most of what i need can be bought when i need it....when i get there...and can be given away to someone needy if i don't plan to use it for a couple of thousand Ks....costly but more comfortable i believe(the times i have packed,unpacked then packed things that i have never used is crazy)so generally travel light...no big tank...i'm a light weight 75kilos.....zega full kit and no more on top.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks |
chock
I plan the route belgium- new zeeland just upgreated my rear suspension only with e havier spring from hyperpro , kept the stock pump .
dit already a offroad test run with lugage , works just finne :thumbup1: |
Think i will go for the ohlins on the rear and some wirth springs on the front with heavier oil:thumbup1: .....
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Ohlins rear spring
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Out of interest which spring rate did you go for ? 95 / 110 / 120N/mm Many thanks Matt |
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I have an Africa Twin and a XR650R ....I weigh in at 115kg's which was about 25kgs heavier than what the rating was for the XR650R so I change the rear shock spring for a heavier one.ie: from stock 9.2 kg to an 11kg. What a difference!!! I then aslo upgraded the fron fork springs as well. This said you also need to pay attention to what they call "race sag" which is the distance in inches the bike sags when fully loaded. On the XR650R it is about 4.5 inches. This means you have to pre-load the shock spring a bit. Once I had done all of this my bike felt beautifully different!! It handled superbly and I have punished the shock since with no failure etc. So to me a shock will just damp the compression and retard the expansion....but the spring is the definitive game changer...you need to match the spring to your load and get your setup done correctly. Now I want to do the same on the AT but I cannot for the life of me find what the stock shock spring ratings are, so I can have a reference to work from....is there anyone out there who can help . |
good thread, so it gets a bump!
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AT RD04 Suspension Update ....
OK its time to offer a little feedback…
I have a RD04 with now 80.000 kms – I’ve just driven 8.000 and with only a small braking and rack problem. I rode on a mix of terrain, how ever mainly roads , no serious off road… On the front I fitted Progressive springs with 15W oil and 3.5 psi as I found 6psi too hard. On the rear I fitted a Ohlins 120mn spring from Africaqueen and kept my standard shock, cleaned everything up and removed a little of the rust / pitting on the main shock shaft, not too much to ensure it didn’t then leak. Fitted everything back and didn’t have any pre-load on the spring, eg it was adjusted to the natural length of the spring. I set the rebound to half a turn to hard. Now loading the bike, I have two ali boxes 17.5 kgs each, rear box 17 kgs and tank bag / side pockets +/- 10 kgs then I weight 93kgs (now 88kgs !! its good to travel) and my wife around 65kg total 220kgs …. The bike ride was the best its ever been, still good road holding and enough suspension travel. Speed bumps are everywhere now in Syria and Jordan ! only issue at the end of the trip is a noise / rough head bearing. Happy ? I’m very happy… saved a few quid and spent it on accommodation with hot water my advise, go with what feels right for you… Kind regards Matt |
No one mentioned WP (Ex White Power ) yet.
I fitted it in my F650Gs and it was superb! I strongly recommend it. I came accross them when I discussed this with my then teacher at a motorcycle mechanic course. The very experience Howard told me both Olhin and WP were great although WP is more off-road orientated. WP is fitted in the off-road range in CCM bikes as standard. Must be for a good reason! Also at the time I did some research WP was cheaper than Olhin! |
A long response to a simple question
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I did the entire WP kit, I got a 10% heavier spring in the kit. I am very happy with it.. I used full travel WP Suspension - United Kingdom, - Sole Importers and Distributors of WP Suspension products in the UK - Full Travel Racing Suspension These guys are very helpful and know their stuff.. I dont know if WP is better the ohlins.. but the service i got (before and after ordering was the reason i went wp). You will not regret it. Do be aware that once you start playing with the suspension you will be come addicted..it changes the bike so much that you just have to know how far you can push it. It cost me (in 2007) £475 for the shock 4014 fusion with upgraded spring £100 for the remote preload adjuster £63.25 for the wp proline progressive front springs £19.84 for the front oil. all plus vat and shipping 770.10 A basic how to on a Africa Twin. Step one.. Get the boxes http://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/images/...on_biggrin.gif:D:clap: http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0148.JPG http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0149.JPG Arnt they purty!:thumbup1::innocent: step two. Get bike on centre stand and take off all plastic http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0021.JPG http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0022.JPGScrape off some of the mud from last week http://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/images/...s/rolleyes.gif and remove the tyre http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0023.JPG Remove the old bits and bobs, three bolts: two on the bottom one on the top, I did not bother removing the tank but it can make accessing the top bolts easier. http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0024.JPG http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0026.JPG Slip in the new Shocker http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0025.JPG http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0027.JPG http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0028.JPG Bolt on the preload and compression http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0030.JPGhttp://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0029.JPG and bobs your uncle.. It is as easy as it sounds.. it all just slipped in like it was not a after market part! The only thing that was not plug and play was the bracket for the preload adjust, The one that came with it is for a stock end can (mine is custom).. so i had to make my own bracket.. Total job was less then 2 hours. Fronts springs were just as easy: take off plastic/ front wheel (like you are changing fork oil..) you can either drain using drain plug or pour it out (I did the latter). I did one fork at a time so that I did not have to Remember where the forks sat in the clamps.. http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0031.JPG It was a simple job of removing old springs/oil http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC_0032.JPG Put in the new springs (the correct way up). replace the spacer washers, Fill with new oil (7.5w for thouse who want to know.. as suggested by full travel). Pump the shocks a few times to remove excess air. Screw back together .. this is the most tricky part.. as the spring is slightly fighting you.. but not really that bad.. Reassemble.. and in my case the set up was spot on..WP preset it up with thier best guess do to my description of my needs. The suspention is great..the bike handles like it is a sports bike! It takes turns like the back tyre is glued to the ground. It has changed the ride in many ways.. Feels stiffer when you first get on but in a not wimpy shock kinda way..nice and firm.. All and all it has made the bike more responsive and more comfy. The main reason for this was to give us a better ride when two up fully loaded we, have taken several couple week trips (including romania with its dirt roads). The new set-up has stopped bottoming out and keeps the bike far more stable when loaded. |
my experiance
This is a great thread. I have really enjoyed reading it! I headed off on an XR250 with only 16kgs of luggage. When I entered Mongolia my shock started to leak. They didn't completely fail, but I had wished that I had looked into it. I am now planning my next trip and I am defiantly considering what kind of suspension I am using. |
Works Performance BMW R80G/S
I have just tried to get hold of a Works performance shock. Unfortunatly they could not provide a shock suitable. They could not supply one with a spring and apparantly seals which they say would melt, if used with a combined rider and equipment weight of more than 250ilbs over certain rough terrain.
So I think my best option is maybe a Wilbers shock. As they seem to cover all the options. I would be much interested to hear from any personal experiences with Wilbers shocks. |
Interesting thread.
I'd like to share my small experiences, during a month long 5000 mile trip to Greece, over some poor roads through Albania, riding 2 up with quite a bit of gear (approx 240kgs all in), I upgraded the rear spring to cope with the weight (from 13kg/mm to 15kg/mm). This worked fine. Bike was a 650 Transalp and the shock was original with 50,000miles and no probs with the damping or handling. I'd do the same or greater trip with the same setup without hesitation. I guess bike shocks vary in quality & longevity but they aren't always as poor as what people make them out to be! Phil |
So I guess ...
... just a new spring it will be. My Honda TA, model 1991, 50.000km, 400ccm Japanese market engine runs great, but with 2 up plus all the equipment ... well, I am not that much of an expert, but I guess the original spring could be replaced. Any recommendations for a "good one"?? Shouldn't be overwhelmingly expensive either.
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I throught I would add a bit mre life to this thread. I have a 2001 africa twin. replaced rear shock with basic white power unit before I left. Now in Lahore Pakistan waiting for a new one (can only get orignal honda quickly) as the white power unit broke in 2 a couple days ago. leaving me a 700km ride with a jammed rear shock. The Bottom of the piston/body was ripped out threads and all. The insides wer then pulverized by the shaft smashing about inside the piston area.
I was giving it a bit on a dirt road came off a 1ft slope (bike did not leave the ground) and came down a little hard and bang! The shock had done 8000miles. It did not bottom out, I have never bottomed it out as it is correctly set up. So I am not very happy as it is going to cost me a arm and a leg to get this new one out here not to mention the hell it is going to be getting it out of customs! I fitted the same, basic white power shock on to my TTR600 (not exactly same shock, but same model) and crossed africa 36'000km of very bad roads with the same load as I have now (+/- 50kg) I gave it hell and loved it never let medown, thats why I changed the africa twin to white power. This one however had nothing of the same treatment and is now compleatly knackered. I am going to email WP to try to find out what went wrong with it. George Guille I will just have to hope that the standard lasts longer and proforms ok. |
I know this won't be easy, but is it possible that some one can set-up some type of RELIABILITY league table for all rear shocks used by the guys and gals out there.
I am also stuck as to which one is most reliable and suitable for all terains. |
The shocker
I have an R1200GSA and have been waiting for the original rear shocker to die ....nearly 50,000 most on rough Alpine roads 2 up with luggage and I am big. Bit surprising after the reports I had heard about the original not lasting long, my thought was to kill it and replace with an Ohlins but now I am not so sure, Getting ready to go to PNG on the begining of my RTW trip:scooter:
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Whoops it heard me I am now in Port Douglas FNQ waiting on the arrival of a new rear shock..... I could think of worse places to be stuck. And it is very wet at the moment:oops2:
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Shocks / Chris Smith
If no money problem, Buy the shocks. If it is, Change the springs only :thumbup1:. For 20 - 30 extra, That should do. Once upon a time I made an trip on Caspian sea area on my 78 CB 750. With my buddy and lots of equipments ( Tent, Oil lamp, tools, Etc ) On the back, Stock suspensions :eek3:. Many bumps on the road and cruising some places at 140 Km :mchappy:. Total trip of 1000 Km trip ended fine :clap:. Wish the best.
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Shocking
I have finally received the shock I ordered ....delayed by a smoking volcano somewhere in the world. It is fantastic a much lighter,stronger than the Showa (original) and works exceptionaly well . Even fully loaded it makes the GSA feel like a sports bike. It is a Wilber.:scooter:
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noboundaries
Alot of very good and interresting info here. I ride an 09' 1200GSA, I have 70,000kms on it, from Canada to Ushuaia and now on my way back. I started with the original shock and an overloaded bike, the handleling was terrible, after approx 10,000kms, in Seattle, at Touratec I went for an Ohlins, I calculated my max weight and min weight (including me), with regards to luggage and passengers. I then told them to set the preload and install the correct spring to half of the difference, approx 750lbs. This gave me the flexibility that ineeded. The preload seal blew twice, but with the way it was set up, I only had to adjust the rebound to bring the ride back to normal. For the 1200GSA, I would strongly recommend the "Mudsling" to keep unwanted dirt from covering the shock, just Google, mudsling.
To this day I am still truly amazed at what that shock has been through. The right spring and factory preload will take you to Hell, through Hell and back. If you want to see where I have been, wwwnoboundaries.blogspot.com and I dont like riding slowly. Ride safe |
[QUOTE=chris;39858]
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The reason the standard shock wears quickly is because the top and bottom mounts on the R100GS are not in line and the shock has to move in a rather strange way. The stiff rubber bush in the lower mounting on the stock shock acts to restrict this movement and pushes the rod sideways into the bush and seal causing them to wear out earlier than they should. The solution is a spherical bearing in the lower mounting which allows the rod to align itself with the shock body throughout the full suspension movement. Most top rated shocks like Ohlins and WP plus some others have a spherical bearing fitted. Don't be tempted to buy anything with a rubber bush in the lower mount. |
AT suspension
Stock shock definitely improved with professional revalve and full rebuild.
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:thumbup1:
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Take my NT650 for example. The Penske model I've got on there at the moment is sold online via several vendors for use with my bike, as well as many other bikes. But what they don't tell you is that the shock internals are built for loads generated by a swingarm that's hooked up to the chassis via a linkage. The NT650 does not have a linkage, it's bolted straight onto the swingarm. The internals supplied in the shock are provided in vanilla format by Penske for the application they most commonly market that model shock for - bikes with linkages. Penske will advise that for an application where the shock is directly attached to swingarm and chassis upgraded internals are required as forces dissipated through the shock at certain points of the swingarm's travel are MUCH higher. This is why, with Ohlins, buying over the internet via eBay is not always a good idea. Sure, Ohlins has a shock body they specify for use with 20 models of bike, and eBay seller has bolted onto the shock body the mounting hardware for your specific model of bike, but this is not representative of what Ohlins (or a competent Ohlins supplier) would sell you if they had your bike and usage requirements in front of them when they built the shock. I get my shocks built by a guy who used to race in both the UK and US, he's built shocks for British Supersport teams and a few Irish road racers. He's got over 70,000 hours of riding/tuning/racing under his belt and he knows shocks inside out. He takes a stock Penske/Ohlins/WP shock, and installs the internals applicable to the usage you will be demanding of it. I found him because, when I installed the Penske I'd bought off eBay on my NT650, it blew and leaked all down the shaft within a few thousand k's. Once the internals were installed that were suitable to the application, the shock's 16,000 k's in and copped an absolute hiding, and not a peep yet from it. All that was required was the 2 or 3 washers Penske sells to solve the problem my bike causes their standard shock. Ohlins, Penske, WP shocks are extremely customisable. There's a huge range of shims, bearings, seals available for building a shock that will perform and last. Even cheap sh*t like Showa is perfectly OK when the internals are correctly specified, which is what BMW will have done when they specified exactly what Showa had to provide for the OEM bike. Which, would probably explain why many of the replacement shocks are dying so fast - they're probably not built to the exact same specs as the ones that shipped on the bike out of the showroom. You're most likely getting the same shock body, but the internals aren't specifically selected to withstand the sort of abuse BMW would have explicitly specified they should on the showroom-shipping unit. |
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If not, there's not much point going for an Ohlins. Just get a smart suspension guy to install matching fork + shock springs for your weight, usage and riding style. Ohlins/Penske/WP will only do what you tell it to do. They are better shocks, yes; but they will only perform based on the settings you select (Comp, Reb, Preload). On my bike, I change the settings of my shock & forks for different temperatures, different surfaces, and when I run different tyres. EG, in hot weather, I up the compression and add a touch of rebound; cold I back both off in the forks as freezing cold air chills the forks, and thickens the fork oil, essentially increasing the damping (comp+reb) settings a few clicks. Rough road surfaces with a harder compound tyre I back off the settings a little to allow for a stiffer tyre carcass; on softer tyres that have more pliable carcasses I stiffen the settings up. I know what good handling feels like, and I know what the clickers do; so when I'm not happy with the way my bike is handling I know what settings to adjust to get it right. This is the difference between stock stuff and Ohlins/Penske/WP - the stock Showa kit on my CBR600RR & 1000RR was frustrating as it wouldn't stay consistent - the valving, oil passages are made to a price point - when the oil viscosity changes, my damping changes... a lot. This isn't acceptable to me. I don't want to be half way through a track day battling it out having my rear end going soggy on me. I'm not going to pull over to click more compression into the rear and then blast out again. I want the damn shock to damn well stay consistent from beginning to end. Another thing that annoys me is the rubber membrane in the stock stuff. The gas leaks through it and mixes with the oil, making what we call a 'milkshake' shock. The shock works the gas into the oil after riding for a while and it becomes foam, and voila - you've just lost any damping. The shock body depends on oil for cooling, and the shock piston is thrashing the hell out ofthe gas-riddled foamy mix, the shock body overheats, the piston scores the daylights out of the bore, the shaft welds itself to the seals and blam - bits break. Ohlins/Penske/WP kit has a metal separator between the gas and oil, this keeps the oil and gas from mixing and your milkshake foamy mayhem from happening. Non-milkshaked oil keeps the shock properly lubricated and cooled, and thus prevents premature failure. However, bang for your buck, if you don't use your adjusters, and you don't subject the bike to brutal punishment, the best solution is this: 1. Matching springs front + rear 2. Fork oil change 3. Learn to use your standard suspension clickers If you are an experienced rider, and the stock kit does not offer you the adjustment you want, and (like me) you do notice the difference between the stock kit and aftermarket, then get someone to build up Ohlins/Penske/WP kit. Make sure you fully tell them as much detail about the application you will be using the bike for, the anticipated loads etc, and make sure you get their assurance that the shock is built with the correct internals for the kind of abuse you wish to dish. If in doubt, email an Ohlins distributor or Ohlins technical support directly. They can suggest shims & bits and you can pass that info on to your Ohlins supplier to order from Ohlins and build you the shock that you need. Edit: if you can get the stock shock professionally revalved and reconditioned for a cheap price, this is also a good option for the budget conscious. However, if it approaches 2/3 of the price of an Ohlins/Penske/WP, don't waste your money and try to polish a turd. Spend the bit extra and get a quality shock, that's properly set up. |
Honda Transalp XL700
2 Attachment(s)
Anyone has a feedback about the YSS shocks? I have a XL700 and my stock rear shocks has 33K miles and is sagging too much, I do most of my trip with two up plus luggage, so, instead refurbishing my stock one, I'm think about upgrading it.
The YSS has a good price (£290) in UK, but I don't know if it is good, so, I would like to hear from anyone who as any experience with it. The Hyperpro Sport Rear Shock Absorber is only £80 more... but, worth it?!?! Or the YSS has a better cost/benefice? Thanks for the help! |
Suspension: Rear Shock
I say go for Hyperpro. I have uppgraded my stock rear shock with HP spring and I am happy with it. And yes I have a XL700.
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I have an XL650 and upgraded the whole stock unit - not just the spring - with a brand new Hyperpro shock absorber.
I couldn't be happier. It's a big improvement over the stocker. Got the black option (don't like the purple colour.) Unable to comment on the YSS shock, sorry. . |
Thanks guys!
Keith1954, I'm really tempted to get the Hyperpro shock absorber as you did. Do you travel with two up? With my stock shocks, when i have two up + luggage my bike gets really low and I'm really looking to get it higher changing the shocks... |
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Cheers Keith |
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Keith, I didn't understand a word of what you said! bottoming-out?!?!? LOL!!! Translate please!!!! |
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