Where to buy Hyperpro? [Archive]

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car

23rd June 2007, 10:04

bistard

23rd June 2007, 10:11

vifferman

23rd June 2007, 13:28

I think Hyperpro is imported by Eurobikes.
I know Kerry @ Motohaus can get the Hyperpro stuff, coz ione day when I'm big enough and have saved all my pocket money, I'm getting a Hyperpro rear shock, to replace my 44,000 mile old Showa.

trumpy

23rd June 2007, 13:35

New Zealand
Northern Accessories Ltd.
11A Saleyardsroad
Auckland
Tel: +64 9 276 6453
Fax: +64 9 276 4065
sales@northacc.co.nz
www.northacc.co.nz

T.W.R

23rd June 2007, 13:42

New Zealand
Northern Accessories Ltd.
11A Saleyardsroad
Auckland
Tel: +64 9 276 6453
Fax: +64 9 276 4065
sales@northacc.co.nz
www.northacc.co.nz

What this man said :yes:

They're the NZ distributor

But you'll be in for a wee wait, the kit has to come from England as they don't keep them in stock here. I had a 6wk delay before it arrived. Value wise worth every cent :yes:

trumpy

23rd June 2007, 13:58

Check also with these guys:

Australia
Serco PTY Ltd.
34 Veronica Street
QLD. 4157 Capalaba
Tel: +61 7 38233 833
Fax: +61 7 38233 806
gavin@serco.com.au
www.serco.com.au

They may have one in stock and the final price might be much the same but delivery would be quicker.

Sparky Bills

23rd June 2007, 14:04

Go talk to Craig at the Motomart workshop.
Motomart can get Hyperpro.
Its brought in by Northern Accessories.

Ive got a Hyperpro steering damper. It rocks!!

Motomart
502 Hutt rd
Lower Hutt
0800 DUCATI

:Punk:

Robert Taylor

23rd June 2007, 14:22

Given the rocking-horse-shit rarety of a whole and undamaged set of second hand forks for my ZXR750H, I've finally come round to T.W.R.'s suggestion that I solve my damaged spring problem by spending a little money and getting myself a Hyperpro combi kit, do the front and rear at the same time. I'll spend the insurance respray money on suspension and tape up the cracks in the fairings.

T.W.R. kindly supplied me with the name of a then-local suspension God, but as I'm now on the wrong island, I was wondering if anyone could make suggestion as to where I might buy the springs I need. Local to Wellington might be good, in case I need some backup, though I'll probably attempt the installation myself.

Otherwise, any savings to be made by buying from that States? Any recommendations?

Cheers,

Chris.
If everyone bought from the States or anywhere else offshore there would be even less local backup than there is now......and Ive always found it so inequaitable that private one off imports very often dont attract gst, when at the same time recognised distributors always pay gst, a whole raft of clearance charges and gst on those charges. But of course we are all getting extremely wealthy from the huge profits we are making ( not! )

Have you considered Ohlins? Better build quality, better performance, MUCH better backup. You can have your cake and eat it too with this product, it is way way more sought after second hand and we trade used Ohlins for new.

car

23rd June 2007, 15:26

Have you considered Ohlins? Better build quality, better performance, MUCH better backup. You can have your cake and eat it too with this product, it is way way more sought after second hand and we trade used Ohlins for new.

I'm no con-o-sewer of suspension; if my front springs weren't damaged, I wouldn't be replacing them. And I'm not sure the bike warrants spending Ohlins money on it. So, when you add up the ambivalence about performance and the dead moths in my wallet... Ohlins wasn't the first name on my list.

As I said in a PM, "that'd be like putting a diamond tiara on a donkey."

car

23rd June 2007, 15:30

As I said in a PM, "that'd be like putting a diamond tiara on a Donkey."

Before I go offending anyone I should point out that this particular ZXR750 has had a hard, hard life. The "donkey" remark is limited to my poor steed only.

Robert Taylor

24th June 2007, 11:11

Before I go offending anyone I should point out that this particular ZXR750 has had a hard, hard life. The "donkey" remark is limited to my poor steed only.
I have always had this suspicion that there are people out there that deliberately propagate the thought pattern that Ohlins is an outrageously expensive product, to serve their own ends. People that ring me to price the product are very often pleasantly surprised, even if it may cost a little more the real value and access to service/ advice etc is worth a hell of a lot more.

To that end I would be interested to hear what your reasonable price expectation is?

The other big misconception is that Ohlins is a high end racing product and ''Im not fast enough for one of those'' Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Whilst we do have a big profile in ( especially ) road racing most of our sales are to road riders who are seeking much more ride compliance over our often nasty roads, without compromising ride height control and handling precision. All of these factors are enhanced with also, better response to adjustments. And if something is not quite right, we put it right at no extra cost.

Buy something offshore, it invariably wont be right because the people that sell it to you are not familiar with our local road conditions, nor do they care. Moreover, they are parasites to NZ business, who in turn provide employment for local people. So it will cost to get it put right because the locals did not make a profit on the sale to allow a measure of after sales back up.

Im sorry if this is a bit of a diatribe but I think long and hard about the implications of the way business is going in this country....There has been an enormous increase in indirect taxation and overall business operating costs over the last eight years, and Ill leave readers to surmise what that period coincides with. Suffice to say we are overtaxed and underpaid, and to that end I have some understanding why many people always seek ''the best price''.

And for many compounding reasons we have become largely a nation of shopkeepers. There are less and less people selling goods that are truly knowlegable about the product they are selling, that is inevitable when many day to day goods are Chinese, of very poor quality and end up in the skip in very short order. But trades that require technical skill, including the motorcycle trade are very devoid of EXPERIENCED AND QUALIFIED people. There are many reasons for this going back nearly 3 decades. But how many motorcycle shops do you walk into that have at least one mechanic that is actually qualified and has decades of experience?

My message is if you are going to buy a high end product dont adopt the ''supermarket mentality'' in doing so. High end products should have high end LOCAL service to match. It is therefore important that you buy off local people that are dedicated specialists very conversant with the product. Every purchase offshore is another nail in the coffin of the viability of NZ business, and hell we cant all be civil servants and beneficiaries, someone has to work hard to provide taxation. I make no apology for my sentiments being ''old fashioned'', but I feel can see through the ''smoke and mirrors'' of our current environment.

car

24th June 2007, 14:00

I have always had this suspicion that there are people out there that deliberately propagate the thought pattern that Ohlins is an outrageously expensive product, to serve their own ends.

I don't believe that it's an outrageously expensive product, just that it's an expensive product. There's a difference, I'm sure you'll agree. As for the conspiracy theory, I'm not so sure.

My perception of the Ohlins brand comes largely from UK bike mags. Every factory special drooled over comes replete with Ohlins all round. (Okay, maybe a WP here and there.) Every article on suspension mods lavishes praise over Ohlins, and quotes prices. Now, it may be that, as a lot of bike mags are nothing more than vectors for advertising and technoporn, they only show the pricey stuff, I don't know.

To that end I would be interested to hear what your reasonable price expectation is?

Well, a pair of progressive fork springs and a rear spring from Hyperpro will cost me 250USD, or 140GBP, barring import duties and shipping. If I bought locally, I'd be looking for a bill under 500NZD. I can get a complete pair of second hand forks from Aus (they do come up now and then) for 400AUD, plus shipping, but for that money, well, I'm buying sight unseen, with no comeback.

The other big misconception is that Ohlins is a high end racing product and ''Im not fast enough for one of those'' Well, nothing could be further from the truth.

I'm not saying that anyone has to be good enough, only that they have to be rich enough; I'm saying that I don't have the money, and that bike doesn't warrant the investment.

Obviously, this is based on my possible misconceptions about what Ohlins cost.

But, if I'm honest, I do question just how much more enjoyment I'd get out of riding if I spent 25%, 50%, 100% more on suspension. Does a $1000 suit make me any less naked than a $500 suit? No. Looks better on me, for sure. It might last better, I suppose. It will almost certainly be sold to me in a nicer shop, by more attractive staff, who call me by my first name. But my arse won't show any more or less.

Also, if I'm honest, coming from the "frugal" background that I do, I have a real problem with chequebook heroes. The kind of person who can afford to go and blow more on his suspension than I can afford to spend on a bike. Part of me doesn't want the best suspension, because then I'll have to justify the cost by not being the kind of tool that spends all that money and then gets blown away by some guy on a 15 year old bike with some actual talent. And I'm just not that good.

But, enough of my own personal inferiority complex, let's move on before anyone realises that I've confirmed your theory about people not being good enough for Ohlins.

:)

My message is if you are going to buy a high end product dont adopt the ''supermarket mentality'' in doing so. High end products should have high end LOCAL service to match. It is therefore important that you buy off local people that are dedicated specialists very conversant with the product. Every purchase offshore is another nail in the coffin of the viability of NZ business, and hell we cant all be civil servants and beneficiaries, someone has to work hard to provide taxation. I make no apology for my sentiments being ''old fashioned'', but I feel can see through the ''smoke and mirrors'' of our current environment.

You're preaching to the choir, almost. I did say that I'd like to buy local, because I'd like local backup. I've no qualms about spending a little more to get local service, and to ensure that local service survives. I'm also happy to pay more for a quality product, and good aftersales.

To a point.

The break point comes when I simply can't justify the expenditure, in absolute terms. If we were talking about the difference between 200NZD to import 300NZD to buy local, I'd be comfortable spending that kind of money on the bike. If we're talking about the difference between 600NZD and 900NZD, well, we're beyond my limit, I'm afraid. I don't want to spend that much on this bike.

So, how much will a set of Ohlins springs for my Kawasaki cost?

xwhatsit

24th June 2007, 16:12

New Zealand
Northern Accessories Ltd.
11A Saleyardsroad
Auckland
Tel: +64 9 276 6453
Fax: +64 9 276 4065
sales@northacc.co.nz
www.northacc.co.nz (http://www.northacc.co.nz)

<hints id="hah_hints"></hints>They sell directly to the public? I thought they were just distributors to shops? If they do sell directly, then I'm very pleased :yes:

Pussy

24th June 2007, 18:01

Hey, Car, I didn't read anything in Robert's post suggesting people aren't good enough for Ohlins. That was twisted enough even to make Helen Clark proud. Speaking for myself, I'm an average road rider. I first got on the suspension modification bandwagon about eight years ago, when I bought an Ohlins for my RF900 off Robert. Granted, the first purchase cost a bit, but since then if either my missus or myself have changed bikes, we have traded our existing gear to bits for the new bikes, at very reasonable cost. Robert has never belittled my average riding ability, and has always intently listened to my expectations, and set the suspension up accordingly. You don't have to be the number one rider in the country to appreciate or benefit from good suspension, nor do you have to be Donald Trump to afford it. The added security of well set up suspension, I have found, is worth every cent.
From my experience of Robert, he is an active thinker. I reckon he is trying to draw people's attention to the implications of how they purchase goods. He is VERY patriotic!!
It doesn't matter if a bike is 15-20 years old,it will benefit from quality, well set up suspension. Try it, you'll like it

The Stranger

24th June 2007, 18:05

But, if I'm honest, I do question just how much more enjoyment I'd get out of riding if I spent 25%, 50%, 100% more on suspension. Does a $1000 suit make me any less naked than a $500 suit? No. Looks better on me, for sure. It might last better, I suppose. It will almost certainly be sold to me in a nicer shop, by more attractive staff, who call me by my first name. But my arse won't show any more or less.

My experience is you will in general get a WAY better bang for buck in suspension (by a loooooooong shot) than you will get with ANY other modification.

Your new suit will not only look better on you it will make your arse look smaller as those following will be further away.

trumpy

24th June 2007, 18:23

<hints id="hah_hints"></hints>They sell directly to the public? I thought they were just distributors to shops? If they do sell directly, then I'm very pleased :yes:

One could nought but ask...........in either event their website has a very long list of New Zealand dealers. Just pick yer closest one.

car

24th June 2007, 19:17

Hey, Car, I didn't read anything in Robert's post suggesting people aren't good enough for Ohlins.

Not even this bit?

The other big misconception is that Ohlins is a high end racing product and ''Im not fast enough for one of those''

I didn't mean to imply that Robert thinks that other people aren't good enough. My understanding was that he thought that other people think they're not good enough. And I think I just about admitted that *I* don't think I'm good enough to warrant spending "Ohlins money", confirming his theory.

From my experience of Robert, he is an active thinker. I reckon he is trying to draw people's attention to the implications of how they purchase goods.

Yes, that's pretty much what I got from his post. I expressed a qualified agreement with his "buy local" sentiment, too.

It doesn't matter if a bike is 15-20 years old,it will benefit from quality, well set up suspension. Try it, you'll like it

I don't believe I can afford it.

car

24th June 2007, 19:29

My experience is you will in general get a WAY better bang for buck in suspension (by a loooooooong shot) than you will get with ANY other modification.

I've heard as much, and I know that plenty good folks here are talking from experience.

Thing is, I'm not looking to modify my bike, except in the very limited sense that I have a damaged fork spring that I'd like to replace before it puts me in hospital. If OE Kawasaki springs were reasonably priced (and last time I checked, they weren't) I'd be replacing old for new. If someone here had a pair of springs or forks or springs they could sell me that were in decent nick, I'd be buying them.

But, given that it's proving problematic buying second hand, and that OE parts are prohibitively expensive, it comes down to buying a third party brand that I've heard good things about. And I figure that if I'm going to replace the pair up front, I might as well spring (ho-ho) for a rear too.

Your new suit will not only look better on you it will make your arse look smaller as those following will be further away.

Heh. I could do with the help. I wonder how far from my desk I'd have to run before I was happy with the look?

;)

geoffm

24th June 2007, 21:02

Robert Taylor

25th June 2007, 09:07

A pair of Ohlins linear rate fork springs and a linear rear shock spring will total substanially less than NZ$500, very often we may have suitable second hand rear shock springs. If you are interested then please contact me 06 2784160 or robert@northwest.co.nz Note that any suspension supplier that cares about what they are selling will ask the riders personal height, weight, application and most typical loading situation etc.

Why do I say linear? Because there is progressivity already built into the rear linkage on that bike, all of the very very top suspension manufacturers i.e Ohlins, WP and Penske all use linear rate springs in monoshocks. These guys have a lot more resources, experience and success than the ''purple'' guys. Leads me to think this is just a marketing exercise to suit mass sales to the less than enquiring. Ditto for the front end, given our often nasty roads the last thing you want in the front end are progressive springs, in fact there is a very strong case to say the action should be semi digressive.

car

25th June 2007, 09:25

A pair of Ohlins linear rate fork springs and a linear rear shock spring will total substanially less than NZ$500

To be fair to Ohlins, I checked out Demon Tweeks' website (in the UK) and they're selling Ohlins fork springs within 10% of what they're selling Hyperpro. That surprised me. Pleasantly. I am obviously a tool of the dog-house makers.

very often we may have suitable second hand rear shock springs. If you are interested then please contact me 06 2784160 or robert@northwest.co.nz

I am and I will.

Note that any suspension supplier that cares about what they are selling will ask the riders personal height, weight, application

"Short," "fat" and "riding badly," respectively.

;)

TDC

25th June 2007, 12:41

Why do I say linear? Because there is progressivity already built into the rear linkage on that bike, all of the very very top suspension manufacturers i.e Ohlins, WP and Penske all use linear rate springs in monoshocks.

The down side of fitting linear springs you actually have to know what you are doing to select the correct spring rate for a particular rider, usage, and bike combo to get a good result.

However with progressive springs you don't have to have any idea about the weight of the rider, how the bike is used or suchlike as at some point in the bikes suspension travel the rate will be correct for a brief instant and somewhere from not so good to truly diabolical everywhere else.

The "big names" in suspension avoid progressive one size fits all springs like the plague. Unfortunately progressive springs are a band aid used in low end rubbish to hide how truly horrible the products damping / performance is, as they have blown all of the budget making it look like a cheap whore, oops I mean trick.

The other mainstay of the progressive spring is the OEM suspension suppliers, used simply so the the suspension will give marginal to adequate performance over the widest possible range of rider sizes, and more importantly weights.

Not surprisingly a considerable improvement can be had on any OEM suspension fitted with progressive springs (read almost all) by simply replacing the same with the correct rate of linear spring for your situation.

Unless you have the variable weight of Opreah go get the not inconsiderable benefits of having the right rate of spring fitted rather than play around with one size fits all, because it doesn't in practice.

Lets not even cover the rapid degradation of some lesser brand springs that the paint cracks and falls off when fitting it for the first time or worse in service that sag out quickly......

imdying

25th June 2007, 13:08

Why do I say linear? Because there is progressivity already built into the rear linkage on that bike, all of the very very top suspension manufacturers i.e Ohlins, WP and Penske all use linear rate springs in monoshocks. These guys have a lot more resources, experience and success than the ''purple'' guys. Leads me to think this is just a marketing exercise to suit mass sales to the less than enquiring. Ditto for the front end, given our often nasty roads the last thing you want in the front end are progressive springs, in fact there is a very strong case to say the action should be semi digressive.You're a freakin mind reading champ, I was actually going to ask what your opinion on progressive vs linear was :first:

cowpoos

25th June 2007, 16:52

The down side of fitting linear springs you actually have to know what you are doing to select the correct spring rate for a particular rider, usage, and bike combo to get a good result.

rubbish...there's thousands of chart avalible from manifactuers and websites for this application...and second...all you have to do is ask a suspension tuner and they will tell you what you require...

Sensei

25th June 2007, 19:58

" A picture says a thousand WORDS ! "

cowpoos

25th June 2007, 21:15

" A picture says a thousand WORDS ! "
yep...show off!!

imdying

25th June 2007, 22:09

I only get two words from that picture Sensei...

STEAL ME:rofl:

Robert Taylor

26th June 2007, 18:14

You're a freakin mind reading champ, I was actually going to ask what your opinion on progressive vs linear was :first:

TDC actually stated it very well, even though he embellished his remarks with a little brutality. The sad thing is many will beleive the marketing hype and fit progressive springs into the forks of their bikes. A little corporal named Adolf Hitler ran a very effective marketing campaign for a few years that got a lot of people onside for a while, most of us all know the rest. The point is he and his thugs pioneered techniques that to this day are used in the political and commercial world. Reading magazines can also be misleading as very often reports are mindful of continuing to attract advertising revenue. Caveat emptor!

Many modern bikes including SV650, ER6, lots of Triumph models etc are equipped with damper rod forks, analogous with fixed orifice damping. A pair of holes drilled in the bottom reaches of the damper rods are supposed to handle damping duties at all fork velocities. 75% of the problem with these types of fork is woeful hydraulic control!!!! At very low fork velocity the forks feel soft and mushy, when you hit the brakes they ''blow through their stroke'' / dive too readily causing sudden weight transfer and machine instability. BUT, when you ride over an abrupt edge bump the damping holes ''choke off'' / peak out in flow rate too early causing a jackhammer effect back through the handlebars. Sound familiar? Installation of a pair of progressive springs will by and large not ''skin the cat'' properly as the action is soft during the first part of compression and firms up very quickly.

The correct thing to do is to first sort out what is causing 75% of the problem, the hydraulics! What we do is to overdrill the damping holes so that they no longer provide a huge restriction to flow at high fork velocities. Combine that with a product called ''Emulators''. These have a small bypass bleed hole to control the fork at low velocities when riding across ''smooth'' ( ! ) bumps. This results in a higher dynamic ride height as the bike is now more hydraulically controlled, as opposed to almost no low speed control. And because the bike is riding higher the fork springs are less precompressed giving a plusher ride. When you hit the brakes the bike no longer dives at too fast a rate, it is smooth and controlled. Over abrupt bumps a spring preloaded poppet valve on the emulator lifts ( it is speed sensitive ) to allow appropriate flow to absorb the bump and give a much more comfortable ride. The improvement is so substanial that many bumps that were previously conciously avoided can be ridden over with little fuss.

With some machines the springs will indeed need changing to match rider height, weight and application. We fit only linear springs because given our often nasty roads the action certainly does not want to progressively firm up too quickly. To take care of lower reaches of stroke bottoming resistance we use springs that are already in the forks! The trapped air volume above the set oil level. Within sensible limits if you reduce the air volume ( by raising oil level ) there will be a higher end air pressure ( secondary spring effect ) at maximum compression. I.e easily tunable end of stroke progressivity.

If you have fitted progressive springs chances are you will not be struck with them, but you will be stuck with them.

Note that when we fit emulators we process the damper rods a little differently to the enclosed instructions otherwise you end up with a dead area of damping, we also very often change the poppet springs to a different rate. In deference to ''Cowpoos'' post there are indeed charts and lists for such things as spring rate selection but these should only be regarded as a rough guide. We have many third world roads that in fact require a different setting technique in spring selection and damping internals. I think there is a danger in beleiving that because this information comes from overseas they are ''gods'' and it must be right. Experience very often proves otherwise. And asking racers very often doesnt give the right answers as per the Craig Shirriffs example the other day ( wheel balancing ) These are not the guys that go inside forks and shocks.

Cartridge forks, just because the marketing hype says they have them dont neccessarily beleive they will work like a properly engineered cartridge fork! Heck, a number of Chinese bikes have got cartridge forks only. Big lesson here...engineered by accountants! Paul Thede from Race Tech has got this saying '' the best youve ridden is the best you know'' Sadly many will think mediocrity is great. More of that and worse is on the menu as cheaper and cheaper ways of making things are found and the Chinese ''strangle'' us even more.....

Ditto for rear monoshocks. By and large these are combined with a linkage that has a rising rate effect. As the shock gets deeper into its stroke the linkage accelerates the shock shaft faster which means firmer damping. This to achieve a modicum of bottoming out resistance and dynamic ride height control. So why in the hell would you fit a progressive spring? I can quote an extreme example, the 1996-98 GSXR750, the linkage in that bike ramped up in rate so quickly that at approximately half stroke if you then hit an abrupt bump the shock would basically go into hydraulic lock. Imagine combining that with a progressive spring.....The Ohlins shocks we have built for this model use a high flow piston, but even then we try and achieve a ''digressive'' action ( direct opposite to progressive ) to get it to work through the lower reaches of stroke, plus a few tricks with rebound valving to keep the shock higher in its stroke, working in the more compliant part of the linkage. Of course spring rate still has to be fudamentally correct for the individual rider and overall loading, all of the quality shock manufacturers equip with linear rate springs.

In fairness there is a happy home for progressive springs, on twin shock bikes because there is little rising rate effect. But again, the ''product cheapening department'' is in full action.

On oem twin shocks and many of the cheap and cheerful twin shocks so often quoted there is absolutely no compression damping, note that this is a technique also employed in many mass market car shocks. This is to save the cost of developing a properly engineered compression damping curve for each model, particular to the ''motion ratio'' applied to it. Instead they will use a progressive spring with a very aggressive wind so it ramps up in rate very quickly. To achieve some modicum of ride height control the springs will be very heavily preloaded, this can be as much as 40mm. Because of these two factors the rebound damping needs to be very firm to control it. Very firm damping means lots of heat, resulting in fade when ridden at speed over bumpy roads. If any of these shocks are fitted with external damping adjusters it invariably only controls bypass bleed and will not change the fundamental character of the shocks. As one customer put it to me ''dial a backache shocks'' You only get what you pay for.....an inscription on a product I recently viewed reads ''The bitterness of poor quality lasts much longer than the sweetness of low price''

Quality shock manufacturers such as Ohlins AB Sweden spend a lot of time with every single individual model developing a spec that works properly, they have no interest in mass market ''one size fit all'' products. High quality materials with very exacting tolerances minimise friction, an area of suspension work that many dont consider as important as it really is. Casey Stoners Ohlins forks have a 16 stage nitriding and polishing process on the tubes to minimise friction to the nth degree.

Much much more emphasis is placed on developing the internal damping spec to arrange a proper compression damping curve, That in turn allows softer spring rates with no loss of dynamic ride height control and machine stability, but bump absorption and ride quality will be greatly enhanced. And, the softer springing will allow a much less aggressive rebound damping curve. That gives better traction ( and tyre life ) as the wheel / tyre will react downwards into road hollows more readily. Ohlins twin shocks very often will have progressive springs, but in fact the progression is very subtle. On the many that I have tested the springs are effectively linear in rate for the first 75 - 80% of travel and only ramp up in rate a little at the final stage for assistance in bottoming out resistance. Because, as I earlier said twin shock installations have relatively little rising rate effect

So, in light of all of the above one can surmise what sort of valving is installed into single shocks that are delivered with progressive springs....

Robert Taylor

26th June 2007, 18:27

Another alternative is to get a springmaker to make a set of replacement springs. Do both sides, so they match. Search the site, someone did it a while back and it was surprisingly cheap. They can use your old spring as a pattern, or give them the sizes and required spring rate.
All bikes I have had bar my GSXR750L (whcih had good OEM suspension) and my B120 (first bike, no money or kowledge) have had replacement shocks at the least. It has been money well spent, although I have never had Ohlins stuff, mainly because a lot of the shocks were second hand - gotta luv Ebay. THus far the list is Koni (x2), EMC, Quandrant Dynamics, WP, Progressive, with Racetec and Progressive springs on a couple. Mr Taylor and Ohlins woudl be on the top of the list if I had the need and the dollars at the same time.
Geoff
The local spring winders do indeed make a very nice job at a surprisingly low price. BUT ( and I stand to be corrected on this ) none of them use spring steel of a good enough quality. That means they sack out very quickly.

The two best sources of high quality steel for manuacturing springs appears to be Germany and Sweden. If anyone does indeed know of a local spring winder using only the best materail I would love to hear from you.

Sensei

26th June 2007, 19:50

I only get two words from that picture Sensei...

STEAL ME:rofl:

?? If someone is keen to Steal a persons bike then I would have no worrys cutting both their hands off with my Live Katana & watch you bleed out on my drive or if not there where ever I find you :yes: .

McJim

26th June 2007, 20:00

?? If someone is keen to Steal a persons bike then I would have no worrys cutting both their hands off with my Live Katana & watch you bleed out on my drive or if not there where ever I find you :yes: .

I didn't want to steal it (and I'm from Glasgow) I just wanted to know where I could get a sticker like that for my Marzocchi forks!

imdying

26th June 2007, 20:11

?? If someone is keen to Steal a persons bike then I would have no worrys cutting both their hands off with my Live Katana & watch you bleed out on my drive or if not there where ever I find you :yes: .
Sounds like a fair deal :yes: What was your address again :rofl:

Sensei

26th June 2007, 20:11

I didn't want to steal it (and I'm from Glasgow) I just wanted to know where I could get a sticker like that for my Marzocchi forks!

Ohlins sticker Jim ? if so give Robert Taylor from posts above as he is NZs Ohlins dealer here in the Naki , he'll will get you some easy peasy .

Sensei

26th June 2007, 20:15

Sounds like a fair deal :yes: What was your address again :rofl:

Death Row !:nono: LOL

Robert Taylor

27th June 2007, 09:24

Ohlins sticker Jim ? if so give Robert Taylor from posts above as he is NZs Ohlins dealer here in the Naki , he'll will get you some easy peasy .
The stickers come attached to the high quality product from the same manufacturer. If they are attached to a totally different product people may incorrectly beleive that it is an Ohlins product. Its a little similiar to Helen Clark having a perfect set of dentures on her election billboards, misrepresentation.....I seriously dont like that!

imdying

27th June 2007, 09:50

Robert, you mention that you trade in Ohlins gear from time to time... what are the chances that you'd have a set of Ohlins forks, suitable for a GSXR with radial brakes, available?

Robert Taylor

27th June 2007, 13:01

Robert, you mention that you trade in Ohlins gear from time to time... what are the chances that you'd have a set of Ohlins forks, suitable for a GSXR with radial brakes, available?
Sorry no second hand Ohlins fork sets, predominantly second stuff is shocks only

vifferman

27th June 2007, 13:23

Sorry no second hand Ohlins fork sets, predominantly second stuff is shocks only
What sort of prices do they go for?

Sparky Bills

27th June 2007, 13:30

Ive just put an Ohlins Shock in my racebike. Worth every cent! Since im off work at the moment, i have no spare coin for the front yet, but as soon as I do have the coin, It will get done.

Hyperpro is good, but they dont have the support or knowledge as Robert and Northwest M/Cycles do. And often more expensive than Ohlins!

If your in Wellington or Lower North Island, you can get all your Ohlins and suspension work done at Motomart. We deal direct with Robert.

Motomart
502 Hutt Rd
Lower Hutt
0800 DUCATI

imdying

27th June 2007, 13:31

Sorry no second hand Ohlins fork sets, predominantly second stuff is shocks onlyCheers for the reply anyway... I'm hoping to hear back from another poster in this thread about some GSXR ones, but even they would benefit from some Ohlins love from what I've read.

Robert Taylor

27th June 2007, 18:09

What sort of prices do they go for?
Totally dependent on what model it is specifically for, the degree of spec of the shock and its exterior cosmetic condition. Every Ohlins shock we sell is fully serviced, set up and sprung for the new owner. ( But we only ever have a handful.) You wont get that sort of service if you buy via Trade Me / E-Bay etc. Im not saying its bad to buy that way but chances are very very high you will purchase a shock that needs servicing and will not be valved and sprung for your personal stats and application. Caveat emptor!!!

The purchase price has to reflect a generous allowance for almost inevitable service and set up.

Dealers get derided very often but I would have to say that there are a very sizable number of private sellers that mis-represent what they are selling, dont care, just want the money and know that they wont get nailed like a dealer will if the deal is shonky.

Every Ohlins shock / fork set / steering damper made has a code number stamped into it that identifies what brand / model / year it was manufactured for e.g KA3010 is for an 03 Kawasaki ZX600. NOTE, Ohlins shocks are totally specific to model, the valving, spring rate, dimensions for fitting, reservoir position etc are all unique and matched to the motion ratio that is applied to it.

IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE for a seller to say to you ''its not made for that but I think it will fit'' Unless it is a well documented fit that is well tested, like certain models of GSXR600 shocks into SV650s. Heck, we have come across people that have bought GSXR shocks to fit into CBR Hondas. The shocks fitted okay but didnt work because the spring rate and valving needed to be very very different. The start rate and rising rate of the linkages on these bikes is very different placing a very different set of forces on the shock. Doesnt matter a damn if your purchase was cheap when the shock is totally unsuitable!

My advice if you find something second hand, get the model number off the seller and check with me first. Please e-mail me at robert@northwest.co.nz as I check e-mail frequently, dont use this forum as I only check infrequently. This is a free service I have obliged people with for a number of years, as I hate seeing people misled and ripped off by unscrupulous sellers, and also by advice from people with only enough knowledge to be dangerous.

Robert Taylor

27th June 2007, 18:12

bimotabob

2nd July 2007, 22:33

I always hear riders say "Hell I can't afford Ohlins"
I laugh as something isn't right with that. Many of them earn much higher than poor Bimotabob - not that that's hard.

I few years ago I worked in parts at a local bike wrecker and I brought a new Ohlins shock for my RG500 - I was on $12 per hour.

Now I work at a manufacturing plant doing process work of all things and I brought a handbuilt bike with ohlins front and rear with my own money.

I'm not a very confident rider either, but I'm very happy with the product and
My Taylors back up.

If I can afford quality than maybe you can too.. if you want to.

Cheers
BB

P.S
I import a lot of items in myself too - but only things that cannot be obtained locally.

car

3rd July 2007, 21:20

If I can afford quality than maybe you can too.. if you want to.

That's the key, though. When people say "I can't afford this" they mean "the cost of this does not fall within the budget I have allocated." Not everyone is as dedicated as you seem to be.

As this relates to my initial question, it would seem that Ohlins isn't much more expensive, if at all, than Hyperpro. I wouldn't know for sure though because, to date, none of the people I've contacted have taken time to respond.

Too late now, though -- change of circumstance means that I can't even afford the $500 I was putting aside. I've spent $1000 on medical bills in the past week, with another $400 to come tomorrow, and then who knows what. Not that I can afford that kind of expenditure, but it's one of those things you can't avoid.

Robert Taylor

4th July 2007, 08:40

That's the key, though. When people say "I can't afford this" they mean "the cost of this does not fall within the budget I have allocated." Not everyone is as dedicated as you seem to be.

As this relates to my initial question, it would seem that Ohlins isn't much more expensive, if at all, than Hyperpro. I wouldn't know for sure though because, to date, none of the people I've contacted have taken time to respond.

Too late now, though -- change of circumstance means that I can't even afford the $500 I was putting aside. I've spent $1000 on medical bills in the past week, with another $400 to come tomorrow, and then who knows what. Not that I can afford that kind of expenditure, but it's one of those things you can't avoid.

I do hope the medical problem is not too serious. I can be excluded from the people who didnt take the time to respond. As CAR now knows I did respond with a very detailed multi paragraph e-mail describing the problems and a menu of how to fix it. But it never got there because of a key punching error on my part when entering his e-mail address, nor did I appear to have a delivery status notification bounced back to me. I trust this goes some way to restoring his faith that maybe there are some people out there who are interested....

Max Preload

4th July 2007, 13:07

If everyone bought from the States or anywhere else offshore there would be even less local backup than there is now....

Not you specifically, but for many importers there is no backup anyway. How can you get less than none?

Don't get me wrong - I am prepared to pay handsomely for expertise where there actually is some.

car

4th July 2007, 13:59

I do hope the medical problem is not too serious.

Well, you'll be heartened to hear that I'm contributing quite generously to the local economy in order to find out.

;)

because of a key punching error on my part when entering his e-mail address, nor did I appear to have a delivery status notification bounced back to me. I trust this goes some way to restoring his faith that maybe there are some people out there who are interested....

Yes, that's a bit disappointing -- the particular finger-trouble you had should, if certain other people had had their wits about them, still have resulted in a successful delivery to me. Even if not, you certainly should have got a DSN.

Still, all's well that ends well. I'm not going to name names as to who didn't get back to me, but suffice to say that none of them were KB locals, as far as I know. But that was a little disappointing, too.

Thanks for your reply, and I'll follow up with the local guy you recommended.

Cheers,

Chris.

imdying

4th July 2007, 14:00

Not you specifically, but for many importers there is no backup anyway. How can you get less than none?

Don't get me wrong - I am prepared to pay handsomely for expertise where there actually is some.Quoted for truth.

How much difference would it make if I were to buy BST rims from the states? Sure it's nice having a local dealer (and tbh, I would probably buy from them anyway), but wheels only need so much support.

Robert Taylor

4th July 2007, 18:39

Not you specifically, but for many importers there is no backup anyway. How can you get less than none?

Don't get me wrong - I am prepared to pay handsomely for expertise where there actually is some.
I hear what you are saying. Its no excuse for the many distributors who provide abysmal to no backup but it kind of accentuates the problem. More offshore purchases equates to less through the normal channels and less inclination to provide any backup due to a lower income stream.

Having said all that it is rather too easy for Joe Bloggs to become a distributor and provide no backup. They come and they go......