New WSBK Ohlins forks?

[johan]

Does anyone know what Ohlins forks WSBK are using this year?

http://www.motoblog.it/galleria/big/superbike-2009-losail-gara-1a-parte/49


It looks like Rossi is also using them, but with magnesium break mounts

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/PhotoGallerys/valentino-rossi-bike-sepang-test.jpg

[Robert Taylor]

Does anyone know what Ohlins forks WSBK are using this year?

http://www.motoblog.it/galleria/big/superbike-2009-losail-gara-1a-parte/49


It looks like Rossi is also using them, but with magnesium break mounts

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/PhotoGallerys/valentino-rossi-bike-sepang-test.jpg

All of the teams with budget will at least be running Ohlins FGR900. These are gas charged forks with external reservoirs and TTX20 internals i.e twin tube with 20mm pistons. Teams with less budget will run earlier production years, each year there are new improvements and technology, progress is relentless. Some of the big budget teams e.g Yamaha and Ducati may have special works stuff right out of the race department. They will pay the going rate for the equipment in the first place plus have a big inventory of spare forks, shocks, springs and other spares. Those who pay a service contract and have a full time Ohlins engineer seconded to them pay a contract fee of approx 100.000 euros per annum.
If you want a set of FGR900 it probably already too late as they have to be pre-ordered well in advance, approx 100 sets per annum made. $24399.90 NZ. Legal in NZ for Formula 3.

[AllanB]

$24399.90 NZ.

Do you take credit card?, a set of those would be the shit on my Hornet ;)

Actually if you consider that they are the absolute bees-knees of suspenders that's probably not bad.

[Mishy]

..............
If you want a set of FGR900 it probably already too late as they have to be pre-ordered well in advance, approx 100 sets per annum made. $24399.90 NZ. Legal in NZ for Formula 3.

if i pay you a little more would you fit some little rubber boots and wires to them for me ?

[CHOPPA]

All of the teams with budget will at least be running Ohlins FGR900. These are gas charged forks with external reservoirs and TTX20 internals i.e twin tube with 20mm pistons. Teams with less budget will run earlier production years, each year there are new improvements and technology, progress is relentless. Some of the big budget teams e.g Yamaha and Ducati may have special works stuff right out of the race department. They will pay the going rate for the equipment in the first place plus have a big inventory of spare forks, shocks, springs and other spares. Those who pay a service contract and have a full time Ohlins engineer seconded to them pay a contract fee of approx 100.000 euros per annum.
If you want a set of FGR900 it probably already too late as they have to be pre-ordered well in advance, approx 100 sets per annum made. $24399.90 NZ. Legal in NZ for Formula 3.

The forks in the pics dont look the normal gas charged ones with the extra res..?

[Robert Taylor]

The forks in the pics dont look the normal gas charged ones with the extra res..?

Yes indeed and I will be asking Mats Larsson that exact same question, stay posted. What is clear is that they are not ''Production'' Ohlins forks. They are special forks built by the race department for their best / fastest customers. Everyone is a customer, no sponsorship. Progress / development is relentless and they are not burdened with people bleating about it!!!!

[Robert Taylor]

if i pay you a little more would you fit some little rubber boots and wires to them for me ?

No problem, revise the price to $34990 incl. How many sets do you want?

[cowpoos]

Yes indeed and I will be asking Mats Larsson that exact same question, stay posted. What is clear is that they are not ''Production'' Ohlins forks. They are special forks built by the race department for their best / fastest customers. Everyone is a customer, no sponsorship. Progress / development is relentless and they are not burdened with people bleating about it!!!!
it appears the diameter of those forks is larger than normal...noticably!! like the 50mm wp forks of the late ninties noticable....

[Mishy]

No problem, revise the price to $34990 incl. How many sets do you want?

:) That's over half the cost of a new 600 SP bike . . . . . . . . . . .

And they all say our racing is too expensive :bleh:

I'm sure those rubber booties didn't cost me that much last time.

[Robert Taylor]

it appears the diameter of those forks is larger than normal...noticably!! like the 50mm wp forks of the late ninties noticable....

Ok, hot off the press. Fork tube diameter 48mm, up from 42mm on the works Yamahas since 18 months ago. Internal damping system 25mm with a through rod damper. System is called # TRVP25. Such dampers have absolutely no shaft displacement so dont have to have a large reservoir in the normal sense and it can be contained internally thereby reducing ( in that instance ) weight and complexity.

This operates on the same principle as Ohlins TTX40 through rod shock. Here in NZ 4 of these can be found on Carl Hansens all conquering TVR Tuscan Super GT racer. Also one can be found in the rear of the OZZY 450, so effectively peddled by Glen Skatchell.

Suzuki MotoGP also have these 48mm forks but with the olderTTX25mm displacement type damping.

Valentino gets the new stuff first, someone has to!

Johan, thanks for your question, wouldnt have thought of asking so soon.

[Racin Jason]

I remember last year at france commentators saying that Haga was trying (for the first time) forks with electronic dampning controll that were adjusting themselves on the fly. Any truth to this? will we see more in the future?

[Cajun]

I remember last year at france commentators saying that Haga was trying (for the first time) forks with electronic dampning controll that were adjusting themselves on the fly. Any truth to this? will we see more in the future?

i believe it was a rear shock not the front, yes the yamaha used them for 3-5 races at end of season. To some good results

SBK banned them over the off season, under 'cost cutting measures' heading.

[scrivy]

If you want a set of FGR900 it probably already too late as they have to be pre-ordered well in advance, approx 100 sets per annum made. $24399.90 NZ. Legal in NZ for Formula 3.

Er... wha 'bout my sidecar??? my rubber bands are getting old now.....

[Racin Jason]

o i see, Me not listening properly as ususal then

[Shaun]

o i see, Me not listening properly as ususal then


Or reading

[johan]

i believe it was a rear shock not the front, yes the yamaha used them for 3-5 races at end of season. To some good results

SBK banned them over the off season, under 'cost cutting measures' heading.

It looks like they (electronic suspension) are not banned, but they must be OEM:

"No aftermarket or prototype electronically-controlled suspension unit may
be used. If original electronic unit is used, it must be completely standard
(any mechanical or electronic part must remain as homologated). The
original electronic system must work properly in the event of an
electric/electronic failure otherwise it cannot be homologated for FIM
competitions."

[johan]

Ok, hot off the press. Fork tube diameter 48mm, up from 42mm on the works Yamahas since 18 months ago. Internal damping system 25mm with a through rod damper. System is called # TRVP25. Such dampers have absolutely no shaft displacement so dont have to have a large reservoir in the normal sense and it can be contained internally thereby reducing ( in that instance ) weight and complexity.

This operates on the same principle as Ohlins TTX40 through rod shock. Here in NZ 4 of these can be found on Carl Hansens all conquering TVR Tuscan Super GT racer. Also one can be found in the rear of the OZZY 450, so effectively peddled by Glen Skatchell.

Suzuki MotoGP also have these 48mm forks but with the olderTTX25mm displacement type damping.

Valentino gets the new stuff first, someone has to!

Johan, thanks for your question, wouldnt have thought of asking so soon.

Thank you Robert, very informative, as always! :niceone:

[Robert Taylor]

Thank you Robert, very informative, as always! :niceone:

And I forgot to mention that Haga in Superbike also has the use of this technology, concurring with your posted image. I will get a look at some of this stuff next August / September when I head up to your home country.

[JJ58]

Yeah thanks for the great explaination Robert.

But when you say "rod damper" I can't help but think of the "old skool" forks with oil running through a hole in a rod to create a damping effect....Surely this isn't the "rod damper" you're mentioning?

Also, wouldn't a 25mm damping area be considered small after the intro of the 37mm pistoned Kawasaki BPF fork on a production bike and the positive reviews that it's had??

[Robert Taylor]

Yeah thanks for the great explaination Robert.

But when you say "rod damper" I can't help but think of the "old skool" forks with oil running through a hole in a rod to create a damping effect....Surely this isn't the "rod damper" you're mentioning?

Also, wouldn't a 25mm damping area be considered small after the intro of the 37mm pistoned Kawasaki BPF fork on a production bike and the positive reviews that it's had??

No, through rod twin tube cartridge, no shims on the main piston and no shaft displacement, its acting like a pump and therefore the size ( swept area ) has to be smaller.
That Kwaka fork is still a production fork with pcd ( product cheapening department ) materials and production compromises etc. It in reality wont be anywhere near as good as magazine testers hype it up to be, we hear hype like this every model year. They may raise the bar but then the aftermaket stuff ( Ohlins and WP especially ) is also raising the bar all the time.
The serious guys that race these will ditch the oem internals.
Ohlins have supplied over 3 figures ( in numbers ) of their gas cartridges for AMA racing, a good many destined for Suzuki K9 1000 ( with BPF forks ) , including Mladin.

[steve74]

funny, just flew back from aussie today, picked up a copy of FEB performance bikes magazine to kill some time in the departure lounge . pg 51 has an article with the title caption: "you cant buy these ohlins forks. you cant even touch them..." it talks about a variation of the twin tube ttx25 forks that haga run last year. yamaha get priority as they contributed financially to the development, only one guy in the uk is allowed to tune them for the few BSB teams that will be allowed them this year. Are these are the forks in question?

[Robert Taylor]

funny, just flew back from aussie today, picked up a copy of FEB performance bikes magazine to kill some time in the departure lounge . pg 51 has an article with the title caption: "you cant buy these ohlins forks. you cant even touch them..." it talks about a variation of the twin tube ttx25 forks that haga run last year. yamaha get priority as they contributed financially to the development, only one guy in the uk is allowed to tune them for the few BSB teams that will be allowed them this year. Are these are the forks in question?

Yes, and no. They are clearly working very well by the confidence Haga had in his front end at Valencia yesterday.

[cowpoos]

Yes, and no. They are clearly working very well by the confidence Haga had in his front end at Valencia yesterday.

Whats going on with the two lots of adjusters on the forks below?? two types of Rebound??

[Robert Taylor]

Whats going on with the two lots of adjusters on the forks below?? two types of Rebound??

One is for compression and one is for rebound. Its a through rod type damping system that doesnt have any displacement so rebound does not pass through the shaft in the traditional sense.