New Ohlins gas cartridges

[Robert Taylor]

Pictured are new Ohlins gas charged front fork cartridges for 600 / 1000cc class bikes destined for road racing and hardcore track day riders. A second post will follow with further details and pricing

[bones1999]

Oh is this what you fitting to mine???? Nice!!!

[Robert Taylor]

We take a keen interest in World Supersport 600 Racing because it is a very top level of racing and the suspension components that these guys race with are essentially the same as what is available to us here in New Zealand. As far as I can work out there are at least 4 main suspension companies represented i.e Works level Showa, Bitubo, K-Tech and of course our beloved Ohlins brand. Maybe also some smaller players but all companies are doing a good job at that level.
Ohlins dont have a monopoly on supply into this class as they virtually have in WSBK, MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto 3. But what is very evident is that consistently they have a near monopoly on the bikes that finish in winners circle. Currently Ohlins suspended Keenan Sofoglu has a handy lead in WSS600 and that is backed up by the 2nd and 3rd place points runners also using Ohlins product to great effect.
All of these riders are using Ohlins TTX gas cartridges and the new and even better TTX36 mark 2 rear shocks, also Ohlins steering dampers. EXACTLY THE SAME EQUIPMENT YOU CAN PURCHASE HERE IN NZ.
Of course here in NZ in recent years most of the National championships in the premier classes have been won using TTX36 rear shocks in combo with Ohlins FGK 25mm cartridges, then NIX25 cartridges and then NIX30 cartridges ( all non pressurised )
NIX30 second generation cartridges continue to be available and are a very capable piece of kit that we have developed very good settings for, well suited to our tracks. In fact Ohlins suspended bikes took out the first 5 places in the national championship. NIX30 cartridges are very well priced and extremely easy to make setting changes to in VERY QUICK time

TTX25 Ohlins gas cartridges lift the game even further for the most hardcore racers, as follows;

1) More instantaneous damping response due to TT ( twin tube ) recirculating technology. Gas pressurisation also eliminates cavitation, giving more positive and totally consistent performance. That is why all forks in the top world racing classes are pressurised.

2) Aiding this foreshortening of damping response lag time is the use of bending shim stacks as check valves for metering reverse checked flow. ''Standard'' checkplates have a throw distance and that takes time to open and shut over that distance. That results in damping lag response time. Where top riders will benefit most from that is when they are feeling the edge of traction as the front end is ''tucking'' on corner entry. This means that the tyre ''comes back'' more readily and the rider can therefore push just a little bit harder

3) We have a very effective valving spec and piston combination for NIX30 that provides decent bump compliance on our mix of bumpy tracks without in any way compromising machine control. This is not an ''out of the box'' setting. TTX25 provide even better bump compliance

4) Relevant to point 2) above riders report excellent contact feel mid corner and excellent brake dive resistance. It actually IS possible to have forks with awesome brake dive control that will also have excellent feel mid corner.

5) We fitted a set of TTX25 to Dennis Charletts GSXR600 for the final 3 rounds of the championship. Whilst he was very happy with the NIX30 he was happier again with TTX25. Some testing before the final 2 North Island rounds yielded an even better base setting and Dennis didnt have to push so hard to secure his championship

6) Whilst the delivered settings are excellent Ohlins have a ''setting bank'' of alternative settings that will suit the rider speed, preferences, tyres used, tracks and main base spring rates used. It would be totally insincere for any suspension tuner involved with any brand to say '' these are perfect out of the box and you will never have to change them''. They can ALWAYS be optimised further and whilst we are talking about other brands I have seen the setting banks of alternative settings for other brands. If they are ''perfect out of the box'' then such setting banks just would not exist.....

7) As with NIX30 making setting changes is extremely easy and extremely quick, thats VERY important for especially top level racers working within compressed time frames and where there arent dozens of suspension engineers walking around at beck and call! SUCH SETTING CHANGES CAN BE MADE WITHOUT LABORIOUSLY REMOVING THE FORKS FROM THE BIKE, THEN REMOVING THE CARTRIDGES, THEN PULLING THEM ALL APART. If there is only half an hour or so to the next practice session or race start having catridges that arent working at optimum and that may take an hour to two hours to valve is just nonsense.
TTX25 can be revalved in practically the same time as NIX30 plus only about 5% more time given that a simple holding tool is employed so that installation automatically resets the gas piston distance. Note that these are a true gas charged pressurised cartridge, as opposed to a crude pressurising coil spring.

8) Allied with extreme ease of setting changes as extolled in 7) above KSS have a proud work ethic in undertaking to make setting changes when requested. We wont tell you to ''harden up'' when clearly the setting is not ideal

9) PRICE. First prototype versions of these came out of the Ohlins race department and the price was ''up there''. But now we are happy to report that we have a special racer package deal at $2999.90 gst incl ( plus Ohlins oil and fitting ) Within that price are included 3 sets of alternative rate fork springs so you can change spring rates for different tracks and track conditions.
This price is limited markup and essentially we have only one price, we dont have a dealer and a retail price.
An interested customer told me over the weekend that a seller of an opposition brand stated that Ohlins gas cartridges were $10000! That is a clear untruth given the above and we think we may know the correct price being the Ohlins distributor!

[Maido]

But will they make me faster!

What is the difference in the TTX36 mark 2 as opposed to the original?

I will be in touch closer to the end of the year to talk turkey.....

[Robert Taylor]

But will they make me faster!

What is the difference in the TTX36 mark 2 as opposed to the original?

I will be in touch closer to the end of the year to talk turkey.....

From the Honda perspective they have certainly been working very well for Jules Cluzel, one of the top title challengers in WSS600.

Yes we can trade what you currently have.

[Shaun P]

How often do they need gas servicing and how is that accomplished?

[Robert Taylor]

How often do they need gas servicing and how is that accomplished?

The removable top unit can be taken out an enormous amount of times without ever affecting the assembled gas piston position. This is accessed from the top of the forks whilst still in the bike ( no fork removal required ) A simple holding tool pre-compresses the internal top out spring on the shaft assembly during re-installation, once the tool is removed there will be a little bit of shaft re-extension on account of top out spring pressure being released. That re-extension displaces a little bit of oil inside the pressurised cartridge and automatically resets the correct piston position. Clever people those Swedes.
Unless the top cap seal leaks ( highly unlikely ) there is no need of constant service. Certainly in NZ racing scenarios we would recommend a full service just prior to the most important racing series. 1 full service per annum or 2 if there is a lot of racing and testing throughout the year. If there are a LOT of bumpy tracks being constantly ridden on then service is required more frequently, as with any suspension unit.
To service PROPERLY Ohlins distributors have all the correct tools and a vacuum bleed pump.

[Robert Taylor]

But will they make me faster!

What is the difference in the TTX36 mark 2 as opposed to the original?

I will be in touch closer to the end of the year to talk turkey.....

TTX36 Mark 2. New main piston with better sealing, new body tubes that dont flex so much on high damping force loads. New poppett springs that improve damping response. Very noticeable on the dyno and track. These are what such riders as most of the top WSBK and WSS600 riders are running. Just evidence victory circle, its predominantly the good Swedish brand.
There are more developments on the way.

[Sensei]

What about these for normal road ridng use Rob ?

[Robert Taylor]

What about these for normal road ridng use Rob ?

I dont see any reason why not. First and foremost they are for road racing and for hardcore trackdays.

But remember I mentioned ''setting banks'' of alternative settings? I also scathingly inferred about those who market product in such a way to say ''you will never have to touch these''. That mistruth is of course a complete load of bollocks except for the most gullible.Your very relevant question calls for reference to the setting bank at the softer end of the scale for such application, irrespective of what brand and type variation of suspension is fitted. For road race there are just as many variables, FACT.

With appropriate valving ( selected from the setting bank ), spring selection and oil level these cartridges should work extremely well on our mix of BUMPY roads. Given that the oil and pressurising gas is completely seperated there is a significant shortening of damping response lag and NO CAVITATION. Plus excellent bump absorption qualities.

Should I ever have the enthusiasm to return to my youth and constantly want to ride motorcycles on the road ( highly unlikely ) I would fit these cartridges, no question.

[Pussy]

I like the idea of no cavitation. Like a TTX shock, less aggressive damping required because of more control?

[Pussy]

As they would say in Japanese.... I reckon these TTX cartridges will be "just the dog's borrocks" for the road, too. May just have to find out....

[Marmoot]

Should I ever have the enthusiasm to return to my youth and constantly want to ride motorcycles on the road ( highly unlikely ) I would fit these cartridges, no question.

So it's bad and not recommended for old people's joints?

[CHOPPA]

Judging by those fork caps they look like they would bolt straight in to my BMW....

[Robert Taylor]

I like the idea of no cavitation. Like a TTX shock, less aggressive damping required because of more control?

Initial hold up control is in fact more ''aggressive'' as the threshold to cavitation occuring is that much higher than with conventional non pressurised cartridges. Initial movement is ''caught'' much more readily before the horse bolts from the stable door, requiring less aggressive valving at higher velocities to otherwise ''catch the runaway horse''