Ohlins rear shock shim stacks for NZ road conditions

[AllanB]

Just quietly the entire suspension thing now is over complicated for the average rider. Knobs for this, twisty bits for that, shims, etc etc. I had to purchased a book on how to set-up your suspension from Amazon a while back so I could confidently have a fiddle and actually know what each adjustment was meant to do - and that's on a Hornet 900!

I had a twist of this, tweak of that, then got on with riding! And I think the average road rider probably does the same - very limited adjustments then gets on with riding. Consequently, cost aside I think most riders just leave the springy bits be. Which reminds me, I should probably change the fork oil - but even that requires fork removal now - add it to the winter to-do-list.

And that's the crux of it all - all that farting around and cost - probably one of the reasons most people buy an after-market pipe and stick it on instead of shelling out the same money for suspenders (that will actually make a difference to their riding) - 30 minutes with a spanner and there is an immediate physical and aural difference to the bike!

And has anyone actually purchased a new bike and had the shop set up the sag for you before you leave the showroom? You'd think that if it is that important that it would be done with you on your $15-30k purchase.

[Marmoot]

Properly suspended, sag should not occur before the age of 40

[dipshit]

I had a twist of this, tweak of that, then got on with riding! And I think the average road rider probably does the same - very limited adjustments then gets on with riding.

It's the other way around for me. Get on with riding... then if the bike is doing something I don't like or I think could be better... then I go about trying to solve it.

And has anyone actually purchased a new bike and had the shop set up the sag for you before you leave the showroom? You'd think that if it is that important that it would be done with you on your $15-30k purchase.

But quite often I would imagine setting sag correctly would involve spring changes. You can't always just go winding the bejesus out of the preload adjusters. There will be some costs factor involved... and quite frankly I wouldn't trust half the bike shops out there to go anywhere near my suspension!

[thepom]

I spoke to my mate overseas on the internet and he sorted me out fine.....lol...

[Robert Taylor]

Just quietly the entire suspension thing now is over complicated for the average rider. Knobs for this, twisty bits for that, shims, etc etc. I had to purchased a book on how to set-up your suspension from Amazon a while back so I could confidently have a fiddle and actually know what each adjustment was meant to do - and that's on a Hornet 900!

I had a twist of this, tweak of that, then got on with riding! And I think the average road rider probably does the same - very limited adjustments then gets on with riding. Consequently, cost aside I think most riders just leave the springy bits be. Which reminds me, I should probably change the fork oil - but even that requires fork removal now - add it to the winter to-do-list.

And that's the crux of it all - all that farting around and cost - probably one of the reasons most people buy an after-market pipe and stick it on instead of shelling out the same money for suspenders (that will actually make a difference to their riding) - 30 minutes with a spanner and there is an immediate physical and aural difference to the bike!

And has anyone actually purchased a new bike and had the shop set up the sag for you before you leave the showroom? You'd think that if it is that important that it would be done with you on your $15-30k purchase.

That is the perception yes and Ohlins recognised it with their TTX36 range, only 2 clickers, one for rebound and one for compression. We also do a set up manual ( that is very easy to follow and is not a copy of ''War and Peace'' ) that we will transmit to anyone that requests it

The reality sadly is that with most retail outlets they actually dont understand how to set suspension up because its actually not in the training syllabus. It wasnt when I was an apprentice back in the late 70s, it isnt now. Realistically it has become a specialised trade on its own account, youd also pretty much split the Mx suspension specialists and the road / road race suspension specialists. You just cant be everywhere.

[Robert Taylor]

Hello Robert,

I believe my Ohlins is the proper model for the 2001 R6. You serviced it a couple of years ago. At the time, I didn't think to ask you if the shim stack, bleed, piston, etc. were "suitable for NZ." Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. I was thinking to myself that when I send the shock down to you for its next overhaul, you might check out its internals and see if they look about right for NZ.
I'm really happy with the shock, and have been for the last 8 years -- but ignorance can be bliss. I'll also have to get you to fix the hydraulic preload -- it has gradually lost all its "lifting ability" (We discussed this on this forum several months ago.)
Just out of interest, if you find out that the internals are set up for "glassy smooth roads," will I need to get a slightly heavier spring? (Am running a 70 Nmm spring, which is as light as I would want to go. The shock has never bottomed out, and it does give a really compliant ride -- I can really feel the suspension working and soaking up the bumps) (I tried a 80 Nmm previously, but it felt a little harsh.)

All good! We always check the internal calibration because when we service shocks its not just oil and gas, we pull them right apart and lay out the shim stacks etc. You wont find everyone doing that but they will still say its a ''full service''. If we can make it better we will.

[Robert Taylor]

There are Warehouse shops, there are helpful shops, and there are Amway/Avon reps.

Pick a balance point, Mr. Taylor.

Warehouse shops don't talk, don't help, pick your own stuff and pay for them.

Helpful shops answer questions when asked, offer greetings and appear happy and helpful. They don't preach, they don't overwhelm, they don't pummel people and punch them into a realisation of their desperate uninformed poor state.

And there are Amway/Avon reps with thousands of brochures, why they are better than everyone else, and why their products are superior, and why people shouldn't buy other market-garden variety, and why people should be fully informed in how to use their product, and why people should only come to them with questions, and why they have the whole range, and why they are the only authorised distributors for these products, and why getting them somewhere else may mean doom and suffering, and why.....why....why do I even need to care...

P.S.
Don't get me wrong though. I appreciate your information and find it very insightful at times.
But when I go to a shop or when I ask questions, I just don't wanna get preached. I just want answers/products/relevant information.

Yes I hear what you are saying. There is never any intent to preach as such, just to be as helpful as possible.

This thread gave me the opportunity to state that if you purchase off a parallell importer you are in fact being short changed in many ways as they dont have the technical training ( direct from the factory ) to back the product up PROPERLY , will not have a full inventory of alternative springs and setting parts and will not be prepared to go the extra mile to set it all up for our conditions. Authorised distributors have all this, plus direct factory access, something that those who ''pick the eyes out of everything'' for their own ends do not have. That is a pet subject of mine and as it works out these people are effectively insincere.

Our new pricing regime will tend to this problem, allied with the high level of added value we always provide.

[cowpoos]

overinformationing

Its not a word...there is no mean for it!

[Odakyu-sen]

Robert, thanks for the follow-up.

Once you have riden a bike with good-quality, properly set up suspension, you will never go back to the heart (and bum) pounding, anxiety-ridden, shit-I'm-losing-it feeling that stock suspension can give you. You feel better at all speeds. Tire grip and tire life is enhanced. You don't get tired out by being beaten up by your suspension, so you stay more alert and focussed. You can maintain a higher cornering speed so you don't have to work the gearbox and brakes so much. Your whole riding style becomes smoother, gentler, faster.
Sure, it's going to cost several thousand dollars and whole lot of initial mucking around, plus you'll have to get your forks and shock regularly overhauled and properly serviced (from a very limited number of people in NZ who can do the job properly and who probably won't live in your city). The good thing is once your bike is set up, you'll hardly every alter the settings again.
Is it worth it? Yes. (But then, I would say that, wouldn't I.) All I can suggest is that you try a bike with the good stuff on and see what you think. It changed my motorcycling life forever.

[lostinflyz]

Just quietly the entire suspension thing now is over complicated for the average rider. Knobs for this, twisty bits for that, shims, etc etc. I had to purchased a book on how to set-up your suspension from Amazon a while back so I could confidently have a fiddle and actually know what each adjustment was meant to do - and that's on a Hornet 900!

I had a twist of this, tweak of that, then got on with riding! And I think the average road rider probably does the same - very limited adjustments then gets on with riding. Consequently, cost aside I think most riders just leave the springy bits be. Which reminds me, I should probably change the fork oil - but even that requires fork removal now - add it to the winter to-do-list.

And that's the crux of it all - all that farting around and cost - probably one of the reasons most people buy an after-market pipe and stick it on instead of shelling out the same money for suspenders (that will actually make a difference to their riding) - 30 minutes with a spanner and there is an immediate physical and aural difference to the bike!

And has anyone actually purchased a new bike and had the shop set up the sag for you before you leave the showroom? You'd think that if it is that important that it would be done with you on your $15-30k purchase.

Bike manufactures set up bikes for a generic spec, that will work ok in all instances. Better that than something that could hurt anyone that might ride it. Does that mean its a good setup for you? nope.

I was horrified when i went to steal a set of used tyres from the back of a m/c tyre shop. Some of them were almost brand new but had cut or worn in the most amazing ways in the tiniest bands. rather than setting sag they should require an IQ test.

[Robert Taylor]

Robert, thanks for the follow-up.

Once you have riden a bike with good-quality, properly set up suspension, you will never go back to the heart (and bum) pounding, anxiety-ridden, shit-I'm-losing-it feeling that stock suspension can give you. You feel better at all speeds. Tire grip and tire life is enhanced. You don't get tired out by being beaten up by your suspension, so you stay more alert and focussed. You can maintain a higher cornering speed so you don't have to work the gearbox and brakes so much. Your whole riding style becomes smoother, gentler, faster.
Sure, it's going to cost several thousand dollars and whole lot of initial mucking around, plus you'll have to get your forks and shock regularly overhauled and properly serviced (from a very limited number of people in NZ who can do the job properly and who probably won't live in your city). The good thing is once your bike is set up, you'll hardly every alter the settings again.
Is it worth it? Yes. (But then, I would say that, wouldn't I.) All I can suggest is that you try a bike with the good stuff on and see what you think. It changed my motorcycling life forever.

Thanks for that!

You know one of the very biggest misconceptions we hear quite often is ''Im not fast enough for Ohlins suspension" Nothing could be further from the truth but there could be more than a grain of truth that some of those that peddle the ''cheap and cheerful'' brands perpetuate that fallacy.

The reality is that although we have a heavy racing involvement most of our customers are in fact everyday road riders that want improved compliance, adjusters that do more than ''decorate'', improved tyre life, improved control, rebuildability and full knowledgable backup. Many of these customers are also well aware of the limitations of budget choices. You only get what you pay for!

With the Ohlins product ( and yes this does sound like a sales pitch but its reality ) these same customers know that the product has great residual value to resell or to trade, or if feasible to have respec'd to suit a later model or make of bike.

[Owl]

With the Ohlins product ( and yes this does sound like a sales pitch but its reality ) these same customers know that the product has great residual value to resell or to trade, or if feasible to have respec'd to suit a later model or make of bike.

That'll be my preferred choice with my next ride, now that I've been slightly educated.

[Robert Taylor]

That'll be my preferred choice with my next ride, now that I've been slightly educated.

How is everything working out on your Triumph?

[crazzed]

Hi Robert, just wondering what other options are out there. You can use my bike as a example. K6 GSXR1000 bought damaged 2.5K bike will owe me 4.5k except suspension as a dedicated track bike. Oh it still has factory steering damper to. So to put this in perspective bike=squat suspension could be mega. Ill leave it with you to sort what you think would be a real world amount to put into this. Cheers in advance.

[Robert Taylor]

Hi Robert, just wondering what other options are out there. You can use my bike as a example. K6 GSXR1000 bought damaged 2.5K bike will owe me 4.5k except suspension as a dedicated track bike. Oh it still has factory steering damper to. So to put this in perspective bike=squat suspension could be mega. Ill leave it with you to sort what you think would be a real world amount to put into this. Cheers in advance.

Please send me a brief e-mail to robert@crownkiwi.co.nz plus your phone numbers. Ill go through this Monday, I am away at Manfield tommorrow / Saturday. We have another customer we are doing K6 stuff for at the moment.