Ohlins shock broke!

[RT Russ]

Hit a gap in the freeway on ramp last night. I felt the jarring of the gap and immediately noticed I was sitting lower and my headlight was pointing too high. since I was already on an approach to a bridge, I pulled the clutch lever in and felt no dragging, no noise etc so I crossed the bridge before pulling over. Drug the center stand when I leaned into the turn of the off ramp. Flash light showed the nice yellow spring resting against the swing arm. Got it home and pulled the Ohlins out and put the stocker back in so I'm back on the road. Call Kyle Racing today to arrange to send it back for a rebuild....hopefully.

 

[Guest Kakugo]

A faulty piece... easily fixed.

[dirtrider]

Morning Hawk

 

Any signs of that broken ring hitting anything on the control arm or frame?

 

If no witness marks showing interference then measure the spring coil thickness for each coil (even the end flat coils) then add all those measurements together as that will give you the fully compressed spring height.

 

Then compress the bare shock & see if you can get the broken pieces back about where they go. Then measure the distance between the top & bottom spring seats. (take into account the jounce bumped will also compress a bit)

 

If the spring compressed distance is longer than the distance between the compressed shock spring seats then you bottomed the spring & that probably broke the seat.

 

[RT Russ]

Evening Dirtrider,

I won't be able to make those measurements. By the time you responded to this, I had the shock boxed up and ready to send back to Kyle Racing for rebuild (hopefully). I figure that they take the thing apart to put the different rate springs on and also when they "refresh" the shocks so it should be repairable. It's on it's way to them now.

[jviss]

This is an interesting and scary failure. I wonder if you could answer a few questions; I'm concerned since I just bought and installed a set of Ohlins on an '01 'RT.

 

One theory is that the spring was underrated for the load. This could happen because Ohlins selects spring rates based on rider weight (and maybe compression damping - does anyone know if this is selected when shocks are ordered?). With a too-light spring it may be that you repeatedly bottomed out the rear, fatiguing the threaded rings at one end, and ultimately breaking them. This would be even worse if the shock had been valved for compression damping such that it was too soft for the load, i.e,, insufficient damping.

 

This is more likely to happen with a custom shock because, well, they are custom, and a spring for me, at 150 lb., is probably way too light for a 200+ pound guy. I would guess this is less likely with stock springs since they are selected to cover the range of anticipated loads.

 

Just thought, not an expert, but curious and concerned.

 

[EffBee]

This is an interesting and scary failure. I wonder if you could answer a few questions; I'm concerned since I just bought and installed a set of Ohlins on an '01 'RT.

 

One theory is that the spring was underrated for the load. This could happen because Ohlins selects spring rates based on rider weight (and maybe compression damping - does anyone know if this is selected when shocks are ordered?). With a too-light spring it may be that you repeatedly bottomed out the rear, fatiguing the threaded rings at one end, and ultimately breaking them. This would be even worse if the shock had been valved for compression damping such that it was too soft for the load, i.e,, insufficient damping.

 

This is more likely to happen with a custom shock because, well, they are custom, and a spring for me, at 150 lb., is probably way too light for a 200+ pound guy. I would guess this is less likely with stock springs since they are selected to cover the range of anticipated loads.

 

Just thought, not an expert, but curious and concerned.

 

When I worked for a dealership, all Ohlins wanted to "set up" a new shock for a purchasing customer (Ohlins does offer an initial free re-spring when a new shock is purchased), was the customer's weight. They never asked about his skill level, whether he rode two-up or not, how much/often he carried his luggage, etc. Just the weight.

 

That was when dealing with Ohlins NA in North Carolina. What Ohlins dealers such as Kyle Racing or others do, and whether or not they're more thorough than that, I can't say.

[RT Russ]

This is an interesting and scary failure. I wonder if you could answer a few questions; I'm concerned since I just bought and installed a set of Ohlins on an '01 'RT.

 

One theory is that the spring was underrated for the load. This could happen because Ohlins selects spring rates based on rider weight (and maybe compression damping - does anyone know if this is selected when shocks are ordered?). With a too-light spring it may be that you repeatedly bottomed out the rear, fatiguing the threaded rings at one end, and ultimately breaking them. This would be even worse if the shock had been valved for compression damping such that it was too soft for the load, i.e,, insufficient damping.

 

This is more likely to happen with a custom shock because, well, they are custom, and a spring for me, at 150 lb., is probably way too light for a 200+ pound guy. I would guess this is less likely with stock springs since they are selected to cover the range of anticipated loads.

 

Just thought, not an expert, but curious and concerned.

 

When I worked for a dealership, all Ohlins wanted to "set up" a new shock for a purchasing customer (Ohlins does offer an initial free re-spring when a new shock is purchased), was the customer's weight. They never asked about his skill level, whether he rode two-up or not, how much/often he carried his luggage, etc. Just the weight.

 

That was when dealing with Ohlins NA in North Carolina. What Ohlins dealers such as Kyle Racing or others do, and whether or not they're more thorough than that, I can't say.

 

Kyle Racing had a full list of questions about my weight, riding style, 2 up or not and how much gear I carry. In fact when they asked about weight they wanted weight with all riding gear on. It was not a short phone conversation when I ordered them.

 

I can also way that I never "repeatedly bottomed out". I am a big guy but I do believe that the shock was sized well. It was a great ride once set up by Ohlins reps at the MOA Rally in Redmond last year. Since I put the stock shock back on.......wow, what a difference.

 

They did NOT take into account 2 up, just told me that I should turn the preload up all the way when going 2 up.

 

I am so grateful that this happened 15 miles from home, not on my trip to Torrey, Colorado etc. or the DVD ride last month!

[jviss]

I didn't know if you got them new, or used. Sounds like you bought them new, sized correctly, so, yes, I doubt your were bottoming out. It must just be a fatigue or defect induced failure of those threaded rings.

[tallman]

This is an interesting and scary failure. I wonder if you could answer a few questions; I'm concerned since I just bought and installed a set of Ohlins on an '01 'RT.

 

One theory is that the spring was underrated for the load. This could happen because Ohlins selects spring rates based on rider weight (and maybe compression damping - does anyone know if this is selected when shocks are ordered?). With a too-light spring it may be that you repeatedly bottomed out the rear, fatiguing the threaded rings at one end, and ultimately breaking them. This would be even worse if the shock had been valved for compression damping such that it was too soft for the load, i.e,, insufficient damping.

 

This is more likely to happen with a custom shock because, well, they are custom, and a spring for me, at 150 lb., is probably way too light for a 200+ pound guy. I would guess this is less likely with stock springs since they are selected to cover the range of anticipated loads.

 

Just thought, not an expert, but curious and concerned.

 

You're saying more likely with a custom shock?

Don't think so.

My Wilbers are set up for my weight, luggage, riding 2 up total weight, and then sag set for that.

Easy enough to dial back for solo, then turn x clicks with pillion.

Not likely to ever bottom out, easy enough to refresh shocks.

 

The stock set up was modeled for a much lighter rider/solo.

Big dif w/custom.

Best wishes.

[jviss]

You're saying more likely with a custom shock?

Don't think so.

I only meant that it is possible, I imagine, to have a shock custom buil tiwht a light enough spring that for a heavy rider would bottom out; where this won't happen with a stock spring.

 

[bobbybob]

When I worked for a dealership, all Ohlins wanted to "set up" a new shock for a purchasing customer (Ohlins does offer an initial free re-spring when a new shock is purchased), was the customer's weight. They never asked about his skill level, whether he rode two-up or not, how much/often he carried his luggage, etc. Just the weight.

 

Musta been quite a while ago then. See their work order app. which is same info. they ask for on new shocks too. http://www.ohlinsusa.com/us/Service/workorderform.pdf