Ohlins

[dstrat1]

Ok welll , I have anew to me 04 1150 rt that I really like.....how much better is an ohlins suspension....I have no complaints now, and like the plush ride....but how much better would ohlins be compared to stock.....and yes I have had ohlins before on other bikes, but would like to know....what riders here feel...thanks...

[Slyder_Steve]

[azccj]

I put ohlins on my 04 rt earlier this year after finding a nice set on eBay for a decent price. There is a noticeable difference between the old stock shocks and the ohlins. The ohlins are a little stiffer but handle fast turns better. Also the ohlins are rebuild able, which I had to do to the front ohlins shock when I first got it.

[Oldironken]

Sooo, i too have an 04 RT i picked up in June with 37,000 on the speedo. I have no history on the bike to speak of, so i have to assume i have original shocks. What is the normal life span of front and rear shocks on this bike?

 

I'm slowly building a history with the bike and am trying to plan my purchases wisely.

 

I'm 5'10" and 150, i ride solo, i love curves, but i need more seasoning on the bike before i think about being too aggressive in them.

[Guest Kakugo]

I cannot exactly quantify how much better are those shocks because it's highly subjective. Some people think it's a waste of money while others (me included) cannot do without. I'll give you this example: I use my car very rarely and I am a very slow driver. Yet guess what? Even my car got a suspension upgrade (from Showa to aftermarket Kayaba). The extra smoothness alone is worth the admission price.

 

On how long shocks last... it depends on a multitude of factors. In my experience Showa shocks tend to last between 20000 and 30000 km before needing replacement or an overhaul.

[Bob_Minor]

Some people think it's a waste of money while others (me included) cannot do without.

 

From many previous threads I'd say that no one that has Ohlins thinks they're a waste of money. If they're set up properly (i.e., Kyle Racing, Ted Porter Beemer Shop) the difference is worth every penny, IMHO.

[NCStephen]

while not specific to the OP question is the question does spending money on a suspension upgrade really make a difference.

 

I have a K12RS. I replaced the OEM rear at 50K miles with a 5K mile OEM take off for like $150. The handling wasn't bad but was starting to get a little pogo effect in some situations. Replaced the second rear and the original front at around 80,000. Again I found there were some situations where the bike felt a little off suspension wise and neither settings nor tire pressures could make correct it.

 

The Showa rear on the K-RS is rebuildable, the front isn't.

 

I elected to go with Hyperpro and talked to them about different things. The basics were of course covered, wt, % two up, riding style, load usually carried, etc. In this I also elected to raise the ride height 1/2 inch.

 

The shocks costs about 1600 for the pair. Not money I let go of easily.

 

Once back on the bike it was such a wonderful difference. I wasn't unpleased with the bike before but the change really made for a very nice improvement.

 

If I knew just how great a difference it made, I would have saved the money up earlier.

 

I had the opportunity to ride a friends 05 R12RT when it had just 40,000 miles on it. The rear shock was way beyond wore out and could only be adjusted to marginal acceptable ride and safety standards. His bike isn't an ESA bike. He looked around and found a set OEM take offs from a new police bike that the dept put Ohlins on right away. I think he got them for like 100 bucks each. They returned is bike to a good solid ride.

 

If money is an issue, you can freshen things up with rebuilding the rears, or finding some low mileage take offs, If you can spend the money, take the time to decide just what you really use the bike for and focus the new shocks for that purpose. Some of the other uses might suffer just a bit but you will have the biked 'tuned' so to speak for you and your riding. I think you will be pleased.

 

NCS

[Quinn]

I am neither a fast nor a competative style rider. I always figured that blaming my shocks would be like blaming the bullets I used at the indoor range (all those Remingtons shot low and to the right). And also, if I'm gonna spend big bucks, I'd want a dramatic difference that even I could tell.

 

So I waiting until I had 80k on the bike and some blow money to get a set of HyperPros. Do you remember how a new set of tires feels after you've gotten used to the older, flatter ones? Well, the new shocks were kinda like that. Most noticeable when hitting a bump leaned in a curve; no bounce. So, a difference?--yes. A big, make or break difference?--I'd say no for 99 percent of my riding. The other one percent though is more fun and less tension producing. They probably added 5mph to my comfort zone. No idea if they really added anything to my personal possible zone.

 

-----

 

 

[RPG]

also have an '04 RT and have stock suspension. 53k on the bike and up until a few weeks ago I was convinced I needed new shocks. Mainly, it felt like the ride quality was going south.

 

I then took the time to setup up the rear pre-load and damping and was amazed at the transformation. Smooth ride returned (I guess I had been slowly adding pre-load over the years without realizing it).

 

At 53k, there's no doubt I could benefit from new suspension and may still go that route before my next Track Day (if my R90s approves) but for the short term, I'm going to stick with what I have.

 

RPG

[Selden]

Your choice isn't limited to Öhlins; Wilbers, HyperPro, and others, and there may be the option of rebuilding/revalving the OEM shocks. The most important thing is to find a shop that will work with you to build and set up shocks to meet your needs.

 

Your profile doesn't say where you live, but if you can find a shop within 100 miles with a good reputation that does suspension work, that would be my first choice. Generally, a telephone interview with an experienced suspension tech can get to a pretty good first approximation, but if you can travel to a shop and work with them to fine tune the suspension, that's the way to go.

 

If you can't find a shop, and decide to do the fine tuning yourself, I cannot over-emphasize the importance of keeping records. Know your starting points, and document every change. Once you feel you are near or at optimal settings, mark the adjusters with paint.

 

 

That way, if you pack for a trip, or otherwise change the load (as in carrying a passenger), you can easily return to your normal settings. Often on a long trip, I will experiment with settings one or two clicks either way, and it is very, very easy to get mixed up and lose track — the paint marks eliminate that problem.

[VTBeemer]

I have a 2007 RT and do a fair amount of dirt road biking to find elusive trout. Squeezed 25K out of the stock shocks. Because the degradation happens slowly over the miles on the odometer, you may not notice the difference until you ride a bike similar to yours with newer fine tuned shocks.

It is both miles and time that degrades shocks. Good luck with your decision. I popped for Wilbers and very glad I did. The ride is so much improved.

[Peter Parts]

I'm with Selden. There are really only minor differences worth mentioning among road bike shocks as far as design or construction. Maybe for some riders, these minor differences are worth the price.

 

But there are substantial differences in adjustment and adjustability and these may be critical to your satisfaction if you are heavy, light, or ride differently than Munich-man.

 

Some folks find the stockers suit them fine (unless worn, of course). If they suit you, there's nothing in an Ohlins that will work any better. And besides, Ohlins must be rebuilt on a regular basis.

 

My own belief is that aftermarket shocks are softer than BMW likes it and riders take that as an improvement in handling. I made mine softer and like it that way as much as the Ohlins owners seem to like theirs, except for $900 less.

 

It is easy to buy after-market shocks and mis-adjust them badly.

 

I think if you take your stock shocks and talk to a rebuilder about their shortcomings, that's the best course of action. Cheap, smart, and you get what you want.

 

See my write-up on revalving shocks at URL below.

 

Ben

[Antimatter]

Good aftermarket shocks AND having them set up properly goes a long way towards improving the ride of the motorcycle. If you weigh more or less than the generic rider the stock shocks are set up for, you will have issues because the spring rate is incorrect, meaning you will have the incorrect amount of sag. And if you change the spring rate, you need to change the amount of rebound damping to match the spring. After that, getting the high and low speed compression and rebound damping set correctly will complete the set up. I'd strongly suggest finding out who does suspension set-ups locally and using their services since they can provide you with the right shock and help setting up the bike. Unlike track riding, road suspension is kind of a compromise since you have to deal with so many different types of surfaces and traction conditions. Having a relationship with someone who can help with the set-up is worth the price of the suspension components alone.

 

Not that you can't do it yourself, if you have the patience to test and document lots of changes until you find the right combination of components and settings.

[casticus]

I took my 04 RT to a Reg Pridemore CLASS school in 2003 and came back with my bellypan scratched up and the right fairing worn through the paint in front of my foot from cornering... Mentioned it to my dealer he laughed and said the stock shocks are for 90% of the riders...The rest of us need aftermarket. Put Ohlins on the next summer and have never looked back. I don't know if I'll ever buy new again but if I do I'll probably snatch the OEM off and put on aftermarket immediately.

[moshe_levy]

Full test on 2004 RT http://www.mklsportster.com/Articles/mcnsuspension.pdf Not the emphasis on installation and tuning OVER hardware. Everybody is concentrating on exactly the wrong thing (hardware) and ignoring the most important thing (installation and tuning).

 

-MKL

[moshe_levy]

That should be "NOTE" not "NOT" "the emphasis on installation....."

[Rinkydink]

Exactly Moshe

 

I am saving up for Ohlins now for my 09 RT. I don't have anyone local (that I know of) that I would trust to help set them up correctly. When I take the plunge I am going to have to take a trip and find someone competent and willing. I will certainly make it worth their while...Hopefully a Christmas present for myself.

[Peter Parts]

Exactly

 

... and since the adjustment is so tricky, better to start from a known situation: what you have now (which prolly is not terribly far off from what you'd like). Then tell the revalver just what you want different. Makes it simple.

 

Ben

[Antimatter]

It might be worth doing a track day in the beginner class. They're usually less stringent about gear, and will let you retain stuff like the center stand. Find out in advance if someone who's a suspension tuner is going to be present, and email them in advance to see what they charge. On the day, you can take a few laps in controlled conditions, and pull in to have the damping setting tweaked. It's nice to have a chance to feel how the bike is working without dealing with police, distracted drivers, and other public road conditions.

 

Just a thought.

[Ozonkiller]

Suspension is always a hard sell. It's spendy and not sexy but it is the best money you can spend. It improves the overall quality of the ride along with improving the handling which can get you out of a pinchg. No matter the skill level of the rider, it's a benefit.

 

About Ohlins... the finest customer service you can find. Ohlins USA in north Carolina, awesome bunch of guys.

 

My 2 cents.

 

Tom

[taters]

I put ohlins on my 04 rt after 20,000 miles. The difference was night and day. You won't be disappointed.

[Tippy]

Ohlins tranformed my RT. I just put one on a Honda CBF1000 and had the same observations - significantly improved over stock. In both cases, the Ohlins were modified (shortened to reduce ride height)- while suspension travel was reduced, the Ohlins more than compensated with improved ride quality.