I've had a fair bit of experience with Ohlins and Penske shocks, and the statements above don't take into consideration fitness for use, nor a good suspension shop/expert correctly setting up and configuring a shock for your particular usage.

Take my NT650 for example. The Penske model I've got on there at the moment is sold online via several vendors for use with my bike, as well as many other bikes. But what they don't tell you is that the shock internals are built for loads generated by a swingarm that's hooked up to the chassis via a linkage. The NT650 does not have a linkage, it's bolted straight onto the swingarm. The internals supplied in the shock are provided in vanilla format by Penske for the application they most commonly market that model shock for - bikes with linkages. Penske will advise that for an application where the shock is directly attached to swingarm and chassis upgraded internals are required as forces dissipated through the shock at certain points of the swingarm's travel are MUCH higher.

This is why, with Ohlins, buying over the internet via eBay is not always a good idea. Sure, Ohlins has a shock body they specify for use with 20 models of bike, and eBay seller has bolted onto the shock body the mounting hardware for your specific model of bike, but this is not representative of what Ohlins (or a competent Ohlins supplier) would sell you if they had your bike and usage requirements in front of them when they built the shock.

I get my shocks built by a guy who used to race in both the UK and US, he's built shocks for British Supersport teams and a few Irish road racers. He's got over 70,000 hours of riding/tuning/racing under his belt and he knows shocks inside out. He takes a stock Penske/Ohlins/WP shock, and installs the internals applicable to the usage you will be demanding of it.

I found him because, when I installed the Penske I'd bought off eBay on my NT650, it blew and leaked all down the shaft within a few thousand k's. Once the internals were installed that were suitable to the application, the shock's 16,000 k's in and copped an absolute hiding, and not a peep yet from it. All that was required was the 2 or 3 washers Penske sells to solve the problem my bike causes their standard shock.

Ohlins, Penske, WP shocks are extremely customisable. There's a huge range of shims, bearings, seals available for building a shock that will perform and last.

Even cheap sh*t like Showa is perfectly OK when the internals are correctly specified, which is what BMW will have done when they specified exactly what Showa had to provide for the OEM bike.

Which, would probably explain why many of the replacement shocks are dying so fast - they're probably not built to the exact same specs as the ones that shipped on the bike out of the showroom. You're most likely getting the same shock body, but the internals aren't specifically selected to withstand the sort of abuse BMW would have explicitly specified they should on the showroom-shipping unit.

Yes, the Showa is a sealed unit and the Ohlins repairable. Even White Power as used on KTM's and I believe, the new BM's have problems. You pay your money and take your choice. Best to go with what your happy with. In most parts fo the world you can get a new shock or parts couriered to you.

__________________
\"Bon Chance\"

If no money problem, Buy the shocks. If it is, Change the springs only . For 20 - 30 extra, That should do. Once upon a time I made an trip on Caspian sea area on my 78 CB 750. With my buddy and lots of equipments ( Tent, Oil lamp, tools, Etc ) On the back, Stock suspensions . Many bumps on the road and cruising some places at 140 Km . Total trip of 1000 Km trip ended fine . Wish the best.

I have finally received the shock I ordered ....delayed by a smoking volcano somewhere in the world. It is fantastic a much lighter,stronger than the Showa (original) and works exceptionaly well . Even fully loaded it makes the GSA feel like a sports bike. It is a Wilber.

Alot of very good and interresting info here. I ride an 09' 1200GSA, I have 70,000kms on it, from Canada to Ushuaia and now on my way back. I started with the original shock and an overloaded bike, the handleling was terrible, after approx 10,000kms, in Seattle, at Touratec I went for an Ohlins, I calculated my max weight and min weight (including me), with regards to luggage and passengers. I then told them to set the preload and install the correct spring to half of the difference, approx 750lbs. This gave me the flexibility that ineeded. The preload seal blew twice, but with the way it was set up, I only had to adjust the rebound to bring the ride back to normal. For the 1200GSA, I would strongly recommend the "Mudsling" to keep unwanted dirt from covering the shock, just Google, mudsling.
To this day I am still truly amazed at what that shock has been through. The right spring and factory preload will take you to Hell, through Hell and back. If you want to see where I have been, wwwnoboundaries.blogspot.com and I dont like riding slowly.
Ride safe

Anyone has a feedback about the YSS shocks? I have a XL700 and my stock rear shocks has 33K miles and is sagging too much, I do most of my trip with two up plus luggage, so, instead refurbishing my stock one, I'm think about upgrading it.

The YSS has a good price (£290) in UK, but I don't know if it is good, so, I would like to hear from anyone who as any experience with it.

The Hyperpro Sport Rear Shock Absorber is only £80 more... but, worth it?!?! Or the YSS has a better cost/benefice?

Thanks for the help!

Attached Thumbnails

 

Attached Images

 

Wait!!!!
I know that the manual say than the Showa is a sealed unit but here and spouses in the most parts of the world exist some specialist who cant rebuild the shocks and make it repairable. They can open it, mechanize the coil in the tube and make a new screw cover, to change all seals, oil, to make the re-valving, of being necessary to change the rod and to place in the canister a valve by where to put nitrogen. All this operation (in the Argentina) does not exceed a cost of $150 or $200 dollars less, less than what costs a new aftermarket shock
Javier Kaper

__________________
Javier...
Dakar Motos “ ”

Thanks for the tip.. however I do not think the standard spring on the Af Twin standd shock is upto it.... so I have ordered the Ohlins..

One thing I wish I had done with hindsight.. (a wonderful thing!) is take the spring to its maximum strength... ie screw down the setting nut to make the spring work to its max... I think this may have helped.... we did this for my wifes Transalp and its covered the same roads as mine with a similar (respective load).... and is still going strong!

Well, since I started this topic Sooooo long ago I thought I'd better let people know how I went on. I bought the Ohlins rear shock and have never regreted it. To date I've done about 22,000 miles 2 up through USA, Mexico, Canada and USA again (in that order) and its going strong. We've thrown some hard roads at it too. Plenty of forest roads with all the gear loaded up.

Given I changed the shock before this trip I don't know how the standard shock would have held up but having said that the Ohlins bottoms out far less than the old shock did and there is far more adjustment for different riding conditions. In short I'm far happier with the Ohlins.

Cheers all
Chris

Chris

I am about to recieve my shock from Ohlins, do you have any advice/tips on set up?

Thanks

Simon

FOr best set up proceedure follow the guidelines in the manual that comes with the shock. That's a cop out but its true. I located the damping adjuster on the under side of the reat faring just above the exhaust and the rebound adjuster beside the rear break push rod. They work well in those two positions.

For further info on the actual set up of the shock there are people on the site far mre qualified to advise on that. ANYONE PLEASE!
Good luck with it
CHris

Just been searching for info about Ohlins rear shocks for my AT.2002 model with 14,000kms on original Showa...no problem with it but i want to upgrade after some recent rough riding in Morocco got me thinking would ohlins or WP be any better.Plan some more African trips soon and i am sure i will be going on rough pistes so would like to go prepared with 'quality' set up.I have no idea of the difference in handling until i actually spend the money and replace the part......i assume it would improve things....(a friend has WP on a small trials bike and said the difference is amazing)even if i am happy with the Showa do you think its worth the money?I very rarely ride 2 up and am of the mind that most of what i need can be bought when i need it....when i get there...and can be given away to someone needy if i don't plan to use it for a couple of thousand Ks....costly but more comfortable i believe(the times i have packed,unpacked then packed things that i have never used is crazy)so generally travel light...no big tank...i'm a light weight 75kilos.....zega full kit and no more on top.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

__________________
Dean

I plan the route belgium- new zeeland just upgreated my rear suspension only with e havier spring from hyperpro , kept the stock pump .
dit already a offroad test run with lugage , works just finne

Think i will go for the ohlins on the rear and some wirth springs on the front with heavier oil .....

__________________
Dean

Hi Dean,

Out of interest which spring rate did you go for ? 95 / 110 / 120N/mm

Many thanks
Matt