Best Fork Upgrade Solution for $

[Tooph]

I'm a pretty aggressive rider on and offroad. Lots of adventure riding, dirt bike and road experience. One of my group is a local suspension guy and just ordered a Ohlins shock for me. I was planning to have him order racetech valves and straight rate springs next week to sort the front out. Should i be considering any other options for the forks? Not looking to pay $1400 for the ohlins setup all said an done. Any recommendations or should i just go with the readily available racetech kit my buddy has? Anyone with experience comparing multiple upgrade options? Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

 

[WJBertrand]

All I can think is to adjust the fork fluid viscosity to match the new damping and spring rates.

 

[~TABASCO~]

IMOP..... the most bang for the least are new springs for your weight and how you ride.... Different weight oil along with changing the air gap.... and then probably re valveing to work with the spring and oil.......... Then dialing it in for yourself...

This is a major change over stock....... make to change the guides and seals while your inside.....

Or just stick the Ohlins in there set up for you and go that route........ I have all that built for "BDR" use.... Its awesome !

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . Or just stick the Ohlins in there set up for you and go that road........

Yeah, but we don't have TABASCO money.

 

[Tooph]

I'm trying to justify it! I'd have $6800 taxed and registered into the bike if I went full ohlins... it has 85k miles on it currently and otherwise setup how i like. I would normally say I don't have that kind of money... but that's alot of bike for 6800. I'd probably swap the suspension to a newer one later down the road. Uhhg... what to do.

 

[~TABASCO~]

I'm trying to justify it! I'd have $6800 taxed and registered into the bike if I went full ohlins... it has 85k miles on it currently and otherwise setup how i like. I would normally say I don't have that kind of money... but that's alot of bike for 6800. I'd probably swap the suspension to a newer one later down the road. Uhhg... what to do.

Spings & oil ………. Done

 

[gv550]

I have Sonic .95 mm/kg springs and kyb 01 oil. And hyperpro rear shock. Works for me, much better than stock.

 

[Tooph]

Spings & oil ………. Done

I guess the title of the thread is a bit misleading. I'm doing valving and a respring to compliment the ohlins rear that I ordered either way. Best bang for buck probably is oil and respring. But...

When comparing racetech, to stoltec/penske and ohlins... or other options. Racetech being $100 or more cheaper than stoltec/penske and stoltec/penske being 6-700 cheaper than ohlins cartridges... what would be the best option? Can ohlins really be worth double the price? Is stoltec worth the extra over racetech or is there a better option out there?

I modified my DR650 frame to fit a WP xact shock from a 2021 KTM 450 and swapped the front with gold valved RMZ450 forks. I like good suspension!

If racetech will get me to 90% of the more expensive options then I'll just stick with that.

 

[bimota]

i would like to change the springs in mine to suit my weight etc i have ohlins on the rear, i,m 105kg kitted to a far bit with a 75kg passenger how to you work out what rate spring you need

cheers

rob

 

[Tooph]

i would like to change the springs in mine to suit my weight etc i have ohlins on the rear, i,m 105kg kitted to a far bit with a 75kg passenger how to you work out what rate spring you need

cheers

rob

The Ohlins and stock front spings are actually in my weight range. Only upgrading the front to go straight rate. I checked Sonics weight chart for the front, not sure what I'd do with the Ohlins rear. I'll try to remember to ask my suspension guy when I solidify my plans next week.

 

[~TABASCO~]

I guess the title of the thread is a bit misleading. I'm doing valving and a respring to compliment the ohlins rear that I ordered either way. Best bang for buck probably is oil and respring. But...

When comparing racetech, to stoltec/penske and ohlins... or other options. Racetech being $100 or more cheaper than stoltec/penske and stoltec/penske being 6-700 cheaper than ohlins cartridges... what would be the best option? Can ohlins really be worth double the price? Is stoltec worth the extra over racetech or is there a better option out there?

I modified my DR650 frame to fit a WP xact shock from a 2021 KTM 450 and swapped the front with gold valved RMZ450 forks. I like good suspension!

If racetech will get me to 90% of the more expensive options then I'll just stick with that.

Well, I have to also admit that most of the time when I post, Im walking in a hall, or busy doing something. Not often just sitting and relaxing..... You bring up a good point that typically goes much deeper.... I have found over 40+ years of motorcycles...

"Most" people dont know or would never feel the difference between $200 upgrade or a $3000, or even a $5000 custom suspension.... (not all on a Tenere) So, someone could have a $300 set up that is actually 'set-up' for that rider and it could actually work better than Ohlins that is totally NOT set up for that rider..... This brings me to another point, "most" riders don't even know how to set up proper suspension. I would say the vast majority of riders see "Ohlins" and feel they are riding the golden chariot because it says "Ohlins"... Not true, if it's not set up correctly, they could be riding a turd, the bike could handle and act like crap. "Most" people see "Ohlins" and feel they have paid the money and they have good equipment. They actually have no idea how to set up or even know what they are comparing it to so they have a reference.

One thought of this comes to mind, I use to sell Ohlins and I would have it all set up for each rider at there US base in NC. I would ask about 20-25 questions and feed that info to the engineers in NC for each rider (front and or rear suspension)....... Those parts and service had a price..... I often ran into folks that found a better price because they found Ohlins at a on-line warehouse. Ohlins sells these folks 250 rear shocks that are ALL THE SAME. Doesn't matter if your 85Lbs or 485 Lbs, on road only or off road only........ you get the point, they are all the SAME shock.
Do you think those folks are getting there moneys worth out of a shock not set up for them and there use ? I personally would say NO... It actually is probably worst than what they came off of. But because of the price and the name (for example) they "love it" and they move on.... In reality it probably is not that great.....

So... my fast point is this.... You can have some basic parts that are properly set up for YOU, that could actually work better than "name brand expensive parts" that are not set up for you.....
If the rider doesn't know what they need / want / or know how to get the ride characteristics you desire, the owner is really riding blind or just throwing money against a wall.......... As Ive mentioned and Ive seen a million people like this, "most" owner could never tell you the difference between $100 springs or $2500 fork conversion. Depends on the riders experience, expectations, and how particular they are.

If folks dont know what they need, take small steps until you get what your looking for... Its a great way to learn so you can get that 'before and after' feeling of a new part added and what that new part provided... (by the way, most of this info is from many years of experience and suspension feeling people cant read in a book. After folks try out a few thousand bikes the "feeling" becomes a little more clear. Very difficult to pin point exactly what each rider might require just talking on the internet,,,,,,, I find it not to be so black and white.....

One more thing to consider I deal with and I will pass this along. Custom suspension Ive always found to be similar to race tires... Soft / intermediate / hard... It's virtually impossible to have all of them at the same time.... I have my bike set up very stiff for serious off road use. I pay for that "ride quality" on the highway and general street use, it's super stiff.... Yes, it's adjustable, yes I can make it more compliant, but I keep notes of everything I change and it would quickly be a pain in the ass. I have two set ups and they are stiff / super stiff.... So, setting up custom you get to choose what is most important to you..... "MOST" riders want or go with a "middle ground", but you will crush it off road still. You will still need to be a nit gentle with it. So when you're setting up your custom 'set-up' consider what you really want to focus on and what is most important to you........


All of this is very fast and just the tip of the ice berg... It can get WAY more deep............. LOL

 

[audiowize]

For what it's worth, I did sag measurements on my stock S-10 when I got it and found that the front springs were adequate for my 240 lb. weight but the rear shock spring wasn't even close. I ran the stock suspension with a resprung rear shock for a while before snagging an Ohlins, and I found a properly resprung rear end was an enormous performance improvement on its own.

I just ran this through RaceTech's calculator and they recommend a 0.93kG/mm spring for me and the stock spring is 0.96kG/mm. I don't see any issue with revalving, but try to rack some miles up beforehand so you get an impression of the benefits it is or isn't bringing.

 

[Tooph]

It sounds like you've accumulated some miles of knowledge, especially regarding suspension setups. Definitely important for proper suspension tuning for individual riders. Many riders might invest in expensive aftermarket components without understanding how to set them up correctly, potentially leading to suboptimal performance. Suspension setups do involve trade-offs between different characteristics like comfort, handling, and performance. Finding the right balance often requires experimentation and fine-tuning to match individual preferences and riding conditions. Taking small steps and gradually refining your setup to understand the effects of each change is great advice. It's a process that not only optimizes performance but also deepens riders understanding of their bikes and their own preferences.

And your point about prioritizing specific characteristics in a custom setup, whether it's focusing on off-road performance or street comfort, is a valuable consideration. It's about tailoring the bike to the rider's needs and priorities rather than simply following trends or brand names. I want it super plush and supportive in the top half with infinite bottoming resistance and linear compression dampening in the lower half. Is that realistic? lol

Thanks for sharing

My shock was ordered directly from Ohlins and has a 4 week lead time. He specified aggressive adventure riding and confirmed the correct spring rate. I don't know if they'll make any valving changes based on my type of riding or just send me the middle ground standard setup.

 

[bimota]

my ohlins rear shock come standard with a 130 spring, wehen we went through my weight 106kg plus passenger 75 kg plus luggage and how many times i ride solo compared to 2 up then 2 up with luggage and we ended up with a ohlins with a 170 spring and wow superb

rob

 

[Tooph]

my ohlins rear shock come standard with a 130 spring, wehen we went through my weight 106kg plus passenger 75 kg plus luggage and how many times i ride solo compared to 2 up then 2 up with luggage and we ended up with a ohlins with a 170 spring and wow superb

rob

They just said my weight was in the range. Not sure what spring exactly. I'll ride with a top case and solo 95% of the time. 170-180lbs

 

[Pdrhound]

The tough part is total weight. To measure the front and rear with rider, gear and luggage would be the sweet spot. But adding 50 -70 lbs of weight on the rear when traveling can be a 2 step spring jump.

Also, engine guards, skid plate aux lights add up for a jump in a spring rate as well.

Racetech wants rider weight without gear. That's also counter intuitive. I'm a big tall guy. My riding gear is 35 lbs with pack, some tools and 2 liters of water. That a full jump in spring rate as well.

In the end, spring rate is 97 percent of suspension performance. But no one makes getting it perfect easy. Why can't I get all my crap on, weight it front and rear and order the right spring?

I just repsrung a XR650l I built for BDR work. With sag set up by traditional methods, the racetech springs came in 50lbs soft. That is 2 steps on their calculator. I called them and they said quote "we don't suggest doing any sag measurements for our springs. Compress the spring 8mm and ride it"

Guess I gotta lose 50lbs.

 

[Tooph]

I thought the whole point of sonic springs over others was that they made them custom to the correct length. Not needing spacers like the other guys.

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[Mad_Matt]

Racetech wants rider weight without gear. That's also counter intuitive. I'm a big tall guy. My riding gear is 35 lbs with pack, some tools and 2 liters of water. That a full jump in spring rate as well.

The first time I re-sprung my 690, I went with my weight plus my gear, and it turned out to be oversprung. The bike was only really happy when fully loaded with my extra camping gear. I'm about to re-spring the 690 a second time, and I went with the K-Tech method.

 

[audiowize]

Hey, at least springs are relatively inexpensive.

 

[gv550]

I thought the whole point of sonic springs over others was that they made them custom to the correct length. Not needing spacers like the other guys.

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I have the .95 springs from Sonic, no spacer needed. New company owner now and maybe they provide that tubing with all spring kits.