Guaging Interest: Potential Suspension Group Buy

[Yamaguy55]

I am interested. Please send me the group price in a PM. Just to be safe, I've sent you one.

I live close enough to Reading, and travel down that way enough, that I can ride down if need be in the event they need to check the fit on a (my) bike. I'm a little over an hour northwest, depending upon TTT&RC ( tourists, twits, trucks & road construction) So advise me if that is needed. Rather than tie up your bike for something quick, I'll ride down and they can look at whatever it is on mine.

 

[avc8130]

Been a while since the last update and you can blame Daytona Bike Week for that!

Latest plan:

Sunday I will pull my stock shock off. I am going on travel for business next week so this isn't too terrible. Stoltec is sending the shock to Penske on Monday. They will take the week to run the shock on their shock dyno to baseline what Yamaha felt was good. They will also take measurements for shock free and compressed lengths. I should have my shock back by next weekend.

Big steps!

ac

 

[YamaPA]

Been a while since the last update and you can blame Daytona Bike Week for that!

Latest plan:

Sunday I will pull my stock shock off. I am going on travel for business next week so this isn't too terrible. Stoltec is sending the shock to Penske on Monday. They will take the week to run the shock on their shock dyno to baseline what Yamaha felt was good. They will also take measurements for shock free and compressed lengths. I should have my shock back by next weekend.

Big steps!

ac

You're leaving out one of the most important things....location, position, angle of fitting, hose length, etc. for the remote reservoir. The forgoing is the only reason I havent and dont purchase an Olins at about the same cost as a Penske through a friend. Ohlins certainly botched their remote preload and reservoir mounting!

This is certainly moving a lot slower than originally planned. But, nothing I didnt expect and the reason I wasnt the one going to Penske directly.

 

[stevepsd]

You're leaving out one of the most important things....location, position, angle of fitting, hose length, etc. for the remote reservoir. The forgoing is the only reason I havent and dont purchase an Olins at about the same cost as a Penske through a friend. Ohlins certainly botched their remote preload and reservoir mounting!

This is certainly moving a lot slower than originally planned. But, nothing I didnt expect and the reason I wasnt the one going to Penske directly.

Do we have any pics of the Ohlins mounted on the ST? Curious about the mounting issues of the preload & reservoir.

 

[Buckeye56]

http://supertenere1200.com/2011/07/20/wasp-gets-his-ohlins-on/

Here's a start for you.

 

[stevepsd]

http://supertenere1200.com/2011/07/20/wasp-gets-his-ohlins-on/

Here's a start for you.

Thanks for that. I will say the stock Ohlins mounting locations are ::007::

 

[avc8130]

You're leaving out one of the most important things....location, position, angle of fitting, hose length, etc. for the remote reservoir. The forgoing is the only reason I havent and dont purchase an Olins at about the same cost as a Penske through a friend. Ohlins certainly botched their remote preload and reservoir mounting!

This is certainly moving a lot slower than originally planned. But, nothing I didnt expect and the reason I wasnt the one going to Penske directly.

Who said any of that was left out?

With respect to "plan", my first schedule:
"If it is any consolation, this offer is probably 6-8 weeks out at absolute best"

Focus on the absolute best part. ;D

The real problem with that "schedule" has been me. I made the schedule with hopes and unicorn dust. I didn't realize how big Daytona Bike Week was. That ate 2 weeks as Penske was consumed supporting the races and tending to their booth on the midway.

You really don't need to be so negative. This is a developmental effort. If NO ONE was willing to do it, and deal with the snags along the way, we simply wouldn't have the product for our bikes.

At your crazy Ohlins discount, just buy it. If the Penske comes out and you like it better, you can probably turn around and sell your Ohlins for no loss.

ac

 

[avc8130]

Thanks for that. I will say the stock Ohlins mounting locations are ::007::

Penske/Stoltec/I all agree on that. That will be one of the primary goals: NICE reservoir mounting. The tough part is going to be accomplishing that without requiring major dis-assembly during install.

ac

 

[stevepsd]

Penske/Stoltec/I all agree on that. That will be one of the primary goals: NICE reservoir mounting. The tough part is going to be accomplishing that without requiring major dis-assembly during install.

ac

::008:: ::008::

 

[avc8130]

Think I could just put a strut in there? LOL

ac

 

[tomatocity]

I spoke with the Penske guys at the Long Beach IMS. Good people and funny. At that time they had no plans and were very honest about it though were interested in the Super Tenere. I mentioned there were a bunch of them in their area and told them about this forum. These guys were also very friends with a rep from Arai. AVC were you there?

Ohlins said they were working on something but did not have anything to say.

 

[avc8130]

I spoke with the Penske guys at the Long Beach IMS. Good people and funny. At that time they had no plans and were very honest about it though were interested in the Super Tenere. I mentioned there were a bunch of them in their area and told them about this forum. These guys were also very friends with a rep from Arai. AVC were you there?

Ohlins said they were working on something but did not have anything to say.

Long Beach? I wish!

Wrong side of the country for me.

ac

 

[avc8130]

Penske has FINALLY confirmed receipt of the stock shock.

Rumor has it they will be running it on the shock dyno tomorrow.

A dry shock for test fit may be on its way to Stoltec Moto shortly for test fit on my bike to check overall dimensions and figure out the reservoir mounting/hose routing.

I will keep this thread updated as things progress.

ac

 

[avc8130]

Thought I would update this thread a bit with some relevant information.

I took Stoltec's development Speed Triple for a ride last night. He has Traxxion AK-20s in the forks and a Penske 8987 rear shock.

OH MY GOODNESS. I cannot put into words how amazing the bike was. The amount of TRACTION the bike generated was unbelievable. The confidence the suspension inspired was amazing. I have been giddy ever since riding it. Anyone that will listen I have been telling. I CANNOT WAIT for the Penske Tenere solutions. This was amazing. The work/wait will be well worth it!

Stoltec also took the time to setup my wife's Speed Triple. She has a Penske fork revalve kit and a stock rear shock. While the rear doesn't even belong on the same road as his Penske setup, the front is VERY good for significantly less than the AK-20s. We will begin working on the Penske fork valve kit for the Tenere next weekend. I am super excited for that too!

On the Tenere front: Stoltec SHOULD have a dry shock for mock-up and reservoir mounting next week as well as the first crack at the Penske fork revalve kit.

More to come.

ac

 

[tomatocity]

All ears and patience.

 

[3putt]

::026:: ::017::

 

[YamaPA]

While you work out the rear end, my forks are down at Traxxion getting an AK-20 cartridge fitted. They had MOST of the specs for the Tenere fork, but needed a set of forks to get the final measurements for things like cartridge rod length, thread pitch, and base valve bolt pitch....so my forks went down there. Got tired of waiting for Race Tech to produce their "already completed kit, it just needs packaging" since mid February. You hear that Race Tech. Forks will be back by 4/20/2012. I went with the AK-20 because in the future for about $150 to $200 I can change out, if I ever desire to, the AK20 cartridge to my next ride and install the OEM Yamaha stuff right back in.

Probably going to wind up with an Ohlins or HyperPro rear shock unless the Penske is done and available for purchase prior to sometime early summer.

 

[3putt]

I will be waiting for the ride report, has to the top of the line mod.

 

[avc8130]

While you work out the rear end, my forks are down at Traxxion getting an AK-20 cartridge fitted. They had MOST of the specs for the Tenere fork, but needed a set of forks to get the final measurements for things like cartridge rod length, thread pitch, and base valve bolt pitch....so my forks went down there. Got tired of waiting for Race Tech to produce their "already completed kit, it just needs packaging" since mid February. You hear that Race Tech. Forks will be back by 4/20/2012. I went with the AK-20 because in the future for about $150 to $200 I can change out, if I ever desire to, the AK20 cartridge to my next ride and install the OEM Yamaha stuff right back in.

Probably going to wind up with an Ohlins or HyperPro rear shock unless the Penske is done and available for purchase prior to sometime early summer.

You WON'T be disappointed with that. The AK-20 setup I is insanely good.

I HOPE Penske will be able to meet your timeframe. It should be close.

ac

 

[avc8130]

I have an update!

Last night I went over to Stoltec Moto and Nick had received the components from Penske for a "dry-mockup". Basically, Nick spent quite a few hours pouring over my bike. He selected an upper shock body that fit the top Tenere mount and oriented the reservoir hose very nicely. He also chose a very nice clevis for the bottom that interfaces perfectly with the stock linkage. Rebound adjustment is in the same spot as the stock shock, so no "easier" but still easily adjustable. Compression is on the reservoir, so that won't be an issue (stock doesn't even have this!). Preload does not look like it will be a big issues. There was decent access from the right side to operate the standard Penske collar. I got a chance to inspect the parts, Penske components look first-rate. The machining was very clean and the anodize gorgeous.

On to the REALLY good news: reservoir mounting! This will NOT be hideous like the Ohlins. Nick is in the early stages of mockup, but it looks like he is thinking a nice bracket that will come off the rear peg bolts and place the reservoir in the neat triangle just aft, nicely following the lower subframe. Nick is a perfectionist, so I have full confidence it will look the part.

Status: Initial "dry" complete. The shock Nick assembled goes back to Penske Monday and then we wait for them to fill it and make it whole. I am not sure of a time frame to that, and at this point I am not interested in guessing. Nick did tell me he would pressure them HARD to make my trip to the Adirondacks for 5/17 as that would get me some good testing time/miles in a small window of calendar time. My fingers are crossed, I'm stoked.

I know:
::006::
I will see if Nick has any spy photos he wants to release.

ac

PS: There was a GREAT breakthrough last night, Nick did valve job on my forks. He replaced the cheap, cast stock valves with gorgeous billet valves and a custom-tuned shim stack. He is working on packaging the kit before he wants to offer it to the public. Let's just say initial impressions are positive. WAY better than stock, pretty darn close to AK-20s...for about 1/2 the cost! More to come...start drooling.