greyhound said:
So I think it will be worth investing in a shock upgrade , rather than just a heavier spring. I've looked at the T T Extreme shock which, as you say should have more adjustment than the Ohlins and is re-buildable. I mostly ride solo without luggage, then some solo with luggage, two up without and two up with , so quite a variation in load. Mostly highway, with occaisional off road tracks . Is the T T stuff as well made as Ohlins , or is it marketing blurb ?
I've had Wilbers in the past on a FJR and it was quite good, easy to service and held up well for my needs. The TT is a step up, and the pre-loader is far better design, but also allows significantly more range than anything else. I needed that for my wide variation in loads. I suspect from your description, you too would appreciate that feature.
I'm not sure I'd spring for the Expedition if I did it again, probably just go with the HP version as I tend to just get it set and leave it alone except for the pre-load. The Extreme shock is top of the line for TT and even the shops trying to sell me a shock said that was over kill for anyone short of a professional racer. The Expedition is a step down from the Extreme, and a few hundred dollars cheaper, and the HP is another step down, losing the hi/low speed adjustment feature and the external reservoir. I was splurging a bit, having run over 100k miles on two OE shocks with the stiffer spring. The TT/Ohlins combo moved strait over to the new Gen II bike. Cost a pretty penny though, so I wasn't about to let it go with the old bike. I do feel the TT is a step up from the Ohlins in terms of shock design, with a beefier shaft and more modern internals. The Ohlins YA013 is basically the same shock they have been using for many different bikes for a long time. It doesn't suck, but I'm not so sure it's really any better than a Wilbers or Yacugar, you're just paying for the big O name. That said, I am
NOT an expert, so talk to some and learn a bit more of the differences in design and ask the shops what they repair the most on customers coming in. What I found out was the pre-loader on the Ohlins was a common failure point and they were replacing them with TracTive units, (which is who makes the TT shock/preloader). Some good reading -
https://www.beemershop.com/SUSPENSION_CENTER.html
The Penski stuff is first rate too, I just didn't have any shop remotely close to me that sold it. Yacugar
http://www.yacugar.com/ is another good emulsion style shock, same as Wilbers and comparable quality. Some favorable reports on the forum if you search.
