Ohlins vs Penske shock advice

[avc8130]

Snake,

Actually, there IS information missing that would change my tune.

If someone told me I could have TTX carts in my forks I might have to blow a pay check. I'd change my tune in a heart beat if Ohlins had a BETTER product at a REASONABLE price.

ac

 

[fredz43]

I am not going to be a part of this "mine is bigger than yours" debate, but can clear up a few things.

The part number of the Ohlins fork kit for the Super Tenere is FKA1001M. Retail is $1650. They will only sell to an authorized Ohlins Service Center. Installation depends on what your service center charges. Mine charged $150. No machining is required to install those kits in Yamaha forks. It takes about an hour once the forks are off the bike. The tech can and will swap out the springs supplied to suit your weight. There is one set left in the USA. Ohlins says they learned quite a bit when developing these and MAY be able to cut that price with slightly different production process in the future. I don't know if I would count on them either making more or lowering the price.

If you have a quality suspension shop within riding distance to you, you will probably get a product better suited to YOUR needs. AC is very lucky that he is so close to Nick.

That is MY experience and that's all I have to say about that.

 

[avc8130]

I am not going to be a part of this "mine is bigger than yours" debate, but can clear up a few things.

The part number of the Ohlins fork kit for the Super Tenere is FKA1001M. Retail is $1650. They will only sell to an authorized Ohlins Service Center. Installation depends on what your service center charges. Mine charged $150. No machining is required to install those kits in Yamaha forks. It takes about an hour once the forks are off the bike. The tech can and will swap out the springs supplied to suit your weight. There is one set left in the USA. Ohlins says they learned quite a bit when developing these and MAY be able to cut that price with slightly different production process in the future. I don't know if I would count on them either making more or lowering the price.

If you have a quality suspension shop within riding distance to you, you will probably get a product better suited to YOUR needs. AC is very lucky that he is so close to Nick.

That is MY experience and that's all I have to say about that.

Fred,

Do you know WHAT those are? I Googled and got absolutely no results for "Ohlins FKA1001M". I am curious what type of setup they are.

ac

 

[fredz43]

Fred,

Do you know WHAT those are? I Googled and got absolutely no results for "Ohlins FKA1001M". I am curious what type of setup they are.

ac

That evidently was a number for those "one off" project cartridges. There was a different number stamped on the box and the FKA1001M was hand written in place of the original number.

 

[Dallara]

I am not going to be a part of this "mine is bigger than yours" debate, but can clear up a few things.

The part number of the Ohlins fork kit for the Super Tenere is FKA1001M. Retail is $1650. They will only sell to an authorized Ohlins Service Center. Installation depends on what your service center charges. Mine charged $150. No machining is required to install those kits in Yamaha forks. It takes about an hour once the forks are off the bike. The tech can and will swap out the springs supplied to suit your weight. There is one set left in the USA. Ohlins says they learned quite a bit when developing these and MAY be able to cut that price with slightly different production process in the future. I don't know if I would count on them either making more or lowering the price.

If you have a quality suspension shop within riding distance to you, you will probably get a product better suited to YOUR needs. AC is very lucky that he is so close to Nick.

That is MY experience and that's all I have to say about that.

Thank you, Fred.

That's all very useful and interesting information. I appreciate it. ::008::

Like AVC, I'd be interested to know exactly which of their basic cartridges Ohlins based that part number on. Perhaps you know that, too?

Fascinating, too, how there was no extra machining that had to be done. IIRC, there were posts about all sorts of difficulty, extra machining, modifications, etc. that needed to be done to fit Ohlins cartridges to S-10 forks, and how much trouble it was for Ohlins, etc. Do you have any information on what Ohlins learned while developing these?

Thanks again!

Dallara


~

 

[avc8130]

Thank you, Fred.

That's all very useful and interesting information. I appreciate it. ::008::

Like AVC, I'd be interested to know exactly which of their basic cartridges Ohlins based that part number on. Perhaps you know that, too?

Fascinating, too, how there was no extra machining that had to be done. IIRC, there were posts about all sorts of difficulty, extra machining, modifications, etc. that needed to be done to fit Ohlins cartridges to S-10 forks, and how much trouble it was for Ohlins, etc. Do you have any information on what Ohlins learned while developing these?

Thanks again!

Dallara


~

Dallara,

Maybe the extra machining was to the Ohlins side of the components and not the factory forks.

The stock Tenere forks are essentially extended R6 forks from a few generations back.

Really the next "step" up after a piston/shim swap would be moving over to a gas charged setup. This is essentially creating 2 "rear shocks", 1 in each fork leg.

An alternative step "over" from that would be a dirt bike style damping system where their is a separate high speed cartridge for compression.

ac

 

[fredz43]

I can post some pics tonight when I get home. One fork does control compression and the other controls rebound.

 

[avc8130]

I can post some pics tonight when I get home. One fork does control compression and the other controls rebound.

That is similar to how Triumph does forks on the Speed Triple and Tiger. There are advantages and disadvantages to this just like every other setup.

One advantage is the ability to run different weight oil in each leg.

ac

 

[hANNAbONE]

I had a Wilbers on my last KLR650... In fact, my son has that bike now and the Wilbers is still on there. But that said, I bought that Wilbers when Klaus Huenecke at EPM Performance was still the Wilbers USA distributor, and he built Wilbers shocks to specs. He and Wilbers split, and I never bought another Wilbers. I have bought a set of YSS shocks from Klaus, though, that he built just the way I wanted them for Harley XR1200.

If you will notice, even though your link says "wilbersusa", Hannabone, they don't sell Wilbers... Just YSS and Hyperpro. Klaus still does repair, rebuilding, and service work on Wilbers, but he no longer sells them. The home page for his outfit is http://www.epmperf.com/

Just FYI...

Dallara



~

try this one then....


http://www.hermanusa.com/index.php?target=categories&category_id=774

 

[Dallara]

try this one then....


http://www.hermanusa.com/index.php?target=categories&category_id=774

If I'm not mistaken those guys are simply dealers... If you want a custom-built Wilbers set up specifically for you and your Super Tenere the distributor for the United States is now:

http://www.wilbersamerica.com/

You'll have to call or e-mail them, though, as their web site does not currently show much, nor support online ordering, etc.

Just FYI...

Dallara



~

 

[hANNAbONE]

thank you D...

 

[fredz43]

I can post some pics tonight when I get home.

How about 1 pic?

 

[snakebitten]

Worth a 1000 words. Thanks Fred.

I understand that much of that assembly had to be manufactured just for these 10 sets. Much more so than Ohlins USA had assumed.
Thus the excessive time and effort and expense.

Not everyone felt it was worth the time and expense. And that is totally fair. But if you really wanted Ohlins forks on your Tenere, you only had this one option.
I wanted them. And that is what my Tenere is riding on.

I'm far from the suspension expert on this thread, but I believe that is what first class Ohlins custom made forks look like! And they function the way I hoped they would. Really really good.

However, I watched other riders on OEM suspended Teneres go everywhere I took my fancy smancy suspended Tenere. And their grins were just as big as mine.
To tell ya the truth, I got a big kick out of that.
Still do.

 

[avc8130]

It's a black box!

ac

 

[avc8130]

Worth a 1000 words. Thanks Fred.

I understand that much of that assembly had to be manufactured just for these 10 sets. Much more so than Ohlins USA had assumed.
Thus the excessive time and effort and expense.

Not everyone felt it was worth the time and expense. And that is totally fair. But if you really wanted Ohlins forks on your Tenere, you only had this one option.
I wanted them. And that is what my Tenere is riding on.

I'm far from the suspension expert on this thread, but I believe that is what first class Ohlins custom made forks look like! And they function the way I hoped they would. Really really good.

However, I watched other riders on OEM suspended Teneres go everywhere I took my fancy smancy suspended Tenere. And their grins were just as big as mine.
To tell ya the truth, I got a big kick out of that.
Still do.

Suspension isn't about WHERE you can go, it's about how quickly, confidently and safely you can get there.

ac

 

[roy]

$2000 for ohlins 30 mil drop in kit on the Tenere ya'll are getting screwed. I paid $1300 for a GSXR1000 30 mil drop in kit that was tweaked to my suspension guys (Thermosman suspensions) settings meaning he mods the out of the box ohlins setup because it works better with his mods. Proven race track stuff right there straight from the AMA paddock.

'11 GSXR1000 forks, OEM BPF junk completely gone thank god!!

 

[snakebitten]

I'll be doing a GSXR conversion to my Tenere immediately.

So I will be starting one of those "Which triple clamps, steering stem bearings, caliper carriers, rotors......." threads.
Be looking for it.

 

[avc8130]

I'll be doing a GSXR conversion to my Tenere immediately.

So I will be starting one of those "Which triple clamps, steering stem bearings, caliper carriers, rotors......." threads.
Be looking for it.

Once we get over the hurdle of "how do I add 3" of travel"...

ac

 

[roy]

funny guys my point being I just don't see the tenere kit being $700 worth more expensive than a GSXR. No way! 3" more travel doesn't equate to $700 bucks any way you add it up. Plus my ohlins had the added labor factor to improve the standard kit.

Just saying this and by no means trying to start a war of words. I will certainly ask my guy next time I talk with him about this. He is an ohlins vendor and has worked for ohlins USA in the past so he will give it to me straight up no BS.

I just don't see an additional $700 bucks worth here. Or maybe I'm getting the good deal due to building track bikes for the past 13 years through the same guy, yea that's what it is,,,,,

 

[~TABASCO~]

The Tenere fork kits are 1650. They make hundreds of kits for your sport bike that are (some what) mass produced in Sweden. There are / were only ten hand made kits for the Tenere for a 350 difference. But of course it doesn't really matter what anything cost, people can spend there money any way they want .
I'm just sticking with a stock bike. Lol