After market suspension

[Tonyplod]

Hi all
I have never ridden a bike thats been fitted with after market suspension, and in general i thought the handling of the GS1200 was pretty good. Is it really worth changing, if so do the suppliers set the suspension up for you or is it something you have to do yourself?

Cheers

Tony

 

[bumpy]

I would say you have to first decide what areas of the suspension you would like to improve upon.

Do you want it to handle better off road, to corner faster, to be more sure footed, to handle luggage and a passenger better, or to be generally softer and more compliant.

 

[Mr K]

Depends what mileage you bike has done.

I wouldn't consider changing until 20,000+ miles or if you ride fully-loaded and/or with a passenger a lot.

At 47k my steed is on the original front and a 2nd hand 5k rear, replacing the original at 35k..

I'd love a set of Ohlins but can't afford it.

 

[Funners]

where as...I changed my suspension front and rear at around 3000 miles as I could bottom the bike out on even relativley gentle roads...
BMW reckon the shock was OK but at Max pre-load and damping it was like riding a rubber dinghy !
I bought Wilbers front and rear and it's probably the best money I've spent...
mind you , my last bike had Ohlins front and rear so maybe I've just been spoilt

 

[Mr K]

where as...I changed my suspension front and rear at around 3000 miles as I could bottom the bike out on even relativley gentle roads...
BMW reckon the shock was OK but at Max pre-load and damping it was like riding a rubber dinghy !
I bought Wilbers front and rear and it's probably the best money I've spent...
mind you , my last bike had Ohlins front and rear so maybe I've just been spoilt

Erm...I don't know how to phrase this without seeming rude...Would you be a larger gentleman or do you just ride in a very positive manner?

I promise I'm not taking the pish.. I'm prolly 15 stone kitted-up... and I know my shocks are fairly awful....just wondering...

 

[Funners]

Erm...I don't know how to phrase this without seeming rude...Would you be a larger gentleman or do you just ride in a very positive manner?

I promise I'm not taking the pish.. I'm prolly 15 stone kitted-up... and I know my shocks are fairly awful....just wondering...

LOL....I'm a tad heavier than you but only by about a stone or so, so that wasn't the problem, quite literally it would ground out just through "compression" dips in the road, BMW weren't interested in swapping it and it was getting worse and worse so Wilbers it was...

 

[Tonyplod]

Thanks for advice, I only ride on the road, mainly alone, 4 weeks a year with pillion and luggage.

May wait a while as bike as only done a 1000 miles

Thanks for the advice

Tony

 

[bumpy]

I changed my suspension front and rear at around 3000 miles as I could bottom the bike out on even relativley gentle roads...

Out of interest, when you bottomed the front suspension how much of the shiny suspension tube at the top of the forks was left showing.

If BMWs figures are to believed their stated maximum travel would compress the fork till the tube is almost covered by the fork leg.

 

[Slowdown]

where as...I changed my suspension front and rear at around 3000 miles as I could bottom the bike out on even relativley gentle roads...
BMW reckon the shock was OK but at Max pre-load and damping it was like riding a rubber dinghy !
I bought Wilbers front and rear and it's probably the best money I've spent...
mind you , my last bike had Ohlins front and rear so maybe I've just been spoilt

+1 - Only I bought WP, 'cos it was on offer

My previous bike was a Deauville so unlike Funners I haven't been spoilt.

 

[Funners]

Out of interest, when you bottomed the front suspension how much of the shiny suspension tube at the top of the forks was left showing.

If BMWs figures are to believed their stated maximum travel would compress the fork till the tube is almost covered by the fork leg.

I suspect the problem was the rear more than the front, but two up it would hit hard enough to throw the bike across the road
when I decided to change I did the pair....