apparantly, i'm nearly out of rear preload?

Michael R1150GS Adventure

Michael R1150GS Adventure

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Ohlins say that my rear std shock may be at it's limit for my weight?

I am 13st 3lbs and with just me on the bike they reckon that with my rear pre-load adjuster set just above the little silver 'max' line, that is the correct position!

Now is it just me or do the following apply:

1. I need an uprated shocker?
and/or
2. I am screwed once I put luggage on as I am nearly 'max'd' out?
and/or
3. I have a problem with my back end (i know, I know, bring it on)
and/or
4. They are wrong?
and or
5. Any comments welcome!

Bikes feels really sorted, so how come i am so close to max preload empty?
I have a feeling that I'm not the heaviest tosser on standard rear shock set up, so how does this compare with you guys?

:pullface
 
Michael R1150GS Adventure said:
Ohlins say that my rear std shock may be at it's limit for my weight?

I am 13st 3lbs and with just me on the bike they reckon that with my rear pre-load adjuster set just above the little silver 'max' line, that is the correct position!

Now is it just me or do the following apply:

1. I need an uprated shocker?
and/or
2. I am screwed once I put luggage on as I am nearly 'max'd' out?
and/or
3. I have a problem with my back end (i know, I know, bring it on)
and/or
4. They are wrong?
and or
5. Any comments welcome!

Bikes feels really sorted, so how come i am so close to max preload empty?
I have a feeling that I'm not the heaviest tosser on standard rear shock set up, so how does this compare with you guys?

:pullface
Click to expand...

Could be that your rear pre-load adjuster has lost its oil.

http://members.cox.net/slartidbartfast/bmwfix/shock-oil/shock-oil.htm

Mine was using almost half its travel before it actually started to pre-load the spring. Re-filled it using the guide above - sorted :thumb2
 
If it feels good then don't worry.
I have an uprated spring on my Ohlins for other reasons but ideally with the correct spring you should be running solo with little or no pre load.....let the spring do the work:thumb
 
cheers for the tips guys - as it is i am running solo with almost MAX preload - thats the weird thing.

Oil out of adjuster eh?? Right I will take a look see at that one, cheers :beerjug:
 
Michael R1150GS Adventure said:
AHHAAAA!

i know what i'm doing tonight... amazing that the ohlins guys didnt mention this - thought they were the experts! Paid for the service too... :mad:
Click to expand...

Easy to do but when you take the plastic handwheel off the adjuster body, do it inside a freezer bag. There's a little ball and spring detent thing that will make a bid for freedom - took me bleedin' ages to find that little sod :D
 
cheers MattW :thumb

that might have been fun.

I take it it's all pretty clear how it goes back together then ( i have a modicum of engineering and mechanical ability :cool:)?

I really hope this works - it'll mean when fully loaded I'll no longer have a wallowing ASS :D
 
How many miles, on the shock?

I would say the Ohlins guy could well be right, on the std shock
 
I took mine to my local shock specialist, the preload was moving about a third of what it should and a good job, the stock spring has some sharp edges at the top.
If used hard it damages the preload piston chrome and it would have stuffed the seal.

He had the piston ground and hard chromed and rebuilt the complete unit with the Hyperpro springs I supplied, they are a bit hard now but as a stout boy I like it:beerjug:
 
Hiya.
Mine blew up three months ago. It was an awful mess. All that dry road crud got coated in oil. My pillions new outfit got road marked. I thing get a new shock. I'll let you know how I get on with the hyperpro I'm getting soon. I take it your notthe first owner:D

Michael R1150GS Adventure said:
Ohlins say that my rear std shock may be at it's limit for my weight?

I am 13st 3lbs and with just me on the bike they reckon that with my rear pre-load adjuster set just above the little silver 'max' line, that is the correct position!

Now is it just me or do the following apply:

1. I need an uprated shocker?
and/or
2. I am screwed once I put luggage on as I am nearly 'max'd' out?
and/or
3. I have a problem with my back end (i know, I know, bring it on)
and/or
4. They are wrong?
and or
5. Any comments welcome!

Bikes feels really sorted, so how come i am so close to max preload empty?
I have a feeling that I'm not the heaviest tosser on standard rear shock set up, so how does this compare with you guys?

:pullface
Click to expand...
 
If the Ohlins people are condemning the shock purely due to the preload adjuster being near the end of its adjustment range, I'd check the preload adjuster before throwing it away :nenau

Bear in mind they aren't saying that the damping is tired and below what it should be (the usual way old shocks die) they are just saying that the springing is wrong. In that case, why not respring it? Oh, hang on, they want to sell an £800 shock... :augie

Preload adjusters losing their oil is a well known possibility on 11xx shocks. Sure it's not guaranteed to be the problem but for the half hour it takes to remove the shock, check it and refit it, surely it's worth looking at?
 
to get to the correct static sag figure the preload was taken to the max line - only a turn or two away from the end of adjustment.

They said the spring may need uprating - but how come to get to the correct static sag it took nearly all of the adjustment? Surely this would have flagged a 'what the...?' from someone.

Looking forward to taking the adjuster apart! :D
 
MattW said:
Easy to do but when you take the plastic handwheel off the adjuster body, do it inside a freezer bag. There's a little ball and spring detent thing that will make a bid for freedom - took me bleedin' ages to find that little sod :D
Click to expand...

Do you need to remove the handwheel Matt? In the link you posted the guy hasn't removed the one on his? :nenau
 
Aidan1150 said:
Do you need to remove the handwheel Matt? In the link you posted the guy hasn't removed the one on his? :nenau
Click to expand...

Actually, you probably don't need to remove the handwheel but I ended up taking mine off because the piston was stuck half way down the cylinder and I initially thought that there was a problem with the handwheel / threaded spindle. Turned out that it just needed holding in the vice and a surprisingly(!) firm tap with a small screwdriver as shown in the link.
 
The same refilling trick has worked with my WP rear shock too, the only consumables needed were some copper washers (same as the brakepipe ones) and a little LHM oil, the piston was well stuck too so I need to strip and clean the whole preload assembly.
 
The pre-load adjuster is not touched during an Ohlins standard service, it's an additional £45 to service it.
 
Michael R1150GS Adventure said:
that isnt the thread's query! :confused:
Click to expand...
Apologies, I'm still not clear whether you have a standard Ohlins that they say is at its maximum pre-load, or whether you have a standard OE rear unit.

I thought from your reference to Ohlins that you had sent an Ohlins unit for service and that the pre-load adjuster wasn't now doing what you expected of it.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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