Helpmeout here with Wilbers Shocks choice

[Padmei]

I'm currently researching rear shocks for Schmidtty the R80GS project i'm doing.
At the moment I'm steering towards the Wilbers 640 or the 641.

Below is the link showing the different models scroll down a bit.
http://www.wilbers.de/en/wilbers_federbein.php

I'm not going to use it as a RTW, 2up heavily laden bike but for a few short trips so unsure if the 641 with it's remote slow & hi speed compression adjuster is a bit OTT. Also unlike the ohlins, the preload is still on the shock. I take it the reservoir is only to aid cooling if the shock is getting a good workout.

I only want to buy a shock once & don't want to either undersell the bike or waste money on something I'll never us as I'm a set & forget kinda character.

Anyway for those that have bought shocks in the last 5 years what would you do if you had to again?

 

[Sylvester]

I have a wilbers and it works fine. I do not have the remote reservoir. I think its more important you get the right spring. Mines wound up to the max and its fine solo or with wifey on the back because she weighs the same as a bag of sugar but with a normal grow up, the back goes down a bit to much for my liking.

 

[Rob Farmer]

I have a wilbers on my 100pd I've also had them on other bikes. To be honest they aren't fantastic shocks just the next step up from a hagon. Next time i'll resist the urge and spend a bit more on a decent shock.

 

[Beemerboff]

I agree with Rob - just spend the little extra and get the good one, the Ohlins, that is.

I bought the base model, no remote anything, for my GS, and it wasnt much more than a Wilburs.

The single adjuster sets both compression and rebound at the same time on mine, even the instructions that came with it get that wrong!

It has a #80/450 lb spring, perfect when I was 15 1/2 stone, still perfect now I am 12 1/2, but I fitted matching stiffer fork springs at the same time as the shock.

I had a Wilbers on my VFR and have a White Power on my G/S , and the Ohlins is a step up in class from both.

 

[cookie]

had ohlins on my 1150, wilbers on my current 1200gsa, and an ohlins on my g/s.

i think rob's right in that the wilbers is not quite as sublimely wonderful as an ohlins, but it's very much good enough, and a feck of a lot cheaper than ohlins.

had a basic WP emulsion unit on my old GSPD and couldn't fault it. i wouldn't be bothering with all the bells and whistles on an airhead. they handle like shit anyway.
have all the adjusters on the 12, and only ever touch preload and rebound.

IME if a shock has an adjustment at the bottom (ohlins, wilbers, WP), that is for rebound. this does affect the compression damping a bit, but only a bit. it's still a rebound adjuster.

 

[Crapaud]

I've got the decent wilbers on my 1100. Standard shock at front and fancy one with remote thingy on the back. I bought mine from EveryAssecories and they were fantastic. Told them my weight and that I would be riding offroad with loaded Metal Mules and they set everything up to suit. The bike was transformed and I'm very happy with quality of the product.

Saw a demo at Horizons Unlimited of how shite Hagon shocks are compared to standard Honda units and was amazed at how crap and cheap and nasty the Hagon shocks are.

On Long Way Down, it was the replacement Ohlins shocks that failed more than once. I don't doubt Ohlins are good shocks (our race team use them) but I don't think they are worth twice the cost of Wilbers.

 

[Redboots]

I put a Wilbers with the remote ressy on my GSPD for a trip to India. I thought it was fine, as in, I never gave it a thought once fitted and set up.

I now have an Ohlins (different bike) and have to say I don't see where they get the price difference from. The Ohlins was overhauled and re-sprung before the trip and it needed doing again on our return - 20k kms. whereas the wilbers is still on the bike and going strong.

Feckin' pricy for the overhaul, the Ohlins and still looked shit when it was returned so not impressed. As a shock absorber it works as well or the same as the Wilbers.

The Ohlins must be better 'caus its an Ohlins but the Wilbers seems better value.

John

 

[fayeslane]

Sometimes getting an original shock revalved and resprung by a suspension guru is cost effective and you end up with a shock specifically tuned to your needs. Some original shocks are well made units (DR650) but are hopelessly set up.

Most shocks can be rebuilt even though it doesn't look like it.

 

[pete.keys]

I bought a wilbers 632 off someone on here. I must say it transformed my G/S.

I bought another one for my project bike off german ebay from zeitech in germany for £475. Looks like they have gone up a bit but I guess thats the £/€ issue


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370462600532&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2F%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm570%26_nkw%3D370462600532%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1#ht_2547wt_1139

 

[Owen Snell]

Got Wilbers on the 1200, bought used and refurbed by Revs Racing. They are better than OEM, got the damping set soft and the ride is like OEM, but more controlled.

 

[Rasher]

I'm not going to use it as a RTW, 2up heavily laden bike but for a few short trips so unsure if the 641 with it's remote slow & hi speed compression adjuster is a bit OTT

Just stuck the full monty on my 1200 and it is very good, but if I did not have such a wide and varied use for the bike I would go for the more basic unit, it will still be light years ahead of the OEM unit, and at a great price... unless money is not really an isue, in which case I have no idea why you asked

I looked at Ohlins, but £1800 instead of £1200 (and still only 2-way damping as opposed to 3-way on Wilburs) I have had Ohlins on several other bikes and really do not see them being 50% better, certainly on the road with a mere mortal aboard, like many premium products you are paying for those who do not, the extra £600 is mainly used to keep Rossi going round, not for better workmanship on the one you get!

 

[Padmei]

Thanks for the replies guys. I wasn't really after an ohlins/wilbers debate as they both have their fans but whether I needed the bells & whistles model.

What I was really wanting was the piggyback model pete had a link too as they look very cool but they're for G/S & I haven't achieved that level of coolness- I only have a GS

 

[Rob Farmer]

I haven't achieved that level of coolness- I only have a GS

The G/s is for posing. The GS is for riding

 

[fayeslane]

The G/s is for posing. The GS is for riding

Check yer mirrors, they're coming

 

[(RIP) Arkwright]

The G/s is for posing. The GS is for riding

Having both I tend to think the other way round, at the moment the mono is definitely the better of the two!

 

[Rob Farmer]

Check yer mirrors, they're coming

When you ride a Paralever GS that's the only place you see Mono's getting smaller with every second that passes.


You have to stir the old fella's up now and again. Saves the nurses having to check for a pulse

 

[fayeslane]

When you ride a Paralever GS that's the only place you see Mono's getting smaller with every second that passes.

On fire

 

[Beemerboff]

Most G/S will be 1000 cc by now, and are a bit lower geared than a GS so on the smooth stuff they wont be dissapearing in the mirrors.

But on the rough it is a different story - there is nothing you can do to the G/S forks to make them as good as GS forks with HPN inserts, and the paralever is just a better suspension system than than a straight swinginng arm can ever be.

But back to the origonal question - at the pointy end of suspension setting the final piece of the jigsaw is balance , back to front.

That is, when you get one end just right the other end feels better too.

And when you get to that position you dont have to adjust it much thereafter - adding a pillion or loosing 3 stone doesnt seem to affect a well balanced set up much.

So I dont think the bells and whistles matter a lot -if your supplier does a matching shock / fork spring combo it will be just about spot on at the stock settings, and if you have a mismatch, front to rear, then no amoount of twiddling will make is right.

What degrades and needs servicing on an Ohins and most shocks is the oil and the gas, and as the Wilburs is a straight Ohlins copy to the extent that parts are interchangeable, and the oil and gas is the same in both, it is hard to see how the Wilburs can be any better in repect of servicing.

I asked someone who services all brands of shocks for a living which was better, and his reply was that if you have stripped and compared them all you would be happy to pay the extra for the Ohlins.

 

[Padmei]

Good stuff. i'm getting pretty good at starting slanging matches now. Who's better at cricket between you guys?

I'm prob gonna get the Wilbers from Greg over there in your fair country as we don't have a supplier over here for some strange reason. Luckily Robert Taylor from CK Technical can service them even tho he is the Ohlins man here.

 

[Beemerboff]

The Oz importer lists the basic Wilburs at $737-, and a quick google has an Ohlins for $785- US , currently $710-Au so price shouldnt come into it, and as an owner of bikes with both I know which one I would have.
The PO of my G/S tried a few springs until he settled on a true 75nm /425 lb spring, and matched with the Wirth G/S fork springs it works fine solo or two up.

Make certain you get the country clear on your order - the Oz dickhead sent mine to SA as in Seth Effrica, so dont assume he knows where Un Zud is.