Long Way Down - Rear Shocks Failure
- Thread starter WindyChuffer
- Start date
WindyChuffer
Registered user
What I still dont understand is why change the OEM shocks in the first place? What's so good about the Ohlins shock that makes it better than the OE BMW shock? The Ohlins website www.ohlins.com does a shit job of selling them too you.
All this shock failure stuff seems pretty crap. I mean they are shocks sold for an enduro bike, and the bikes (and shocks) are being used for the purpose for which they were designed. Seems to me like its product not fit for purpose.
All this shock failure stuff seems pretty crap. I mean they are shocks sold for an enduro bike, and the bikes (and shocks) are being used for the purpose for which they were designed. Seems to me like its product not fit for purpose.
The GS is, at best, a dual-sport bike and one with a road-bias at that IMHO. But even if it isn't, mile after mile of rough and washboard surface would take its toll on any shock.
Greg
Why guess about what part failed
It/they failed. Full stop.
Same as a lot of shocks fail with HARD use.
I would have thought the bikes should have put up with the type of use they
were getting, are the bikes as heavily loaded or more so than the LWR ?
Not a great advert for BM when it's happened to all three bikes, I'm being slagged
by lads in work, (who have no interest in bikes) about their famous reliability
and I can only thump the smaller people.
roddy
Registered user
What I would be curious to know is who's bikes had the shock failures, if it was just Ewan and Claudio then it maybe down to there riding technique since Charlie has more experience off-road, so maybe he's more gentle on the shock ?
how many shocks have they changed on the pajero - or whatever support vehicles they have this time ?
answer to 3 decimal places - 0.000
I suspect that one of the big differences between the LWD vs LWR is the terrain.
IIRC - On the LWR, they didn't have to deal with as many corrugated roads as they have done so far on the LWD. (I might be wrong but that's the impression I got).
M
IIRC - On the LWR, they didn't have to deal with as many corrugated roads as they have done so far on the LWD. (I might be wrong but that's the impression I got).
M
Yes, fair point. But for all we know the shocks on the support vehicles might have gone the same way as the roof rack. I don't think too many of them are clued up enough to know unless there a part protruding through the bodywork!
Greg
Backmarker
Registered user
GS an Enduro: I think not. And I certainly dont think BMW have ever made such a claim.
Buy a Jap 600 and you would be looking at a lot more than just a shock by 20k. BMW could reasonably argue that the industry norm for a rear shock is about 10k.
Why Ohlins?
1) Because my Ohlins have lasted 70k and are going strong, OE failed me by 20k.
2) Choice of springs to suit weight/riding style/usage etc Far more adjustability than OE
Get one spec'd to your weight and riding style and it is a different class in terms of ride comfort, handling, stability etc etc.
(Buy second hand ones set up for someone else and you might find yourself wishing you had the OE items - until you bother to get them set up for you).
The Nissan Patrols did get suspension upgrades (not done by the LWD team!!)
Video here - click on the text then on 'Modifications'
Greg
WindyChuffer
Registered user
Mate, what are you smoking? Haven't you read the brochure for the GS, or even looked at the bmw-motorrad website? It's listed in the web site under the, err, enduro category. The GS is quite categorically sold by BMW as an Enduro bike! The claim is there, right in front of you...
Now, back to the fit for purpose argument...
Mate, what are you smoking? Haven't you read the brochure for the GS, or even looked at the bmw-motorrad website? It's listed in the web site under the, err, enduro category. The GS is quite categorically sold by BMW as an Enduro bike! The claim is there, right in front of you...
Now, back to the fit for purpose argument...
'Enduro' in respect of the GS is a triumph of marketing over reality. But not even BMW put the GS into the same category as the HP2 Enduro.
But, of course, it's all compromise. Compared with an R1, a GS is an Enduro bike. But compared with a KTM EXC, the GS is a road bike.
Greg
Sergeant Pluck
Registered user
I'd say your average jap overlander (Africa Twin for instance, OK, it's not a 600) would out-gun a GS in the reliability stakes, and would be easier to fix, or at least get parts for. If I had to choose between BM and a jap, say Honda, on reliability alone - I'd go with Honda every time. Just so happens they don't make a suitable bike at the moment.
Funny you should mention an R1. I know of 2 that have gone RTW - one of which belonged to Nick Sanders and was unmodified and IIRC required no replacement suspension and nothing more than basic servicing for the entire 20k mile journey.
I have to say I'm surprised at the Ohlins giving up the ghost so early on for those guys. Stock shocks - well I can understand them not being up to the job but not the Ohlins. They'd only been on the hard stuff a few days before the first lot gave up. My rear Ohlins never put a foot wrong in 14k miles riding on similar, and sometimes worse 'roads'. The stock front shock didn't cope quite so well as was completely fecked by the time I got back. It had done nearly 50k by then though.
BBB61
Registered user
Funny you should mention an R1. I know of 2 that have gone RTW - one of which belonged to Nick Sanders and was unmodified and IIRC required no replacement suspension and nothing more than basic servicing for the entire 20k mile journey.
.
And Sanders rode on similar terrain on his R1 that Boorman and Mcgregor did?
yeah...so have the aftermarket ones that were fitted specifically for the job failed ? ( as ohlins is to bmw )
that'd be 4 per support vehicle .
answer still to 3 dec places.
my point is that ohlins should not have failed at all - even slightly
bmwbikeruk
Registered user
I was shocked by the failure of rear shocks as featured on BBC Long Way Down but I'm glad that I stuck to BMW original shocks on my R1200GSA as I successfully completed the "Short Way Up" 4000 mile trip last August to Nordkapp , 400 miles north of the Arctic Circle with my 60kg wife, fully laden aluminium cases, full tank bag, 60 litre luggage roll bag tied to the rear with another 40 litre roll bag! Did a bit of off-road riding on gravel whilst taking a short detour. No problem with shocks at all. Spring preload set to High of course!
So true - just no comparison at all.
And Nick Sanders didn't carry any luggage (well . . toothbrush and Credit Card).
Matt splat
Guest
R1 Sjaak went round the world with more luggage on his R1 than most of us would carry.
Coincidently he does evening talks to groups, doing slides, telling tales and generally giving good travel advice (he's cheap as well!!)
Coincidently he does evening talks to groups, doing slides, telling tales and generally giving good travel advice (he's cheap as well!!)
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