Nitron shocks on order

[Flipfly]

Nice email from Johnathan to say my shocks should be delivered today!!, that was pretty quick

Today is going to be a loooooooooooooooooooong day in the office, should have had them delivered here

 

[metropolis2k]

Nice email from Johnathan to say my shocks should be delivered today!!, that was pretty quick

Today is going to be a loooooooooooooooooooong day in the office, should have had them delivered here

I got mine delivered to work purely so I could drool over them for the afternoon

 

[haydw]

I know this is the 1150 section,but put a custom made Maxton in the rear of my 1200ADV. Its the single best modification you can make to a bike, the handling and ride quality whilst good before is totally transformed. You do need to keep an eye on the speedo though as on your favourite roads you end up much quicker without even noticing.
Sent from my Nokia 1020 using Tapatalk

 

[Flipfly]

Bumfuckinholio!!!

Be aware my little Tosser friends, any modification, no matter how simple it may seem, will come back to bite you on the bum!

Rear shock fitted beautifully, no worries, bit of a mare sorting out the cable for the hpa but once sorted that was easy pimps.

Front should have been far easier, so setting to the bike with the spanners the front shock was removed in 15 minutes (would have been quicker but the baglux cover slows things down a bit), on with the new shooooocc.......feck, hadn't even considered that. The SW Motech bars have a cross member that won't work now because the front shock is that much beefier than the original.....feck feck feckety feck.

So, I now have a nice set of SW Motech bars that either need modding or selling.....bugger. Just taken them off for now.

I asked for a 10mm drop in seat height and I'd say they hit it on the button, definitely more comfortable to get a foot firmly down on the ground. Feels less boingy, but as it's raining outside, I'll take it to the local bike meet to get a feel for them. I won't be pushing it, but in some ways the rain is a great leveller for confidence, it'll be interesting to see it they make the bike feel any "tighter" and give a bit more confidence in slippery conditions.

So beware, if you have SW Motech bars, you will have an issue with clearance.

 

[metropolis2k]

Interesting, I wasn't expecting that. The Hepco and Becker bars on mine don't go near the shock (I've since removed them anyway).

When I took my Nitrons for their first spin the only way I could describe them was that they felt firmer and yet softer at the same time!

 

[Flipfly]

Interesting, I wasn't expecting that. The Hepco and Becker bars on mine don't go near the shock (I've since removed them anyway).

When I took my Nitrons for their first spin the only way I could describe them was that they felt firmer and yet softer at the same time!

Me neither, it's a nats cock, but that's all it takes sometimes.

Anyway, back from my first ride and ............

Yep, firmer, but softer......it's witchcraft I tell ya

Very supple at low speed, but firmer the faster you go, not jarring, but definitely on the firm side. Mid corner bumps are not unsettling now and the bike steers quicker and responds well to a little shove on the bars. Left right flick flack is smoother and quicker.
It has made the bike feel more modern whilst still feeling like the old GS. They have enhanced the front end stability and whilst greasy and miserable outside, they do give you more confidence in the bike.
It's not night and day, it's a very subtle but a very distinctive change for the better.

Would I fork out on these shocks if the bike wasn't a 'keeper', no. If I was keeping the bike for a couple of years it's a lot of cash for the difference in performance and I've ridden with shit shocks my entire biking life with no real issues and still had lots of fun. However, if you have totally shagged shocks it is an affordable alternative to re springing and servicing the stock shocks. The cost of servicing the Nitrons is much cheaper than the standard shocks too, a short build is 65 quid, so over the years they should pay for themselves.

I'm sure a dry day will show up a more significant difference, but I don't want to travel any quicker than I did on the stock shocks, the wet weather confidence is more important to me as it allows you to place the bike exactly where you want it and change lines accurately and without drama.

In short, it now handles more like a standard GS (which I have always thought was a sweeter handling machine).

 

[Norfolk Tiger]

If the clearance issue is minimal could the bars be re engineered with a sturdy blow or two of an engineering stick (big hammer)

 

[metropolis2k]

Would I fork out on these shocks if the bike wasn't a 'keeper', no.

Same here. The problem is now that I know the bike is a keeper I'm spending even more money on it fixing everything else!

 

[Slipperyeel]

If the clearance issue is minimal could the bars be re engineered with a sturdy blow or two of an engineering stick (big hammer)

I think you're referring to the fine adjustment tool. Hehe

 

[Flipfly]

If the clearance issue is minimal could the bars be re engineered with a sturdy blow or two of an engineering stick (big hammer)

The bar is quite thick so it's a very tight squeeze between shock and the black plastic cover that hides the alternator belt. I am going to have a go at a little grinding to thin the bar out a bit and see if that works. I'm fairly confident that It could lose half it's thickness and still do it's job. Hopefully this will work as it only needs a nats cock and they is also the option of elongating the mounting holes to allow it to sit tighter to the cover. It's a small price to pay in hassle terms.

The best way to describe the bike is the speed of the 1200 turn in but with that solid feeling of the 1150 front end, best of both worlds.

 

[Norfolk Tiger]

The bar is quite thick so it's a very tight squeeze between shock and the black plastic cover that hides the alternator belt. I am going to have a go at a little grinding to thin the bar out a bit and see if that works. I'm fairly confident that It could lose half it's thickness and still do it's job. Hopefully this will work as it only needs a nats cock and they is also the option of elongating the mounting holes to allow it to sit tighter to the cover. It's a small price to pay in hassle terms.

The best way to describe the bike is the speed of the 1200 turn in but with that solid feeling of the 1150 front end, best of both worlds.

Is the bar solid or box section if it's box maybe cut a notch out where you have the clearance issue and then weld a piece of plate in.

 

[Flipfly]

Is the bar solid or box section if it's box maybe cut a notch out where you have the clearance issue and then weld a piece of plate in.

Solid, so grinding it is the only option.

If I can't make it work I could chop a section out which would mean the the 2 sides aren't connected, but the would still be solidly mounted to the main frame.
Alternatively I may just buy some of Steptoes head guards and get rid of the bars

If anyone fancies them before I chop em around let me know what you want to offer, if I can get enough for em it then it's decision made for me.

 

[Flipfly]

Went out today, knocked the compression/rebound adjuster back a couple of clicks to see the difference. Much smoother at speed, but not quite as solid feeling on turn in (relatively speaking, still much better than it was). The upside was that mid corner bumps are dealt with effortlessly. I think the firmer set up is better for brain out riding, but backing things off a couple of clicks certainly makes a noticeable difference and better for me. I might try 1 click up on the front to get the best of both world.
Only downside of today's ride was a stumbling acceleration. Can't work out if it's the fuel filter/internal fuel pipe work or the coil packs. I've tested the coils by unplugging them one at a time and engine revs dip a little so it would suggest they are ok. Ran the bike without the primary coils and it was still spluttering, so I think it's the fuel system first if what I've done will show up faults stick coils.
I still need to do the valves and will back flush the injectors when I do the valves and throttle sync.

When I do the fuel pump pipes and filter, is it worth doing the filter for the actual pipe or not?

 

[Flipfly]

Just realized I haven't really finalized my conclusion on these shock.

I had a nice ride out over to north wales the weekend before last. 300 miles in total taking in fast sweepy stuff, slower technical tight stuff and lots of single track bumpy, poorly surfaced back roads. I don't really notice the shocks, probabl the best compliment I can give them. My sargent seat seems even more comfortable and after 300 miles I could have done it all over again.
The bike is very good, turns in nicely and handles everything you throw at it. It behaves like a GS should do. I'm still a little tentative but this is due to the tank size making the bike feel so much bigger than the standard version. Having never invested in good suspension ever, these nitron shocks have me as a total convert to the benefits of well sorted suspension. I'm not any quicker than before, they haven't turned me into Valentino Rossi, but I don't worry about mid corner bumps or anything else, just jump on and ride. My chicken strips are a hairs thickness, so they are doing what you would expect.
At half the price of Ohlins, I'm sure they offer a far more competitive alternative for those who want performance on a sensible budget. Still running a couple of clicks softer than they set at the factory though.

 

[Mr K]

Sounds good: Even on the way to order mine I was questioning if I really needed them. At 74,000 miles I suspect I do and hope I notice a big difference.

They're due any day now....

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Your bad men. I want a set now!

Flipfly, do you mind me asking how much they set you back?

 

[Blackal]

I think that buying Wilbers, Maxton or Nitron - is a bit more sensible than Ohlins, for something like the BMW GS to be honest.

I reckon whatever you buy - you would always get 50% back on resale.

Al