Ohlins or White Power

[(RIP) Gerry Huxtable]

thinking of upgrading suspension before summer.

What are the opinions of the members regarding the two main options.

Price

Quality

Performance

Adjustment

Fitting

Supplier

your comments and advise please.

regards

Gerry H.

 

[Timolgra]

Motoworks were doing a rear Ohlins for around £380.
Quality, keep them on the mantlepiece for a week.
Performance, better than I'll ever be.
Adjustment easy, leave on standard setting until you know what you want.
Fitting, doddle.
Advise, don't buy from Wunderdick at that price
Probably the best single modification you can make to a GS.

Having said all that I rode the Colonels bike fitted with White Power front and rear and they were great too, a great confidence booster.

You will get all sorts of advise Gerry but I don't think you will be disappointed with either, just get the best deal you can.
Tim

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Ohlins do it for me .

Rear cost me £225 for a month old, 1000 mile - s/hand one from BMW Journal and after 20,000 miles on my last 2 GS1150's, so far, no problems.

Front - just bought from Motorworks Sale for £320 and will fit in Spring 2003.

Have to agree with Tim - better suspension is the best single mod you can do to an Oilhead GS - makes you corner 10-15% faster,resulting from better feedback and awe-inspiring confidence.

IMHO better than a chip for going faster - I've kept the Cat and only use a Sebring Titanium road can for aesthetics-NOT performance.

With Ohlins you can do this...............

 

[legger]

Get a move on john

you say 10-15% faster john, you WILL NEED A CHIP NEXT YEAR WHEN I GET MY OHLINS FITTED....... GET a move on john...

These bikes are fast enough without chips or fancy cans or fancy shocks, just a good set of wellies and a touch of dutch courage and your away, .... one other thing required a large pair of 34 double ff pushing your weight forward.

Andy

 

[AdventureCleverly]

Can't really comment from a GS perspective (haven't had it long enough, don't understand it enough) but from my sports bike alter ego comes the following: don't worry so much about manufacturer the real difference comes from the set-up. Get a professional or, someone who (genuinely) knows what they are doing to set it up, this is especially important if you are erm, a larger sized rider

The difference is like night and day. I echo many of the views above, I never pay much attention to the bragging of the loud can, matching leathers crew (that was me once) but Ohlins/White Power/Fox peeking out from the bodywork shows someone who has got wise

Recommendations for set-up are: firstbike in Tooting, Dave Rossiter is the Ohlins guru there and knows his bananas (preps bikes for Aprilia Challenge, BSB etc), plus he is a top bloke.

Set-up Engineering in Battersea are also pretty good according to friends.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Re: Get a move on john

you say 10-15% faster john, you WILL NEED A CHIP NEXT YEAR WHEN I GET MY OHLINS FITTED....... GET a move on john...

These bikes are fast enough without chips or fancy cans or fancy shocks, just a good set of wellies and a touch of dutch courage and your away, .... one other thing required a large pair of 34 double ff pushing your weight forward.

Andy

We'll see Andy................some of it is the rider - who knows where he's going !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll take your word on Sue's pillion skills.

 

[Deadskin]

Gerry
Ohlins for me
£450 2nd hand
Beautiful, i know it's a funny way to describe shocks but they just are.
Super smooth
Easy adjustment as OEM on the back, i don't bother with the front
even when the tanks full (40L)there's no difference.
Fitting 1/2 hour
www.harrisperformance.co.uk

Only one Gripe they are the same length as oem's but the springs
don't sag so much so add about an inch to your seat height.
you might think about adding an inch to your sidestand or
getting an ADV one.

Gates

 

[RussellAisbitt]

Any one in the market for Ohlins, I recommend Andy White at KAIS. I haven't got a GS just yet but Andy has done stirling service for my RSVs. He was recommended to me by Richard at Harris, at a time when Harris were too busy to deal with someone who didn't want to buy a new shock but just wanted a spring change and damper set up on their existing Ohlins Shock. Since then Andy has supplied a new shock for my second RSV and completed a 15,000 mile service on that shock.

 

[Jim McSharry]

..

Johnny - methinks it was Sue who wrote that ;-)

 

[Lord Snooty]

Ohlins

Gerry,

I'm gonna make this change also come the Spring. If you able to wait til then why don't we order and get them set up together.

 

[(RIP) Gerry Huxtable]

Suspension

Spoke to Motorworks just before hols, £395 for Ohlins rear inc vat

Wayne Lamb at White Power will match this price and give further 10% discount if buying 2 at same time.

Also he offered choice of standard set up, or unit with compression and rebound adjustment. Not sure of tech differences or benefits with the two options?

Mike Harbon said he may be interested in purchasing in the new year so thats TWO.

If anybody else wants to try White Power I will see if I can get additional discount for multiple purchase.

cheers

Gerry

 

[martin davy]

GERRY,

Definately interested, I'll have to talk to the bank in the new year to see if it's possible!

Keep me posted.

Thanks, Martin.