Wilbers or Öhlins to transform the bike?
- Thread starter arrjo
- Start date
WILBURS
I have used Wilburs on most of my bikes and had a standard ( non ESA) set on my last 2005 R1200gs , they made a massive difference as the whole system is quality , the standard is good , but not that well made (even though its made by WP).
I have since changed to a 2011 Triple Black and have the Wilburs ESA version -------------am i happy with this ......magic , just got back from a 3000 mile alps trip and they were great as the difference is very apparent.
I have used Wilburs on most of my bikes and had a standard ( non ESA) set on my last 2005 R1200gs , they made a massive difference as the whole system is quality , the standard is good , but not that well made (even though its made by WP).
I have since changed to a 2011 Triple Black and have the Wilburs ESA version -------------am i happy with this ......magic , just got back from a 3000 mile alps trip and they were great as the difference is very apparent.
Mark Hooton
Cymarcbikeparts
If you bought correctly, either Ohlins, Wilbers or Nitron, they'd 'spring' it to your weight so it should mean the bike is perfect
+1
i`ve got the wilbers - lovely
rodsharp
Registered user
I am surprised you cant get a good ride with oe suspension . I have a 2010 and have had 2 GS previously and dont have any problems. I have fiddled with settings and found one I am happy with both one or two up. I wont say what they are as I am bound to be wrong according to all the experts. Just suggest you start at standard and make small adjustments both ways and take your time to see if you can find a decent setting.
I would do this first and maybe get the bike checked by your dealer to make sure it is OK.
I have fallen into the trap of being influenced by comments on here before and purchased Sargent seats and Givi A330 screen both of which people swear by, but they just didnt work for me and I would be very careful at laying out big bucks for aftermarket suspension before careful experimentation with what you have first.
Hope this helps.
I would do this first and maybe get the bike checked by your dealer to make sure it is OK.
I have fallen into the trap of being influenced by comments on here before and purchased Sargent seats and Givi A330 screen both of which people swear by, but they just didnt work for me and I would be very careful at laying out big bucks for aftermarket suspension before careful experimentation with what you have first.
Hope this helps.
Hi Roadsharp!
Thanks for the advice. I have fiddled around with the suspension, starting from the standard setting and then made small tweaks but still it's too harsh. I have a sneaking suspicion that my bike has stiffer springs than normal. I asked via e-mail from the dealer if my bike might have been fitted with harder springs but they said that my bike should have standard suspension but they can give it a look if I took my bike there. Hopefully I get a chance to take it the dealers next week to have it checked.
I really hope to get this suspension issue solved soon because here in the north the summer won't last that long and riding on a rock-hard bike on our bumpy roads isn't much fun...
Cheers!
Thanks for the advice. I have fiddled around with the suspension, starting from the standard setting and then made small tweaks but still it's too harsh. I have a sneaking suspicion that my bike has stiffer springs than normal. I asked via e-mail from the dealer if my bike might have been fitted with harder springs but they said that my bike should have standard suspension but they can give it a look if I took my bike there. Hopefully I get a chance to take it the dealers next week to have it checked.
I really hope to get this suspension issue solved soon because here in the north the summer won't last that long and riding on a rock-hard bike on our bumpy roads isn't much fun...
Cheers!
Having just done 8000 miles in 4 weeks on my 1st Alaska trip, I can confidently say that the Ohlins I had fitted have transformed the bike ride from good to superb.
It is far more composed on all surfaces from fast tarmac to gravel to dirt. There are some very bumpy roads up through Canada and the bike just sails over them with no banging or clattering.
Worth the money for the riding I do that's for sure
It is far more composed on all surfaces from fast tarmac to gravel to dirt. There are some very bumpy roads up through Canada and the bike just sails over them with no banging or clattering.
Worth the money for the riding I do that's for sure
Hi Sgt Bilco,
Banging and clattering is very evident on my bike. It's very reassuring to hear that by fitting Öhlins your bike now sails over bumps.
Trying to order my set of Wilbers this week, waiting for a price quote from the factory (they seem to be on holidays because have been waiting since last week).
Did you fit your 1200GS Öhlins with softer springs or with regular?
Cheers,
Arrjo
Banging and clattering is very evident on my bike. It's very reassuring to hear that by fitting Öhlins your bike now sails over bumps.
Trying to order my set of Wilbers this week, waiting for a price quote from the factory (they seem to be on holidays because have been waiting since last week).
Did you fit your 1200GS Öhlins with softer springs or with regular?
Cheers,
Arrjo
Ohlins are better than Wilbers on my bikes
A brief update to my suspension saga:
Waited for the wilbers to arrive for nearly 3 weeks, then had to wait 1 more week for the workshop to have an available appointment to fit them. Then when finally the day came to put the new shocks to my 1200GS, I got a call from the workshop saying that the rear suspension has been fitted successfully but the front Wilbers suspension is leaking oil and therefore they won't fit it to the bike.
So, in order to get it fixed by Wilbers as soon as possible I immediately sent the shock to them via UPS (I chose to pay for it myself and send it straight to Wilbers, otherwise it would have gone through Wunderlich and i would've lost precious time). The front shock arrived at Wilbers the next day and to my agony they told me that their entire workshop staff is on a vacation and will be back on the 27th of august. So i've just wasted 100+ euros on sending the shock to them and it's just lying on their desk somewhere waiting to be fixed in, hopefully, 10 days.
So hopefully i'll have something to report to you in around 2 weeks time...
Waited for the wilbers to arrive for nearly 3 weeks, then had to wait 1 more week for the workshop to have an available appointment to fit them. Then when finally the day came to put the new shocks to my 1200GS, I got a call from the workshop saying that the rear suspension has been fitted successfully but the front Wilbers suspension is leaking oil and therefore they won't fit it to the bike.
So, in order to get it fixed by Wilbers as soon as possible I immediately sent the shock to them via UPS (I chose to pay for it myself and send it straight to Wilbers, otherwise it would have gone through Wunderlich and i would've lost precious time). The front shock arrived at Wilbers the next day and to my agony they told me that their entire workshop staff is on a vacation and will be back on the 27th of august. So i've just wasted 100+ euros on sending the shock to them and it's just lying on their desk somewhere waiting to be fixed in, hopefully, 10 days.
So hopefully i'll have something to report to you in around 2 weeks time...
I'm sure they will refund your costs if requested
Sorry to hear that mate.
I would ask for a discount / refund to cover your out of pocket expenses, I can't see how they could really refuse as you have had a lot of inconvenience as well.
If they are not too keen so point out you are updating a thread on UKGSER, for any buisness there ain't much better than word of mouth recommendations, and nothing worse than publicly viewable complaints.
My new rear is now awaiting fitting next week so hope I don't get any problems as I am losing a days pay to have it fitted
I would ask for a discount / refund to cover your out of pocket expenses, I can't see how they could really refuse as you have had a lot of inconvenience as well.
If they are not too keen so point out you are updating a thread on UKGSER, for any buisness there ain't much better than word of mouth recommendations, and nothing worse than publicly viewable complaints.
My new rear is now awaiting fitting next week so hope I don't get any problems as I am losing a days pay to have it fitted
Finally I can make an update to my suspension saga.
Got the faulty Wilbers front shock fixed and got it installed to the bike on monday, now my bike has both rear and front Wilbers suspension made to my specifications. To my unpleasant surprise it DID NOT make the bike more comfortable. I got to try a friends 1200gs with regular standard suspension and his bike behaves like a 1200gs should - comfortable, relaxed ride. My bike on the other hand (before Wilbers and now also with Wilbers) is shaky and hard and it seems as if something is obstructing the suspension to work properly.
I took the bike to my only local BMW dealer from whom I also bought the bike. It was there for a whole day for inspection and they could not find anything wrong with the bike. And now that i've fitted Wilbers on it, they had an excellent reason to imply that it's the Wilber's fault that the bike acts that way, although I told them that the reason I bought Wilbers was because the bike was uncomfortable in the first place. They said that to them there's nothin wrong with the bike and they can't write to the factory that "just some guy thinks the bike's too hard - they need physical proof that there's something wrong" and they could'nt find anything wrong with it.
So what should I do now? I have basically wasted over 1100 euros on new suspension that unfortunately didn't improve the bike because the fault of the bike being uncomfortable lies somewhere else. I have tried different suspension settings, lowering the tire pressure etc. and it just does not improve.
Could it be that the fault may lie in the telelever-paralevel parts? or maybe the shaft drive doesn't allow the bike the suspension properly?
I'll wash my bike and put it up for sale. Hopelfully i'll have better luck with the 800GS
Cheers
Got the faulty Wilbers front shock fixed and got it installed to the bike on monday, now my bike has both rear and front Wilbers suspension made to my specifications. To my unpleasant surprise it DID NOT make the bike more comfortable. I got to try a friends 1200gs with regular standard suspension and his bike behaves like a 1200gs should - comfortable, relaxed ride. My bike on the other hand (before Wilbers and now also with Wilbers) is shaky and hard and it seems as if something is obstructing the suspension to work properly.
I took the bike to my only local BMW dealer from whom I also bought the bike. It was there for a whole day for inspection and they could not find anything wrong with the bike. And now that i've fitted Wilbers on it, they had an excellent reason to imply that it's the Wilber's fault that the bike acts that way, although I told them that the reason I bought Wilbers was because the bike was uncomfortable in the first place. They said that to them there's nothin wrong with the bike and they can't write to the factory that "just some guy thinks the bike's too hard - they need physical proof that there's something wrong" and they could'nt find anything wrong with it.
So what should I do now? I have basically wasted over 1100 euros on new suspension that unfortunately didn't improve the bike because the fault of the bike being uncomfortable lies somewhere else. I have tried different suspension settings, lowering the tire pressure etc. and it just does not improve.
Could it be that the fault may lie in the telelever-paralevel parts? or maybe the shaft drive doesn't allow the bike the suspension properly?
I'll wash my bike and put it up for sale. Hopelfully i'll have better luck with the 800GS
Cheers
If you're convinced there is a problem then you need to put the bike back to stock and take it back to the dealer for them to check over
I'm assuming your bike is still under warranty?
I'm assuming your bike is still under warranty?
Yes it has still got the warranty. Putting back the stock suspension again would cost money for me and nothing guarantees that the dealer would find a fault then. In their dealership they've only got bikes with ESA suspension and therefore there's no chance to compare it to another bike with regular suspension.
But you have already said that you have a mate who has an R1200GS with standard suspension so take him along with you
I don't understand why if you thought you had a problem you didn't take it to the dealer for them to asses prior to spending 1100 Euros on Wilbers?
I reckon your only course of action now is to put it back to stock and let the dealer ride your bike and your mate's bike back to back. It's an expenseive lesson but your Wilbers will not be wasted because they are so much better than the OE shocks. You will not get the best out of the Wilbers 'if' there is an issue elsewhere on the bike
I don't understand why if you thought you had a problem you didn't take it to the dealer for them to asses prior to spending 1100 Euros on Wilbers?
I reckon your only course of action now is to put it back to stock and let the dealer ride your bike and your mate's bike back to back. It's an expenseive lesson but your Wilbers will not be wasted because they are so much better than the OE shocks. You will not get the best out of the Wilbers 'if' there is an issue elsewhere on the bike
I took the bike to the dealers just now to have the standard shocks fitted and i'll take my mates bike there as well this weekend so they can compare those two bikes. Next week I should have some news on the matter..
