What happens when you get to the Alps and want to adjust the settings to take account of hotter temps or more challenging roads, that's when you want to tweak the rebound or compression damping
With that spec they do have rebound adjusters.
Wilbers shocks (or something else?)
- Thread starter Antti
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With that spec they do have rebound adjusters.
1150 GSA
You're in the wrong section
Happy with our oilheads, we've been riding GS's long enough..............to know we're already on the best ones
1150 GSA
You're in the wrong section
Happy with our oilheads, we've been riding GS's long enough..............to know we're already on the best ones
Sorry , ridden both , oil head was brilliant , only passing a comment on the post . Also had 2 sets of Wilbur's and 1 set of ohlins on my previous 1200,s . Again I will now go away and only post on the wasser head section .
I have a standard Wilbers on the front with the 22 click rebound adjuster turnwheel and a Wilbers with remote preload and rebound on the back. To be honest I hardly ever touch the front one, it's set at around 10 clicks from minimum, unless going off road. It seems to cope with everything from dreadful Scottish tarmac to gravel roads and track days. The front is rock steady with the back jacked to max. and the pegs on the floor.
richie
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What happens when you get to the Alps and want to adjust the settings to take account of hotter temps or more challenging roads, that's when you want to tweak the rebound or compression damping
Most of us are not good enough to know how to do that
I've had both and can't recommend any of 'em. In fact I'd stay stay away.
Öhlins is a nice on-street strut made to look visually good, indeed performs well on-road but is very fragile and unreliable offroad - too brittle and lightweight materials (I've had my Öhlins split in two in Pakistan)
Wilbers is like a low-blow - doesn't perform particulary well and rather utterly unreliable - multiple design flaws with the piston rod (coating) and sealing mechanism (I've had mine pissing out oil in just 100km of hard stuff in South-America).
Maybe recommend Öhlins only if you want to sell the bike quickly - so the bike looks tempting for a unexperienced rider with those fancy yellow colored struts giving better impression.
If you want a high quality product, robust and reliable yet something performs virtually the same as finely tuned Öhlins on-road and definitely beats it offroad it's Hyperpro. Particulary the Hyperpro "3D" models where oil and gas are separated (the non-emulsion type) making it more reliable and functional design overall. Particulary if you want to keep your bike for a long time and ride it like you stole it over humongous distances and not worry about the shocks all the time - nothing beats the Hyperpros IMO.
Hyperpro's were the only shocks I couldn't destroy in exreme conditions in Trans-Africa and Yemen/Oman ride, progressive springs work wonders in hard offroad (no bottoming outs like Öhlins and Wilbers even if you have spring ratings and dampening right for the weight and conditions - they still too often bottom out because the linear spring has no countering "stopping effect" like the progressive spring on Hyperpro) yet they're superb on road as well when you set them straight (3D models have high- & low-speed dampening and rebound ajustments over wide range). Having owned them all with all the bitterness and hassle I can say the only pity is that the Hyperpro doesn't have the massive hype- and PR-machine behind like Öhlins or Wilbers (too much PR and hype was the very reason I was stupid enough to buy mine anyways) since IMHO Hyperpro's really do deserve the credit for their ingenious design and vastly superior reliability - considerably more robust main body, thicker pre-dampener, stronger rebound limiter, higher quality rod coating (Wilbers polishes out quick, Öhlins relatively soon after), thicker rods, robust main seals, more angular tolerance and progressive springs as stock.
Anyways, just me 2c.
Margus
Öhlins is a nice on-street strut made to look visually good, indeed performs well on-road but is very fragile and unreliable offroad - too brittle and lightweight materials (I've had my Öhlins split in two in Pakistan)
Wilbers is like a low-blow - doesn't perform particulary well and rather utterly unreliable - multiple design flaws with the piston rod (coating) and sealing mechanism (I've had mine pissing out oil in just 100km of hard stuff in South-America).
Maybe recommend Öhlins only if you want to sell the bike quickly - so the bike looks tempting for a unexperienced rider with those fancy yellow colored struts giving better impression.
If you want a high quality product, robust and reliable yet something performs virtually the same as finely tuned Öhlins on-road and definitely beats it offroad it's Hyperpro. Particulary the Hyperpro "3D" models where oil and gas are separated (the non-emulsion type) making it more reliable and functional design overall. Particulary if you want to keep your bike for a long time and ride it like you stole it over humongous distances and not worry about the shocks all the time - nothing beats the Hyperpros IMO.
Hyperpro's were the only shocks I couldn't destroy in exreme conditions in Trans-Africa and Yemen/Oman ride, progressive springs work wonders in hard offroad (no bottoming outs like Öhlins and Wilbers even if you have spring ratings and dampening right for the weight and conditions - they still too often bottom out because the linear spring has no countering "stopping effect" like the progressive spring on Hyperpro) yet they're superb on road as well when you set them straight (3D models have high- & low-speed dampening and rebound ajustments over wide range). Having owned them all with all the bitterness and hassle I can say the only pity is that the Hyperpro doesn't have the massive hype- and PR-machine behind like Öhlins or Wilbers (too much PR and hype was the very reason I was stupid enough to buy mine anyways) since IMHO Hyperpro's really do deserve the credit for their ingenious design and vastly superior reliability - considerably more robust main body, thicker pre-dampener, stronger rebound limiter, higher quality rod coating (Wilbers polishes out quick, Öhlins relatively soon after), thicker rods, robust main seals, more angular tolerance and progressive springs as stock.
Anyways, just me 2c.
Margus
richie
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Very interesting post, thanks, certainly learnt on the move.
All fine words, however a flaw
As a GS rider I don't want to go offroad, let alone offroad with a pillion and luggage
So whilst your musings maybe valid, they are irrelevant to my needs
I'll take Ohlins for road riding and touring, they perform great and have been specced for me and give exceptional feedback and ride quality
Hyperpro................yes, how many MotoGP and WSBK teams use them, not many I bet
Ohlins - their pedigree speaks volumes and if they were that unreliable & crap, then no race teams would touch them with a barge pole
'Nuff said
So why have it?
No point having performance suspension if you don't know how to adjust it, read the bike's feedback and alter it to give ultimate feedback and performance
Unlike a GPS, it's not a handlebar trinket
Ohlins - their pedigree speaks volumes and if they were that unreliable & crap, then no race teams would touch them with a barge pole
Yeah, you've let the hype machine take you as well, obviously
. I used to believe the same when I bought my Öhlins. It's like calling a production KTMs or Husabergs uber-reliable bikes capable of massive hassle-free mileages because they have excellent racing results with their hand-built factory race bikes (that share little similarity with their production bikes).As said I do think real-life (non-racing bred-) Öhlins perform brilliant on-road. But to take comparison from high-end racing is rediculous in terms of reliability. Pure-bread racing Öhlins (or whatever other manufactuer's-) shocks/forks get full overhaul almost every- or second race, make that 5-15 hours of work till they get fully split with all the seals, gases & oils replaced. Talk about long-term reliability in racing that shares very little with street-, offroad- or travel riding we immortals usually do.
In comparison Hyperpro just makes real-life shocks without the fashionable racing clique as a hype engine built into their brand name - shocks "without smoke and mirrors" in their brand name IMO.
I'll take Ohlins for road riding and touring, they perform great and have been specced for me and give exceptional feedback and ride quality
Hyperpro................yes, how many MotoGP and WSBK teams use them, not many I bet
Ohlins - their pedigree speaks volumes and if they were that unreliable & crap, then no race teams would touch them with a barge pole
'Nuff said
Johnny, that post is unbecoming of you.
The man was posting about his experience. More people are likely to ride big GS's on dreadful roads, even washboard dirt roads, loaded with pillion and luggage than are likely to campaign their GS's in Moto GP so that reference is invalid. I'm sure that the Ohlins fitted to GP bikes bear little or no relation to the gear available for our adventure bikes either. Additionally they are probably changed for every race so performance and reliability over an extended period of time is irrelevant to the GP teams. It is not however to the man who is struggling to find a £1,000 or more for new suspension on his hobby machine.
Tsiklonaut is not the only world traveller to have issues with Wilbers and Ohlins units.
It is, maybe unbecoming....................i'm that way out today
However speak as I find too, depends on what Antii or anyone else wants to do....................the majority of us just ride roads and very few ever ride a GS offroad and even fewer do a trip like Margus or even one to Alaska like you
For road touring on a GS to the Alps, both Wilbers or Ohlins do a great job - they are not either fragile or unreliable
The pitfall most people encounter is that they are not brutally honest about the job they expect the suspension to do and don't build in some 'insurance' also with regards to spring weight
My Ohlins has a 180nM rear spring which for a solo rider, with not much luggage is perhaps 20% over specced - however the shock has been revalved to suit and the ride is sublime and that 20% over spec covers any variables I might throw at it and as such has proved to be fine for the last 30,000 miles and 9 years
I was advised to go down this route by a man who has spent a lifetime with Ohlins and knows his onions
My Wilbers has also been over specced and adjusted to suit
For 95% of most GS'ers either Wilbers or Ohlins will do a great job......................but spec it up right, becasue out of the box both shocks (in particular Ohlins with a 140nM spring) are undersprung for a 250kg bike, with luggage and/or pillion
Hyperpro might be great, but few of us will ever put it to an extreme test
Micky has done 100's of thousands of road miles with Wilbers with no problems and he's a very reliable tester of a bike's components
richie
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I do have wilbers front and back set up for me by the guy I bought them from, I ride alone always and don't need to touch them, suits me fine. On OEM I did used to dial up a click or two on the rare occasion my missus would come out with me.
It was not a criticism of you Johnny just my observation.
It was not a criticism of you Johnny just my observation.
Come back, we love you
I was only jesting
I love you too , but in a man way , and may I say , the best bikes have been built buy bmw , and ridden by people who , even they are all Tossers , actually ride the bloody things. Happy daysl
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how do hyperpro compare price wise to wilburs/ohlins??
rudiemoto
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i have all 3 makes
the facts
if you order a std spring and u r a fat tosser it will blow {jb}advise is right
if you dont go off road and still order a std spring it will blow if u r a fat tosser
so if you go offroad or road order the right spring rate
also when doing a Tsiklonaut trip weight the bike fully kitted as most tossers and bmw rides overfill and stick as many drys bags there can {inc me }
the hp2 did 43k with skygad and me {fatboy} riding it all over ,wilbers
my 1150 had wp rear leaked .found out it had 125kg spring .i am much more than that new spring sorted that ,its now on jboxers old blue white 1150 17k no faults
i now ride ditchwaters gsa with hyperpro rides nice no preload adjustment but i ride 9 miles to work so not set up yet .and everyone i am twice the man of ditch in size {still miss the old chap} ;[
so top and bottom order the shock with spring rate for u and your needs
dont forget all shocks need servicing when the last time anyone did ,inc me
the facts
if you order a std spring and u r a fat tosser it will blow {jb}advise is right
if you dont go off road and still order a std spring it will blow if u r a fat tosser
so if you go offroad or road order the right spring rate
also when doing a Tsiklonaut trip weight the bike fully kitted as most tossers and bmw rides overfill and stick as many drys bags there can {inc me }
the hp2 did 43k with skygad and me {fatboy} riding it all over ,wilbers
my 1150 had wp rear leaked .found out it had 125kg spring .i am much more than that new spring sorted that ,its now on jboxers old blue white 1150 17k no faults
i now ride ditchwaters gsa with hyperpro rides nice no preload adjustment but i ride 9 miles to work so not set up yet .and everyone i am twice the man of ditch in size {still miss the old chap} ;[
so top and bottom order the shock with spring rate for u and your needs
dont forget all shocks need servicing when the last time anyone did ,inc me
Spot on
Rear spring rate is crucial
If you're over 15 st you need a heavier spring rate
If you ride with a pillion, you need a heavier spring rate again
If you ride with loaded alloy boxes, you need a heavier spring rate
A combo of the above and you need a heavier spring rate
Stock rear Ohlins out of the box, comes with a 140nM spring - it's useless and meant for a 13st rider, No pilion & No luggage
That's the mistake people make when buying new or secondhand
Suspenson, like a Savile Row suit is best tailored to you, but like a suit you have to know what you want from the suspension too
stevebrooker58
Registered user
Wilburs
Hi,
I have wilburs front and rear on my GS 1150 , ordered them specced for two people plus luggage and have had no issues for over 18 months ,only wound the compression and rebound up on the rear . I am impressed with them.
Hi,
I have wilburs front and rear on my GS 1150 , ordered them specced for two people plus luggage and have had no issues for over 18 months ,only wound the compression and rebound up on the rear . I am impressed with them.
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