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Re: [ST] Aftermarket rear shock




On Thu, 14 Apr 2005, Rupert Galea wrote:


> 2) Penske
> Lindemann offer the 2-way (has separate adjustments for compression,
> rebound, preload, and shock length(RIDE HEIGHT)) for $658 if you
> display their sticker

Okay - you just slid that one in there, but I have to ask - what the heck 
does that mean? Display their sticker? How would they ever know if you 
did or didn't? Display it where  - on your bike? Car? Toolbox? And what is 
the cost if you don't display it?

Also some more information - IIRC, you can also get a Penske "sport shock" 
from Traxxion - $600 with preload, ride height and rebound damping and at 
any time you can add the 8100 or 8700 adjustability for some undetermined 
cost.

Penske also offers a remote hydraulic preload option called the "weight 
jacker" (listed on Penske's website under automotive shocks, but I believe it 
works with their motorcycle shocks as well as "other manufacturer's" 
shocks). Traxxion quoted "$450-600." For that reason it is a very uncommon 
option, and not listed on most Penske reseller's pages, but Lindemann can 
probably get it for you. 

FWIW, the Ohlins preload adjuster fits the Penske with "minor adjustment" 
- a little dremel machining to make it a little wider at some point. While 
I'm not sure if Ohlins sells their preload adjuster separately from any 
retail source - I've never seen it. Kevin Glick, VFR list, see below got 
a used Ohlins shock for cheap off ebay and just took the preload adjuster off and put it on 
their Penske. I don't know how good your chances are of getting a used 
Ohlins for cheap off ebay really are though. 

> 3) Wilbers
> Model 640 $487 (adjustable rebound damping with 22 clicks, and
> infinite variable adjustment for the spring pre-load via C-spanner)
> 
> Model 641 $759 (adjustable rebound damping with 22 clicks, as well as High and
> Low speed compression damping with 22 clicks and hose mounted reservoir)
> 
> Options:
> # 629 = infinite variable adjustable ride height ± 1/2" @  $ 73.00
> # 625 = hydraulic pre-load adjuster for rear shock, to eliminate the
> fiddling with the hook-wrench @ $ 199.00
> 
> $20 shipping and 3-4 weeks delivery

Can you upgrade these later one? ie: if you start with the 640, can you 
upgrade to the 641 without buying a whole new shock? Or add the pre-load 
adjuster by sending your shock back? I'd think that would be a 
consideration. You'll have to send it back for a rebuild anyway, so if you 
can start with the cheaper one and then say "I want more", X miles down 
the road you can get more when you get it rebuilt (save on shipping).

Ouch on the pre-load adjuster cost. To me this is probably one of the most 
useful features for a street bike - that and rebuildability (why 
manufacturers are *so* cheap that they don't provide rebuildable shocks 
from the factory is beyond me) but it comes at a real premium over the 
vanilla shock cost!

Whatever way you cut it, to get a shock with a remote preload adjustment 
(and varying levels of other adjustment - most of them not nearly as 
important as remote preload for the street) is going to set you back at 
least $650. 

The big win with the Wilburs is that they really are custom-assembled for 
you when you order it. This way you can specify the range of the 
remote preload adjustment (you really want it to start at 0 with you + 
gear on the bike so you get maximum range of adjustment for 
passenger/luggage) or the length of the shock if you want a different 
length from stock (so you can get the cheaper non-length adjustable, but 
still get a custom length, or get the length adjustable and specify the 
range of adjustment - eg: starting at 5mm longer than stock). With Ohlins 
at *best* you get it sprung for your weight (some vendors don't I 
understand), but you get no say in the length at all. Penske is a bit more 
flexible, and I think that some vendors do the assembly but I have a feeling 
if you want a slightly longer/shorter one, you may have to pay more or 
you'll have to buy the length adjustable model, and again to specify 
the adjustment range you'll have to pay more. 

>4) WP 
>
>5) Hyperpro 
>
>6) Hagan (exchange rate would hurt)
>
>7) technoflex
>
>How many people have fitted a different shock to their ST/RS? What did
>it cost and where did you get it? Are you happy with it? Can anyone
>fill in info for WP, Hyperpro, Hagan, Technoflex? Does anyone know of
>a good source for the Ohlins (I am steering away from Jack Lilley
>because of exchange rates)?

You can also probably add to your list of "mystery contenders" - Bitubo. I 
looked into getting one of these for the VFR, and their prices were pretty 
competitive like the Wilbers.  I think they are a "mostly custom built on a 
standard shock body by the reseller" type of deal like the Wilburs, so you 
can probably get one for the Triumph. Whether or not Bitubo has the ST in 
their database of canned configurations yet is another question. I think 
there is only one US reseller - http://www.hermys.com/ and since they are 
also a Triumph dealer you may have some luck. 

I was quoted:
H0051 XZE 11  (preload, rebound, adjustable length and red spring)  $519.68  less 10%
H0051 XZE 01 (preload, rebound, red spring)   $488.05  less 10%
for the Honda version in 2002. I don't know what the mysterious 10% 
discount was for either, or whether that is still in place. IIRC their 
remote preload adjuster option was fairly affordable, but I can't find the 
numbers.

Kevin Glick on the VFR list, who seems very knowledgeable about suspension 
(including inner shock bits like valve design, etc) comes down strongly in 
favor of Penske or Ohlins, and dissed Fox (not an option here anyway) 
because of it's internal design and requiring rebuilds much more 
frequently (so that over the course of time with the rebuild cost, it is 
much more cost-effective just to get a better Penske or Ohlins anyway). He 
considered WP and Progressive (not an option you listed, and I don't know 
if it is an option at all) as "junk." He wasn't familiar with the Bitubo 
when I wrote him offlist about it, but his general impression from their 
website was that they looked like "an Italian WP or Progressive." So there 
you have it. 

You can search the VFR list archive, but *many* years ago before I was on 
the list, there were a couple of people who tried the Hagon shocks with 
very poor results, as well as a couple of people that got them put on a 
"shock dyno" with poor results. That scared people away from them for a 
time, but since then I believe there have been a couple of people more 
recently who tried them and found them "acceptable." I've also seen with 
googling some BMW people seem pleased with them, but keep in mind that the 
BMW big tourer ride is a bit of a different thing from a "sportbike." 
Since they used to be a cheaper option, they were much more tempting, but 
with the hurtful exchange rate, I'd steer clear. 

Okay, that's a pretty decent knowledge dump. As you can see, I've spent 
some time researching this. :-)

Paul
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