Ohlins Service

solidstate100

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Hi Peeps,

Having just toasted my Ohlins rear shock absorber/damper (unseen by me the mudguard has worn thru the reservoir where a PO hadn't relieved the guard adequately :( ) I find I need to get it fixed. Got home this arvo accompanied by a large puddle of oil all over the rear wheel/tyre, bike sitting down on its haunches, wondered why my riding was a bit haphazard when I was out!)

Fortunately I have a spare Spax shock of indeterminate vintage which I have just fitted ( upside down probably as it isn't really obvious which way it should go :confused:) so am out of trouble for the meantime.

Any one know of or have any recommendations on the Isle of Wight or nearby on the mainland? Official Ohlins service centres seem to be pretty thin on the ground it seems, so would probably entrust it to a suspension specialist.

Many thanks!
 
Firefox here in Keighley, West Yorkshire do a great ... Highly recommended.
 
you could try KAIS suspension in Atherton Lancs…superb set up for Ohlins ,great technicians there
 
Thanks for the pointers chaps - I have had a few responses from some of these (including the ones posted in the B&B thread I opened), prices vary massively from approx £180 to £300 for the basic service, plus any additional parts needed on top of that.

I suspect at the end of the day cash wil be king and the cheaper options will be more likely get my business!

*edit* Just a thought, if after inspection the total repair price is at or over the uper end of the price range, is it really worth reparing it or should I cut my losses and buy a different alternative i.e. wilbers or Nitron or Hyperpro or YSS etc etc ?? Thoughts welcome!
 
So solidstate, what did you do and hows it working out? I've original shock on my R100Gs, works fine but I remember the nice floaty feeling I had with a wilbers and might be tempted to upgrade. Options seem to be Wilbers, Ohlins, Hyperpro and YSS?
 
So solidstate, what did you do and hows it working out? I've original shock on my R100Gs, works fine but I remember the nice floaty feeling I had with a wilbers and might be tempted to upgrade. Options seem to be Wilbers, Ohlins, Hyperpro and YSS?

Hi B Murr - in the end I went with a YSS "topline" version - not as plush riding perhaps as the Ohlins I toasted (which once I delved into it further was beyond economic repair) so after doing a lot of research and as I had heard a few positives for the YSS offering, gave it a go, and so far am pretty happy with it. Bang per buck ratio seems pretty much unbeatable, very decent build quality, decent damping, good range of adjustability, no hesitation in recommneding. No its not an Ohlins or a Wilburs, but its pretty much 95% there - and unless you are a riding GOD do you really really need that other 5%?
 
Hi B Murr - in the end I went with a YSS "topline" version - not as plush riding perhaps as the Ohlins I toasted (which once I delved into it further was beyond economic repair) so after doing a lot of research and as I had heard a few positives for the YSS offering, gave it a go, and so far am pretty happy with it. Bang per buck ratio seems pretty much unbeatable, very decent build quality, decent damping, good range of adjustability, no hesitation in recommneding. No its not an Ohlins or a Wilburs, but its pretty much 95% there - and unless you are a riding GOD do you really really need that other 5%?

Stuck a YSS on my FJ1200 ... lovely shock for the money.
 
My local suspension guy charges $90- plus parts for a shock service, same price for all rebuildable brands including Ohlins.
He isn't usually interested in farting around with non rebuilable types, recons they are usually basic shocks and not really worth the bother.
Looks like at best you guys are paying four times that, and up to seven times., which sounds like you are getting ripped off!
 
like everything for a bike, the choices seem to be more complicated as you delve into the options. All I'd want is something that gives a good ride, is rebuildable by myself. I'm no riding God, want to be able to set up for solo riding and occasional trips loaded up and have option to rebuild and respring if I decided to go off on a RTW type trip ( which could be just another dream). Ohlins used to be the reference point but when I read that the OP had to write his Ohlins off and also see some reports of wilbers failing by breaking in half the decision gets more complicated.
 
Just to add a little more to your considerations - this is the second Ohlins I have written off - so far, for me, a 100% failure rate on Ohlins - IME I just dont find them to be as durable as the price would lead you to expect, and I certainly didnt abuse them in any way. I doubt I will be knocking on their door for more suspension solutions any time soon.
 
I read that Rob farmer wasn't happy to see his wilbers spring deteriorate/compress on his legendary Istanbul Voyage, I guess that only leaves Hyperpro as the only one I haven't seen negative comment about.
 
Hyperpro on two of mine, they do have the advantage of having larger piston rods than most others and so tend to last longer between rebuilds.
 
I guess that only leaves Hyperpro as the only one I haven't seen negative comment about.

I can certainly give you plenty of negatives about their progressive front springs............!
 


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