New SHOCKS.....which brand should I buy it ?

[fabiox]

Yo....Oilheads !
I am 225lbs my bike is a 2002 R1150GS with 22k and I want to upgrade the bike to a long trip next summer 14k USA to BR, I already did the JLB final drive, new Rick Mayer saddle, Centech, new tires, Woodys Wheel super lace and now is time for the suspension.

Thank you
and
keep greased :bikes

[careycsg]

Take a close look at HyperPro. They last alot longer before a rebuild is needed compared to the more expensive,more popular brand owned by Yamaha. Some kind of Swedish sounding name, I think. Saved over $400 on a set for my 1150 Adventure and they are every bit the shock as the big name brand.

[kgadley01]

Works also makes an excellant shock for much less than a Wilbers or Ohlin.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Klaus Huenecke is a good guy to deal with and sold me a set of Wilbers that have performed flawlessly for 73K miles with only one rebuild so far.
He now sells Hyperpro and from what I have heard so far, they are every bit as good.
The nice thing about getting shocks built is that they are set up for you and your style of riding. The factory generic ones are soso at best since they need to work for everyone. Shocks set up for you will make you think you have a new bike, for le$$...

[jduke]

I'm sure all the brands mentioned are top quality shocks but Ohlins sells more than all the others so you're more likely to find a shop nearby that can make sure you get the correct spring and setup. You're also more likely to find a good used set. Because they sell more there are more places to have them rebuilt.

[bikerfish1100]

I'm sure all the brands mentioned are top quality shocks but Ohlins sells more than all the others so you're more likely to find a shop nearby that can make sure you get the correct spring and setup. You're also more likely to find a good used set. Because they sell more there are more places to have them rebuilt.

sorry, but none of the things you mentioned correlate to Ohlins big sales #s.
(fwiw- i have both Wilbers and Ohlins).
1) anyone that can rebuild one brand of shock can rebuild any & every brand. it's not rocket science (so says my shock guy http://fixmybike.com/Welcome.html. he rebuilt both my Ollie rear and Wilbers front, quick and quite reasonable- about $150 for both shocks).
2) get the shock set up by a reputable source. Klaus will ensure that Hyperpro does it correct, and Wilbers does a great job of setting things up correctly straight from the factory. Ohlins, from most sources, will be fairly generic- they only change springs to match body weight, but do nothing about damping & valving changes unless you go thru Lindemann or similar.
3) Ohlins likely sells the most as they have the longest reputation- Hyperpro and Wilbers are relatively new players in the market.
4) you are correct that there is the greatest likelihood of finding Ohlins used, and that can be a real money saver. i've found several sets of Ollis on ebay or the MOA flea market, not even needing rebuilding at the start- but i did have to swap springs to get things right.

jduke- maybe it's time to put down the Ollie Koolaid.

[jduke]

Not kool-aid bikerfish, just my opinion in a discussion. No more no less.

[DarkCloud]

Another factor to consider is resale. Ohlins add value to your bike, if a buyer isn't familiar with the brand name of your after market shocks, stock BMW shocks would probably sell the bike just as well. JON

[bikerfish1100]

Another factor to consider is resale. Ohlins add value to your bike, if a buyer isn't familiar with the brand name of your after market shocks, stock BMW shocks would probably sell the bike just as well. JON

actually, the best deal on resale is to slap a set of stockers back on, and sell the aftermarkets on a site where many buyers know the product. like here, for example. selling a bike with aftermarket farkles usually nets not much $ return, just a faster sale.

personally, i never buy a bike with my eye on resale. I know not all look at bikes in the same way, but i go in with the intent to wear it out to the point of no return possible.

[Andy VH]

I agree with Bikerfish. I have Wilbers on my 94 R1100RS. Most money I ever spent on the bike, but THE best money I ever spent on the bike. I found the front shock on ebay, for about $200, and had it rebuilt at a Wilbers dealer (Nick's BMW).

It took me a long time, and many attempts to find a set of rebuildable, quality shocks on ebay, bmwmoa, or beemerboneyard. i was always just a bit late. When I found the used front shock, then I opted to buy the rear Wilbers shock new.

Resale value is only value if the buyer (like a guy like me) knows what is on the bike and can determine a reasonable upgrade value. Beyond that they offer no real additional resale value. Put quality components on your bike and ride the crap out of it!!

[kbasa]

Been riding with Ohlins for 15 years.

I always keep the stock shocks and put them back on the bike when I sell it. I can usually get half what I paid for the Ohlins or more when I sell them separately.

[kgadley01]

actually, the best deal on resale is to slap a set of stockers back on, and sell the aftermarkets on a site where many buyers know the product. like here, for example. selling a bike with aftermarket farkles usually nets not much $ return, just a faster sale.

personally, i never buy a bike with my eye on resale. I know not all look at bikes in the same way, but i go in with the intent to wear it out to the point of no return possible.

Very true... I wouldn't care if the shocks were Gold plated, I still wouldn't pay more than average book for a bike.

[jduke]

That's why everyone pulls all the farkles off and sells them for 50 cents on the dollar. I usually come out pretty good considering I get to enjoy the bike with the farkles then recoup some of my cost for the next bike...
Besides, like I tell my wife, motorcycle money isn't like spending real money.

[OfficerImpersonator]

Klaus Huenecke is a good guy to deal with and sold me a set of Wilbers that have performed flawlessly for 73K miles with only one rebuild so far.
He now sells Hyperpro and from what I have heard so far, they are every bit as good.
The nice thing about getting shocks built is that they are set up for you and your style of riding. The factory generic ones are soso at best since they need to work for everyone. Shocks set up for you will make you think you have a new bike, for le$$...

Klaus sold me my Hyper-Pro rear shock for my RTP a couple years back. He asked me a bunch of questions about my size, my bike, and my riding style in order to set it up correctly from the beginning.

Now I keep waiting for my front shock to fail so I can have Klaus replace it as well.

[bikerfish1100]

shocks don't "fail" nearly as frequently as they just wear out. Anything north of about 30-35K on a BMW's stock suspenders is "getting tired", and more miles just = more tired.

[OfficerImpersonator]

shocks don't "fail" nearly as frequently as they just wear out. Anything north of about 30-35K on a BMW's stock suspenders is "getting tired", and more miles just = more tired.

My rear shock was "worn out" at 33K.

My friend with a Ducati was bragging about his fancy stock Showa shocks. He was upset when I told him how I had to replace my stock Showa shock when it wore out at 33K miles. He doesn't brag about having stock Showa shocks any longer.

[bikerfish1100]

ah, he was just trying to offset his angst about having a lower/mid level Duck. Next time you see him, remind him that all the real Ducatis come with Ohlins suspension, front and rear.

[OfficerImpersonator]

ah, he was just trying to offset his angst about having a lower/mid level Duck. Next time you see him, remind him that all the real Ducatis come with Ohlins suspension, front and rear.

His is a '92. A Showa stocker might have been the state of the art back then ;)

[bikerfish1100]

not state of art, but what Ducati offered. depending upon his model, it was either "decent" or "not so decent". my '96 900SS/CR had the "not so decent" setup.