Hi Nuggett
thanks for that info, did you increase the spring compression on the rear before you swapped ?? if so you still felt the ohlins you purchased were so much better?
I only say that as I increased the spring on mine by roughly 1/2 as it was set very soft [16stone] and after the snake and woodhead pass yesterday it was better... not much but perhaps livable.
But if the new ohlins is very much better then perhaps I should replace.
The front however is bloody awful as standard, and yes it was cartridge at Maxton fitted, but I think like you it was the diving when breaking which unsettles the bike and needs sorting...so hence why I asked the original question do I go to the expense of Maxton when a spring change is all I need.
it is a shame you live so far away or I would be asking to try yours out
cheers
Kev,
I never played around with the standard shock pre-load, being a lardy arsed 18stoner the spring already compresses enough with my carcass on it! For me there were two issues from the rear, twitchy in the corners and wallowing on straights over gradually uneven roads when at speed. I can appreciate how changing the pre-load compresses the spring and stiffens the back but I don't think that has the same effect as changing the damping so whilst it perhaps feels a little more stable going into corners it's because the spring has less capacity to absorb changes in the road, but I thought this may worsen the handling a little? For my money I definitely notice the difference with a properly damped rear shock, for me the rear is much more capable now and worthy of an upgrade every day of the week.
The moment I installed the rear shock and took it around for a ride I felt I was vindicated in my decision to spend the money on a new rear shock and I'm now running through corners with more confidence than before and the bike generally feels more stable. If you search I think there is are a several riders who all say the rear shock upgrade has made a real noticeable difference, even in MCN on their test bike.
As for the fronts, if all you want to do is reduce brake dive, the stiffer springs will do the job for sure. I think because all the ohlins springs do is stiffen the fork springs, the sense of stability comes from the fact you don't experience the sensation of the front dipping along with your body. I would still say the front jumps around and bounces just as much as with the stock shocks, sometimes perhaps a little more so because of the stiffer spring but then if you want to control this behaviour then you'll only get that through cartridges to control the rate of damping in both compression and rebound.
Because I just do not have the experience to judge the difference, I'd rather spend £100 on springs and oil now with the opportunity to sell the springs on ebay for say £50 rather than invest a huge amount of money and feel I didn't get my monies worth because I simply do not have a comparator.
Overall I feel satisfied that the outcome was well worth the money. The rear I would say upgrade all day long, the front I would say maybe you should try the springs and if you still don't get the result you want you can upgrade to cartridges in the future?
What that means is I can't answer your question directly, all I can say is for my limited experience I definitely feel the benefits of the spring upgrades on the front, which itself has boosted my confidence all round and again I've felt it was well worth the money to change the front springs (probably said that few times now!). If in the future I feel I want more then there is always the option to swap to cartridges later down the line.
The shocks have made the bike feel like a new beast, I've had it for a year now and the excitement of riding it was being tempered a little by the poorer aspects of handling as my skills improve, the shocks have given me that envelope to do more so it's like being on a new bike again.
As for trying mine, you'd be welcome too but you'd have to keep up with me first, with the Akra, stage 1 air filter and new shocks installed I'm absolutely flying around the shop (complete with a big grin!).
ride safe
