k1200rs ohlins' suspension

[tom collins]

I am posting here since there are few people left in the flying brick forum.

I hope some of you had these bikes in the past and may have added Ohlins to them.

I am looking for any setup and adjustment tips anyone would care to offer. The bike is stock with 25,000 miles on it. I have only the rear ohlins and the front is the standard showa. The front is still servicable.

So, anything welcomed.

 

Tom

 

[tom collins]

I am posting here since there are few people left in the flying brick forum.

I hope some of you had these bikes in the past and may have added Ohlins to them.

I am looking for any setup and adjustment tips anyone would care to offer. The bike is stock with 25,000 miles on it. I have only the rear ohlins and the front is the standard showa. The front is still servicable.

So, anything welcomed.

 

Tom

 

Mod Edit: moved from Bike Related.

[tom collins]

 

I hope some of you had or still have one of these bikes and may have added Ohlins to them.

I am looking for any setup and adjustment tips anyone would care to offer. The bike is stock with 25,000 miles on it. I have only the rear ohlins and the front is the standard showa. The front is still servicable.

So, anything welcomed.

 

Tom

 

[tallman]

Go here

Plenty of folks.

 

Are the Ohlin's made for you (size/weight/riding style) or did you inherit them?

[tallman]

I've got Wilbers front/rear and Hyper Pro damper.

Worked w/Service manager to mark sag one/two up.

Then adjusted while sitting on bike.

 

I have remote adjuster, does yours?

 

Ask here

[Dennis Andress]

This is a memory test.

 

With the bike on the center stand measure from some point on the final drive to another point on the rear sub-frame. Doesn't matter where the points are, but mark them as you'll use them again.

 

Take the bike off the center stand and have somebody hold it upright while you repeat the measurement. Adjust preload so the "sag" is 1.5 to 2 inches (Spoiler I forgot the number. Look it up on Ohlins site. All their shocks need the same sag.)

 

Now set on the bike while somebody holds it upright, and make the measurement again. It should drop no more then 1/2 an inch further. If it does your spring rate is wrong.

 

Damping: If you are unfamiliar with adjusting damping make big changes like 2 turns and ride the bike to experience the difference. Then go back to where you started and then 2 turns in the other direction. With time you'll get the hang of it and find an adjustment that works. Start with rebound damping, then compression.

 

Ohlins shocks are a lot like the old Constantly Varying (CV) carbs. Their adjustments will change from day to day.

 

 

[tom collins]

Thanks fellows. In the past, I have used Works shocks that had a minimum of adjustment. I downloaded the basic Ohlins instructions. The most important adjustment was the ride height. The guy I got it from was short and had it all the way down. The bike was sitting like some kind of Harley Soft-tail. Now with the ride height correct, I will work on those finer adjustments. I can feel the difference already. As with my other aftermarket suspensions, this is not plush, but round off the bumps so they don't feel like 2 x 4s. Gives much more confidence. I have to give credit to Showa however, because this was the best stock suspension of any of the 4 BMWs I have owned and at 25,000 miles, the rear was starting to wallow, but must say, I never road any of the electronically adjustable ones.

[Dennis Andress]

Ride height keeps the shock's piston in its smoothest range of travel. Damping seems to increase as the piston moves out of this range, like when hitting a bump.