Help with WP 43mm Forks and Ohlins Shock

[mattholew]

The fork is very harsh on my '01 200. What can I do to alleviate this problem?

[mattholew]

anyone? bueller? bueller? anyone?

[coopernicus]

I'm not "Bueller" but here are my thoughts...There was a thread a few months ago about what to do with those forks. Mostly a "do it yourself" thread for revalving but there may have been recommendations for suspension tuners...There are a number of tuners to send your forks to (LTR, STM Suspension, and Solid Performance to name a few of the recent posters) to make it work well but you should at least do a couple things first: Make sure you have the proper springs for your weight front and rear, get the shock preload set properly for both weighted and static sag (I use an ASV sag checker), make sure the forks are in good condition with high quality oil and the best seals (not the cheapest from the dealer so contact Synergy Seals for the best they got), and the most important thing for WP forks is to make sure the forks are not bound. I use a precision tool (Japanese as opposed to Chinese!) to make sure the forks rise above the clamps the same amount as well as I can measure. The next thing to do is align the axle clamps properly so the forks bind the least amount possible for a garage mechanic. I've used the "Shop Tip" from Moto-Pro Suspension (moto-pro.com) as my guide and it seems to work for me. There is also a fork alignment tool from Motion Pro that is available and I use that every now and then to check things after a ride. You must do the fork height, axle alignment, and sag checking (use a tape measure if you have to) at a minimum before your next ride followed by re-springing, then oil and seal freshening, and finally revalving. After having ridden revalved suspension I would say that is the best bet for most folks if they have the money and time. Just make sure you are detailed and honest in your weight, ability, and suspension action desires. There you go, I hope that helps!

Eric

[STM Suspension]

What he said.

I would add that for some that are mechanically or time challenged, a suspension tuner can help sooner rather than later. I usually suggest trying to find someone as local as possible that you can deal with- it's typically easier to talk about this stuff in person.

But if you have time and ability, see the above post.

[mattholew]

Thanks for the replies and help guys. I am going to do exactly as Eric suggests and check the state of the forks at this point for any easy to fix issues first.

I also ordered a couple of these speed bleeder buttons from System Tech Buttons

I am also going to replace the seals and change the fluid and ride it prior to messing with the internals.

I will report back with my findings in a couple days.

Thanks again for the help.

[twowheels]

Location (ie using a local tuner) helps in a couple ways - it can save on shipping, and there is a chance your suspension guy has ridden or raced the same terrain as you. Better yet, on this site, there is a chance that your tuner may have even ridden the same model as you, and possibly even on the same or similar terrain.

Sometimes you can score on all three ... I have ridden some customers bikes locally and been able to tune based on that experience.

Sometimes you only get one or two of the three ... I'm working on suspension from the other side of the world on a bike just like one I used to race, albeit on different terrain.

That being said, where are you located?

[mattholew]

Atlanta Georgia.

[mudwasp]

Originally Posted by STM Suspension

What he said.

I would add that for some that are mechanically or time challenged, a suspension tuner can help sooner rather than later. I usually suggest trying to find someone as local as possible that you can deal with- it's typically easier to talk about this stuff in person.

But if you have time and ability, see the above post.

What he said, by the way i would recommend him(dave). He did wonders with my 2011 GG EC300. I would say after protection for the breakable parts on your bike, suspension is the next thing to spend some cash on. I love the way my GG handles!!

[CACTUSREID]

On wp forks i would change the bushings while i was in there doing the seals. usually you can buy a kit with all the bushings that you need in one package. it helps alot with the alignment and stictsion issues.

[hannesd]

Originally Posted by CACTUSREID

On wp forks i would change the bushings while i was in there doing the seals. usually you can buy a kit with all the bushings that you need in one package. it helps alot with the alignment and stictsion issues.

so why are these forks so sticky, are the bushings to tight or made of the wrong materials?