Re: Ohlins shocks ... nightmare!

[Robert Silas <robert.silas@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

It came through and started the whole thread.
R.S.



- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ABSDoug2@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <oilheads@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2004 10:26 PM
Subject: Ohlins shocks ... nightmare!


>             I think I posted this already, but *I* never saw it come
> through. Anyway, NOBODY has any suggestions, or did this E-mail really not
> get through?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ABSDoug2@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ABSDoug2@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 12:50 AM
> To: oilheads@xxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Ohlins shocks ... nightmare!
>
>       I bought these Ohlins a year and 2 months ago, 10K miles so far.
Spent
> $1K for both. All the measurements worked out when new. I paid the money I
> was damn sure gunna dial these suckers in. Take measurement with wheels
off
> ground (center stand). Then you measure with the bike of stand sans rider,
> then with the rider. The remote external hydraulic adjustment was perfect,
> at the beginning of its adjustment.
>       Ohlins claims 20K between rebuilds. Ok, I knew that going in. Let me
> also point out that Ive been trying, in vain to tell myself there was
> nothing off about the bikes handling. Lately I had started to notice the
> back was not right. Let me also say in no way do I mean to offend anyone;
> perhaps Im just a sucker. The experts say that ALL shocks, stock shocks
> included, are shot by 20K. If this is true then most people just pretend
> that isnt true. So I buy into this and interestingly enough, I actually
> noticed something wasnt right at 10K. Could I be so in tune that this
> disturbance in the Force was real? Sure enough the numbers didnt add up!
No
> adjustment was left on the remote adjustment.
> I figure its time to get out the spanner that came with the shocks. What
> fun this will be <sigh>. You give the collar a few turns, put everything
> back and hope you got it close enough so the remote adjustment could come
> into play, if not take it all back apart again and try again <sigh>. At
this
> point, Im starting to wish I hadnt noticed anything. But at least I can
> say Im in tune with my bike and I did pay the money to have precise
> ADJUSTABLE shocks. What the hell, I like wrenching and Ive got no plans
> today, so with a change in attitude I jump in gleefully.
> So here is the catch. The main collar doesnt adjust! There was a pin and
I
> got that out. Took the hydraulic hose off, clearance issue. Put the sucker
> in a vice and got my spanner ready. Here was that moment where the
> adjustability pays off, but no. That damn spanner didnt do shit! I mean
not
> a bit. Ive never attempted/needed to do the front, but I damn sure
remember
> the directions saying you could. Ohlins shipped these shocks with a
spanner,
> so WTF? Since I thought of the directions, I started paging through them
> again.
> On shock absorbers that have mechanical type adjustment the position of
the
> adjusting/preload rings can be adjusted. On a shock absorber that has
> hydraulic setting the BASIC position can be adjusted. Such changes should
be
> attended to by an Ohlins authorized service workshop.
> The bold is mine. The above isnt even written right as it sounds like you
> need an Ohlins guy to watch you adjust the remote. What I think the author
> is tying to say is, if you want to make a major adjustment to the shock
with
> a MECHANICAL adjustment, have at it. If you have the remote, you can only
> make BASIC changes. PLEASE correct me if Im wrong and you read this
> different.
> Now that part about having to send it to a authorized workshop!!! Not so
> fast there you fuckers. You should have made these adjustable and damn it
I
> m gunna adjust it!
> I got out a punch and a hammer <shiver>. Hey, why not, at this point Im
> either fixing it, or I have to send it out to be fixed. I got the collar
> to spin three times. There isnt enough material to bang on the collar
> anymore. Other then the collar, nothing else was brutally assaulted. In
fact
> I didnt even put a scratch on it. Everything else, is ok and I doubt they
> need rebuilding. I figure if Im sending it in, theyll giggle a bit and
> put a new collar, adjusted the right way.
> Now the questions. How close did I get it? Ill need so help with that
one.
> Next question, where do I send them if they arent right. Last question:
do
> I feel like going riding in the morning? Time check, 12:45 AM and I
havent
> showered yet. <sigh> Why cant I just be one of those church going folk?

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