Ohlins vs Ricor Comparison
#1
03-25-2010, 09:32 PM
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SoCal
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Ohlins vs Ricor Comparison
In an effort to improve the ride on my ’09 Road Glide I’ve tried Progressive 440’s which just felt like heavy springs to me and Works Performance Steel Trackers which were better but still left something to be desired. Over the years I’ve run Ohlins shocks and Road & Track forks on a number of bikes and currently have Ohlins front and rear on my GS. I decided to order a set of Howard’s #3-3 Ohlins assuming they would be as good as what I’ve had from Ohlins in the past.
Soon after placing my order with Howard I was contacted by Don from Ricor to see if I’d be interested in a set of their Intiminators for my forks as well as a set of Ricor’s newly developed shocks equipped with their inertia valves. I figured I might as well get both the Ohlins and the Ricors and keep whatever turned out to be the best.
Ohlins
Even though Howard said he was going to build me a pair of shocks what I actually received was a set of Ohlins’ standard issue HD909 which Ohlins catalogs for a 1988 Road King Classic. Howard did re-spring the shocks with yellow 154 lb springs. The originally supplied springs that come on HD909’s are black dual rate 114/165 lb springs. When I installed the shocks the bike wouldn’t sag at all. Howard decided that there was too much preload and had me reduce it in an effort to get some sag. I put about 200 miles on the shocks in order to break them in but it was obvious that the springs were way too strong for my 185 lb weight. Howard then sent me the 114/165 lb springs that had originally come on the shocks and I installed those. These were a little better but the 114 lb portion of the spring is two coils and it only takes a bump of 5/8” to bottom them out so the 114 lb rate was pretty useless. What was left was the 165 lb portion which was way too much spring. Besides that, the dampening was insufficient. The sweep valve did not have enough effect to slow down the stroke. The result is that when you hit a bump the shock would blow right through stroke causing it to bottom and since there wasn’t enough rebound dampening it would bounce back with a kick. What I determined it really needed was more dampening and a softer single rate spring. I decided to contact Ohlins USA for assistance since I’ve had great service from them in the past and because they now have Stig Pettersson working with them who is one of the best Ohlins techs in the country. Stig increased the compression by 10% and rebound by 20% and installed black 155 lb springs which were all he had in stock. The springs were still too hard so he ordered me 114 lb springs which I installed. The end result was that the ride was good with only a little bottoming and no wallowing in turns.
Ricor
Greg Benner and I took a ride out to Henderson, NV to visit Ricor at their plant. They spent most of an entire day tuning a set of their prototype shocks to my bike. They fiddled with the valving and spring rates multiple times. I would say they had those shocks on and off my bike probably 20 times until they were satisfied. One aspect of the Ricor shock that really sets them apart is their patented inertia valve. This secondary valve controls rebound dampening allowing the shocks to react to depressions in the roadway very quickly while still exerting sufficient rebound dampening to control the chassis. The result is an extremely plush ride with great control. Because their dampening is so effective in controlling the bike they can afford to use pretty light springs which contributes to the plush ride. In my case I ended up with 100 lb springs which work perfectly even with my wife on board. I ran their prototype units for about two weeks at which time they sent me a set of their production units which ride just as well and even have better control in sweepers than the prototype units had. The end result is that the ride is very good with no bottoming and no wallowing in turns.
Comparison
Since I had both sets of shocks in the garage I figured I’d do a back-to-back test and let you guys know how it all turned out.
Preload Adjustment
Ohlins supplies an aluminum handle that can be used to change preload. The adjusting ring also has a nylon plastic locking screw. This screw is a bit fragile so care must be used when losing or tightening it so as not to strip out the screwdriver slot. First you loosen the screw and then insert the handle in holes in the adjusting ring so you can turn the ring. When you’re done you need to retighten the nylon screw.
Ricor has a very large adjusting ring on top of the spring. They have also included a friction reducing washer between the spring and the perch. All you need to do is to grab the upper ring and turn it by hand. No extra tools are needed.
Advantage = Ricor
Dampening and Ride Height Adjustment
Ohlins comes with a built-in sweep valve that primarily adjusts rebound dampening but also effects compression to a lesser degree. Once the shocks were modified by Ohlins there was sufficient adjustment available to be useful. Being able to adjust the dampening can be an advantage when compensating for a passenger. You do have to remove the bags to get at the valve, though. Ohlins also has a provision to adjust the ride height between 12 3/4" > 13 9/64".
Ricor provides no dampening or ride height adjustment.
Advantage = Ohlins
Appearance
The Ohlins shocks are very nicely machined units but have little in the way of style. The Ricor shocks are hard anodized black with polished highlights and are very stylized and attractive units. I’ve included a picture of them together so you can decide for yourself. I gave the advantage to Ricor because I like what they look like.
Advantage = Ricor
Price
Currently the Ohlins are listed for $875 but Howard offers a discount to forum members. Ricors are currently $630.
Advantage = Ricor
Handling
Even though our bikes aren’t normally ridden like you would a sport bike we still need sufficient dampening in order to have good control in the twisties without excessive bottoming or wallow. Excellent control has always been a mainstay of Ohlins and they certainly don’t let us down in this application. Ricor has been building suspension systems for professional race teams since their inception so good handling shocks come second nature to them. For the benefit of this test I would said it’s a draw.
Advantage = neither
Ride/Comfort
This is one area where there is an obvious winner. I switched shocks no less than three times and ran a 25 mile course that included a piece of SoCal freeway, bumpy secondary roads and back road sweepers. The last run was done with a passenger. While the Ohlins always felt controlled and secure they were at the same time harsh, particularly on sharp edged bumps. The Ricors on the other hand, felt just as controlled and secure but did a much better job of absorbing bumps.
Ohlins = good
Ricor = very good
Advantage = Ricor
Summary
I’ve been messing around with the suspension on this bike for over a year now plus a lot of other bikes since the first time I modified a pair of Triumph Girling shocks to fit my ’69 Honda Four. In the end I think my Road Glide is now the best it is going to be with what is currently available. The real issue is that Harley, even with their new design frame, only allows for a total of 3” of rear suspension travel. The maximum regardless of what shock you use is 3.3” at which point the swing arm hits the frame. Taking into consideration an initial 1” of sag and the installed bump stops built into all shocks, you have less than 2” to really do the work. That just isn’t enough. The result is that all shock suppliers have been and will be hard pressed to really give us a ride on par with other touring bikes in the market like a Goldwing or a Victory.
Having said that, we still try to get the best we can and in my opinion the combination of Ricor’s Intimitators in the front and Ricor’s shocks in the rear is as close as it’s going to get.
Marc
Ohlins on the left and Ricor on the right.
Soon after placing my order with Howard I was contacted by Don from Ricor to see if I’d be interested in a set of their Intiminators for my forks as well as a set of Ricor’s newly developed shocks equipped with their inertia valves. I figured I might as well get both the Ohlins and the Ricors and keep whatever turned out to be the best.
Ohlins
Even though Howard said he was going to build me a pair of shocks what I actually received was a set of Ohlins’ standard issue HD909 which Ohlins catalogs for a 1988 Road King Classic. Howard did re-spring the shocks with yellow 154 lb springs. The originally supplied springs that come on HD909’s are black dual rate 114/165 lb springs. When I installed the shocks the bike wouldn’t sag at all. Howard decided that there was too much preload and had me reduce it in an effort to get some sag. I put about 200 miles on the shocks in order to break them in but it was obvious that the springs were way too strong for my 185 lb weight. Howard then sent me the 114/165 lb springs that had originally come on the shocks and I installed those. These were a little better but the 114 lb portion of the spring is two coils and it only takes a bump of 5/8” to bottom them out so the 114 lb rate was pretty useless. What was left was the 165 lb portion which was way too much spring. Besides that, the dampening was insufficient. The sweep valve did not have enough effect to slow down the stroke. The result is that when you hit a bump the shock would blow right through stroke causing it to bottom and since there wasn’t enough rebound dampening it would bounce back with a kick. What I determined it really needed was more dampening and a softer single rate spring. I decided to contact Ohlins USA for assistance since I’ve had great service from them in the past and because they now have Stig Pettersson working with them who is one of the best Ohlins techs in the country. Stig increased the compression by 10% and rebound by 20% and installed black 155 lb springs which were all he had in stock. The springs were still too hard so he ordered me 114 lb springs which I installed. The end result was that the ride was good with only a little bottoming and no wallowing in turns.
Ricor
Greg Benner and I took a ride out to Henderson, NV to visit Ricor at their plant. They spent most of an entire day tuning a set of their prototype shocks to my bike. They fiddled with the valving and spring rates multiple times. I would say they had those shocks on and off my bike probably 20 times until they were satisfied. One aspect of the Ricor shock that really sets them apart is their patented inertia valve. This secondary valve controls rebound dampening allowing the shocks to react to depressions in the roadway very quickly while still exerting sufficient rebound dampening to control the chassis. The result is an extremely plush ride with great control. Because their dampening is so effective in controlling the bike they can afford to use pretty light springs which contributes to the plush ride. In my case I ended up with 100 lb springs which work perfectly even with my wife on board. I ran their prototype units for about two weeks at which time they sent me a set of their production units which ride just as well and even have better control in sweepers than the prototype units had. The end result is that the ride is very good with no bottoming and no wallowing in turns.
Comparison
Since I had both sets of shocks in the garage I figured I’d do a back-to-back test and let you guys know how it all turned out.
Preload Adjustment
Ohlins supplies an aluminum handle that can be used to change preload. The adjusting ring also has a nylon plastic locking screw. This screw is a bit fragile so care must be used when losing or tightening it so as not to strip out the screwdriver slot. First you loosen the screw and then insert the handle in holes in the adjusting ring so you can turn the ring. When you’re done you need to retighten the nylon screw.
Ricor has a very large adjusting ring on top of the spring. They have also included a friction reducing washer between the spring and the perch. All you need to do is to grab the upper ring and turn it by hand. No extra tools are needed.
Advantage = Ricor
Dampening and Ride Height Adjustment
Ohlins comes with a built-in sweep valve that primarily adjusts rebound dampening but also effects compression to a lesser degree. Once the shocks were modified by Ohlins there was sufficient adjustment available to be useful. Being able to adjust the dampening can be an advantage when compensating for a passenger. You do have to remove the bags to get at the valve, though. Ohlins also has a provision to adjust the ride height between 12 3/4" > 13 9/64".
Ricor provides no dampening or ride height adjustment.
Advantage = Ohlins
Appearance
The Ohlins shocks are very nicely machined units but have little in the way of style. The Ricor shocks are hard anodized black with polished highlights and are very stylized and attractive units. I’ve included a picture of them together so you can decide for yourself. I gave the advantage to Ricor because I like what they look like.
Advantage = Ricor
Price
Currently the Ohlins are listed for $875 but Howard offers a discount to forum members. Ricors are currently $630.
Advantage = Ricor
Handling
Even though our bikes aren’t normally ridden like you would a sport bike we still need sufficient dampening in order to have good control in the twisties without excessive bottoming or wallow. Excellent control has always been a mainstay of Ohlins and they certainly don’t let us down in this application. Ricor has been building suspension systems for professional race teams since their inception so good handling shocks come second nature to them. For the benefit of this test I would said it’s a draw.
Advantage = neither
Ride/Comfort
This is one area where there is an obvious winner. I switched shocks no less than three times and ran a 25 mile course that included a piece of SoCal freeway, bumpy secondary roads and back road sweepers. The last run was done with a passenger. While the Ohlins always felt controlled and secure they were at the same time harsh, particularly on sharp edged bumps. The Ricors on the other hand, felt just as controlled and secure but did a much better job of absorbing bumps.
Ohlins = good
Ricor = very good
Advantage = Ricor
Summary
I’ve been messing around with the suspension on this bike for over a year now plus a lot of other bikes since the first time I modified a pair of Triumph Girling shocks to fit my ’69 Honda Four. In the end I think my Road Glide is now the best it is going to be with what is currently available. The real issue is that Harley, even with their new design frame, only allows for a total of 3” of rear suspension travel. The maximum regardless of what shock you use is 3.3” at which point the swing arm hits the frame. Taking into consideration an initial 1” of sag and the installed bump stops built into all shocks, you have less than 2” to really do the work. That just isn’t enough. The result is that all shock suppliers have been and will be hard pressed to really give us a ride on par with other touring bikes in the market like a Goldwing or a Victory.
Having said that, we still try to get the best we can and in my opinion the combination of Ricor’s Intimitators in the front and Ricor’s shocks in the rear is as close as it’s going to get.
Marc
Ohlins on the left and Ricor on the right.
Last edited by marcparnes; 03-25-2010 at 10:05 PM.
#2
03-25-2010, 09:41 PM
Ultimate HDF Member
Thanks Marc.
I've got Intiminators in my front forks, and I have Ricor shocks on order for the rear of the bike. In the interests of full disclosure, Ohlins does not make a shock for my bike. There are companies out there who modify Ohlins shocks for use on my bike, however you will find no mention of them on the Ohlins website, and according to Ohlins USA, they do not retain the Ohlins warranty.
I have spoken with Brian at Ricor about my rear shocks, and about what I'm looking for, and it seems to be a match. I should have the new shocks in a couple of weeks, and I'll post a ride and installation report just as I did with the Intiminators.
I've got Intiminators in my front forks, and I have Ricor shocks on order for the rear of the bike. In the interests of full disclosure, Ohlins does not make a shock for my bike. There are companies out there who modify Ohlins shocks for use on my bike, however you will find no mention of them on the Ohlins website, and according to Ohlins USA, they do not retain the Ohlins warranty.
I have spoken with Brian at Ricor about my rear shocks, and about what I'm looking for, and it seems to be a match. I should have the new shocks in a couple of weeks, and I'll post a ride and installation report just as I did with the Intiminators.
#4
03-25-2010, 09:56 PM
Tourer
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dallas, TX
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Marc,
Thanks for a well written comparison between the two, there is a lot of good info you put out there. I recently installed Ohlins and that was the first time I've ever changed out OEM shocks. I was surprised at how much the ride improved with better shocks. Now I need to do something with the front end that feels like it's bouncing up and down.
Thanks for a well written comparison between the two, there is a lot of good info you put out there. I recently installed Ohlins and that was the first time I've ever changed out OEM shocks. I was surprised at how much the ride improved with better shocks. Now I need to do something with the front end that feels like it's bouncing up and down.
#7
03-26-2010, 06:43 AM
Road Warrior
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#8
03-26-2010, 06:54 AM
#10
03-26-2010, 07:15 AM
If anyone could make a suspension system that would make a HD ride like your on a cloud and still handle properly, people would be lining up at their door with wallets in hand...
I'm somewhat satisfied with my Ohlins shocks and the 50/50 mix of SE Heavy & HD Type E Fluid in the front forks. Is the ride still a little stiff, yes but it's way better then stock and my butt stays in the saddle over potholes and large bumps on the road.
If I lived closer to MotorCycle Metal, I would probably go there and try some different springs on my shocks to give me a smoother ride but for what I do, my present setup is fine.