I bought the Ohlins adjustable drop-in fork cartridges from Howard at Motorcyclemetal.com a few months ago and put 10,000 miles on them this summer- Toronto, Atlanta, Tail of the Dragon(ran with the Triumph Trident Sports and kept up with them all day long), Boston, Nova Scotia, Quebec City and had a blast. I have written about how great the upgrade was in an earlier post, but this one is about maintenance. Howard walked me through the process of thoroughly cleaning my front suspension last week, and I rode the bike today for 30 miles over the commuter roads in Chicago I ride all the time. I can't believe the difference in the ride quality- just from changing out the fork oil, cleaning everything inside well, replacing the bushings(if you haven't done this you'll be amazed at how much wear they have- and only after 10,000 miles!) and resetting the Preload, etc. The railroad ties, potholes, manhole covers, expansion joints in the concrete expressways, and broken pavement of chicago streets were almost entirely unnoticeable. Smooth ride. Wheels stayed on the pavement, and I felt like I was gliding.
So, this is a cautionary tale- about how much difference changing the oil in your front forks can make- and an endorsement of the Ohlins suspension. Great upgrade

 

Did you feel a need to change the fork oil at 10,000 miles, or was that what Ohlins or Howard suggested? Also, did you need to do any maintenance to the rear shocks?

 

10 thou miles seems way too early.
I wouldn't want to do that so often.
I swapped my front springs with triple rate springs 6 thou ago and changed to amsoil 10 wt and it has felt great all along and I don't plan on messing with it for a long long time.

 

It's what Howard had suggested, but when I saw what was in the oil I understood why he had suggested it. The suspended particulates in the oil were very apparent- the oil when I put it in was absolutely clear and 10,000 miles later it was the color of the silted glacial rivers in Alaska- completely opaque. When I poured the oil into a disposable container the bottom was covered with the suspended dirt and other detritous that finds its way into the forks. There was a lot of very fine particulate suspended in the oil, and this is not something unique to any brand of fork suspension. OEM, Penske, Ohlins, Racetech...they'll all get that crap in the forks, and it will affect performance. The bushings on the bottom of the fork tubes are what they 'ride' on when riding up and down in the sliders; that is a major friction point, and they're covered in a teflon coating- the coating had been completely stripped away by the friction. The dirt and other stuff in the oil could only have accelerated the wear on those bushings. I suggest you be sure to check them when you change the oil.
I've had the rear shocks on for close to 35,000 miles. I'll service them this winter, but I haven't done that yet and can't speak from experience about what I'll find. I ride pretty hard- love tail of the dragon solo and did a lot of two-up riding with luggage this summer which put the bike at maximum gross vehicle weight. A good suspension makes the bike a great handling bike solo and an equally great tourer with 2 people. I have a Road King Tour Pack I put on for the passenger, and the suspension gives me a great ride in all situations. Ride safe. Jay

 

Stilup, what was the oil like when you it poured it out of the forks- absolutely clear or cloudy? Could you see particulates in the bottom of the can you poured it into when you tipped the can? I suspect there was a lot of particulate in it- dirt and other stuff from the road that finds its way into the forks past the dust and oil seals. I saw what the dirty oil did to the slider and guide bushings which was enough proof to me that changing the oil regularly is important maintenance. Good luck. Jay

 

If you dont mind me asking, how much did the ohlins system run you?
I looked over at motorcycle metal but could not find a price.
Thanks
Travis

 

DTDK, I paid about $1450 for the drop-in fork cartridges, but I saw a package on the website that includes the dual brake set-up as well- $1898, if I'm reading correctly. The shocks can run anywhere between $672 and $1522 depending on what you choose. Those aren't small numbers, to be sure, but I've never regretted parting with the cash for the best suspension available. I spent it on that kind of work before any horsepower/torque motor work, because the improvement in handling is incredible. Give Howard a call, he's a stand-up guy. Jay

 

are your rear shocks adjustable?

 

I swapped my fork springs at 500 miles and the original fluid was clean.
The front end has felt great and continues to.
From past bikes I would change the fork oil every two years and it would get discolored, but I'm going two years again.

 

DTDK, the shocks are Ohlins and are fully adjustable- Preload, Compression, Rebound. I went the full monty on them and am glad I did, but it wasn't the cheapest route, and there are really exceptional Ohlins shocks that don't cost $1,500 a pair. But I wanted the fully adjustable so I could find the most comfortable ride for 2-up with luggage(which puts me at the maximum gross vehicle weight, by the way) and yet set the suspension for solo sport riding and everything in between. Having the best suspension on a dyna, even though it cost a lot, is cheaper than having an electra glide and a sportster.
I got an extraordinary amount of information and help from Howard at MOtorcyclemetal.com. He was a great resource to learn about what's available and what's helpful. I ended up doing business with him, and he has gone the extra mile to make sure my bike is the best I can make it. Jay