Originally Posted by marcparnes

One thing I don't understand about the #2-#3 shock is how it works without any means to increase preload for a passenger and extra load. I understand that they come with 4" of travel which is what has my attention but if the sag is set up properly for a solo rider and then you add a passenger and a week's worth of stuff it seems like you would lose a considerable amount of that precious 4" of shock travel in additional sag. Besides that, as the bike squats lower in the rear from the extra load the bike's attitude changes which effects suspension geometry, handling and ground clearance. I've had numerous sets of Ohlins on various different bikes over many years including the set I have on my GS currently and all of them have had some means of adjusting rear preload whether mechanical or hydraulic. I would have thought that adding a simple ramp adjuster or threaded collar wouldn't be that big of a deal otherwise it would seem like the choice of spring would have to be more of a compromise than necessary.

I currently have a set of Works Performance shocks on my SG/RG only because I didn't know Ohlins were available or I would have considered them. The WP probably don't have 4" of travel but they are very plush and have never bottomed solo or with my wife on board and a week's worth of load. They use an ingenious system of multiple springs and a lock out mechanism called ARS for adjusting spring strength. In my case the shocks are built with two springs per shock (you can get as many as three). One is shorter and lighter than the other and located on the top. The lighter spring handles small bumps and light loads while the heavier spring handles bigger bumps and heavier loads. This is a similar concept to progressively wound springs but the advantage here is that the wire size of the spring can be varied as well as the number of turns. The lock out mechanism determines at what point in the stroke the load is transferred from the light spring to the heavy spring. There are 4 positions. The system works flawlessly. There is a small lever built into the cast aluminum lock out that makes it a snap to adjust. You don't need an additional spanner or anything.

I can't comment on the quality of the WP vs the Ohlins since I don't know what goes into each shock regarding the dampening method used or the materials and tolerances utilized but I can say that the ride and handling with the WP shocks are far superior to the stock shocks as well as the high-end Progressive shocks I had before these. The owner of WP, Gilles Vaillancourt, has been a mover and shaker in the motorcycle suspension industry since the '60s having opened WP in 1973. He is also a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. The day I was there he was in the shop and supervised a spring mod I requested. I've recommended their shocks to two of my Harley riding buddies who have been very happy with them as well.

Marc