Ohlins how do you set the preload?
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,542
Likes: 161
From: Booming metropolis
1flhtk4me is stopping by in an a little while to check things out.
I talked with howard and went over the numbers and some other things. he has been and will be on the phone with install appointments. anyway it appears my springs are sagging more than the desired 5mm under the static w/o rider measurement as I am getting 30mm of free sag, which by the way is only 1 mm shy of the desired 1/3 #31mm. when mounted on the bike I am getting a total sag of 49mm. He is going to check some stuff out and get back to me.
do any of you have these springs on the #6 shocks? if so how much did you compress your springs too? I have mine at 193 mm right now. they are a 220 mm lenth spring
I talked with howard and went over the numbers and some other things. he has been and will be on the phone with install appointments. anyway it appears my springs are sagging more than the desired 5mm under the static w/o rider measurement as I am getting 30mm of free sag, which by the way is only 1 mm shy of the desired 1/3 #31mm. when mounted on the bike I am getting a total sag of 49mm. He is going to check some stuff out and get back to me.
do any of you have these springs on the #6 shocks? if so how much did you compress your springs too? I have mine at 193 mm right now. they are a 220 mm lenth spring
Former Sponsor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,360
Likes: 453
From: Davie, FL
1flhtk4me is stopping by in an a little while to check things out.
I talked with howard and went over the numbers and some other things. he has been and will be on the phone with install appointments. anyway it appears my springs are sagging more than the desired 5mm under the static w/o rider measurement as I am getting 30mm of free sag, which by the way is only 1 mm shy of the desired 1/3 #31mm. when mounted on the bike I am getting a total sag of 49mm. He is going to check some stuff out and get back to me.
do any of you have these springs on the #6 shocks? if so how much did you compress your springs too? I have mine at 193 mm right now. they are a 220 mm lenth spring
I talked with howard and went over the numbers and some other things. he has been and will be on the phone with install appointments. anyway it appears my springs are sagging more than the desired 5mm under the static w/o rider measurement as I am getting 30mm of free sag, which by the way is only 1 mm shy of the desired 1/3 #31mm. when mounted on the bike I am getting a total sag of 49mm. He is going to check some stuff out and get back to me.
do any of you have these springs on the #6 shocks? if so how much did you compress your springs too? I have mine at 193 mm right now. they are a 220 mm lenth spring
Former Sponsor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,360
Likes: 453
From: Davie, FL
Independent measurements.
It is 7:40 pm and MtTobyUltra set the bike up with his brand new caliper. He has a similar bike with tour pack. He is lighter than you by 75# and we used a lighter spring 25 N/m and you have a 27 N/m.
With the bike off of the ground (he has height adjusters, the length of the shock is longer) from flat to bolt flat, the (R-1) measurement is 372mm.
The length of the shock with only 14 mm of spring pre-load when the owner is holding up his bike and the tire is on the ground is: 11 mm of free sag or (R-2).
The total sag with the owner on the bike is 22.5 mm.
With two people on the bike is 338mm or 34mm of total sag. Thanks MtTobyUltra for the help.
If in fact your measurements are correct (which I have no doubt it is) that there is something I need to look at. You have a 5 year warranty against defects. I will ask Ohlins USA for feedback on this and call you, but most assuredly you can call me after 9:15 ESDT for answers. The spring is what is holding up your bike and not the shocks. The springs overcome gravity as that is their only purpose. The shocks control the movement of a weightless bike. We will get to the bottom of this on Monday so call if I do not call first.
With the bike off of the ground (he has height adjusters, the length of the shock is longer) from flat to bolt flat, the (R-1) measurement is 372mm.
The length of the shock with only 14 mm of spring pre-load when the owner is holding up his bike and the tire is on the ground is: 11 mm of free sag or (R-2).
The total sag with the owner on the bike is 22.5 mm.
With two people on the bike is 338mm or 34mm of total sag. Thanks MtTobyUltra for the help.
If in fact your measurements are correct (which I have no doubt it is) that there is something I need to look at. You have a 5 year warranty against defects. I will ask Ohlins USA for feedback on this and call you, but most assuredly you can call me after 9:15 ESDT for answers. The spring is what is holding up your bike and not the shocks. The springs overcome gravity as that is their only purpose. The shocks control the movement of a weightless bike. We will get to the bottom of this on Monday so call if I do not call first.
Stage III
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3
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From: SWFL
Just to reinforce Howard's comments, the measurements he listed above are correct for my Ultra after the new #6 Ohlins were installed today. We checked the settings for rebound and compression and they were just as Howard had set them up (14 clicks rebound, 12 clicks compression).
I'll post a full review once the shocks are broken-in, but based on the short ride I took tonight, the ride quality and handling are drastically improved. They will be a little stiff until fully broken in, but even when new they have none of the harshness of the stock shocks. The ride is so much different that it feels like a different bike.
The only surprise during my test ride was that, unexpectedly, they actually made the front end feel a little better. Some of the ride characteristics that I thought were due to the stock forks were actually the fault of the stock shocks. Having said that, the front end still needs a lot of help.
One last thing. It's almost impossible to get decent customer service anywhere these days, but Howard's help, time, and effort throughout the ordering and installation processes was outstanding. He took the time to talk through, in detail, the choice of the #6s, then spent the time necessary to ensure that they were installed and set up correctly. Thanks Howard! Great product and service!
I'll post a full review once the shocks are broken-in, but based on the short ride I took tonight, the ride quality and handling are drastically improved. They will be a little stiff until fully broken in, but even when new they have none of the harshness of the stock shocks. The ride is so much different that it feels like a different bike.
The only surprise during my test ride was that, unexpectedly, they actually made the front end feel a little better. Some of the ride characteristics that I thought were due to the stock forks were actually the fault of the stock shocks. Having said that, the front end still needs a lot of help.
One last thing. It's almost impossible to get decent customer service anywhere these days, but Howard's help, time, and effort throughout the ordering and installation processes was outstanding. He took the time to talk through, in detail, the choice of the #6s, then spent the time necessary to ensure that they were installed and set up correctly. Thanks Howard! Great product and service!
Former Sponsor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,360
Likes: 453
From: Davie, FL
Starting work about one hour ago (check the post time), I will be expecting a phone call from you around 9:30am my time on Monday or anytime later that you wish to call. Something is wrong and it is not the shocks as the springs only are the ones in play with setting sag. The shocks do not come into play until the shocks move up or down. I am sure your measurements are correct and I am not saying that you are reading them wrong. FYI You have a 27 N/m spring that is 220mm long, not 180mm long as per your "I switched springs on my #6 (93mm Stroke ) to 00180-97/27" (no biggie at all) and does not matter here.
A little about springs and how they work: A 180mm spring has only 113 mm of stroke minus your pre-load. This means that 113mm (-) spring pre-load of 30mm = 83mm (-) 10mm safety = 73mm far less than the 93mm of stroke on your shocks. The spring would go into coil bind before the shock could complete its stroke.
A little about springs and how they work: A 180mm spring has only 113 mm of stroke minus your pre-load. This means that 113mm (-) spring pre-load of 30mm = 83mm (-) 10mm safety = 73mm far less than the 93mm of stroke on your shocks. The spring would go into coil bind before the shock could complete its stroke.
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Thread Starter
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,542
Likes: 161
From: Booming metropolis
Starting work about one hour ago (check the post time), I will be expecting a phone call from you around 9:30am my time on Monday or anytime later that you wish to call. Something is wrong and it is not the shocks as the springs only are the ones in play with setting sag. The shocks do not come into play until the shocks move up or down. I am sure your measurements are correct and I am not saying that you are reading them wrong. FYI You have a 27 N/m spring that is 220mm long, not 180mm long as per your "I switched springs on my #6 (93mm Stroke ) to 00180-97/27" (no biggie at all) and does not matter here.
A little about springs and how they work: A 180mm spring has only 113 mm of stroke minus your pre-load. This means that 113mm (-) spring pre-load of 30mm = 83mm (-) 10mm safety = 73mm far less than the 93mm of stroke on your shocks. The spring would go into coil bind before the shock could complete its stroke.
A little about springs and how they work: A 180mm spring has only 113 mm of stroke minus your pre-load. This means that 113mm (-) spring pre-load of 30mm = 83mm (-) 10mm safety = 73mm far less than the 93mm of stroke on your shocks. The spring would go into coil bind before the shock could complete its stroke.
I relpaced the 00380-07/L3911 springs with the aforementioned. And Damn you are up early.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,928
Likes: 69
From: Near Myrtle Beach, SC
Hey Hog...here are a few preload/load measurements I just made for you from my #6's that are now about 14 months old: (measurements are from bolt center to bolt center, and of course there are 25.4 mm per inch)
Rear tire off the ground, bolt to bolt measurement: 13.25" or 337 mm
Bike totally on the ground, no rider, no saddlebags, bike held straight up, bolt to bolt: 12.375" or 314 mm
So about 23 mm difference between these two measurements, unloaded versus loaded with no rider and the bike vertical.
Bike with my fat *** on it, 215 lbs, no saddle bags, bolt to bolt: 12.0" or 305 mm
The difference between just the bikes weight on the shocks and my weight on the shocks (no saddlebags) resulted in: 0.375" or 9 mm additional travel.
As measured, I have a total loaded travel of 32 mm (rear wheel in air measurement versus me on the bike measurement) without the weight of the saddlebags which is about 40 pounds (weight of bags and gear inside). Once they are on, there is probably less than a mm of added travel introduced.
My wife helps me with these measurements. It's impossible to measure it correctly by yourself. I wish there was a way to measure it with the bags on just for ***** and grins, but that ain't happening.
Hope this helps some.
Rear tire off the ground, bolt to bolt measurement: 13.25" or 337 mm
Bike totally on the ground, no rider, no saddlebags, bike held straight up, bolt to bolt: 12.375" or 314 mm
So about 23 mm difference between these two measurements, unloaded versus loaded with no rider and the bike vertical.
Bike with my fat *** on it, 215 lbs, no saddle bags, bolt to bolt: 12.0" or 305 mm
The difference between just the bikes weight on the shocks and my weight on the shocks (no saddlebags) resulted in: 0.375" or 9 mm additional travel.
As measured, I have a total loaded travel of 32 mm (rear wheel in air measurement versus me on the bike measurement) without the weight of the saddlebags which is about 40 pounds (weight of bags and gear inside). Once they are on, there is probably less than a mm of added travel introduced.
My wife helps me with these measurements. It's impossible to measure it correctly by yourself. I wish there was a way to measure it with the bags on just for ***** and grins, but that ain't happening.
Hope this helps some.