Ohlins' Steering Damper for the R1200R - DIY

[Lost Rider]

12000?

[Woland]

I love the "Made in Sweden" label, but I'm somewhat biased

Your impressions of its workings so far?

I'm pondering changing to Öhlins but the price in Sweden for front and back is almost 2800$ which kinda makes me hesitate.

[Lost Rider]

I've only had it out on one ride so far, but it was a good canyon carving session on very familiar roads to get a feel for it.
There's quite a difference when comparing to the old, totally worn out OEM damper.
After I took the old one off, I could feel all the air in the oil, and how it was not smooth or consistent at all going through it's stroke. I should have replaced it 50,000 miles ago.
With the Ohlins damper the bike feels much more stable when holding a line through a corner with bumps, which is common in southern Cali.
Granted, I did just have the shocks rebuilt too, but did get a feel for the "new" shocks with the old damper before I swapped it out.
Now my bike is really on rails.

I settled in with 2 clicks tighter than the "stock" setting after testing it out on the same stretch of twisty road.

Adjustable, rebuildable, new and shiny, what's not to like?

I bought it from Dan at Kyle Racing, among the best Ohlins guru's around.

http://www.kyleusa.com/





Woland,
That's darn pricey for Ohlins in the country they're from!
Still worth it IMO, having good suspension transforms the bike into what it can be, but never will be with crappy Showa shocks....

I used to have a nice blond Swedish girlfriend and spent a lot of time in Göteborg, Sweden...... cool city.
Always flew in to Copenhagen and took the train over that beautiful bridge to Malmo, then we would drive up.
Beautiful country.
Cheers.

[Woland]

Well blond Swedish girls do have their charm don't they

I figure once the Showa crap craps out the price difference, if it there is any,between a set of new Showas vs. a set of new Öhlins won't be that big, thus making it easy for me to justify them. Closing in at 65k km I figure that's not far off.

I'll probably do the steering damper at the same time then. We do have some of them bumpy corners with all the nasty ground frost wreaking havoc on the roads each winter, and I do like it at 45º.

Hope you didn't have to spend to much time in Göteborg in the winter, I'm just barely holding on to my sanity as it is. Ah well, just 2 more months to go hopefully

[oalvarez]

I bought it from Dan at Kyle Racing, among the best Ohlins guru's around.

http://www.kyleusa.com/

100% agree.