Suspension with Nick Dole

This entry is part 39 of 24 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #3

Shock culture

“You can’t fix suspension mate. When you see a bump ya’ just gotta do a wheelie.”

“I’ve just bought a new bike. Why would I want to make the suspension better? The salesman said it’s perfect!” So you have your new ride and you’re getting it ready for some big trips. You’re bolting on racks, a big tank and every accessory you can find. How much weight did you just add to your bike? Ten kilograms? 20? 30? Is the rear suspension looking a little low now? How does it feel when you put your svelte 110kg arse on it?

Stock or aftermarket?

This is a common situation for a lot of riders, and there are a few solutions. Apart from surviving on water alone for a year and dropping your bodyweight to 60kg, you can either modify your stock suspension or go aftermarket.

The simplest mods are stiffer springs front and rear, followed by modifications to the damping character of the forks and shock internally. While this seems okay, some bikes come with really poverty-pack stock suspension. Modifying it can be an expensive exercise and hardly worth the expense for the result. It’s difficult to make broad strokes here as every model varies and my suggestion is to talk to a suspension expert who’ll give you honest advice.

The 40mm DR650 stock piston versus 46mm Öhlins piston, the heart of the shock.

To simplify explaining why an aftermarket shock can be beneficial, let’s pick on one bike, the adventure workhorse, Suzuki’s DR650.

Stock

The DR has been equipped with the same shock since its introduction in the mid-1990s, a Japanese KYB unit

The shaft assembly of the Öhlins alongside the stock DR650. The Öhlins is totally rebuildable, more adjustable and comes with a ride-height adjuster.

with a 40mm bore. It has some adjustability, spring preload and a compression adjuster. While it’s not a great shock, it’s actually above the stock equipment supplied on a lot of adventure bikes. The Honda NX650, Kawasaki Versys and KLR650, Yamaha Ténéré 660 and 1200, and Suzuki DL650 are all supplied with lower-spec equipment. It’s not that any of them can’t be made to work well, it just has to be done with a sensible budget and a realistic outcome in mind.

I don’t consider rebound and compression adjusters critical on an adventure bike. In the words of the great Laurie Alderton,“You don’t need 40 clicks of adjustment or 60 clicks. You just need one click – the one that works!”

It’s true that if what’s in your suspension is too far away from what you need, or the oil is on its fourth birthday, all the twiddling with adjusters will achieve little.

The Standard DR shock is actually higher-spec than a lot of its competitors, but the Öhlins is made from better materials, more performance-focused design and is beautifully made. That’s what you’re paying for in an aftermarket shock.

Upgrade my stocker?

Renowned for being undersprung, the usual DR650 mods are a stiffer spring and some valving work. On the shock dyno the compression adjuster can be seen to be pretty ineffective, typical of its late ’80s design. While this isn’t a disaster, it does mean the shock has limited adjustability. The other option is a complete shock-shaft assembly with a rebound adjuster. While this looks good, some quick maths reveals $475 for the shaft assembly, $189 for a spring and a typical $200 to get the lot assembled will set you back $875. That’s well into aftermarket-shock territory as far as price is concerned.

A service, some good quality oil, dampening modifications (revalving) and the right spring will give you change from $500 on the DR, and in my opinion that’s all most folks need.

A stock DR650 shock disassembled. It’s typical of most Japanese shocks. Compare it to the opening pic, a disassembled Öhlins shock for the same bike.

Why go aftermarket?

So you just have to have rebound adjustment? You yearn for high- and lowspeed compression adjustment on the ’ol DR? Perhaps the shock shaft is corroded and it’s just going to get too expensive to modify the stock shock once the shaft is rechromed. What should you buy?

I’ll go out on a limb and lump replacement shocks into two categories: ‘stock replacement’ and ‘performance’.

I’ve had suspension fluid dripping off my elbows for long enough that I feel qualified to make these judgements.

Stock replacement: Hagon (UK) makes a very extensive range of monoshocks for $550. They have spring-preload and rebound adjustment. You can order them with a stiffer spring and a hydraulic preload adjuster for about $350 extra. They’re a good alternative if you don’t ever jump the bike.

The Yacugar shock for Yamaha’s XT1200 Super Ténéré. You can see the larger body and shaft compared to the stock shock. It has a better dampening specification than the stocker, and like all the aftermarket shocks can be ordered with the right spring for you. The stock shock has a hydraulic preload adjuster, a nice feature and available on most aftermarket shocks.

Ikon (Australian) also makes a range of monoshocks that are good value for money. There are others. Bitubo, Nitro, Works Performance…all have limited backup in this country, so if you buy one cheap off eBay it’s your headache.

Performance: top of the tree is Öhlins.

There is no manufacturer who spends more money on R&D. Feature for feature they do cost more, but it’s the rock-solid development that you’re paying for. From Öhlins lead comes a host of European manufacturers that are pretty hard to split, as all use a 46mm-bore shock like Öhlins and are all comparable in price, feature for feature. The list includes Wilbers, Hyperpro, Yacugar, and Elka (Canada).In simplistic terms, a basic shock, with rebound adjustment only, will be around $1000 for an Öhlins and $700-800 for the other brands. Add compression adjusters and hydraulic preload adjusters and you’ll climb through $1300 to about $1600.Getting back to our DR650, what does a shock like the Öhlins have over the stocker? From a simplistic standpoint, if you compare the number of parts in the Öhlins to the stock KYB, you see where some of the money goes. Not only that, but the Öhlins will outlast the bike as every component is replaceable. It’s easily serviceable and all the adjusters will have a significant impact on the shock’s feeling. This DR650 Öhlins is $1250.

A considered judgement

All I’m suggesting is you have a think about what you’re asking of your bike. Are you an A-Grader who’ll punish that DR650 like it’s doing training runs for Dakar? Or are you likely to spend a lot of time cruising at sightseeing speeds, but still want a more comfortable and surefooted ride?

Ask yourself those questions, then line up the answers against your budget. That should steer you towards a sensible choice on suspension upgrades.

And of course, while I’ve used the DR650 as an example, the concept applies to any bike.

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