How Good Are OEM Ohlins Forks?

[squirrel_hunter]

Some bikes are fitted with Ohlins forks from the factory, but how good are they when compared to other bikes forks of the same type?

I'm thinking comparing non Ohlins R1 with Ohlins RSV of the same year, which is better? Then if the OEM Ohlins are better is there a difference between the different Ohlins forks, for example 675R against RSV?

I know none of these are the same as the Ohlins that are run in BSB/ WSBK etc but then these aren't built to the same budget and would cost more than the bikes that run them. So which would be the best fork on a road bike?

[andrewsmith]

Ohlins are like any other suspension manufacturer, build to a clients spec and price, along with their top draw racing items (which starts most R&D projects like Showa Big Piston Forks).

With bikes like RSV4 its part of the bling factor (joe public wants to be able to buy what the riders have). With Ducati its the R&D on adaptive suspension that ohlins have done (they're market leaders in the technology and the car tech has been transferred over).

Comparing a Yam to a Aprilia maybe a hard one, as Yamaha had controlling stake in Ohlins for about 15 years so were using their in house supplier (so to speak)

[Sid Squid]

Bear in mind that Yamaha own Ohlins - that hardly means they're just gold bits with a sticker on, but in my - limited - experience have less adjustment than actual bought-from-Ohlins parts. One example of this was the 'Ohlins' shocks on the special editions of the XJR12/1300. Perfectly good units but not at all special.
Many bikes with special suspension from the factory have a smaller range of adjustment than would otherwise be the case, rather like standard shocks - there may be lots of clicks, but they're in a range that may be better or worse but wouldn't actually be wrong as such.

[squirrel_hunter]

Forgot about the Ohlins - Yamaha tie up. Replace R1 with ZXR or GSXR or CBR.

While I accept that the OEM forks and shocks for that matter are not the same as built for top racing teams are they better then non standard?

I suppose the best example I can think of is Triumphs 675 and 675R. How much better are the Ohlins forks over the standard sports fork that the 675 has?

Structurally, forks are pretty simple, and it's easy to make them so they are stiff enough to control side loads and braking loads on the wheel and slide up and down smoothly.
I'd say any of them, if sprung and valved for your weight and the way you like to ride, then adjusted by you as necessary or desired, are far better than most everyone's riding capabilities. I watched a very good racer take a bone stock SV650 with clip-on bars and go a second a lap faster than a whole region of club racers on SV's they'd been developing for two years, some with Ohlins shocks and GSXR front ends, and engines bored 2mm oversize. After he put rear sets on it so he wasn't scraping the pegs on every corner, he went 2 seconds a lap quicker than the best of the others. His comment when I asked him about it was "It's a little soft for racing, but it works pretty well."

[NTECUK]

2013 675 olins has more travel,
I prefer the KYB on the 675 over my old RSV fragile Ohlins

[squirrel_hunter]

Fragile, how so?

[NTECUK]

leve it for 6 week it would leak,
Gen 2 RSV front spindle clamps are very thin

[NTECUK]

Little add on.
The Gen 1 rsv had stronger spindle clamps.
And the new seals are now double lipped.
But as stated oe ones do differ because of what the manufactuers specify.
You could also say not all KYB s are all born equal too.I do aprecheate the new 675 is very diffrent from the outgoing modle,And the two old modles i tried coould have had issues .(2007 & 2009) Even though i did click the adjusters on both.

OEM Ohlins are sprung and valved for road use..TBH not much between the OEM and R&T forks purchased direct off Ohlins other than that. Aprilia run a few little cosmetic tweeks which wont come on the R&T official fork.

Have raced on OEM Ohlins and just re-spring them and fit a K-Tech upgrade valve kit...awesome, truely awesome forks!.

After R&T forks there are huge differences..

BTW Yamaha only have a 5% stake in Ohlins now.