Öhlins Fork Sales and service
The Canondale forks FG9910 and
FG9911 have become very popular as a very affordable upgrade to any
dirt bike as the liquidator is selling hundreds of pairs during 2004. I
have several pair i use myself on vintage Husqvarna dirt bikes. You
need correct size triple clamps as well.
Two mandatory service items need to occur before these will work on your bike -
1) Service work to correct stiction and valving problems due to long shelf storage and just time.
total disassembly, clean valve stacks, clean all internal parts, new oil. - $175 pair
2) New fork springs to suit application and rider - 39, 41, 43, 47 or other spring rates to suit. - $68 pair
If you weigh 250-300lbs rider suited up , new springs may not be required.
other items highly recommended to allow you to enjoy the best performance and track tuning .
1) New rebound valving to suit application (done during above service) - $40 pair
2) Upgrade to current dual compression, hi-lo speed compression base valves (done during above service) - $195 pair
this provides double clickers to set hi speed compression and low speed
compression. If you think this is too hi-techy, it is not. If you see
how it works, you will instantly want these and make use of them. It is
a no brainer on field setting these by yourself to your liking!
I provide all service work for any Öhlins fork set.
usually 7 days shop time.
email for address and timing
A rifle gun case makes a good shipping container for forks, some for
these are very inexpensive, but dont get one too light for the gorilla
shipping handlers. you need hard foam liner not squishy foam and wrap
each leg in addition.
I do not have any Canondale forks for sale at this time.
I do however stock the 2005 line of Öhlins forks for motocross use.
Do not let someone mislead you
about what Ohlins forks they have for sale. Each Ohlins fork leg has a
code stamped on the bottom. If the seller does not know the code,
display it and address it , he does not know what he is selling. Be
careful with descriptions that say others have done so and so......ie
mounted on a Boeing 747 for addtional travel, mounted on a 2005 Harley
Davidson Fat Boy mx bike, etc. superMotard is another claim - just have
them shortened.
If you are an existing Ohlins customer of mine, i will try to help.
Please do not send an email wasting my time for free tech help for
something you don't own.
I highly recommend Ohlins forks.
Ohlins forks require routine maintenance and oil changes.
Hi tech forks of any brand will not last long if treated like a pair of 1978 CR250 Honda forks.
Do not buy Ohlins forks if you cannot follow up with routine maintenance costs.
Don't buy a Saleen S-7 and then think you can skip oil changes because you dont have any money.
When you buy some unknown history Ohlins forks from some Ebay seller
playing dumb, be prepared for the worst, and the price should
reflect what you will have to spend to make them work.
This is a page in progress as of April - May 2005
questions on forks , email - husky@intrepid.net - make sure ohlins forks is in subject line
MX 2005 - Öhlins Raises Suspension Technology to New Levels
A new approach on the way shock absorbers
work has been added to Öhlins’ 2005 range for motocross and
off-road. Intensive input in the field of R&D during the past year
has resulted in new knowledge and a new understanding of the purely
physical interactions and the functions of shock absorbers. Knowledge
that could subsequently be converted into a range of products with
greatly improved performance at all levels. During the past year, many
of the staff at Öhlins participated
in a comprehensive testing and development programme that involved
studying every aspect of shock absorbers in detail. The technicians and
engineers from
the various product areas worked together in new combinations to share
their knowledge with one another and to find innovative approaches.
‘‘We do not want simply to follow development - we want to lead it. We
devote remarkable amounts of time and energy to R&D so as to ensure
that we are always one step
ahead of our competitors,” says Magnus Eriksson, Product Manager at
Öhlins. The innovations will appear first in the 2005 range for
the motocross and off-road segment, but the new technology will
naturally then spread to cover all Öhlins products. Paradoxically,
the visible differences are minimal. All in all, however, the new
approach means that the flow and pressure build-up mechanisms are
dependent on partially new principles, and it is here that the way in
which the parts used are balanced against one another produces the new
features. ‘‘One of our most important tasks in the future will be to
explain to all dealers how such apparently small changes can make such
a great difference. To put it bluntly, it is a matter of forgetting
everything you previously knew about how to adjust our shock absorbers.
Our new range of models comes with its own set of rules.”
Pressure Build-Up One of the fundamental changes in the new models is
that the shock absorbers now work with a balanced pressure build-up
which means that there is a certain specified balance between the
absorption effect from the compression valve and the main piston.
The pressure balance itself - i.e. getting the shock absorber
to work with the optimal balance between the high pressure in front of
the piston and the low pressure behind it - is one of the central
elements of the new concept. Simply put, it is all about finding the
optimal balance between excessive pressure and the risk of hysteresis
on the one hand, and insufficient pressure with the risk of cavitation
on the other. ‘‘If you deviate from the optimal pressure balance, the
result will be deterioration of the damping characteristics.
Therefore, it is essential always to stay within the tried, tested and
recommended adjustment range.” It has also been found that the response
of each component needs to be tuned in order to have full benefit of
the pressure balance itself. For this reason, there have been changes
made to both the main piston bleed jet and the check valve in the
compression valve in the reservoir. Thanks to the quicker pressure
build-up and the reduction
in flex, the new shock absorber
functions more efficiently to compensate for both large and small
movements. On account of this, the setting can be softened, thus
contributing to better traction. The permitted adjustment range on the
new models is narrower, but as the shock absorbers work so efficiently,
the same settings can be used for a wider range of riders and
conditions. The most important features and advantages that are being
introduced with the new models are:
– Less hysteresis and less risk of cavitation
– Frequency independence
– Lower temperature sensitivity
– Less risk of fading
– Greater resistance to bottoming
Riders will experience greater comfort, improved traction, more stable
chassis movements and - it is hoped - to receive quicker lap times.
Technical Changes 2005
When it comes to shock absorbers,
there are four main areas in which the changes can be clearly seen and
which are important to those who work with shock absorbers:
– New needle valve, with a larger jet for the piston bleed. It is
important to note that the old guidelines for rebound setting are no
longer applicable.
– Circlip ring in the compression valve. The circlip limits the range
of adjustment to prevent disruption of the pressure balance.
– Spring for the compression valve. The spring has been manufactured to higher quality requirements.
– Changed shimming for improved pressure balance.
– Changed setting for the check valve in order to optimize opening and closing in phase with shock movement.
The shock absorbers have also been changed in a number of other areas
that contribute to their completeness. ‘‘It is essential to understand
that it is the completeness
of the new design that generates the improved performance. As such,
there is nothing to be gained by taking a single component - a valve,
for example - from one of the new models and assemble it into an old
shock absorber. This may well radically worsen the function of the
shock absorber,” explains Magnus Eriksson, Product Manager at
Öhlins.
As regards the front forks in the 2005 product range, the list of changes largely resembles that of the new shock absorbers.
– New piston with shim stack. A large part of the damping force has
thus been moved from the compression base valve to the main piston.
– New dimensions on the compression bleed valve, along with a more limited range of adjustment.
– Higher manufacturing requirements with regard to tolerances and the
quality of the compression springs, which are also calibrated
individually.
... but they also include other features:
– Newly developed polishing method for the inner tube to ensure lower friction.
– Improved bushings. The surface height of the bushings has been
increased to improve the absorption and distribution of the force of a
landing.
