Refurb or replace?

[milleplod]

Has anyone had their stock BMW-issue (Showa?) shocks refurbed? If so, were the results what you were hoping for?

My ST's now on 25k miles, 20k of them with my lardy arse astride it, so I'm feeling a suspension refurb is due. I can spend around a grand going the Wilbers/Nitron etc route, or there's one or two places that say they can completely refurb my units, with re-valving/spring rates to suit me - as the bike's a keeper, that's quite appealing......as is the price, which should come in at well under half of the cost of straight replacements.

I'm just wondering if these refurb places do a good job.

Pete

[Grip Fast]

I have the Ohlins on my R1200S, but there was clearly something amiss when I first got the bike, so I took it to Revs in Halesowen for them to refurbish the units. They serviced the front unit and replaced parts in the rear one - the internals had been damaged, possibly by ingress of a piece of grit. Anyway, the bike was transformed and I'm pleased I had it done. That was 4 years ago.

I went to Revs because they were favoured by an Aprilia forum I belonged to. And I had previously had a fleebay-won unit refurbished for my Aprilia Falco.

So refurbishing works, but you probably want to get recommendations.

[bigblackfalco]

Has anyone had their stock BMW-issue (Showa?) shocks refurbed? If so, were the results what you were hoping for?

My ST's now on 25k miles, 20k of them with my lardy arse astride it, so I'm feeling a suspension refurb is due. I can spend around a grand going the Wilbers/Nitron etc route, or there's one or two places that say they can completely refurb my units, with re-valving/spring rates to suit me - as the bike's a keeper, that's quite appealing......as is the price, which should come in at well under half of the cost of straight replacements.

I'm just wondering if these refurb places do a good job.

Pete

Get yourself something new and fully adjustable. You're flogging a dead horse with the OE shocks. If money is an issue, get the rear first and see how you get on with that. Make sure the rear shock has a height adjuster on it!

[milleplod]

Thanks for the replies chaps. Having mulled it over since first posting, I think 'new' is the way to go - p'raps as you say, a rear first. I know Ohlins is 'the' name, but has anyone any experience of Wilbers or Nitron? Or any other brands?

Pete

[dave the german]

you could always check out Beachcomber's offerings for Ramshox? Boxertrix discount as well. There is a sticky here for shock suggestions - probably worded that last bit wrong but can't be ar$ed to change it

[boxerscott]

I would only do something about it when you can really feel when summats not right. Then I would go for refurb. You feel you have got value for money that way cos you will obviously notice a difference.

How difficult can it be to refurb a shock if that is what you do each day and every day.

Not to be impolite, but... if you looked at tweaking your diet instead of your shocks then that may be a cost effective mod.

I find people who have spent heavily on mods that may be of no real improvement still try to persuade others to part with their cash... just cos they have. Perhaps for the moment hang on to your cash?

Folk on this site have Uber Blinged their boxers and then found difficulty getting the price they wanted when it came to sale time.

Jus sayin like

[tanneman]

Contact Darren at MCT. He has done the Showas on the boxercup of DPG.

[milleplod]

I would only do something about it when you can really feel when summats not right. Then I would go for refurb. You feel you have got value for money that way cos you will obviously notice a difference.

How difficult can it be to refurb a shock if that is what you do each day and every day.

Not to be impolite, but... if you looked at tweaking your diet instead of your shocks then that may be a cost effective mod.

I find people who have spent heavily on mods that may be of no real improvement still try to persuade others to part with their cash... just cos they have. Perhaps for the moment hang on to your cash?

Folk on this site have Uber Blinged their boxers and then found difficulty getting the price they wanted when it came to sale time.

Jus sayin like

'Lardy arse' wasn't meant to be taken literally! Put any visions of a 20-stone, 5' 5" fatster firmly to one side!

The standard suspension's definitely past its best, as I suppose you'd expect it to be at 25k miles - the bike's staying, so I'm more than happy to spend a reasonable sum on benefits I'll actually be able to notice, and make use of. Hmmmm.....refurb then...? Decisions, decisions!

Pete

[slparry]

I would only do something about it when you can really feel when summats not right. Then I would go for refurb. You feel you have got value for money that way cos you will obviously notice a difference.

How difficult can it be to refurb a shock if that is what you do each day and every day.

Not to be impolite, but... if you looked at tweaking your diet instead of your shocks then that may be a cost effective mod.

I find people who have spent heavily on mods that may be of no real improvement still try to persuade others to part with their cash... just cos they have. Perhaps for the moment hang on to your cash?

Folk on this site have Uber Blinged their boxers and then found difficulty getting the price they wanted when it came to sale time.

Jus sayin like

'Lardy arse' wasn't meant to be taken literally! Put any visions of a 20-stone, 5' 5" fatster firmly to one side!

<snip>

pah .... lightweight

[milleplod]

Looks like ramshox is the way forward chaps. Just had a reply to my query giving me a very appealing price indeed, and I do like the idea of flying the flag/buying British, that sort of thing!

Pete

[dave the german]

I think that's what I'll be doing for the BCR

[Fw190]

Folks obsess about changing engine and gearbox oils etc, but don't think at all about the oil in a rear shock or fork. let alone the internal parts that are subject to some pretty intense stresses. there always seems to be some kind of myth about suspension, like it's some kind of 'black art' it's not really... just take care of it like you'd take care of the rest of your bike, service it on a regular basis and it will last and perform as it should.

given that suspension performance decreases gradually over a given period of time and that most riders mentally re-adjust to the way a bike feels, mostly we don't notice how bad things are until they are REALLY bad! shock or fork service once every couple of years, (depends on your mileage of course) will transform the way your bike handles and the way it feels when you ride it.

the cost of service is not really that great, given that most of us don't put enough miles/time on a bike to warrant service every year.

As my old Dad used to say ''oils cheaper than engines boy'' so servicing a shock or fork is considerably cheaper than replacing it.

Rule of thumb for buying suspension, buy the best you can afford, in the suspension world you get what you pay for; quality always comes at a cost and buying a cheap emulsification damper as opposed to a shock with a separator piston and or a remote reservoir or 'piggyback' that has some range of adjustment (Compression/rebound/pre-load) will in the end cost you more than if you'd spent the money on a quality unit.

think of it terms of buying a helmet, you'd not buy a cheap knock of helmet from 'flea-bay' and feel safe and secure, why put cheap suspension on your bike..?

[beachcomber]

:lol:

Looks like ramshox is the way forward chaps. Just had a reply to my query giving me a very appealing price indeed, and I do like the idea of flying the flag/buying British, that sort of thing!

Pete

Pete [ and others ] you are probably aware that "we" [ Realm ] came to develop RAMSHOX, RAMLEVERS, RAMSTRUTS out of our biking hobby / passion.

It's not the day job, but never the less ALL development is taken seriously and is a result of hands on [ OK - arse on ] testing and feedback from you chaps.

RAMSHOX are like a well kept secret - that's becuase we are NOT in the business of relying on shox as a means of income - the car side of the business does that.

We'll never be an Ohlins - but we would like to think our products stack up well against the "quality mainstream" stuff.

Totally UK designed, developed and manufactured - 2 year no quibble guarantee, rebuildable - + you get 10% discount ..... what's not to like.

Commercial over.

[dysondiver]

putting it like that , its hard to argue..