Rear shock replacement

[maximNikenGT]

Was seeing a few posts on whether it made sense to drop almost $1100 USD to get an Ohlins rear shock for the Niken.  Stock shock on my GT is the factory OEM adjustable shock (not the Ohlins). Can anyone comment with actual experience with the stock vs Ohlins rear shock upgrade (that doesn't also involve a Turbo upgrade to your Niken😀)? What is considered a typical life expectancy of a rear shock? I know in cars is when the suspension starts to get all floaty feeling like a boat...I've seen my car / SUV shocks noticeably deteriorate in performance between 60-90k miles.  Wasn't sure for  motorcycles. 

https://www.ohlins.com/product-item/63703/ 

Also, stumbled across Nitron shocks for aftermarket motorcycle shock upgrades, but they'll dial in the shock to your specific use (street / race / off road) as well as your intended weight payload (within 10-20 pound increments from what I gather in their shock request documentation). 

http://www.nitronracingshocks.com/YAMAHA_c_182.html

 

[1moreroad]

I've always been told that the typical life expectancy of a moto shock is 25k. Many (all?) aftermarket shocks can be rebuilt unlike the OE shock. 

Don't know if the rear end of the Niken is the same as the FJ09, but there are a lot of aftermarket shocks out there for the FJ. Generally all of them are an improvement over OE and the more $$ you spend, the better you get. There are price premiums for Penske and Ohlins name brands.

[betoney]

2 hours ago, maximNikenGT said:

Was seeing a few posts on whether it made sense to drop almost $1100 USD to get an Ohlins rear shock for the Niken.  Stock shock on my GT is the factory OEM adjustable shock (not the Ohlins). Can anyone comment with actual experience with the stock vs Ohlins rear shock upgrade (that doesn't also involve a Turbo upgrade to your Niken😀)? What is considered a typical life expectancy of a rear shock? I know in cars is when the suspension starts to get all floaty feeling like a boat...I've seen my car / SUV shocks noticeably deteriorate in performance between 60-90k miles.  Wasn't sure for  motorcycles. 

https://www.ohlins.com/product-item/63703/ 

Also, stumbled across Nitron shocks for aftermarket motorcycle shock upgrades, but they'll dial in the shock to your specific use (street / race / off road) as well as your intended weight payload (within 10-20 pound increments from what I gather in their shock request documentation). 

http://www.nitronracingshocks.com/YAMAHA_c_182.html

 

There are many, many posts on suspension upgrades with great information on this forum, the improvements that a quality shock has on an FJ or Tracer will apply to the Niken as well. 

You can buy shocks from some manufacturers as 'off-the-shelf' units from retailers like Revzilla or you can have one custom built to your specific needs from a suspension shop. 

To my knowledge, ALL aftermarket shocks are rebuidable and should be serviced at a suggested mileage interval meaning that they will last a lifetime, I have always had my shock and forks serviced every 2 years. 

I personally had a Penske shock spec'd from Traxxion Dynamics in Georgia, we discussed my weight and riding style and what my specific needs were and they had it built to suit.

[biggo]

I came off a Tracer to the Niken and find the Niken generally not bad on the suspension front . Rear a bit harsh but some have reported a change of tyres can help with that . I have a PR5 ready to go on the rear so be interesting to see how that changes things.

I have a Nitron R1 shock that was on my tracer I am thinking of asking my local suspension man if it can be re-valved /sprung to fit the Niken.

I find the front suspension superb in all conditions 

[Ferrett847]

I'm used to shock changes and set up for racing over the past many years and imho there's more value in the knowledge than a specific brand .To this end when I replace my rear shock it will be with one from Mike Capon,s shock factory .It's called an M shock and is built to your requirement but comes with a balanced compression/ rebound adjustment along with preload  while being sprung to required weight .Great value also 30% of the cost of a well known brand also fully rebulidable  .

[sandman900]

On 8/6/2021 at 9:32 AM, betoney said:

 

I personally had a Penske shock spec'd from Traxxion Dynamics in Georgia, we discussed my weight and riding style and what my specific needs were and they had it built to suit.

Would you buy a Penske shock again, and would you deal with Traxxion Dynamics in the future?

[betoney]

30 minutes ago, sandman900 said:

Would you buy a Penske shock again, and would you deal with Traxxion Dynamics in the future?

Absolutely.  I had a Penske, (also built by Traxxion Dynamics) on my previous bike as well.  Great company and phenomenal product.

The thing with Penske is, you can't buy/order them off the shelf from a retailer, the ONLY way to get them is to have a suspension shop get your specs and provide a custom order to Penske who builds it specifically for you and then ships them back.  It takes a few weeks but to me, it was well worth it.

[sandman900]

Appreciate the feedback, betoney. Had an Ohlins on my previous two CBR1100XX's, and am soured on them. In my experience they don't last long enough, too many rebuilds needed, worn out body, etc.  Others love them and say they go 30,000 miles no problem. Very inclined to go the Penske route on the Tracer this time.

[2and3cylinders]

Also consider a K-Tech Razor R, VG IMO with exceptional bang for the buck.  Localish servicing is available.  Massaging of the forks in conjunction with the rear, and a better saddle and screen is essential IMO.

[Clegg78]

As everyone has mentioned - yes Ohlins rear shocks are great!  But so are Ktech, Nitron, Wilbers, etc... in fact Ktech and others can adjust length of the sock slightly, you cant do that on the Ohlins. 

With that said, use what your local suspension guy prefers (if you trust him, which you should).  I went full Ohlins front (NIX30) and back with remote reservoir and preload based on recommendations from my guy.   I am crazy happy with the results, but as mentioned - Ohlins are not magical, all upgraded suspension is magical over stock