by zenodamper » Sun Mar 04, 2012 12:46 pm
A quality shock is a quality shock for a reason - usually to do with the sum of its parts to how its design works, and of course the amount of spares one can easily buy/lay hands on, so as to keep it keeping on as the miles tick by beneath the tyres....
For 20 odd years, for me, Ohlin's & Penske. Units that are in essence quite different to each other, yet both have their own special points or qualities - knowing when to choose, or use which is the "rub" of course.
Just as: if my 600's kept their engines going for 350K (which I will not these days), equally I could keep any of the 3 brands of shock I sell going - it is simply a matter of piston/shaft/barrel and ancillaries like seals and bushings - change them at the various service points, then no problem - naturally this does not apply to OEM cast shocks with their poxy (to use the old term) rubber diaphragms, aka bladders; these shocks do something for a while, and if one is happy with that level, then so be it, but they will not do it forever...!
As it is I use TTX's in my 600RR's, a shock that for the last 5 years has been much fun along the journey of its development - indeed, the same shocks, I think I have 4 or 5 of them have been constantly upgraded/dated as time has moved by and leaps in tech. or ideas for parts organising have come to light.
As to the possibility of cross fitting Penske 8983's, yes, I can do it - always have, and usually I have some barrels, shafts and other parts sitting on the shelf so as to make this a reality; the changing of CBR Penske's to R6's; or Gixxer to ZX etc etc... The point of that is that it is not new or even that hard, it is purely a matter of it sitting in the job queue.
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cheers j