Unreal Ohlins pricing!

badger · 06-21-2005, 04:52 PM

So...

My daughter stepped on the adjuster knob while she was riding 2 up and broke off the bracket. These things happen.

I figure I'll call Ohlins, tell them the truth and pay the $10-15 they'll gouge me for a piece of flat aluminum with 3 holes in it.

I was sure the guy was looking at the wrong part or part number when he told me $57.63. I told him I didn't need the adjuster, just the flat bracket. $57.63. I said, I was looking for just the L shaped bracket, was he sure he was getting the right part number...he said $57.63.

I said, no thank you. I'll just go to the scrap aluminum pile and save myself $57.13 (Electricity costs something ya know)

Unbelievable.

Steve Carlton · 06-21-2005, 05:28 PM

Don't worry about it. The Ohlins piece would have broken on you soon anyway. Mine only lasted a few thousand miles, and I believe that's the typical experience.

John Lyon · 06-21-2005, 05:43 PM

My #1 thing in motorcycling is low maintenance. If Ohlin parts really break that quickly, I don't care about a plush ride that much (this is the street after all), I'll stay with the stockers forever.....

Jeff Williams · 06-21-2005, 06:19 PM

badger,
mine broke 2 months ago.
Go to the ace hardware and get a strip of Al 2" X 1/8 thickness.
Put the broken bracket on the strip and draw two brackets.
cut them out drill them glue them together and their you go.
The cost will be about $3.00 and 1 1/2 hours labor.
BTW paint it black. and use a plastic washer between the frame and the Al.
cya
jeff

Steve Carlton · 06-21-2005, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by John Lyon
My #1 thing in motorcycling is low maintenance. If Ohlin parts really break that quickly, I don't care about a plush ride that much (this is the street after all), I'll stay with the stockers forever.....

That 2" piece of flat metal doesn't represent Ohlins quality. Who knows where they got it from, but it definately is a POS. Stock shocks are going to be begging for mercy after about 15-20K miles, and it's not practical to rebuild the standard Showas. The sport Showas, I dunno, but probably not worth it, either.

I had the dealer make me another bracket when it was in for service anyway, and it looks original. Had it on a zip-tie temporarily.

Jeff Williams · 06-21-2005, 07:12 PM

Steve,
you saw my bike with the bracket didn't you?
I think it looks pretty

AND a broken bracket doesn't represent Ohlins quality IMO, just poor design.
cya
jeff

Steve Carlton · 06-21-2005, 08:05 PM

Didn't see your bracket, Jeff. Couldn't get my eyes off your wheels...

Jeff Williams · 06-21-2005, 08:46 PM

BLING

roger albert · 06-22-2005, 10:44 AM

Wow, I've been lucky. 22k miles and counting on mine.
I've cable tied it as a tether/insurance though.

Foregoing a great set of shocks for crappy stockers to avoid making a $5 bracket seems whacky though.

John Lyon · 06-22-2005, 01:42 PM

Whacky perhaps, but in my business getting it 95% right doesn't cut it. This is just my personal priority, of course, but it pisses me off to no end to have to spend my time fixing something that's strictly due to someone else's laziness or sloppiness.

At the end of the day, though, I'm sure I'll get Ohlins like everyone else when my stockers are shot.

roger albert · 06-22-2005, 01:47 PM

I understand John. Shouldn't be that cheezy.
My point is that it's a LOT easier to make the Öhlins virtually perfect via a $5 bracket (and/or a 3cent cable tie) than to get the stockers to behave like proper shocks. Again, it's annoying, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot to punish those swedes.

Any company is going to have a problem sneak through to the consumer once in a while. Also, I'd argue (because I'm just that kind of guy) that they got it a LOT more than 95% right. 99.x%. Still, I hear you.
For the cost of them, they should send people with broken ones, a new bracket.

dee jones · 06-22-2005, 01:57 PM

Could one of you fine gentlemen please post a picture so we can see where that little right angle bracket goes? That might give us a better idea . I don't guess that the mounting positon takes on anymore vibration at one point than another and could be causing it to fail? I also have a set of ohlins to mount and I'am fishing for mounting ideas, for the shocks. Thanks Dee Jones

badger · 06-22-2005, 02:33 PM

Ok,
Here's a picture of the bracket from the right side (adjuster is on the right side)

Here's the bracket from the left side of the bike:

And this shows how thick the Aluminum is :

yetidave · 06-22-2005, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by John Lyon
Whacky perhaps, but in my business getting it 95% right doesn't cut it. This is just my personal priority, of course, but it pisses me off to no end to have to spend my time fixing something that's strictly due to someone else's laziness or sloppiness.

At the end of the day, though, I'm sure I'll get Ohlins like everyone else when my stockers are shot.

They'll make you feeeeeel good.

Rear Ohlins

John Lyon · 06-22-2005, 03:01 PM

Well, the bracket seems thick enough from the picture. This is a part that should probably be made of steel.

badger · 06-22-2005, 03:04 PM

That's the bracket I made. The original was about 2/3 as thick and was an L bracket instead of a triangular, drilled bracket.

JonyRR · 06-22-2005, 03:10 PM

so swat the fly with a sledgehammer like I did; strip the subframe to bare metal; carve off all the superfluous bracketry, then TIG a steel bracket in the same place as the stocker's adjustment knob, then mount the Ohlins adjustor in that location. For $250.00 US, I'll do yours also....

JonyRR · 06-22-2005, 03:14 PM

including powdercoating to match the OEM paint in either satin black or silver (I spent most of one day custom-mixing powder to match the OEM silver on the main frame spars)

John Lyon · 06-22-2005, 03:19 PM

That little accomplishment deserves a cannon blast, don't you think!

dee jones · 06-22-2005, 06:05 PM

Badger , thanks for the pictures that helps me understand the mounting a little better. And a cannon blast for sure.