I am considering changing out the Sachs rear shock for the Ohlins. Has anybody any views or advice on this? Will there be an identifiable positive change to the already pretty good handling or is it just "jewellery"? It seems to me that for a bike this good it should have the best equipment available. Someone mentioned that Sachs is quite low down in the pecking order. Thanks for any intelligent input.

-- Mark G. Czajka (Czajk00@aol.com), May 14, 2003

Answers

Mark,

Without a doubt Ohlins are a much higher quality unit but unless you are going to push the Sachs unit to the max the difference in handling would probably be minimal. If you were going to race or do a lot of track days then changing over would probably be no more than "jewellery".

As you have said they handle pretty good standard.

Just my opinion though.

-- Tony Hilson (thilson@talk21.com), May 15, 2003.

Mark,

I just changed the Sachs for the Ohlins today, so hope to know in a few weeks if the differants are worth the money!

-- Robert (robert@tammerijn.nl), May 15, 2003.

See my reply to the other question today - 'Why doesn't MV use Brembo or Ohlins'

-- John Billett (john.billett@totalise.co.uk), May 21, 2003.

while I have not personally ridden the MV with the Ohlins I love there shocks. They have made a huge difference in how another bike of mine handles and the stock suspension was excellent. They are a superb product. With that said, The handling of the MV with the stock suspension has proved on road and track for me impicable, planted, and beyond any expectation. I "might" consider a change out if and when the stockers should fail, (though I already have a spare Sach's rear unit in the garage), but only out of my experience with the Ohlins and the rebuild potential, not becouse of any expected improvement.

>from John's Post... Incidentally, in the June 2001 issue of the same magazine, another (4 bike) comparison test included a version of a standard F4S, that had been modified by a well known dealer who were selling it as their own expensive special edition. Most of the modifications were cosmetic, but it had been given Ohlins front and rear. One of the comments from that test went as follows - 'Sadly six extra big ones get you a lot more shiny bits and bu**er all else. Roasted dragons didn't help the track performance and, unusually, nor did the Ohlins suspension. The standard Showa kit is superb and developed with the bike by Tamburini, arguably the world's best designer. You can't top that by slapping on ready-to-wear trick bits, even Ohlins........Such a shame because a standard F4S is utterly brilliant'.

So who needs Brembo's and Ohlins anyway?

...says it all.

Scot

-- Scot Hennon (smhennon@alltel.net), May 22, 2003.