Ohlins advice

[Huzo]

Has anyone put an Ohlins rear shock on a Norge ?

[turboguzzi]

Huzo, it costs more than the bike, mind.... :)

[Huzo]

Huzo, it costs more than the bike, mind.... :)

I definitely paid more for the bike than an Ohlins unit. You might be making the point that a 2007 Norge is not valuable enough to deserve one ?
Possibly so, but what should I do now that the bike needs one ?

[Turin]

Any other options or anything else that will fit?

[Perazzimx14]

Ohlin's makes very nice shocks but they are 1st and foremost race focused with performance coming way before longevity. There are lots of other quality shocks that have a better balance between performance and longevity for non-race use.

[PeteS]

If you plan on keeping the bike, go for the Ohlins. Life’s short.

Pete

[Huzo]

Hmm…
Both excellent replies, I agree with both.
This is a bike I will never sell, I’ve proven that.
So do I follow heart or head?
I want to get it to 300,000 k..
It turned 100,000 outside Paris in 2016

and 200,000 at Como in 2022.


The intention is to turn 300,000 in Australia this time.
Now what was that comment about the shock being worth more than the bike ?

[Rebochi]

    ! have a Penske on my 1200S. I like it and it is a huge improvement over the stock shock.  With luggage at speed on rough roads  the stock set up would wallow, nothing dangerous just slightly disturbing.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Back when I had the 07 Norge, Wilbers was the hot setup out in SoCal.

[faffi]

I have read a lot of negative comments about Wilbers, and if the Wilbers-equipped Triumph Tiger my brother owned is representative, I would say they deserve the negativity.

The Ohlins shock on my BMW F800ST was simply superb. Utterly comfortable yet total control on every kind of road. Regardless, getting the shock made for your needs is probably more important than the brand.

[blu guzz]

I've had them and since riding is a sensory experience, I felt they were worth the high price.  Keep the old stock shock and if for some reason you sell the bike, put that back in and sell the Ohlins separately.  Also, they are rebuildable. Life is short.

[kingoffleece]

I had one in my Norge.  Transformed the bike.  Assisted Hamlin in installing quite a few of these into the Norge bikes he sold.  Nobody complained.

[Dave Swanson]

I had one in my Norge.  Transformed the bike.  Assisted Hamlin in installing quite a few of these into the Norge bikes he sold.  Nobody complained.

Ohlins or Wilburs? 

[Vagrant]

I just bought another Shock factory shock for my new v85. $575 to my door with all fees. Great deal and a good shock. I've got 40,000 on my other one.

[Gusable]

Personally I’d do the Ohlins if able to.  Life is SHORT.  Take an already fantastic motorcycle to the next level

[Huzo]

Personally I’d do the Ohlins if able to.  Life is SHORT.  Take an already fantastic motorcycle to the next level

I know what I’ll think if I don’t and it’ll drive me (more) mad…

[SemperVee]

Here ya go Pete,
No tariff nonsense for you to deal with for a pair of Norge shocks..


https://www.bikehps.com/acatalog/Nitron_Adventure_Series_Shocks_for_Moto_Guzzi_Motorcycles.html

https://www.brooksuspension.co.uk/motorcycle-shock-absorbers/moto-guzzi-norge-1200-nitron-r3-shock-absorber-06-14

https://www.gutsibits.co.uk/pr/TheShop/index.php?f=e&Shnew=&Model=&ModelName=All+Models&Cat=SUA&CatName=Suspension&spPage=4&Sort=TitleDesc

[Frenchfrog]

Shock Factory are the go to brand with allthe French guzzistis : great performance at a very keen price.I dont think that there is a more competitive manufacturer around

[Huzo]

 :cry:I’d love to have my current Nitron refurbished, but I just don’t trust anyone to do it properly. It’s just so damn easy for them to pull it apart, spray it with WD40 or similar and give it back to me.
I won’t know I’ve been ripped off until I head off down the road on it…
The new Nitron is tempting, I have not seen a definitive price to my door on a comparable Ohlins product.
But I think it’s Nitron or Ohlins.
Thanks SemperVee and others for your collective input.

[Huzo]

I think this is the one..

[guzzler]

:cry:I’d love to have my current Nitron refurbished, but I just don’t trust anyone to do it properly. It’s just so damn easy for them to pull it apart, spray it with WD40 or similar and give it back to me.
I won’t know I’ve been ripped off until I head off down the road on it…
The new Nitron is tempting, I have not seen a definitive price to my door on a comparable Ohlins product.
But I think it’s Nitron or Ohlins.
Thanks SemperVee and others for your collective input.

Mate, try Promecha in Mulgrave/ Melbourne.
He knows what he's doing and been doin it for a long time...
My Hyperpro shock was serviced by Peter and he also modded the forks on the V11 Sport!
I reckon he'd be able to sort your Nitron for you
Cheers
 

[Huzo]

Mate, try Promecha in Mulgrave/ Melbourne.
He knows what he's doing and been doin it for a long time...
My Hyperpro shock was serviced by Peter and he also modded the forks on the V11 Sport!
I reckon he'd be able to sort your Nitron for you
Cheers

Ok Guzz…
Mulgrave’s pretty close, I’ll give them a call tomorrow..

[SemperVee]

 One more I forgot is from here in Las Vegas...   They carry the Matris shock

https://www.bellissimoto.com/

[Huzo]

I know it’s an affair of the heart, but I see a beautiful Italian lady in a red dress.


I remember this wine soaked evening in a warm Southern Italian village and now I can’t imagine her in anything other than gold earrings….
<br /
I think I’m head over heels.

[DoubleGuzzi]

Huzo needs (more of) his meds! 

[Dukedesmo]

My Guzzi has very basic (50 year old) suspension which can be a tad teeth-jarring on rough surfaces but I doubt Ohlins make anything for it so I live with the authenticity but I do have Ohlins shocks on both my Ducatis and they are excellent. So good that I don't even notice them, once setup for my weight etc. they just work faultlessly and no longevity issues either.


I also have Ohlins forks on my 916 which also work perfectly being both supple and firm at the same time but they do require new seals every few years as they start to leak.

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

For keeping the bike long term, another potential benefit to the Öhlins is that they can be serviced and rebuilt. Once some motorcycles become "vintage", it can otherwise be especially hard to address things like a factory shock leaking oil. Öhlins do tend to recommend rebuilding the suspension every 20k-30k miles on street bikes though. My experience with having a rear shock rebuilt (mono shock bike) at 25k miles was that it ran about half the list price of the shock.

Certainly not Guzzi content, but I have Öhlins front and rear on a 2021 Honda Trail 125. $1,200 suspension into a $4k MSRP bike. Very happy with the setup as that's what was available of reputable quality at the time the bike had just come to the USA. It's provided enough comfort to ride the bike coast to coast across the USA, and quite a few other long distance trips the past few years. IMO the value of the bike it's going into isn't as relevant as the use you will get from it. I would likely not buy it again on a new CT125, not because it's not been a good setup, but because cheaper options of good quality have hit the market in the years since, and with emulator valves (e.g. RacingBros).

[SemperVee]

  IF I were to purchase a new shock for my Norge this is where I would be spending my money... $400 USD/390Euro

https://www.windingroads.co.uk/brand/shock-factory-uk/moto-guzzi-shock-absorbers/moto-guzzi-uk-shock-absorbers

[Huzo]

Well…?
At least the spring is the right colour.

[Huzo]

Okay…
Suspense is over, I bought this today.