Ohlins Shock on First Gen. SV

[grasshopper]

Is anyone using an Ohlins Shock on their first Generation SV? Anyone have ride height problems? I can't seem to get enough ride height. I have the spring for my weight, but it seems like the Ass end of my bike is sitting too low?

I'm in the process of making a spacer to bring ithe rear up a bit, but I'm wondering if I'm the only one.

Thanks,

Nick

[grasshopper]

Oh, by the way, I have my ride height, the adjusment on the bottom of the shock pretty much maxed.

[Super Dave]

You can get different bottom clevises for the Ohlin's shock.

What ride height to use?  Well, I get my bikes GMD'd by http://4and6.com , so I get a ball park of what I need.

Spring rates and dampening issues can give one symptoms of being too low in the back when the real cause is someplace else.

[chris_chops]

Oh, by the way, I have my ride height, the adjusment on the bottom of the shock pretty much maxed.

Grasshopper,
     We should be able to handle this down at Superbike Italia in Lemont, IL.  We are the midwest Ohlins Service Center/Distributer and can have access to the specs you need.  Give us a call, Ken or Matt: 630 243 9633.

[grasshopper]

Thanks Matt!  :)

I will definitely be giving you a call.

I did call Ohlins and the tech I talked to couldn't give me a staight answer about a clevis for my SV. He took my info and said he'd get back to me.

Dave and Matt thanks for the response on this thread.

[james-redsv]

Your shock length should be 13 5/8 from eye to eye. Raise your forks 10mm from top of triples to top of cap. Anymore rear ride height and you will start pulling on the swingarm at the wrong angle and start loosing rear traction. Your ohlins shock should get you to that length easily. You dont have it too high already do you?

[Super Dave]

You've got to take into account the tire you use...they have different heights.

And if your gearing is different where the effective swingarm length is different, it will all change too.

[grasshopper]

Lots of factors to take into account, still lots of time to play.

I know one thing for sure. Michilen tires are DEFINITELY a taller tire than a Dunlop. I like the Dunlops better for sure so I'm sticking with those for this coming season.

My forks are raised 10mm from top of triples to top of cap.

The ride height on the shock is almost completely maxed out.

I called Ohlins about the issue and the tech said he's had a number of different people call about the same problem with a SV and that shock. He took my information and is going to investigate.

I'm just going to keep playing with it and have fun

You can take a look at my ride height issue by looking at these pictures.

I took the lower half of my bodywork off and mounted my belly pan that I normally have on my street SV for the last races at Blackhawk. I never have any problems with with the other SV dragging the belly pan (It has a gixxer shock) and I still dragged the shit out of that on the race bike.

http://sliderphoto.com/bin/photos.asp?Racer=444&Event=091804

http://sliderphoto.com/bin/photos.asp?Racer=444&Event=071704

[Super Dave]

Michelin fronts[/i] have traditionally been taller.  Rears have been shorter.  And the new generation tires for 2005 are supposed to be different.

[james-redsv]

Dude, you cant tell what is going on with your ride height by some race pics!!??!! First off it sounds like you have a shock that too short for your bike. I have an ohlins rear shock on mine but its was origionaly for a GSXR which is about 8mm longer than the stock SVs to begin with. I also added about 20mm more length by adjusting the bottom mount. There is still plenty of adjustment left on my shock, probally could go another 20mm higher if I wanted. You have a GSXR shock on your street SV so that is why it aint dragging,its longer that a stock SV shock. You probally have a Ohlins shock made for an SV on your race bike so it starts out at the stock length and must run out of adjustment before it gets long enough. The only way to tell is to take the shock off and measure the length and see if you can get it to 13 5/8 long. If you cant get it at least that long you are going to need a longer adjustment eye or a longer GSXR shock.

[Super Dave]

I'll agree and disagree.

If the bike comes with body work, like a new 600, etc... the body lines follow a certain plain.  It's pretty easy to take some good examples here and there and see what your bike looks like.  It will give one a feeling of how the attitude of the bike is.  

I know that I have used some pictures of my students to lead them on to questions that gave me answers that related back to their bike, no necessarily their riding.  Often, they were riding in a way to change their input into the bike to make it feel better so they wouldn't have the poor feeling that riding it in a more conventional manner.

SV's...well, yeah, how do you mount it.  

G-hopper had the GSXR shock on his street bike, not his race bike, if I'm still reading correctly.  But he used his Street SV lower on his race bike.

Still draggin' the other lower.

So, questions have to follow...you have the correct spring?  It has to support three things...I'll let you figure that out.

[grasshopper]

^

 ;D

See! Dave will be so proud when I figure this whole thing out and start winning races!!!

Wait a minute, let me rephrase that,

"Dave will be proud after I take his school, FIGURE THIS WHOLE THING OUT, and start winning races!

Instead of taking Bruers school,

Correct DAVE??? ??? :o