Showa vs Ohlins - Ducati.ms

Hoogop · Nov 13th, 2007, 7:13 am

In Thread 848 there were some things said about Showa and Ohlins, so that's what this thread is all about.

Like it has been mentioned befor:

Showa gets used in SBK and MOTO GP (Sure it is not the same Showa that you will find fitted to the base Ducatis)

Ohlins gets used in SBK and MOTO GP (Sure it is not the same Ohlins that you will find fitted to the "S" and "R" Ducatis)

Now that we have that, let me get on with the thread......

As we all know, the adjustment range on the Ohlins is wider than on the Showa. Also the name "Ohlins" is much better known by people and they will also think different of you when you have them fitted to you bike. If you get your Showa suspension dailed in (by a guru) to your weight, that is Static SAG and Rider SAG, and you dail the Compression and Re-bound in to your application, and you still have a good amount of adjustment either way.......... then what is the big HOOOOO HAAAAAAA over Ohlins?

If you a regular track dayer or even club racer, how will Ohlins benefit you more over Showa then?

Mr. Code has said befor, "it is the spring that does the job, the shock is only there to control the spring"

Ben710 · Nov 13th, 2007, 8:02 am

Öhlins just has the bling factor. Imo if you buy the real race Öhlins stuff (big $), it´s a noticable difference. The road Öhlins forks with which Ducatis come stock with aren´t anything special.

I had a Showa with quite low viscous oil (Öhlins oil), a spring for my weight and rebuilt shims on my SPS, and it worked wonders.

In my opinion, it´s the oil, the shims and the springs that make the difference on standard suspension.

1fast750ss · Nov 13th, 2007, 10:21 am

Agreed as the components make the suspension, not the name. Granted my Showas on my SS were converted to Ohlins and made a WONDER of a difference in feedback and control(more confidence), TBS it's because they were built and adjusted to my specs. I could've used any other spring and rebuild kit for the forks and I'm pretty sure I couldn't tell the difference.

IIRC, the Ohlins stuff does have more adjustibilty vs the showas and some people can tell the difference between each click. I would guess that is a small portion of riders though.

This is relatively subjective as I have no technical imput to give.

DukeDesmo · Nov 13th, 2007, 11:00 am

My bike was supplied with Showa rear shock which I swapped for Ohlins.

At the time of the swap the Showa had been recently serviced and setup and had the correct spring for me so was as good as it could be (without any internal modification).

The Ohlins was also correctly sprung etc and, all settings being 'equal' I certainly noticed a smoother, plusher ride which inspires more confidence so I would certainly say that it would enable me to go faster - if that were the goal.

The difference for a fast track rider or racer would, presumably, be at least as noticeable?

2DucJ · Nov 13th, 2007, 2:26 pm

"The spring does the job" eh? What about the VALVES?!

Ohlins "Stock Stuff" has finer valving than Showa's "Stock Stuff"

The Showa stuff you see on MotoGp/SBK's bikes(Honda) are UN-obtainable by anyone outside the factory..
Ohlins, on the other hand can be bought by anyone with the money.
FWIW, I have used "worked" showa stuff and am using "worked" Ohlins stuff now...I'm sticking with Ohlins...They are better..(IMO.disclaimer)
J-

JEC · Nov 13th, 2007, 3:11 pm

Here's what Guy Martin told me regarding Showa vs Ohlins street forks (never mind the shocks, I didn't ask about them because I already have an Ohlins shock):

My bike has the stock Showas with lighter springs and oil. They work ok, but the damping mechanism is starting to stick significantly. So I asked him if I should look for some better forks off a later bike. He said no, the 916 Showas are some of the best 'basic' forks, and the "street" Ohlins items are shoddy in comparison to proper Ohlins SBK forks (which run in the tens of thousands of dollars). Later Showas were simply the same design with nitrided stanchions and different coloured legs.

A street Ohlins setup is made cheap to get it within a reasonable price range for OEM fitment. They aren't horrible, but the difference between a properly setup Showa and an Ohlins setup is negligible. He suggested the best option is to rebuild my Showas with an Ohlins' internals kit (about 400$ plus installation) and I'll have a superb set of forks for a reasonable price. So that's what I'm planning on doing.

ducat · Nov 13th, 2007, 3:47 pm

Soooooo..... Once you replace the internals whit the ohlins stuff.......excuse me, but, what is left now? Oh I know its the Showa stancheon and slider that are better? Idongetit?????

tye1138 · Nov 13th, 2007, 4:03 pm

Bah! With different valving and spring's the showa's performance can be the same or if not better then the stock Ducati ohlins. The difference is really adjustability of the system and the bling factor. The ohlins have better adjustability then the showa's. For somebody who is racing, thats a nice feature to have. Plus the design, serviceability and craftsmanship are much better then the Showa's

But if your not a pro racer needing to get that extra 2 tenths of a second off your time, the difference between a re-valved showa and ohlins is negligible on the track.

ducat · Nov 13th, 2007, 4:09 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tye1138

Bah! With different valving and spring's the showa's performance can be the same or if not better then the stock Ducati ohlins. The difference is really adjustability of the system and the bling factor. The ohlins have better adjustability then the showa's. For somebody who is racing, thats a nice feature to have. I think most of us would be hard pressed to argue the WSB internals with R&T forks isn't the best setup without going to gas charged.

My opinion, if your not a pro racer needing to get that extra 2 tenths of a second off your time, the difference between a re-valved showa and ohlins is negligible.

There you go. Whatever fork/shock you like WILL work better if you have it re-calibrated for you by a professional tuner. JMO I've had good luck setting up stock Ohlins for myself. Note I did not say great luck, I like the ride but one of my bikes in particular was a bitch to get close.

JeffKoch · Nov 13th, 2007, 6:47 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2DucJ

The Showa stuff you see on MotoGp/SBK's bikes(Honda) are UN-obtainable by anyone outside the factory.. Ohlins, on the other hand can be bought by anyone with the money...

The Ohlins you can buy are as far from the MotoGP Ohlins parts as the Showas are. Not as if it matters, since none of us on this board can ride fast enough to notice.

In my experience, the Ohlins stuff is more adjustable, but properly valved Showas are just as good if you have the correct springs.