Well I suppose it's time I got around to doing this review seeing as how there appears to be more people thinking of replacing their standard shock.
There are a few reasons why I have put this off for so long. The main one was to make sure I could give a comprehensive review of the unit under all conditions. Apart from that there was the fact that I'm not a journalist and was unsure as to how I was going to format the whole thing, and of course there was the huge dollop of procrastination.
I guess I should start at the beginning. With my first niner I managed to get the front under control by blending various types of hydraulic oil until I got a viscosity that worked for me but all this did in the end was to show just how bad the rear was.
At that time I was not prepared to spend what is to most people a large amount of money on something that to my mind was not going to be any better than an oem unit. My reasoning for this was that Yamaha own Ãhlins and as such I would expect their shocks to be optimum for the bike.
After two Mot advisories about the rear shock I started trawling eBay for a replacement. I managed to find a 6000 mile oem shock and got it for a song. It was in excellent condition and went on straight away but to my amazement made little or no difference to the handling compared to a shock that had done over 120000 miles, this gave me pause for thought.
Fast forward to eighteen months ago. I bought a tuned niner from Dandy and ride it down from Scotland, apart from the engine work it also came with race tech gold valves in the front and a fournales shock in the rear. The front was nice but I did not like the rear one bit, while it gave a smooth ride, any attempt at pushing on caused it to skip and jump around until you found yourself crossing the white line. The following morning saw the nearly new shock from the other bike being put in the new one . Better though it was, I found myself back at square one and not happy with the handling of the rear.
All of the above led me to the only conclusion possible, I would have to bite the bullet and shell out for an after market unit. Now while I might have come this far I am after all still tight fisted, therefore I wanted a good shock for not much money.
Everyone knows that Ãhlins make the best shocks right, but at 500 Plus gbp for a basic model I thought I'd have a look around.
You can see the post of my different options at <a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.carpe-tdm.net/ipb/index.php?showtopic=30271&view=&hl=&fromsearch=1">http://www.carpe-tdm.net/ipb/index.php?showtopic=30271&view=&hl=&fromsearch=1</a>
While the decision making process was a rather protracted and tortuous affair for me, after six months I finally settled on the mid range nitron unit for 550 gbp and purchased it from wemoto.
Â
![[Image: th_T2eC16RHJHgE9n0yFl6hBRIvVC6FQ60_57_zpsxpfexvhm.jpg]](http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb310/celticbiker/Mobile%20Uploads/th_T2eC16RHJHgE9n0yFl6hBRIvVC6FQ60_57_zpsxpfexvhm.jpg)
Â
That's a generic image btw. The TDM model comes as a piggy back unit like the original.
As with nearly all after market units this shock is tailored to the riders weight, whether a pillion is carried, luggage use and of course the type of riding you will most often engage in.
The ordering process was painless and delivery was estimated at six weeks. Two weeks later the new shock arrived.
On opening it was clear the unit had been well packed and also contained a booklet detailing the spring rate and compression settings and also some information about correct suspension set up. Also included was an aluminum pre load adjuster and new bolts.
The unit appears to be well made with all components machined from billet and titanium plated for corrosion resistance. Also of note is that the unit weighs a lot less than an oem unit.
Fitting is a cinch, if you have a centre stand it can even be done without removing anything else and takes about twenty minutes. Now for the bit you've been waiting for.
First thing to notice is that there is a dramatic reduction in static sag (Now about 5mm). First compression reveals something else, it returns to the same position and stops. Oem sag was 15-20mm and when compressed, rebounded past it's start point then settled down. Even full rebound damping couldn't solve this.
Sitting on the bike for the first time feels completely different and shows that they really have matched the spring and damping to your requirements and not just made it up. It feels much firmer and you don't notice that the spring has compressed until you unload it
First ride.
Well this has given me a lot of trouble, it's easy to throw around words like well composed, more stable, predictable, and it is all of that, but I wanted to try to convey just how good this shock is and why, and that is not easy to put into words.
The first thing you'll notice is that the bike is more poised on the move (see what I mean, not quite the right word but can't think of a better one), that is to say that when moving and negotiating bumps/holes on the roads surface the seat/frame no longer moves, it stays level and the wheel goes up and down. Now you might say "that's how it's supposed to work" and you'd be right, you might even say "mine does that anyway" but you'd be wrong. I always thought mine was pretty well set up, given the amount of time and miles I put in but I wasn't just wrong I was very wrong.
The damping on this unit is exceptional. At first I was a little unhappy with the high speed damping because it was very hard and made for an uncomfortable ride, leading me to think I should have stumped up the extra for the full race spec so I could soften it a touch. This was unfounded though. I don't know the exact reason but after about 400 miles it seemed to knock the edges off and that's when you really feel the difference. You can feel (and I really mean this) every stone, every twig and even the grain in the smoother kind of surfacing. Far from being a the bad thing you might think this to be, it's actually very reassuring. It's not uncomfortable but it does mean that you can feel exactly what the tyre is doing at any given moment and this is solely due to the way the high speed damping works.
Cornering with this shock has been a real eye opener. Normally when cornering you will assess entry speed, road conditions, apex, acceleration point etc, then turn in allowing for frame flex, drift, and any movement that may occur due to missed bumps or other hazards. You have none of these concerns with the Nitron shock. All the assessments done, a firm push on the bars and the bike turns instantly,which means you can ride further into the bend before turning in, giving you a much clearer view through the turn. Having turned in and aiming for your chosen apex, that is exactly where you will end up regardless of the road surface. The slow speed (user adjustable) damping allows the wheel to track the undulations of the road in a way you will never have felt before, keeping the tyre in constant contact with the tarmac providing excellent grip and constant feed back. This has the happy side effect of making mid corner direction changes swift and precise. Chicanes are a breeze too, there is no apexing when flipping from one side to the other and the tyre is loaded smoothly and progressively preventing any chance of it breaking away, even in the wet. Â
I like to accelerate before I hit the apex, but whatever your preference the nitron will not disappoint. When you hit the afterburners the compression damping comes alive. There is no squatting, none, and you can feel every last bit of power being put down on the road and thanks to the high speed damping you can feel it biting in. I ride in any weather and recently we have had some torrential rain giving me the chance to really push this shock. I have been violent in the extreme under acceleration and could not get the rear to break away. Only once did I get a slide and that was hitting a patch of diesel at a high lean angle at 70mph. Yes it slid but even that was a pleasure, I was braced waiting for the snap but no, the front stayed on line while the back came around slow and predictable. Easing off the gas and regaining traction didn't provide the high side you might expect, the damping just soaked it up and sent me on my way.Â
That pretty much covers all the basics of this shock. The only thing left to say is that this shock actually performs better the harder you push it.
I ride 100 miles a day on my regular commute and my cornering speed in my favourite series of bends has gone from 65 to 80 and still feels like it can be pushed harder.
Would I recommend this shock? Without hesitation.
That is to say, if you want to make an improvement in your TDM and have some money to spare or are going to buy a shock anyway then the Nitron shock is the way to go. I don't have the luxury of comparing this to another high end shock but don't think I need to either.
The only other thing I would suggest is that you might think about upgrading the front end with bespoke springs and race tech gold valves to compliment your new nitron shock.
If you ever see me out on the old dusty trail I challenge anyone to ride my bike and not love the way it handles now. From now on when I buy a bike, along with tyres, chain and sprockets, pads and fluids I will be replacing the rear shock with a Nitron unit.
Hope this has been helpful.
Happy trails.
CB
There are a few reasons why I have put this off for so long. The main one was to make sure I could give a comprehensive review of the unit under all conditions. Apart from that there was the fact that I'm not a journalist and was unsure as to how I was going to format the whole thing, and of course there was the huge dollop of procrastination.
I guess I should start at the beginning. With my first niner I managed to get the front under control by blending various types of hydraulic oil until I got a viscosity that worked for me but all this did in the end was to show just how bad the rear was.
At that time I was not prepared to spend what is to most people a large amount of money on something that to my mind was not going to be any better than an oem unit. My reasoning for this was that Yamaha own Ãhlins and as such I would expect their shocks to be optimum for the bike.
After two Mot advisories about the rear shock I started trawling eBay for a replacement. I managed to find a 6000 mile oem shock and got it for a song. It was in excellent condition and went on straight away but to my amazement made little or no difference to the handling compared to a shock that had done over 120000 miles, this gave me pause for thought.
Fast forward to eighteen months ago. I bought a tuned niner from Dandy and ride it down from Scotland, apart from the engine work it also came with race tech gold valves in the front and a fournales shock in the rear. The front was nice but I did not like the rear one bit, while it gave a smooth ride, any attempt at pushing on caused it to skip and jump around until you found yourself crossing the white line. The following morning saw the nearly new shock from the other bike being put in the new one . Better though it was, I found myself back at square one and not happy with the handling of the rear.
All of the above led me to the only conclusion possible, I would have to bite the bullet and shell out for an after market unit. Now while I might have come this far I am after all still tight fisted, therefore I wanted a good shock for not much money.
Everyone knows that Ãhlins make the best shocks right, but at 500 Plus gbp for a basic model I thought I'd have a look around.
You can see the post of my different options at <a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.carpe-tdm.net/ipb/index.php?showtopic=30271&view=&hl=&fromsearch=1">http://www.carpe-tdm.net/ipb/index.php?showtopic=30271&view=&hl=&fromsearch=1</a>
While the decision making process was a rather protracted and tortuous affair for me, after six months I finally settled on the mid range nitron unit for 550 gbp and purchased it from wemoto.
Â
![[Image: th_T2eC16RHJHgE9n0yFl6hBRIvVC6FQ60_57_zpsxpfexvhm.jpg]](http://s207.photobucket.com/user/celticbiker/media/Mobile%20Uploads/T2eC16RHJHgE9n0yFl6hBRIvVC6FQ60_57_zpsxpfexvhm.jpg.html)
Â
That's a generic image btw. The TDM model comes as a piggy back unit like the original.
As with nearly all after market units this shock is tailored to the riders weight, whether a pillion is carried, luggage use and of course the type of riding you will most often engage in.
The ordering process was painless and delivery was estimated at six weeks. Two weeks later the new shock arrived.
On opening it was clear the unit had been well packed and also contained a booklet detailing the spring rate and compression settings and also some information about correct suspension set up. Also included was an aluminum pre load adjuster and new bolts.
The unit appears to be well made with all components machined from billet and titanium plated for corrosion resistance. Also of note is that the unit weighs a lot less than an oem unit.
Fitting is a cinch, if you have a centre stand it can even be done without removing anything else and takes about twenty minutes. Now for the bit you've been waiting for.
First thing to notice is that there is a dramatic reduction in static sag (Now about 5mm). First compression reveals something else, it returns to the same position and stops. Oem sag was 15-20mm and when compressed, rebounded past it's start point then settled down. Even full rebound damping couldn't solve this.
Sitting on the bike for the first time feels completely different and shows that they really have matched the spring and damping to your requirements and not just made it up. It feels much firmer and you don't notice that the spring has compressed until you unload it
First ride.
Well this has given me a lot of trouble, it's easy to throw around words like well composed, more stable, predictable, and it is all of that, but I wanted to try to convey just how good this shock is and why, and that is not easy to put into words.
The first thing you'll notice is that the bike is more poised on the move (see what I mean, not quite the right word but can't think of a better one), that is to say that when moving and negotiating bumps/holes on the roads surface the seat/frame no longer moves, it stays level and the wheel goes up and down. Now you might say "that's how it's supposed to work" and you'd be right, you might even say "mine does that anyway" but you'd be wrong. I always thought mine was pretty well set up, given the amount of time and miles I put in but I wasn't just wrong I was very wrong.
The damping on this unit is exceptional. At first I was a little unhappy with the high speed damping because it was very hard and made for an uncomfortable ride, leading me to think I should have stumped up the extra for the full race spec so I could soften it a touch. This was unfounded though. I don't know the exact reason but after about 400 miles it seemed to knock the edges off and that's when you really feel the difference. You can feel (and I really mean this) every stone, every twig and even the grain in the smoother kind of surfacing. Far from being a the bad thing you might think this to be, it's actually very reassuring. It's not uncomfortable but it does mean that you can feel exactly what the tyre is doing at any given moment and this is solely due to the way the high speed damping works.
Cornering with this shock has been a real eye opener. Normally when cornering you will assess entry speed, road conditions, apex, acceleration point etc, then turn in allowing for frame flex, drift, and any movement that may occur due to missed bumps or other hazards. You have none of these concerns with the Nitron shock. All the assessments done, a firm push on the bars and the bike turns instantly,which means you can ride further into the bend before turning in, giving you a much clearer view through the turn. Having turned in and aiming for your chosen apex, that is exactly where you will end up regardless of the road surface. The slow speed (user adjustable) damping allows the wheel to track the undulations of the road in a way you will never have felt before, keeping the tyre in constant contact with the tarmac providing excellent grip and constant feed back. This has the happy side effect of making mid corner direction changes swift and precise. Chicanes are a breeze too, there is no apexing when flipping from one side to the other and the tyre is loaded smoothly and progressively preventing any chance of it breaking away, even in the wet. Â
I like to accelerate before I hit the apex, but whatever your preference the nitron will not disappoint. When you hit the afterburners the compression damping comes alive. There is no squatting, none, and you can feel every last bit of power being put down on the road and thanks to the high speed damping you can feel it biting in. I ride in any weather and recently we have had some torrential rain giving me the chance to really push this shock. I have been violent in the extreme under acceleration and could not get the rear to break away. Only once did I get a slide and that was hitting a patch of diesel at a high lean angle at 70mph. Yes it slid but even that was a pleasure, I was braced waiting for the snap but no, the front stayed on line while the back came around slow and predictable. Easing off the gas and regaining traction didn't provide the high side you might expect, the damping just soaked it up and sent me on my way.Â
That pretty much covers all the basics of this shock. The only thing left to say is that this shock actually performs better the harder you push it.
I ride 100 miles a day on my regular commute and my cornering speed in my favourite series of bends has gone from 65 to 80 and still feels like it can be pushed harder.
Would I recommend this shock? Without hesitation.
That is to say, if you want to make an improvement in your TDM and have some money to spare or are going to buy a shock anyway then the Nitron shock is the way to go. I don't have the luxury of comparing this to another high end shock but don't think I need to either.
The only other thing I would suggest is that you might think about upgrading the front end with bespoke springs and race tech gold valves to compliment your new nitron shock.
If you ever see me out on the old dusty trail I challenge anyone to ride my bike and not love the way it handles now. From now on when I buy a bike, along with tyres, chain and sprockets, pads and fluids I will be replacing the rear shock with a Nitron unit.
Hope this has been helpful.
Happy trails.
CB
![[Image: th_twins.jpg]](http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb310/celticbiker/?action=view¤t=twins.jpg)
![[Image: brandbar.gif]](http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb310/celticbiker/brandbar.gif)
![[Image: bike_header.jpg]](http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb310/celticbiker/bike_header.jpg)
![[Image: ring-logo.jpg]](http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb310/celticbiker/ring-logo.jpg){kind=logo}
![[Image: Hein-Gericke.png]](http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb310/celticbiker/Hein-Gericke.png)
![[Image: Aeroteklogo.jpg]](http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb310/celticbiker/Aeroteklogo.jpg)
![[Image: Rikycrosslogo.jpg]](http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb310/celticbiker/Rikycrosslogo.jpg)
<!--sizeo:3--><!--/sizeo-->(\__/) This is bunny. Copy and paste
(x'.'x) bunny onto your page to help
(")-(") him gain world domination!<!--sizec--><!--/sizec-->
![[Image: Scotland_180-animated-flag-gifs.gif]](https://www.crossed-flag-pins.com/animated-flag-gif/gifs/Scotland_180-animated-flag-gifs.gif)
![[Image: mccoy.gif]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v641/dandyworhol/mccoy.gif)