haha.
I really like my Penske, but with suspension I would rarely buy used unless I was planning on having it rebuilt immediately. With forks I'd be interested to see what the fork oil was like, the seals, the spring rate, etc. For shocks, the gas charge, the seals, the springs, etc.
For a Penske, the 8983 (replaced the 8981) is great for "mostly street, with some track" riders, and the 8987 for track enthusiasts. The 8970, which is much more expensive, has finer adjustments (over the same total range) than the 8987 and is otherwise the same. It was for research and race teams. I was on the phone with the Penske guys just the other day (tuesday of this last week) asking them all sorts of questions about getting a shock built for a 907ie. I learned a lot about their products. I have a Penske on my M900, and got it through Traxxion Dynamics several years ago.
At the time, the fact that it was black and was told it was comparable to Ohlins is why I chose it. Price was not much different than Ohlins. I am now aware that Ohlins are available in black by special order for a premium (thanks to Kopfjager who gave me another way to blow my money), I will be getting a black Ohlins shock for my 748/996 project bike.
That's what I was thinking about used shocks...may not be the best idea. The ones I'm looking at have springs rated for different riders anyway. I'd be getting a rebuild for sure, but I'm guessing it would end up bringing the total to a new shock.
Thanks again for the help!
