Ohlins DU-737 replacement shock

[freeclimbmtb]

Finally starting to think about making the commitment and buying the ohlins rear shock upgrade (DU-737)...did some looking online and found quite a range in the sale price...

http://www.store.commoto.com/ducatistoremonster6967961100suspension-ducatimonster696ohlinsrearshock-p-100523.html

http://www.helmetheadcycle.com/product/5030/ohlins-du-737-motorcycle-shock

http://www.advancedmotorsports.com/Ohlins-SBK-Style-rear-shock-absorber-M696-796-1100-p/36520861a.htm

I mean I could see a little dealer markup...but $1200?!?!   


I know the part numbers jive, but I just want to make sure I'm getting the right shock before I shell out $600 only to wind up with a knock off.

Thoughts?

[Curmudgeon]

I had one installed before delivery because I didn't think the stocker was doing anything. My dealer's parts specialist ordered from Ohlins in NC direct and it was valved and sprung for my weight solo. Cost was ~ $625 IIRC.

My dealer, who is a certified Ohlins tech set it up and as it came from Ohlins only had to back off the preload a hair and one click less on the damping. (That one screw does something to both rebound and compression.) Good bang for the buck. My dealer said it "made all the difference" and he's a man of few words. 

So..., suggest you find an Ohlins dealer if your Ducati dealer is not and have them order and set it up for you. Works well with the new Marzocchi forks on the 796 IMO if you get both ends balanced and working together.

Naturally with a new bike I did not pay for installation.

[freeclimbmtb]

My local dealer will be doing a respring and revalve on the front end as well as some ECU tuning when I bring it in for the 7500 service, I was just trying to figure out if I was looking at $600 for the rear...or $1600...would kinda make a difference on doing it now or not..

[Curmudgeon]

Opinions are worth what you pay for them..., and..., all of this is pretty subjective..., but... 

How much do you weigh? How hard do you ride? What do you find wrong with the stock suspension? And, most importantly, IS your dealer a certified Ohlins tech?

If you have the new Marzocchi fork, there is nothing much wrong with it. Unless you weigh 225+#, I'm dubious about what improvements your dealer can make to it. Sure, it's no touring fork, but I also find it behaves well, with no bottoming, decent damping, good rigidity, etc. I weigh 175 plus gear. I've also owned about 40 bikes and modified maybe ten of those.

Just my $0.02 but do the shock with an Ohlins tech first and order it direct from Ohlins. Then see how much you find the forks wanting. I'm not saying that it couldn't be 10% better, but in my view that would take an expensive new fork with loads of adjustment. At that point the DU-737 would seem crude. It does work well with the stock Marzocchi however.

Incidentally, my dealer, ex Ducati racer with several titles agrees with me 100%. Who is working on yours? http://www.ducpond.com/aboutus.asp "Maybe" you don't need to spend so much? The 796 is pretty good, especially compared to some of the older Monsters.

Your call...

[freeclimbmtb]

135# plus gear.  I get about 2 inches of travel out of my front suspension just under loading/unloading power.  If im hard on the brakes it dives severely. if you go by the smudge the seals leave on the forks, I would say Ive come damn close to bottoming out the front end.  I ride fairly hard, substantially harder than I should on the street. (Ive been waiting till I own the bike to take it to the track...which I do now.)

Either way, I'll do some checking about my local dealers credentials, they are a reputalbe well established shop, I'll be talking their suspension specialist before I spend any money rest assured. 

[Curmudgeon]

At 135# I'll wager you have too much preload right now. You should be able to get most of the travel out of those forks. You find them too soft?!  More spring you don't need; worst case maybe 500cc 10W Spectro. From the sound of it, I'll wager your rear is loading the front currently.

Not suggesting your dealer is a bad Ducati dealer, maybe just not Ohlins-schooled. Suspension set-up can be easy but it's something of an art. You don't get it from books. Just as much seat-of-the-pants. Beware people with agendas.

Since my fork doesn't bottom and is not easily deflected on BAD off-camber bumps, I have no major complaints.

You grab a handful a lot? What are "brakes"?  You should be using that engine for a lot of your corner entries IMO. That's the "Ducati Way"! 

Keep us posted. Not that many 796 riders on here.

[freeclimbmtb]

The owner races (the vast majority of us STRUGGLE to keep up with him on group rides when hes feeling frisky)  and he rides every model he sells so I trust his judge of each bikes behavior.  They also have a new suspension guy that came from a strictly suspension shop (similar to racetech from what I remember)  Like I said, Ill be having a few discussions with them before I commit to anything, but everything Ive heard from 796 owners and shops alike is that the Marzocchi is a good fork, is better than the Showa on the 696, but still has a ton of room to improve.

[Raux]

When u talk tp them ask if an 848 shock can be mounted upside down on the 696

[Curmudgeon]

Sounds good! I've just got doubts about improving the Marzocchi without screwing up what works. It's simple but effective. I'll keep an open mind though and will follow what you find out. The DU-737 you will like though if it's ordered for YOU and set up for YOU properly. It's not an $1,800 Ohlins though, but from a cost vs benefit, it's a big improvement.

No doubt in my mind that a better suspension is possible. Just that investing $6,000 - $8,000 on a $10,000 bike for a 10% improvement might be a stretch.  On a $30,000 Bimota I would expect nothing less than perfection!

[danaid]

 I paid about $600 for mine with the correct weight spring and choice of valving from kyle racing.
 
http://www.kyleusa.com/

 This is a basic Ohlins shock, but with fork springs matched to the rear, (also from Kyle) the suspension was improved significantly over stock, for my weight.

[Curmudgeon]

This is a basic Ohlins shock, but with fork springs matched to the rear, (also from Kyle) the suspension was improved significantly over stock, for my weight.

Out of curiosity, which fork do you have, how much do you weigh and what weight spring did you fit?

My sag is identical at both ends with the stock Marzocchi and my 175# plus gear.

[danaid]

Out of curiosity, which fork do you have, how much do you weigh and what weight spring did you fit?

My sag is identical at both ends with the stock Marzocchi and my 175# plus gear.

 I have the non adjustable showas on my 696, so only a spring change was done.  I have to search for the paper work that came with the parts for the spring rates. my weight was about 230 with gear.
 When I called Kyle racing to place my order there were several spring and valving available for the shock, depending on the usage, I went for a softer " weekend warrior" setup , they called it.

[freeclimbmtb]

Did some tweaking to the rear end last night.  I couldnt find the factory specs for the sachs shock/spring, so I just used the ohlins numbers with the mindset that at least it would be closer than when I started.  I ended up starting with 2mm difference between bikes weight and unloaded, and 13mm when I added my weight.  2 full turns backed off the preload ring got me to 15mm bikes weight which is the high spec for the ohlins, and 25mm with me on it geared up which is the low spec for the ohlins...so basically as close to in spec as I could get for both.  Looks like its time for a new spring!