Shocks...... What's in a name?

[Pbassred]

I'm thinking about a Nitron R1 shock for my VFR800. The spring will be tailored to my weight instead of a 75KG Japanese guy. The damping adjustment might actually do something.  Its combined rebound and compression, because I don't thing I am sensitive to notice the effect of individual knobs.

Now, Ohlins would have been the no brainer if money was no object, so that leads me to another thought.  Aside from the pretty colours and the number of controls, how do you know if one brand is any better or worse than any other?  Even customer reviews don't help much, because, who buys more than one custom shock?

Edited July 25, 2021 by Pbassred

[Stu]

See this is an impossible question as you have pretty much given the reason why already! 

 

Riders swap a dead rear shock for something better than the stock one and thats the only one they ever try! so they write a review saying its the best shock they have ever used but in fact its only better than the ones they are used to  

 

Ideally you need back to back comparisons 

[fullscreenaging]

I would say for us mere mortals riding on the road you don’t really need every adjustment available. 
Combined rebound and compression is perfect for road riding imo. 

I installed a Hyperpro rear shock the other day and have pretty much got it dialled in. It is a big improvement over OEM. I went for a good 4 hour ride today and that would normally have a had my arse hurting after about an hour. The new shock has smoothed out the road and the bike now feels like it’s gliding along. My arse only started to get uncomfortable 20 mins from home. 
The bike also feels more planted in the bends and follows a line better. 
I’m really happy with the result. I’ve also had the front springs changed and feel the bike handles much much better now. I wish I pulled the pin before now instead of just trying to ride round the issue of mediocre OEM suspension. 
If you’ve decided on Nitron then I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Same as if you chose another brand. 

Edited July 25, 2021 by fullscreenaging

[Gerontious]

Any new shock absorber will always feel better than a tired original. If the bike is fairly new, a new spring might be all you need. This is the route a lot of new owners go down to counter the “I’m heavier than Mr Average Yamasuzusakida.” Problem. Most after market manufacturers are specialists and tend to know what they’re doing. I tend to look for certain keywords like - fully rebuildable. An emphasis on premium materials that won’t begin to corrode after 5 minutes. Etc.

last shock I bought was made to measure Wilbers. But… it’s a German brand which has suddenly become rather expensive for some reason….

[bonio]

Last shock I bought was a made-to-measure Nitron. I was great. Incomparably better than the one that came on the bike. I haven't a clue if how it would compare in real life with a Wilbers or Ohlins, but I since I was only comparing it with the OEM one, I was very, very happy.