I jacked this read off another forum that's local to me. I'm trying to figure out what way to go when I rebuilt my suspension. Both of these and Racetech are on the list.
OHLINS vs. TRAXXION
Ok folks, here it is. For those of you that haven’t followed the “Who makes the best cartridge kit” thread, Dan and Max have been arguing the merits of each system. In response, Dan Kyle has given me the unique opportunity to test out the Ohlins 25mm cartridges against my own Traxxion Dynamics AK-20 built forks.
The place: Jennings GP, May 6th, Expert practice. Tires: Dunlop front 120/70x17 medium compound, rear 190/75x17 medium/hard/medium compound. Rear Suspension: Ohlins
I tried to think of how to write this “article” and what would be best. At first I thought I would simply write what I felt each time I went out on the track with the different forks. However, I don’t think that would best suit the average street or track day rider. With that in mind, I wanted to break it up into a section of pluses and minuses based upon 3 major areas: braking, cornering to apex, and straight away bump absorption.
Braking:
This is probably one of the most important areas to me when we talk about fork performance. The forks still have to be able to soak up bumps and remain stable while under such huge loads while braking. I tend to be a “front end” rider, that is, I sit up and put a lot of weight on the top of the clip-ons while braking where as some folks scoot back and allow the shock to take some of the weight. Good or bad, I really rely on the front end to keep me and the bike stable while hard on the binders.
Traxxion: The first thing I noticed about the Traxxion forks was that they felt strong and well composed under the brakes. When you first grab that big handful they dove, and set immediately. This is most likely a function of the Traxxion valving as the valving opens fast and stays open. The rebound was set wonderfully for braking as there was no hint of bouncing or “pogoing” that you feel when riding your Dad’s harley or sister’s Ninja 250…hehe.
Ohlins: This had to be the greatest difference I could tell between the Traxxion and Ohlins forks. The Ohlins forks would slowly compress while on the brakes and set just before Apex. I believe this to be related to the way the valving and shims work in the 25mm valves vs. the 20mm. When the Traxxion stack opens, it’s wide open. You could feel the Ohlins though, as it reminds me of slowly opening the cap on a coke and hearing the gas slowly escape vs. quickly twisting it open. It took a while to actually get used to as my only experience with any forks at this point was soley 20mm. Once I got used to it though, I started to realize the positive benefits of this. What if I had been on a bumpy track? What if I had hit a large bump just before Apex?
I can’t help but be reminded of an experience I had on my first trip to VIR (North). I was on my 929 with 1.0kg springs and race tech valving. I was braking for turn 1 as I normally do, but this time I happened to hit a small but sharp bump on my entrance. The forks were so compressed that when I hit that bump, the bike just kept on going forward basically doing a “stoppie”. The only problem, I was still going about 70mph. The result was a broken shoulder blade as I pile drove the pavement. I can only help but wonder what would have happened if I had had the Ohlins setup in my forks at that moment. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts…
I think for the average street or track rider, this is going to be a toss up. I felt the Traxxion forks were immediately more inspiring simply because they weren’t moving while on the brakes. However, once you get used to the action that’s still left in the Ohlins forks, I can easily see the benefit.
Cornering to apex:
This section could take on a life all its own, and at the same time it also needs to share some of the roles with the “braking” section. Jennings isn’t a huge braking track, but it is a track that requires you keep on the brakes into the turn. It also has some very challenging turns and maintaining a perfect line is critical to good lap times. When you look at your ability to corner to the apex you’re looking at what the forks are doing more than the rear shock because you’re either still trail braking or you’re just coming off the brakes preparing to pick the throttle back up. Track surface also makes a huge difference here. Jennings doesn’t have a huge array of bumps because it’s a motorcycle only track. However, it still has issues that must be dealt with, there is no such thing as a perfect track!
Traxxion: This is where I found the Traxxion forks the least favorable for myself. I want to reference turn 13 more than any other turn on this track because just before Apex there’s a series of ripples. If you’re leaned over just letting off the brakes and preparing to pick up the throttle, the last thing you want is front end stability issues. The Traxxion forks just didn’t seem to handle the series of ripples well while I was leaned over. While the forks tend to fall in great upon braking, I think they don’t have enough damping left to counter ripples like this. It felt almost like there’s too much rebound and the forks were skipping the bumps. I caught a tad bit of front end tuck during one deep dive into 13, which was a bit unnerving. I took a few clicks of rebound out, which didn’t seem to make a difference. If Max had been there to help with his product, maybe he could have helped. Regardless, the front end just felt almost vague. I simply couldn’t feel everything that was going on.
Ohlins: In my first run around the track on the Ohlins fitted forks, turn 13 had some of the same unnerving effects on me. The forks were almost TOO plush in a sense and the forks seemed to move too much, though the feeling wasn’t the same skipping I had with the Traxxion forks. I came in and had 2 clicks of rebound taken out and ¼ turn of compression added on each leg. Upon my next trip out…WOW, those little differences sure did make up a huge difference compared to the Traxxion forks. I started braking deeper, even into the bumps with no negative consequences. The bike felt like it was on rails, almost floating if you will. I felt like I had a lot more control with the Ohlins and a lot more feel. Obviously, the 25mm valves were able to recover more quickly.
Bump absorption:
This is one area that Jennings didn’t allow me to really test the cartridges’ true abilities. I can theorize more than I can give you my true impressions; however, I still have some opinions.
Traxxion: Though the traxxion forks never felt as plush as the Ohlins did the forks still absorbed the ripples that the track offered up. Most notably was the back section from turn 2 to 3. Turn 2 is a very fast kink in which you exit at triple digit speeds while rolling on the gas as you head down a quick straight to begin braking for turn 3 at roughly 140-150mph. As you exit turn 2 you run over a series of undulations in the track that cause the front end to wiggle a bit. The Traxxion forks handled them with stride, but I did notice that they seemed to allow more into the chassis than the Ohlins did. Still, it caused me no issues. I remember running thru this section on my stock 929 and the bike was all over the place. These are a definite improvement.
Ohlins: In comparison to the Traxxion forks, once again the best word to use is plush. The action just felt smoother thru the back section. The mild front end wiggle I experienced with the Traxxion forks was nearly gone with the Ohlins forks allowing me to greatly concentrate on that perfect drive for turn 3. Again, the Ohlins setup just felt like I was floating, wonderful! In all honesty, I believe my front end wiggle was caused more from the back end, but the Ohlins seemed to somewhat take up some of the slack.
I can’t give you any great opinions on either product here, as there simply weren’t enough bumps down any straight-aways to notice any huge differences. I would love the opportunity to see for myself at Roebling next month, but for now the differences are obvious enough to myself.
OVERALL:
Overall the forks are not night and day to me like the difference between stock and not-so-stock. However, the differences are noticeable, and for a dedicated expert racer seem to be worth the extra 500 dollars (depending on where you go). The most noticeable difference is the strength of the Ohlins setup under trail braking. They simply felt more composed and confidence inspiring. I was braking deeper and carrying more corner entry speed than I ever had at Jennings. I guess the overall judge would be track times. My best on the Traxxion was 1:18.7 and with the Ohlins 1:18.2. Might I also say the 18.7 was set on brand new tires…the 18.2 was set on a shagged out, used for 40+ laps set. I think that says it all. I still must say that the Traxxion cartridges are good. At my level, I would have no qualms staying with either. The faster I get though, the more I see the Ohlins benefiting me.
On a side note, please understand that I am not a professional tester. I’m simply a club racer with his own opinions, working his sorry butt off to hopefully make it on a privateer team in the AMA some day. Until then, I’ll still be just another wanna-be. :-p Also, I’ve got to give Dan Kyle the props for sending me these forks completely free of charge. I hope Max goes thru with sending some forks to LDH so he can do the same comparison at Barber. Thanks everyone!
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So from what this member was saying, they both seem like a pretty good options. I guess next thing to think about is what would be a good fit for me. I don't ride on the track, yet. I do like to push it hard on the backroads here in Cali (sunday morning rides and such). I definately want suspension that is good for daily riding (freeways, city, bumpy roads).
Ideas?
Thanks,
Obby
