WILBUR's ... is it worth?

Who out there has put out $1200 (not including the install)for a set of Wilber's on their GS? Is it worth it?

Wilbers

Thye are worth it to me. I am 5'8" I put Wilbers 2" lower on a GS and they are great. Joe

110593 said:

Thye are worth it to me. I am 5'8" I put Wilbers 2" lower on a GS and they are great. Joe

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I'm good with the standard height. It'll end up being around $1400 ... for a slightly better ride, or something vastly improved? I'm just trying to justify the expense when I already have invested in: Sargent saddle, Cee Bailey enhanced shield, Kaoko throttle lock, Touratech engine guards, luggage, PIAA 510s. Then again, I don't own a car....

It's actually "Wilbers"..

And yeah - they're worth it. But, I'd suggest you also contact Klaus, who used to import Wilbers before getting taken over the coals by Benny Wilbers, and ask him about HyperPro..

www.epmperf.com - I suspect you might get a superior product at the same or less price.. and you get Klaus's expert support.

shocks

My question to you would be Why?
To lower your seat height? Or for comfort?
If its comfort I would'ent waste the money.

Racers have the best suspension but it has nothing to do with comfort.
its to hold the road, you cant steer with your tire off the ground.

I would spend the money on a good aftermarket seat!!!

I have ohlins and did not inprove my comfort at all, learned the hard way.

Seeker said:

My question to you would be Why?
To lower your seat height? Or for comfort?
If its comfort I would'ent waste the money.

Racers have the best suspension but it has nothing to do with comfort.
its to hold the road, you cant steer with your tire off the ground.

I would spend the money on a good aftermarket seat!!!

I have ohlins and did not inprove my comfort at all, learned the hard way.

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If the Ohlins didn't improve your comfort AND control - then they weren't working right. They weren't adjusted properly or were broken. Good shocks can improve comfort (high-speed damping) while also improving control (low-speed damping and adjustable rebound.)

I think you did waste your money - it's too bad they were never setup right.

deilenberger said:

If the Ohlins didn't improve your comfort AND control - then they weren't working right.

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+1

I've put Ohlins on two bikes and they were head and shoulders above the OEM components. Or, like I once told a friend, "If you can't tell the difference between Glenmorangie and Glenlevit, stick with the Dewars."

I've ridden an 1150GS with and without Ohlins, there is a difference! Part of your answer has to be whether your riding will take maximum advantage of an upgrade shock package. If the bulk of your riding is on smooth roads or slab, it may a stretch to invest the money. There'll be an improvement but you will not come close to realizing the potential of the high end shock package. Ride a fair amount of fire road, washboard dirt, Pennsylvania or New York City type secondary pavement, you'll wonder why you did not make the upgrade sooner. (ask any New Yorker, this is no joke)

Motard

edit - Wilbers and Ohlins are pretty much apples to apples

Motard said:

I've ridden an 1150GS with and without Ohlins, there is a difference! Part of your answer has to be whether your riding will take maximum advantage of an upgrade shock package. If the bulk of your riding is on smooth roads or slab, it may a stretch to invest the money. There'll be an improvement but you will not come close to realizing the potential of the high end shock package. Ride a fair amount of fire road, washboard dirt, Pennsylvania or New York City type secondary pavement, you'll wonder why you did not make the upgrade sooner. (ask any New Yorker, this is no joke)

Motard

edit - Wilbers and Ohlins are pretty much apples to apples

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Ahhh... thank you.
As I am a NYC rat, forced to ridie the single track down 5th ave, I'm sure I'll be quite pleased. I took the jump and laid out the Visa today. I had superb customer service over the phone with Max BMW in NY and in NH (I processed the sale thru NH and avoided sales tax). Scott in NY took my "stats", which were verified by Zack the next day ... and reverified by Rusty in NH - so I should be set up correctly. I'm also told that they will be onboard and qualified to service and rebuild Wilber's (sorry for the misspelling in my opening thread).
I'm also in the Adirondacks often (family in Albany) and I'll likely have Paul Heid , of Heid's Hodaka/BMW(damn good mechanic @ $50 an honest hour!) do the install. If you've never been, they're in the heart of the Ads and will often work on your bike as you wait (call 1st). Bring donuts and hang out in the mountain breeze...

1500

So do you feel it is worth the 1500?

Because I expect a lot for that kind of money.

Seeker said:

So do you feel it is worth the 1500?

Because I expect a lot for that kind of money.

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The short answer is - yes - I do. Can't speak for anyone else - or you..

Seeker said:

So do you feel it is worth the 1500?

Because I expect a lot for that kind of money.

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For me, the cost of high end shocks (such as Ohlins or Wilbers) is worth it immediately, and then they are worth it all over again after I put 40k miles on them (or so) and can get them rebuilt.

I will wait until the stock, unrebuildable Showas on my ST are done for and then buy the high end shocks. While the difference between the Showas and Ohlins are quite noticable when the former are new, it will be really dramatic when they are old and tired.

If you enjoy the performance of your bike at all, you'll notice that the new shocks are not only more compliant over road irregularities at low speeds, but also control the bike better in tight turns and at higher speeds. Doesn't seem possible somehow, but that has been my experience on both my oilhead RSes.

wilber shocks

i've a set of wilbers,1"shorter,from klaus.he is great to work with.wilbers made a big difference.

redhorse554 said:

i've a set of wilbers,1"shorter,from klaus.he is great to work with.wilbers made a big difference.

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Excellent... just got mine from Max BMW. To be installed in a few weeks. I VERY MUCH look forward to them! Thanks for your input.