Mixing Suspension Brands

What are everyone's thoughts on this. I ask because the 08 GSXR I have came with Ohlins forks with GP caps and a stock shock. I can find plenty of used Penske rears but no Ohlins. I notice things like AK or GP forks and Penske or JRI shocks but I've never seen anything with Ohlins. Is there mechanical reasoning behind it or just preference?

 

Brands don't have shit to do with how suspension works. As long as the pieces are setup and working the way you like the brands don't matter.

 

Other than making sure your suspension guy can work on both brands I don't think it's a big deal

 

I have Ohlins 25mm carts and a Penske shock on my 600, works fine for me,

 

This thread is not Broome approved!

I had a Ohlins front and penske rear, I was still slow. So it doesn't matter

 

I had ohlins front and Penske rear on my 08 1000....turned my fastest laps to date on that bike

 

It won't work. Just like how you can't mix different tire brands front and rear. The bike won't handle right. If you try it, you can count on certain doom.

 

Guaranteed crash

 

I would hesitate however with say a Shows fork leg on one side, and an Ohlins on the other. While I know Broome would faint if he saw that, that'd even be weird to me. And odds are, There would be some suspension madman out there that could make it work.

-jim

 

Wasn't there a GP bike years ago that had the spring(s) in one fork leg and the damper in the other?

 

what would happen if he had a bike that required 2 rear shocks?

 

Meltdown.

-jim

 

Not uncommon in modern bikes. Still gives me the creeps.

-jim

 

It's springs, valve bodies. shims and fluid. They all work under the same laws of physics. The brand name on them has no affect on the laws of physics.

 

Well, in theory, since most now have compression in one side and rebound in the other, you should be able to make it work.

 

GP? Its on showroom floor bikes.

https://www.showa1.com/en/product/motorcycle/detail_shock_absorber_f_sff.html?width=740&height=530

 

Been a few bikes like that. Aprilia rs250 was that way

 

Lots of bikes come with one brand shock and a different brand forks from the factory...