Ohlins wants to hear from you!!! Seriously!!!

[micah apriliaforum com]

<em><strong>Below is the text of a message between Ed and Ohlins USA. The top content is the response from Ohlins. They wish to have Futura owners who are interested in buying a rear shock, forks or steering dampner to contact them and express their interest. We will be setting up a group buy if there is enough interest. As we are just starting the process of dealing Ohlins products this would be a great opportunity for us to express our buying power and you to get a great deal. When at the dealer show they said the prototype was finished so this could happen very quickly if there is sufficient interest</strong></em>.




Hello to Ed. Currently Öhlins Sweden is prototyping a shock, fork & steering damper for the Aprilia Futura. Unfortunately I don’t have a delivery date at this time. You could go to the Öhlins Sweden web site <a href="http://www.ohlins.com" target="top">www.ohlins.com</a> & e-mail them asking for this shock. Perhaps if enough Futura owners contact them there will be more urgency put into this project. Thank you, jerry.



-----Original Message-----
From: AF1 Racing / Apriliaforum [mailto:info@af1racing.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 8:50 PM
To: info@ohlinsusa.com
Subject: part number for Futura shock



Can you please tell me the Ohlins part number for the Aprilia Futura RST1000 Rear Shock with remote pre-load adjustment??



We were told at the Indy show that these are done.....I need to order several of them.



Thanks

Ed Cook
ApriliaForum / AF1 Racing, inc.
www.apriliaforum.com www.af1racing.com
info@apriliaforum.com info@af1racing.com

[Ricky J]

Eight months now since I saw 'em bolt an
Ohlins shock to the Futura display bike
at World Superbike and they're still not
sure about producing one? Forget it, I'm
gonna buy the Wilbers now...

[micah apriliaforum com]

Ohlins has been very hard to deal with. Their products are awesome but their service has been far from stellar.

[BossBob2]

I have to say, I agree
I am not interested in one, but I don't like giving money to companies which are that disinterested and would probably pick another company now anyway

[buck000]

It's frustrating being a consumer with limited funds, trying to deal with vendors who are so popular with their high-$ items that they are unable/unwilling to cultivate new/existing customers....

Wah. Poor me...

<em>ambles off to find some cheese for his whine</em>

[mgtx73]

Anyone considered getting Penske to get one going? I don't really want one but it's just a thought.

[ed apriliaforum com]

they already have one, but the remote preload adjuster is a $600 option.....ouch!!

[skyhigh31]

I think the ohlins would make a great addition to the handling of the bike. I for one have written them a note expressing my interest.
The idea that ohlins has a bad attitude or weak factory support-well, everyone riding a futura should be use to weak or no factory support. Talk about being out to lunch. The dealer that sold me the bike can not even get answers from Aprilia-forget about them answering a question from an owner.

Heck, I happened upon a factory rep a few weeks ago in Phoenix-I knew more about the bike than he did, and I don't know much.

The bike is basically a good product-but the best anything is of little value in the longrun if the makers of the product can't support it. If I was quessing, I would say Aprilia is in a weak financial position-equals problems down the road for long term owners.

Everyone take a deep breath-it's just a motorcycle, and there are lots of motorcycles to choose from-none perfect.

I would be out of this bike tommorow if I thought I wouldn't lose big time money trying to give it away-if I could even give it away.

There, I feel better now.....fire away

Lee

[PaulZX9R]

I have heard a number of US owners expressing concern at Aprillia support in the US. My own thoughts are that that has more to do with being a small player in a big market, then any financial problems.

As for worries about the future, I am not too concerned. Aprillia have the class leading Sports tourer, even Honda copied ideas from the Futura. They have the class leading Sports twin, even the new Duc 999 has serious trouble beating it until you spend twice the money, and again Honda are studying it to improve their SP2. They have a huge share of the (very profitable) scootor sales. In Europe, they outsell one of the big four (Kawasaki). They have been able to buy other bike companies (Laverda). And they are still able to spend serious bucks on R&D. All of these things give me confidence for the future.

I am sorry to hear that you are not enjoying the Futura. You will know from reading this board that that is unusual, but then, each to their own tastes. If you do wish to change to another bike, I wish you well, and hope you will be as happy on it, as I am on the Futura.

[buck000]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Aprillia have the class leading Sports tourer, even Honda copied ideas from the Futura.[/quote]

It <strong>is</strong> interesting that bikes are adopting the angular style of the Futura, but I'd humbly submit that the VFR remains the sport-touring class leader, in terms of reviews and sales. In terms of what I have in my garage, and love to go out and just <em>look</em> at, as well as ride, well, the RST is my class-leader .

I've had some nigglesome problems with my RST, which is frustrating. However, the thing is so sweet to me that it'll take getting stranded somewhere in BFE to even <em>start</em> to get me thinking about switching bikes....<img src="http://backstreetbasement.homestead.com/files/inlove.gif" style="border:0;"/>

Paul
'01 Flame Red

[groundhog105]

Well, I found a solution to the high priced penske with the $600 remote preload option and ohlins attitude. I just purchased and installed a shock from Wilbers Racing out of Germany. The sprung and valved the shock to my specifications, remote hyd. preload, adjustable ride height, high and low speed compression adjustment shipped to my door for $800. The shock comes with the brackets for the mounting of the remote canisters and detailed instructions on set up. Hand written notes about the factory set up to my specs. The amount of hours I work prohibited me from installing myself so I had a independent shop I use do the install for me. These guys really push the Ohlin and Penske and their comments were that the Wilbers seemed to be at least equal to the Ohlin and Penske and was the first shock that came set up properly from the factory. Usually they have to respring or revalve even the Ohlin but after test riding the Wilbers said it was perfect as delivered. They were very impressed with the quality and setup. These guys are perfectionists and not easy to please.

[Hazowitz]

Groundhog.... are you in the US? If so, who did you go to for your shock? Any info, would be much apprecitaed.

[groundhog105]

I went thru Klaus at Run-n-lites. Afterward I found that I could have ordered the shock thru John Borella who is on the Futura mailing list and has a shop. He could have saved me about 30 or 40 dollars with his discount to the guys on the Futura list. John is who I would recommend going thru. The shop I used in San Diego is going to carry the shock as a distributor but I dont think they are set up yet.
Oh, I live in San Diego, California USA.

[Groundhog105]

I forgot to add. I was quite sure that the Wilbers would arrive and require messing with to set up for myself. I was very surprised that in fact that it was set up perfectly with no preload on the hyd adjuster and just the preload on the collar. It looks like these guys actually do look at your specs to set up the shock. It was right in the middle of the adjustment range on high and low speed compression, and rebound. Ride height adjustment was exactly at stock shock length so there was plenty of adjustability for added luggage and passenger. I am really anxious to ride it for longer than the 30 miles or so that I have ridden it. We had planned a trip to Death Valley this weekend but wouldnt you know it, WE GOT RAINED OUT and in Southern California what a bummer.
I have purchased Ohlin and White Power shocks before and they have come as an off the shelf shocks not set up for the individual at all.
Bob Johnson

[Ricky J]

Bob, thanks for the update. I hope Klaus gets mine here soon! Who did your install and what did they nick you for the work?