On the BMW site everyone praises the Olins shocks.They say that the Olins really smooth out the ride.
Why is it that you never hear anyone speak of Olins on this site.
Is there a reason for not using them on the FJR.
There is nothing "wrong" with the Ohlins, but as sprint_st correctly observes, you're paying a pretty penny to have that name on the shock body. There are other shocks out there that are just as good, and without the exorbitant price tag.
You'll read the name Wilbers mentioned here quite a lot primarily due to the two massive Group Buys we did with them in 2005 and 2006. They sold huge numbers to the FJR community because the price was exceptional for the hardware involved. Unfortunately, they have not been without some amount of problem areas themselves.... many arrived from the German factory significantly undersprung, and a disturbing number of folks have had blown seals and other outright failures. I had a Wilbers fail on my Blackbird that actually caused significant damage.
Until I experience some evil handling, I ain't changin' nothin'. Besides, no amount of farkles is going to make me Nicky Haden.
It's not really a question of "evil handling", it's just that one doesn't know what one is missing until you ride this bike with a proper shock that is set up correctly for your weight and riding style. The OEM shock is decent enough when new, but truthfully, it's decent only for everyday riding. If the bike is loaded up with gear and/or ridden assertively in the twisty canyons, it starts to show its limitations. Once it starts to age a little bit, it goes downhill pretty fast. Many aggressive riders find it fairly well spent after 15K-20K, and once it is spent, that's the ball game for it as they are not designed to be rebuilt.
The smart money indicates that for riders who tend to put on the miles (and assuming they are going to keep their FJR a long time), go ahead and invest is a good, quality aftermarket shock before your factory shock is totally spent. Retain the old shock so that you have something to put on the bike when you have your main shock sent in for overhaul. (Few things are more exasperating than having the bike down because of a backlog in getting your main shock overhauled, like a lot of folks are experiencing right now with Wilbers). The FJR's chassis is quite excellent right out of the crate, but becomes phenomenally good with a killer suspension installed that is set up specifically for your weight/riding style/riding environment.
