Let's think this through! When did any of us get underneath our auto and check how clean its shocks and damper rods are? They are subjected to a darned sight worst environment than any of our bikes experience. So lets stop wrapping stuff in cotton wool..... Ride until they pack up, repair or replace and ride!

 

Graham, Can you answer my question?

 

It equally applies to a set of front forks. There are sources of dirt and wear inside them, with microscopic particles wearing away from the seals and other moving/sliding components. Same applies in an extreme way with the primary. Put clean oil in, a few thousand miles later take out filthy stuff, complete with metal particles on the magnetic drain plug. The order of magnitude of the particles is different in those two cases, but the principle is the same - the 'dirt' comes from the various moving parts within.

Hope that helps!

 

So it really has nothing to do with keeping the outside clean...

 

No, perhaps I should have said that earlier. All things that have moving parts inside a sealed body of some sort will generate 'dirt'.

 

Fork oil does get filthy from bushing wear particles. My original HD/Showa air shock oil was still clean after 30,000 miles. A little dark, but clean.

 

Even more of a problem if the shocks aren't aligned properly. If they're in a slight bind, they will prematurely wear out the seals. Another reason to look for a product with spherical bearings in the mounts.

 

Why don't Ohlins have spherical bearings, especially when used with a rubber mounted swingarm?

 

Skypilot - I'm with you on the spherical bearings. I have an Ultra Limited in the garage that has all of 7 miles on it. I decided to bite the bullet right off the bat and put a set of Ohlin's on it. At Howard's insistence, I carefully measured the relationship of the mounting points for the shocks only to find out they they were an 1/8 to 3/16 out of alignment! Hard to believe they weld these things up in a fixture and can't get it a little closer. I'm sure that the problem is the rubber swing-arm bushing offsetting to one side but still........

 

That is exactly what I am talking about, the same stuff that is for an air filter cover Shock Wears that I used in MX, they do hold in heat , but do what you want. I will even give you a link.http://www.powersportsplace.com/part...UHWRoC5B_w_wcB