Table of contents
- Wilbers suspension elements for the BMW R nineT being tested The perfect road sweeper
- 24-way adjustable steering damper
- Super fine and yet creamy steamed
- Contact, info, prices
Bilski
11 pictures
Bilski
1/11
Among other things, Wilbers offers an alternative shock absorber for the R nineT. Optionally complete (whoever wants with gold or chrome-plated stanchions) or just as an inner workings for the standard fork.
Bilski
2/11
Fine finish: This does not only apply to the 24-way adjustable steering damper.
Bilski
3/11
Wilbers suspension elements for the BMW R nineT.
Bilski
4/11
Wilbers manufactures the springs from chrome / silicon alloy steel itself.
Bilski
5/11
Wilbers uses black standpipes, low-friction carbon-coated dip tubes including fork feet and cartridge inserts from top cooperation partner ZF Sachs.
Bilski
6/11
Equipped in this way, the noticeably better driving behavior goes perfectly with the aesthetic demands of the R nineT: elegant, crisp, wiry.
Bilski
7/11
For 799 euros it is of a very elegant design – with a sturdy 46 piston spring and a separate expansion tank. In contrast to the standard shock absorber, the compression level can be adjusted, 22 times each for high-speed and low-speed. The rebound damping also knows 22 levels, simply by means of a knurled screw without tools.
Bilski
8/11
The suspension strut, which is rather tight to hard tuned on the test specimen, does not exactly turn the BMW into a hovering hovercraft. Nevertheless, it is more responsive than the somewhat wooden series strut, and it reproduces the asphalt relief in the popometer in a transparent, realistic way.
Bilski
9/11
The soft, weakly damped standard fork, however, hangs deep in the springs. She answers every gas-open-again-closed-again-open with pronounced nodding movements. In contrast, the Wilbers fork filled with high-quality, thin 5-piece oil is a poem.
Bilski
10/11
Only a direct comparison with the series R nineT reveals how superior the Wilbers is when cornering: It always drives more directly and more precisely because there is simply less movement in its chassis.
Bilski
11/11
All available components make a very valuable impression and can be adapted by the manufacturer as desired. Further information from the manufacturer at www.wilbers.de.
accesories
landing gear & Spring elements
Wilbers suspension elements for the BMW R nineT put to the test
Wilbers suspension elements for the BMW R nineT being tested
The perfect road sweeper
Chassis specialist Wilbers swapped forks and struts for their own products on the BMW R nineT. The most compact clarifies how the R nineT works with it.
Thomas Schmieder
October 29, 2015
As early as 1935, BMW fitted the R 12 with a hydraulically damped telescopic fork as a world first for series motorcycles! Since 1993, however, the Munich-based company has been using Telelever for the boxers, in which the front wheel control works separately from damping and suspension. But the BMW R nineT, a rolling gift for the 90th anniversary of BMW motorcycle 2013, received a classic telescopic fork, an upside-down fork with striking golden stanchions. So she drives well, but not perfectly.
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The perfect road sweeper
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Reason enough for chassis specialist Wilbers to have the entire fork from BMW R nineT to exchange. For a complete price of 1990 euros, it has been redesigned deep inside and now fully adjustable instead of standard: compression and rebound damping can each be adjusted in ten clicks, and the spring preload can be varied by over ten millimeters. Wilbers manufactures the springs from chrome / silicon alloy steel itself. And it completes it with black standpipes, low-friction carbon-coated dip tubes including fork feet and cartridge inserts from top cooperation partner ZF Sachs.
24-way adjustable steering damper
The Wilbers strut at the rear of the BMW R nineT for 799 euros is also of a very elegant design – with a sturdy 46 piston spring and a separate expansion tank. In contrast to the standard shock absorber, the compression level can be adjusted, 22 times each for high-speed and low-speed. The rebound damping also knows 22 levels, simply by means of a knurled screw without tools. The spring base can be raised steplessly, for 199 euros surcharge with noble hydraulic adjustment. Last but not least, the 24-way adjustable Hyper-Race steering damper completes the conversion: the BMW steering damper has no adjustment options.
This BMW R nineT drives beautifully sporty, very active. The contact with the road is very intimate, the Wilbers-R nineT conveys just as much feedback as trust. That really turns you on. It turns jagged into the corners and is a very agile motorcycle. Really crisp. Only a direct comparison with the series R nineT reveals how superior it is Wilbers cuts into corners: it always drives more directly and more precisely because there is simply less movement in its chassis. The soft, slackly damped standard fork, on the other hand, hangs deep in the springs. She answers every gas-open-again-closed-again-open with pronounced nodding movements. Not exactly conducive to high steering precision and crystal-clear feedback.
Super fine and yet creamy steamed
In contrast, the Wilbers fork filled with high-quality, thin 5-piece oil is a poem. It responds super fine and yet appears thickly subdued. Their springs work noticeably progressively and have plenty of reserves ready when braking hard; the adjustment range of the damping is large. Pure and practically perfect. The suspension strut, which is rather tight to hard tuned on the test specimen, doesn’t exactly make the BMW R nineT a hovering hovercraft. Nevertheless, it is more responsive than the somewhat wooden series strut, and it reproduces the asphalt relief in the popometer in a transparent, realistic way. Wilbers’ steering damper keeps the front calm, without negative side effects such as wobbling when driving slowly.
Equipped in this way, the noticeably better driving behavior goes perfectly with the aesthetic standards of the BMW R nineT: elegant, crisp, wiry. For bargain hunters, Wilbers offers the ZF by Wilbers cartridge set for 849 euros for installation in the R nineT series fork – including springs, cartridges with 30 mm pistons and complete adjustability! Attention color fans: Upon request, there are also golden standpipes and chrome-plated immersion tubes. Wilbers can vary spring rates individually depending on driving style and driver weight. Everything is in the “Wilbers Apart” catalog for the R nineT, the first in a completely new series.
Contact, info, prices
Bilski
The inner workings of the fully adjustable upside-down fork with carbon-coated tubes are also available for the series fork.
The completely new fork is the result of a cooperation with ZF Sachs. As a ZF by Wilbers Nightline fork type Road, it costs 1990 euros without installation. The built-in Nightline type 642 shock absorber is available for 799 euros, its hydraulic spring preload costs 199 euros. The 24-way adjustable steering damper Hyper-Race costs 348 euros.
Further information, including on simpler or more complex forks and struts, is available by calling 05921/727170 and www.wilbers.de.
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