So my Nitron rear shock finally arrived today ! So I fitted it and went for a quick blast ....huge difference Nitron should be selling these by the boat load !
Sadly as a small independant manufacturer they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Keep small, make bespoke hand built units to order that are excellent or tool up and try and compete with the likes of Ohlins or Showa in the mass market. When Showa is owned by Honda and Ohlins by Yamaha, the big boys play hard ball. KTech have come a long way in racing but mot sure if any manufacturer fits them as standard. Andy
Well it was a long wait I ordered on Feb 26th but even though I've only just fitted it and done hand full of miles it feels great and the quality/craftsmanship of the build makes it worth every penny + any problems they are only 25 miles from me lol
I see there are two Nitron models for the rear shock for the XDiavel on their website, which one did you go for? What are the key differences compared to stock? On our potholed roads you sometimes feel it right through your back. It will be interesting to see how you get on after you have done a few more miles on varied roads.
Yep....got an r3 on my z1000 and a race pro on my rsv4 factory (better than the OEM ohlins). The only reason they hyper doesnt have one is they don't offer one for it...considering a mupo for the hyper later down the line...
I added 3 full turns to the rear preload today and it was much better with my wife on the back. Still a bit too soft though I would say. I don’t mind laying out £600 odd if it makes it much better. Would like to hear from Cormark if you take a pilion as to what the improvement is.
Had my first run out on it sat with the other half was going to make some tweaks to it for the the return journey but forgot the adjuster for preload doh ... So first impressions, dry roads on the way out with a mate on his harley and OH pillion so not pushing it Still harsh on the big stuff i.e. pot holes I could feel OH having to readjust after some of the bigger hits, however far better feel from my perspective ....now bear in mind settings ! I placed the order with me at 80kg and pillion occasional use at 65-70kg and when I rode it solo found it may need a bit of extra preload but left it at stock settings because it realy highlighted the front ends short comings so spent a bit time adjusting them ! Also we went touring on it last year and decided to fit a stronger spring from ollins to the rear shock to cope 2 up with full luggage so that may skew my opinion some what as that spring has been left on till the nitron unit was fitted! On the way home it rained ...not to heavy but wet roads after a dry period at this time of year means greasy roads (30 years of doing accident recovery ...trust me I know) so I was a bit nervous for the return journey and that's when I realised the money had been well spent, 2up wet roads I had sooooo much more feel from the rear it was like night and day ! I am absolutely confident that once I've had some time setting this nitron unit up it will be money well spent.... Only down side is I bought a supersport s at Xmas and have a planned tour of Belgium coming up in 6 weeks so me and OH are just trying to get time In on that bike before we go .....need to work out where to pack hair straighteners ect so xd time will be limited till then but will post as I find better settings for me!
Sounds pretty good then. Up until I increased the preload, my OH said she would not go on the bike again. She was actually shouting in pain when we hit bumps. I think it was actually bottoming out the rear on bumps. It was much improved today but still a bit soft. I’ve given it another full turn and will try again. If I go for the nitron, I may go mainly pilion. I’m a bit worried it may be too hard when solo tho. I may call nitron tomorrow and discuss.
Yeah - it been on there for about 5 years now (ish) i ride it all weathers (and the bike get cleaned regularly) - ive had no issues atall. Ill take some close up pics later - theres literally one fixing thats a bit corroded, The powedercoating on the spring is fine (no Peeling). I will be buying Nitron again for my late fathers 400/4 (twin rears) - ive got the pro cartridges in the front of the z - again no issues. Had the suspension setup on the zed just before the TT now its perfect for me....all in all more than happy.
Sorry ....my apologies...you weren't asking me but they're you go....5 year old shock used in all weathers.
The Nitron shock is compelling However, the big question is … is Nitron Blue or Titanium Black the better colour?
Thought I’d dig this one up .. been looking at XDiavels the last 6 months. My 1260 used to ‘jar’ my back over bumpy roads so just a little concerned the XD will be the same, or even worse.. My question is does the Nitron or Ohlins rear shock transform the ride quality, comfort and is the standard shock as bad as everyone says.
Hi there. Yes, in a nutshell. For all 3 of my bikes that have got upgraded suspension. For the issue of jarring your back thats how you have your suspension set up for yourself.... mine are set up for fast road, as it were...so im guessing youd be going more for a comfort setup..... Just to add, my z1000 has nitron pro cartridges as well as the R3 rear, my RSV4 has NiX30 cartridges as well as the TTX2 rear and my hyper1100 has just a Bitubo 3 stage rear and the stock marzocchi forks. Im no racer and ive never been on track so that aspect i cant comment. All i can say is when i had the suspension setup for fast road riding for myself....sounds weird but the more you pushed it...the more compliant it became, almost as if there was a thin layer of sponge between your bike and the road (and that in turn inspired more confidence) - if i hit a corner at speed...id come out thinking i could have took it way faster... Its a bit of a leap of faith tbh....i didnt know what good suspension was.....i got the ttx mk2 for the rsv4 and noticed the difference, then a couple of years later, again i took the punt and bought the NiX30 internals which essentially double the fun as it were as the front was as good quality as the rear and it showed up straight away in the handling...same for the zed bought the rear, then upgraded the front. I will be eventually getting some k-tech cartridges for the hyper... Hope my witchcraft response makes a bit of sense!
Thanks for your reply..just wanted to check, do you have experience of the XD suspension or are you generally talking about having suspension set up correctly and/or using Nitron shocks on other bikes ? Neither of which I’ve experienced on any of my bikes.. I live in Birmingham and can’t find a suspension specialist..
Nothing on XD's no...but im guessing an upgrade to the XD will yield the same results.... Specialsts: sure theres gonna be someone up there....if not can you travel...im in Bristol and theres a few down here... If you decide what you want and schedule it in im sure a suspension place will make an exception and let you ride in, do the job, and then ride home.
