Are you one of the ‘posh’ people who has a scooter shock with some adjustable features on it? Well done on entering the 21st century.
Now you need to set it up…
With the arrival of the new Öhlins rear shock for Lambretta, we now have a shock with as many adjustable features as a mid-league motorcycle shock. Although common to many types of shockers, we’ll be using the Öhlins to show you how to set the various features up, and I’ve created a free setup tool for you to download and print at home.
“Whack it up hard”
The vast majority of people who buy such shocks never adjust them after the first time they are fitted. Some of that is because they are lazy. Some of that is because people don’t know what they are doing. Some of it is simply that the adjustments are so crude and difficult to access that any changes are too much of a pain in the arse.
Literally.
VIDEO: Suspension set up the SLUK way
However, if you do have a good-quality adjustable suspension on whatever scooter you ride, it makes no sense to ignore the improvements it offers to ride quality.
Never fear, SLUK is here, with a new video explaining the basics of adjustable scooter suspension.
Sticky’s FREE Lambretta Shock Set-up Tool
You’ll notice in that video the use of a simple 3D-printed device that pushes over the rear shock nuts of a Lambretta and can be used to measure shock length and ‘sag’. If you have someone with access to a 3D printer, then these files are available for free download from Thingiverse on this link.
Öhlins classic Lambretta rear shock
We took the arrival of the new Öhlins for Lambretta as an opportunity to do the suspension set-up video that we’ve wanted to do for ages. But what about the shock itself?
Öhlins are a famous high-end suspension manufacturer who were commissioned to make a Lambretta shock by ‘Toon’ of LTL Lambretta shop in Thailand.
This is no look-alike replica. From the minute you open the box and study the detailed instruction booklet, you can tell that Öhlins have put as much effort into this shock as any of their other products.
The L-shaped pre-load adjuster works well in the confined space
Main features
The shock is adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping. It also features a progressive spring and a built-in remote nitrogen reservoir. The reservoir is offset from the shock body to improve bodywork clearance. The threaded preload adjuster is rotated using a supplied L-shaped pin and secured with a small plastic grub-screw. Aluminium spacers are included to keep the shock away from the mudguard. It’s obviously all well thought-out.
Aluminium spacers fit before the shock. Bushes are rubber and replaceable.
Ride quality
Most importantly, the shock has proper rubber (not plastic) bushes at each end, which help reduce the transfer of engine vibration and can also accommodate some engine tilt when the silent blocks flex and wear, as is very common in Lambrettas.
After seeing one snapped Lambretta shock this year (because the body was ‘repaired’ with solid metal bushes), I know full well the importance of flexible bushes.
Rebound damping adjustment covers a massive range of over 30 clicks
Rebound damping
I have to say that the more I used this rear shock, the more it was obvious that it was set up by someone who really knew their onions. The ride when 1-up was so compliant that the scooter felt like it floated over road imperfections: ones that the previous shock (OKO) definitely made you feel.
It’s great having a soft spring set-up that absorbs bumps, but you can only do it if you have sophisticated enough damping to let the spring compress quickly but then absorb rebound forces without wallowing.
Separate compression damping adjustment is the feature missing from many cheaper shocks
Compression dampening
I reckon any rider could tell the difference between the Öhlins and most Lambretta shocks in a blind test. I do not advise riding blind, though. That won’t help.
For 2-up riding, I had to wind on quite a lot of preload, but not enough to totally remove all sag, even when 1-up.
Fit on a Series 3 is perfect
Flies in the soup
There are only two negatives I could level at the Öhlins.
One is that they fixed the overall eye-to-eye length of the shock at 305mm, which is slightly longer than the standard S3 length of 300mm. It was no problem to fit it on our test scooter (an LI Special with Gori exhaust) and it offers a ground clearance advantage on any Slimstyle scooters.
The length issue only reared its head when fitted to an LI Series 1, which is supposed to have a 315mm long shock. In that instance, the fitted exhaust’s downpipe now sat much closer to the floor and would scrape on even gentle cornering, particularly 2-up.
There’s no easy way to resolve this, so it is something to be aware of if you want to fit Öhlins to a Series 1 or Series 2. By contrast, many of the rival high-end shocks are adjustable for length from 300-310mm, and, as your pillion will confirm, that extra centimetre is important.
Finally, the other issue is the cost: €650 from RLC (the European importers) is no small change, but it’s in the normal ball-park for an Öhlins monoshock for any bike. You can either afford it or you can’t.
The supplied instruction book is generic, but there are also detailed setup suggestions for the Lambretta shock based on Öhlins testing.
VIDEO: Sticky’s review
Verdict
I haven’t tried all the other rival high-end shocks for Lambretta, but I have to say that the ride quality is much better than I’m used to from mid-tier adjustable shocks that only have a single combined damping adjuster.
If you want this level of performance and the big-name logo, then, like every other branded product, you have to be prepared for a premium price tag to match.
If I had a Series 3 and a bulging wallet, then I’d want one. If I rode an earlier model, then I might want to try riding with a 300mm long shock before I buy, just to ensure that ground clearance isn’t overly compromised.
It would be nice if they made a 315mm long version, but I guess that will depend on how successful this version is.
Words, images and video: Sticky
You can get the shock in Europe directly from Rimini Lambretta Centre here.
