FYI, I have just updated my post from yesterday as someone pm'd me wanted to use this report, so considering I was a bit rushed yesterday I have made some minor changes. Of course this doesn't mean I have changed my mind on how good these intimators are. Just wanted to ensure all my comments were exactly how I felt. Btw, I have no financial interest in these but I wished I did. Read on:
Coupon expired?
That's a real shame guys BUT, if having travelled 1400k's using back paved Aussie roads and I said I would still buy them, would you????
Hi all. I'm currently staying in a part of Australia called Queensland near it's capital Brisbane with my daughter and her boyfriend in their new home. It's just 15 mins away from the beach, and the water temp is idylic, just ask Islandbum, he lives there. Fantastic.
Anyway, a couple of blokes have wanted to know how the intims performed for me on my trip up.
Well in a nutshell, not much if anything short of brilliantly.
Now I'm not someone who would say this unless I honestly believed it to be the truth, particularly given some may use this info as part of their decision making to buy them.
I really do not want to be seen as one of those blokes who just because they bought something using the info they had, it then Must be good.
It was the same with the Hagon Nitros where a few blokes looked at my write up and also pm'd me to make sure that I wasn't talking rubbish.
This was particularly relevant given they used my report and appraisal to get the 26kg rated springs and not the 20kg jobs as Hagon reps were pushing for (and btw, my Hagon rep told me they have re-evaluated their ratings because of this).
So the same with the Nitros, I would hate it if someone spent all that money to find out Staffo talks out of his you know what.
In fact I made sure I was spot on the money in how I saw the Hagons and even then was relieved when I was told later I was right.
Anyway, to the real deal and what I think. Well even with the special deal now not on the table, having the front suspension now working as I thought they should have in the first place, has really put a smile on my dial and yes, I do believe I would still buy them. There's no doubt about that.
Of course this stuff is always relative to your own understanding so all I can do is report what I found but now I have to be doubly sure I do think they are worth the money.
It is interesting though cos whilst I wasn't aware this special offer had been withdrawn, I did say to myself along the way I (key word "I") would still have bought them regardless.
That's how good I've found them. Hey, I spent $850AUD on the rear and only $150 (progressive springs) on the front and that's all I could really do.
So knowing this was always going to be a possibility (the offer finishing) I have made sure I continually monitored how they were going as I road up, taking note of the different surface conditions I came across.
Now too try and draw a picture for you all, approx half of my trip was not only the inland route, which is still a good highway to just north of Brisbane, it was also done on other back country roads (not highways).
This means much of the roads were what could be best described as less than smooth. That's actually code for rough at times, but I can safely say the intims made all the difference.
In fact, some of the roads were bad enough to turn you off travelling them if your front suspension wasn't working well. Now these roads aren't a problem. Seriously
So what are we talking about, some Aussie
blokes's subjective opinion or can he be just a little bit more convincing with examples or something?
Well, let me try and explain the ride but again bear in mind I do have my rear suspension sorted properly with Hagon Nitros. I also believe the front and back work together as a unit and when the front for instance isn't working properly, It lets the team down so to speak. So I had already put progessive springs in the forks with 10 WT oil and the proper air gap as suggested by Hagon but the front was still ordinary imho.
For instance, it has always been my opinion that the front suspension even with the updated springs etc was the weakest link in our suspension after sorting the rear (derr-what else was there)
.
I mean, have any of you tried to look at the fork's move as you ride along. I don't know about you but given the 33 degree rake I many times looked down to see if the forks moved up and down as they hit bumps etc and I just couldn't see it happening.
Yeah, maybe the bigger bumps would have been absorbed somewhat but unlike the rear where I could feel the shocks doing their job by moving up and down nice and smoothly, most of the bumps in the front just seened to travel up to the handle bars like a push bike.
Now enter stage left the intiminators with the 5 WT oil and the pvc spacers cut so they were just exposed above the top of the forks (see pic in previous post)as would be the normal spacer's position.
Well besides the obvious feel of the front being smoother when I first started my ride, one of the first and best observations I found was watching the forks actually moving up and down and that's even with minor imperfections (bumps or whatever)in the road. In fact, as soon as I saw that happening from the beginning, it was like quantitatively verifying what I felt was the difference with them in.
This to me is simply the biggest difference in the whole equation. In other words the shocks were working as I would expect them too, by absorbing the bumps instead of transfering the shock up the fork stems of the bike's front to the bars.
Ok, so the forks are going up and down. What else Staffo?
Well, again I don't know about you blokes but I found I was always looking for the best area on the road ahead to ride on cos to be perfectly honest the front suspension had been giving me grief on the harsher road surfaces, causing a lot more discomfort than I liked.
Let's face it, when you are riding long distances this stuff is important not just because of the discomfort factor, over time its tiresome and that equates in my estimations to being dangerous. Why? well,
1) because of the fatigue and,
2) because the front wheel was not following the road's surface contour and therefore it making sense to think the tyre was not sticking to the road like good suspension should.
In reality then, before putting in the intims, here I was getting a good ride where I sat over my Nitros but the front was, (I was going to say pain in the butt) letting the me down so to speak.
I just knew there had to be a way to improve the front. Surely you fellas have asked the same quesiton haven't you?
I know I did many times particularly after hitting big bumps or having ridden on poor road surfaces etc. Now the intims just seem to absorb up all those road imperfections and keep me sitting firmly in my Corbin.
To be honest there was only 1 time where I hit what must have been a something else cos it launched me up off my seat qwite wuffly (sri - Monte Python) which probably would have done the same with any bike.
In fact the first day I was riding with a buddy who has a BMW GS 1150cc and most would be aware how long and good their suspension is. Well watching him hit bumps and then as I followed, feeling myself hit the same ones, it was like verification that there had been a gaping hole on how my bike's suspension was before compared to now.
It was just something else feeling the front soak up what before was relentless up and down movement of the bars on many of the roads I had come across.
In saying all this, you might have excellent road surfaces wherever you ride and in that case, the intims wouldn't be as crucial but the best rides for me are the back country roads with their mountainous terrain and curvy lines. They also unfortunately happen to many times have the worst road surface as they aren't highways.
Catch 22 really where you want the excitement and views etc of the back roads but it was coming at a cost.
It's that simple really. Now the shocks are working when before, for me at least I don't reckon they were. Certainly not as they should have been anyway. I also think it's possibly worse on a cruiser too given how our forks sit out further and then with the 10Wt oil stiffening up things.
Another apect is, our bikes are good but for their price, they have come with their limitations that's for sure. Just look at some of our electrics and the wiring or the rear shocks more importantly. Some of it is just junk I'm sorry to say.
So again, for the money being twice as much as before, I still believe they are worth it. Of course I do ride distances ie, 8 to 10 hours a day sometimes, so for me having the intims has and will mean there is a happier Staffo at the end of the day having suffered less fatigue and who knows maybe I'm even riding a safer bike.
Anyway, I don't think there is much more to say really. The intims have worked extremely well and of course the 5WT oil has a lot to do with that as these valves (that's what they are really) allow movement of the forks up and down to absorb bumps , just as suspension should be.
One final thing I should mention. I have had 2 back operations and one of them major so suspension has always been one of the most important functions I wanted working on my bike. Of course the Corbin seat makes things special too but suspension for me is no.1. I guess that's why I have been so passionate about sorting out this aspect of my bike.
Anyway, it's time for dinner and being on hols I've had 3 Vic Bitter stubbies and one bourbon and coke in amongst talking with my daughter etc.
Anywaym If you have any questions, cos I haven't covered something just ask, but I wouldn't be without them and if like me you feel something isn't right with the front. Maybe a bit of savings could help you out there.
cheers
Staffo
