[bigbird]

Hey mates, if you are looking for a suspension upgrade as well, eventually go for this:

https://www.matrisdampers.com/prodotto/senza%20categoria/bonneville-bobber-1200/

I completed the installation of the shock and the fork cartridges these days and so I can report:

The parts are perfectly designed and machined, very high quality, comparable to Öhlins or Wilbers! Plug and play!
Installation of the cartridges is easy going as soon as you have got this fucking original dampers out of the fork tubes!

(This crap is fixed with thread locked bolts through the bottom of the tubes and as soon as you have loosened the bolts using an impact wrench the dampers start to rotate and can hardly be counterholded by means of a custom piece of wood! The trick is to reverse the impact wrench several times, to break the thread locker glue!)

The shock has adjustable rebound and spring load. The fork kit is fully adjustable in spring load, compression (left cartridge) and rebound (right cartridge). All adjustments are on top of the tubes. Any damping characteristics can be adjusted with decent clicks.:grin2:

Can't wait for spring!

Werner Wernersen >

 

[Mike the Bike]

Nice of you to post this.

The Matris/Free Spirit stuff is well known here on this forum; they were one of the first companies to offer so many after-market parts and accessories for the Bobber, and Eisen77 was one of the first Bobber forum "pioneers" to install and test a lot of it; good for us! :wink2:

Do you have any affiliation business wise, with Free Spirits/Matris?

mike

 

[bigbird]

No, I'm just a very glowing Bobber fan! I like this bike more, than all the others I own and have owned!

The only thing I know about Matris is that they make dampers somewhere in Italy, and I first read of them some weeks ago in a post on this board. Until today I had no contact to anybody at this company.

With Freespirits it is very similar, but two weeks ago, when I asked them via email if their brake upgrade kits offered for the Street Twin and the Thruxton won't fit the Bobber, they told me, that they were working on a solution for the Bobber. At the end of last week I got a message, that they were succsessful.

That's it.

 

[MikeB]

The parts are perfectly designed and machined, very high quality, comparable to Öhlins or Wilbers! Plug and play!

Werner Wernersen >

I'm glad to hear another positive review. I had Ohlins (front & rear) on my T100 and was really happy with them. However, given the numerous positive reviews I may opt for the Matris front and rear suspension upgrade.

 

[bigbird]

I didn't road test my pimped suspension yet, because I don't want to expose my baby to the salt and cold. But I did some dry testing in my garage.

I set the adjusters to the number of clicks specified by Matris (appr. 50% opening) after installation and can report: There is sufficient rebound now at the rear and at the front as well, which is more or less missing with the original dampers at all! And there are still enough clicks left in both directions! :smile2:

When I ordered the shock and the cartridges, the dealer asked for my weight, because Matris adapts spring rates and pre adjustment of spring load to the riders weight. So I didn't have to change the spring loads and there is sufficient setting range in both directions. This is great, because I can feel free now, wether if I subscribe to the weight watchers, or if I supersize my burgers in future :grin2:

I cannot wait spring, to burn all the cops on their baggy boob guzzis around here!

Werner Wernersen >

 

[Psychopasta]

Baggy Boob Guzzis? Be careful what you say sir, we Guzzista are everywhere!

But cool that the suspension upgrades really do work. I love my Bobber...

 

[bigbird]

Some pics of my adjustable Matris front and rear suspension....
Cheers!

 

[Chico]

Werner, did you have to remove the air box in order to install the rear shock? the Triumph instruction says that removal is necessary, I'm not convinced.

Chico