Richard Casto wrote:
IIRC you was looking into learning how to rebuild your own shocks at one point and you must have done a lot of shock research. So... what is the short version of why to avoid Koni for other the the basic SA shock.
They're completely unreliable and when you need them fixed all you get is some finger pointing about someone else doing something wrong and a HUGE wait to even get them fixed. I've now had Nationals weeks ruined twice in a row...once by Koni and once by Truechoice, one of only two certified places you can send Konis to for repair. The other is ProParts, and they caused me no end of grief through gross incompetence in building a set of custom struts.
Basically, ProParts will sell you shit. Truechoice and Koni NA will do *decent* work but are usually backed up a couple MONTHS when you need them the most. But even if you get all your work done at Koni NA by people working directly for Lee Grimes, you will still likely be left with a disappointment in your shocks at some point. I've had it happen to me too many times now for it to just be bad luck, and it's NOT going to happen again with Koni.
The big thing with them is only their 28 series is user serviceable. Everything else is only serviceable by Koni or authorized repair centers, of which there are only the two above. Some folks have done work on Konis outside of those two, but even they can't get parts or help from Koni, so that work is sketchy at best. The 28 is their best shock, but even it is an unreliable POS, IMHO. They repeatedly broke on me for basically no reason after very little use. I can't imagine road racing anything that fragile.
I could go into detail about each story, but suffice it to say ALL THREE COMPANIES have done things that one of the other companies said was completely wrong and horrible and they can't believe anyone would have done it. Now, something is rotten in Denmark when it comes to that, let me tell you. But none have been stellar, and in fact each has let me down in at least one BIG way.
IMHO, any serious *race* shock should come with enough documentation that someone with decent skills can take it apart and put it back together. Ohlins, Penske, and other major brands do. Anything else is junk, IMHO, with the exception of the venerable Koni single.
--Donnie
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