Öhlins STX 46 piggyback shock absorber for Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin

Reviewer: Mikko Nieminen // RRP: £875 // Info: www.ohlins.eu/en

There is very little to criticise about the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin. The 998cc parallel twin engine packs a punch, and despite tipping the scales at 242kg the bike feels agile and light; the riding position is comfortable and the bike looks good. So what more could you ask for? Well, how about upgraded rear suspension?

Suspension specialist Öhlins is world-famous for high-quality products, so I was delighted to test the new STX 46 piggyback shock that had been designed for the Africa Twin.

In terms of adjustments available, the Öhlins shock absorber offers the same options as the OE shock: it features a remote spring preload adjuster, and both compression and rebound damping are adjustable too. So, whatever the difference, it comes down to performance.

To make sure I got the most out of the new shock I went to have it bolted on and set up at Mick Gardner Racing in Barnsley(www. mick gardner racing. com). The chaps there are not only suspension wizards, but Öhlins specialists too, and sure enough they swapped the shocks and set up the adjustments bang on before I had time to ask for another cup of coffee.

The new shock is a bit of a stunner: the Öhlins trademark yellow and gold unit looks as exclusive as the price tag would suggest. But it’s all about the performance. Initially I was struggling to feel much difference with the new setup: in town the ride quality was good, but then it doesn’t really test the suspension much; out on the open road, in fast cornering, the rear felt stable, firm and planted, but it had been fine with the original shock.

When the going got rough, the shock got going: over a stretch of road with more potholes than I ever thought possible, the Öhlins unit really came into its own. It soaked up the bumps in a way that felt more refined than the OE shock. It seemed to make light work of the poor road surface when in fact it must have been working overtime to keep the rear steady. My overall impression of the shock was that it didn’t so much transform the handling of the bike as refine it.

It was already good, but the shock added a layer of luxury to it.

Given how the shock improved its performance as the roads got worse it would probably make a bigger difference off road, but unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to take the Africa Twin off-roading. Maybe next time…