I’m thinking of getting a White Power rear shock for my Vstrom 650, as I will be taking it for a long trip over countries of questionable road quality.
Anyone know where I can get one from in the UK?
Cheers
Alex
youre taking the bike back home?? 
I don’t now about WP shocks, but these guys:
http://www.solocorse.co.uk/bike-suspension.php
did me a Wilbers shock for the XT and it’s really really good. I think the brand (German) isn’t so popular over here, but apparently a lot of the BMW tourers on the continent use it. They put it together according to your weight/height and requirements, so it needs minimum setup.
Hm, thanks for that, will check it out. I’m slightly wary of using something custom, as I don’t know enough about shocks to be able to tell how appropriate it is, and the main reason I’m changing the stock shock is I’ll be taking the bike through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India for 6 months, with plans to explore off-highway as much as possible.
@Panagiotis: I’ll also drive through Greece so it’ll obviously be of some use there 
When I had the SM the guys at White Power UK were very helpfull.
They will give you the details of your local distributor and, er, tip you in the right direction for proper help.
If your in S. London PM me for the best guy. If your not, try WP themselves in, er, um, East Anglia somewhere.
It’s on the internet thingy.
Hi, fellow V-Stromer!
I have never heard of White Power (what a God awful name BTW!)
Any particular reason you chose this brand (recommended, review etc)
Have you any plans for the front?
Doug
Have you seen this
They dropped the name ‘White Power’ around 1991 (I wonder why. . . 
)
And are now known just as ‘WP Suspension’.
I mean why did they mess around - why didn’t they just call themselves ‘Adolf Hitler Shock Absorbers Ltd’ - that’s a catchy name and after all they are Austrian. . .
Cheers for that Doug - have just contacted them from that page.
I was hoping that someone would have experience with the particular suspension and how much of an improvement it is over the stock shock.
I’m looking into WP because my mechanic recommended it as a good option for the use I’m going to be making of the bike.
As for the naming, let’s not get too carried away. It’s a bike parts company… would it have been better if they called it “pink power”?
…and the scoop is:
4014 SPIN
£598.60 + VAT without hydraulic preload adjuster
£742.03 + VAT including hydraulic preload adjuster
4014 EMULSION
£367.20 + VAT without hydraulic preload adjuster
£510.63 + VAT including hydraulic preload adjuster
The models can be seen here: http://www.wpsuspension.biz/products/rearshocks.php
The hydraulic preload adjuster allows one to change the spring preload without tools.
They’re not cheap! 
-A
wow! thats alot… :ermm:
I’d check out Hagon - £275 inc VAT & delivery - http://www.hagon-shocks.co.uk
I’ve had one on my Bandit for about 8 years & it still works (& even looks) great.
I agree - if the problem is that your rear shock is tired after 20k or so miles and needs replacement there is no point in spending loads of cash on the ultimate trick adjustable shock - unless you are going racing and an expensive shock might actually make a difference.
Get a Hagon - it does the job for £275.00
I’m preparing for a 6 month to a year overland trip to Asia. I’m not looking for something that will just improve the stock Vstrom suspension. Rather, I plan to invest in something as sturdy as possible, to have some confidence that it won’t burst to flames after 40000K of battering.
WP shocks are the choice for stock KTM bikes and quite well respected among the few off-roading people I have access to, hence my default choice.
Having said that, new ideas are always welcome so please do keep them coming!
I see your point - I guess 40k across difficult terrain will require the kind of shock that is routinely fitted to Enduro/Paris-Dakar type bikes. In that case then it’s worth investing in equipment you know will be capable of surviving the journey.
Saying that Nick Sanders went around the world on a stock R1!
It’s quite annoying, isn’t it?
Us regular mortals (cough consumerism victims cough) spend a lot of time and money preparing etc, when some people so vividly demonstrate that, really, you can go around the world on a bicycle…
Of course, it’s my first serious trip out of Europe and I don’t have the mechanical knowledge to just fix things should anything break, so I’m trying to minimise the chance of stuff breaking down in the middle of nowhere. 
Very true! I have no personal experience of this kind of motorcyling but I read the accounts of Bike journalist Dan Walsh when he did two consecutive bike trips - firstly Africa - Morrocco to S.Africa across demanding terrain including the Sahara - then he did S.America - which meant crossing the muddy jungle roads of central America and the mountain passes of S.America.The bike he used for Africa was a Yamaha XT600 - which he modded for the journey - it got him across Africa and backto England.
He then did North to South America on a BMW F650 which he rode into the ground - but it survived the trip!
I think that the the simpler the bike the better for these kind of journeys - I would be happier on an old school 1980’s BMW R80 becuase I - or a local mechanic could fix it if it went wrong - whereas if the electronics on a BMW1200 went kaput you are stuffed - unless you are like Ewan and Charlie and are film stars with 5 support vehicles following you!
Have you checked out the ‘Horizons Unlimited’ website for global touring motorcylists? Dan Walsh is on this page - with advice on modifications to the XT600.
It could be worth asking people on here for their advice.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/yamaha-tech/xt600e-mods-5461
WP is excellent kit, and not exactly at the pricey end of the spectrum for aftermarket shocks.
Wilbers are also very good, along with Nitron etc.
Funny you should mention that - got an email this morning from the library that “These are the days that must happen to you” (by Dan Walsh) has been procured and is now mine to read
Yes, I am aware of the HorizonsUnlimited website & community - I went to the 2009 meeting in Ripley two weekends ago and it was absolutely brilliant… 550 lunatics with fantastic bikes and even better stories, legends of the motorcycle travelling scene there in flesh ‘n’ blood, inspiring presentations by people you wouldn’t expect to see on a bike, let alone fight the winds of the Atacama Desert…
I completely agree that simplicity is the key, but I have (and love) the Vstrom and I’ll take my chances with that - after 50,000K around Europe it’s flawless and I have a relatively high degree of trust in it. But, if anything goes wrong with the complicated electronic systems it has… I’m not sure anyone will be able to fix it on the road.
Your link was very useful as it tipped me to the presence of Suzuki Tech - Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB which I wasn’t aware of.
Cheers!
-A