Suspension
The upgrade that makes the bike better everywhere, forever. Springs matched to your weight first, then cartridges and a shock when you outride the stock internals. Steering dampers and triple clamps live here too.
The decision
Start with springs and fresh oil set for your weight ($150–300) — most stock suspension is sprung for a rider lighter than you. Cartridges and a quality shock come when you're on track and out of adjustment range. A setup session is worth more than the next part.
The brand ladder
Where each name sits on the shelf — market position, not endorsement. Brands appear because their catalogs cover this category.
| Brand | Tier | Origin | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| K-Tech | premium | GB | The direct Öhlins challenger — DDS Pro trades blows with the TTX GP for similar money. |
| Nitron | premium | GB | Hand-built British race shocks with a strong club-racing following. |
| Penske | premium | US | US race-shop favorite — built, serviced, and rebuilt in Pennsylvania. |
| Öhlins | premium | SE | The benchmark everything else is priced against; TTX GP shocks and NIX cartridges. |
| Andreani | mid | IT | Italian cartridge kits — the mid-priced path to real fork internals. |
| YSS | budget | TH | Thai-built shocks in the $400–700 band; the budget way off worn stock units. |
Representative parts
Typical US street prices for the entries riders cross-shop. Every line is model-specific at checkout — verify fitment for your exact year and market before buying.
| Part | Tier | Typical price | Fitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Öhlins FGRT 200-series complete fork set | premium | $3,400 | model-specific — full fork replacement, race-oriented |
| Öhlins TTX GP rear shock | premium | $1,500 | model-specific — order the spring rate for your weight |
| K-Tech DDS Lite rear shock | premium | $1,400 | model-specific — order the spring rate for your weight |
| Öhlins NIX30 fork cartridge kit | premium | $1,300 | model-specific kit — order springs for your rider weight |
| Penske 8983 double-adjustable shock | premium | $1,300 | model-specific — built to order; strong US race support network |
| Öhlins steering damper | premium | $650 | model-specific mount kit — pick your bike's exact part |
| Andreani Misano fork cartridge kit | mid | $900 | model-specific kit — order springs for your rider weight |
| K-Tech Razor-R Lite rear shock | mid | $800 | model-specific — strong value for lightweight and middleweight bikes |
| Nitron R1 rear shock | mid | $700 | model-specific — built to order with your spring rate |
| GPR V4 steering stabilizer | mid | $470 | model-specific mount kit — pick your bike's exact part |
| YSS rear shock | budget | $550 | model-specific — the budget path to a sprung-for-you rear end |
| Race Tech Gold Valve kit | budget | $250 | fork-specific — best installed by a suspension tuner |
| HyperPro progressive fork springs | budget | $160 | model-specific — pick your bike's exact part |
| Race Tech fork springs | budget | $130 | model-specific — use the rate calculator for your weight |
Run the category search — “motorcycle fork springs” — where you already shop:
Some links may earn Unstocked a commission at no cost to you. Prices shown are typical street prices — always verify fitment and price at the retailer. Model-specific parts (exhausts, rearsets, bodywork) can run 2–3× between platforms — the sheet shows a typical figure.
Read first
- The first motorcycle mods, in order: the street canon — The first-mods canon — tail tidy to suspension setup — in the order thousands of threads converged on, with real prices and the steps worth skipping.
- Motorcycle suspension first — springs and sag before power — Before the exhaust, before the tune — why springs and sag set for your actual weight do more than any horsepower mod, and how to buy in at $250 or $2,500.
- Track bike prep: what to upgrade, in what order — The paddock's upgrade canon — tires, brakes, suspension, ergonomics, crash protection, then power — with typical street prices, real failure modes, and what tech inspection actually checks.
Where it bolts on
These platforms carry suspension notes on their build pages — the brands that fit, the year splits, and the gotchas.
Prices are typical US street prices at publish time and drift with sales and supply — verify at the retailer. Fitment is advisory: always confirm the exact part number for your year, generation and market before buying.