Revving up the Future of World Championship Motorbike Suspension with Öhlins Racing

• To secure the aesthetic quality, the titanium had to be manually coiled to avoid scratch marks on the metal.
• The spring required parallel end fittings. However, grinding is a very long and difficult process with titanium.
• Cutting the wire delivered the parallel end finish but affected spring stress and tolerance.
• Heat treatment processes relieved the stress before cutting and after numerous experimentations the manufacturing was mastered.

There are three race teams under the elite Öhlins Factory Racing umbrella which currently use the new spring and supply to the MotoGP teams is ongoing.

“Evidence has shown that the new Lesjöfors suspension spring has resulted in a considerable weight reduction without any compromise on the performance. In fact, the fatigue properties of the titanium spring far outweigh the properties of its corresponding steel spring and to achieve this, as well as weight reduction, secures a uniquely high-performance spring.

This has not only been proved by our laboratory tests, but numerous tests have also been done on the racetrack where the MotoGP riders report the same feeling with the titanium springs as with a steel spring.”

- Jonas Torstensson, Design Engineer, Öhlins Racing.