Öhlins motorcycle suspension

What was the brief?

Öhlins required rear motorcycle suspension springs that delivered a consistent, linear spring rate throughout the full stroke. At the same time, the components needed to be produced using the lightest possible material to unlock performance gains for their MotoGP teams.

What makes the project special?

This project advanced MotoGP component manufacturing by combining decades of expertise with modern engineering processes, blending skilled craftsmanship with advanced analysis and testing. This approach enabled Lesjöfors to fully control material behavior while meeting both the performance and aesthetic requirements of the finished motorcycle suspension spring. 

Mass industrial production of this specific suspension spring design and dimension had never been achieved before. To make it possible, Lesjöfors and Öhlins undertook a multi-step R&D program over many months:

• To secure the required aesthetic quality, the titanium wire had to be manually coiled to prevent scratch marks on the material.
• The spring design required parallel end fittings; however, grinding is a lengthy and complex process when working with titanium.
• Cutting the wire delivered the required parallel end finish but introduced challenges related to spring stress and dimensional tolerance.
• Carefully controlled heat-treatment processes were applied to relieve stress before and after cutting. Following extensive experimentation, the manufacturing process was successfully mastered.