The facts.
| Brand | Öhlins |
|---|---|
| Part Number | 00281-78 |
| Spring Rate | 18 N/mm |
| Free Length | 280 mm |
| Inner Diameter | 46 mm |
| Stroke | 180 mm |
| Construction | Straight |
| Finish | Powder-coated yellow |
| Country of Origin | Sweden |
DescriptionThe whole story▼
Öhlins part number 00281-78 is a shock absorber spring rated at 18 N/mm, 280 mm long with a 46 mm inner diameter. A rear spring matched to rider and load keeps the chassis attitude where the factory intended it.
Key Features
- Measured spring rate 18 N/mm
- Straight-wound, constant rate
- Free length 280 mm
- 180 mm of usable stroke
- Powder-coated yellow
- Öhlins part number 00281-78
- Inner diameter 46 mm
How Öhlins Makes Them
Öhlins machines its own critical components instead of buying them in, and the tolerances are where the money goes. Production has stayed in Sweden since the company was founded in 1976. Every unit is dyno-tested against the curve held for its part number, not sampled from a batch.
The Numbers That Matter
The 46 mm bore and 280 mm length are the two figures that decide whether it physically fits; 18 N/mm decides whether it suits the rider.
What This Rate Does
On a machine ridden solo and mostly on the road, softer is often the honest choice. This is the end of the range where small-bump compliance matters more than resistance to diving. Comfort and grip come from the spring moving early; this is the end of the range where that happens. A road machine spends most of its life in the first third of the fork's travel — that is the part the rate governs.
What the Rear Spring Decides
Because the linkage is progressive on most modern machines, a small change in rate moves the sag more than riders expect. Two riders 20 kg apart on the same motorcycle genuinely need different rates, not different clicks. Static sag at the rear sets the whole chassis attitude — get it wrong and the front geometry goes with it.
Applications
Selection is by measurement. If the diameter and free length match your fork, the remaining question is the rate. There is no model list for this size because the spring is a dimensional part: it fits whatever fork it physically fits. If you are replacing a sagged original, measure its free length first — a tired spring often measures several millimetres short.
Fitting
Oil level is measured from the top of the tube with the fork compressed and the spring removed. Öhlins states the oil and the air-gap for this application — both are part of the setting, not a detail. Note the original oil level before draining — it is a useful reference even when Öhlins specifies its own.
Road Approval
Road approval: none is issued for springs as such — they replace an existing component of the same function. Any model-specific approval is listed under Applications.
Fitting and Setup Service
Öhlins suspension rewards careful fitting. We recommend having the work done by an authorised Öhlins service centre — and we are one ourselves: we fit, service and set up Öhlins components in house. If you would like us to handle the installation, just ask and we will quote it with the order.
Specifications
- Brand: Öhlins
- Part Number: 00281-78
- Spring Rate: 18 N/mm
- Free Length: 280 mm
- Inner Diameter: 46 mm
- Stroke: 180 mm
- Construction: Straight
- Finish: Powder-coated yellow
- Country of Origin: Sweden
FitmentWhich bikes this fits▼
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