The facts.
| Brand | Öhlins |
|---|---|
| Part Number | 00281-04 |
| Spring Rate | 42 N/mm |
| Free Length | 220 mm |
| Inner Diameter | 46 mm |
| Stroke | 117 mm |
| Construction | Straight |
| Finish | Powder-coated yellow |
| Country of Origin | Sweden |
DescriptionThe whole story▼
Öhlins part number 00281-04 is a shock absorber spring rated at 42 N/mm, 220 mm long with a 46 mm inner diameter. Adding a pillion or luggage changes the load enough that the standard rate stops working.
Key Features
- 117 mm of usable stroke
- Free length 220 mm
- Inner diameter 46 mm
- Measured spring rate 42 N/mm
- Öhlins part number 00281-04
- Straight-wound, constant rate
- Powder-coated yellow
How Öhlins Makes Them
Materials read unremarkably on paper — aluminium, steel, nitrogen — and the difference lies in how precisely they are made. Rates are offered in defined steps, so a change can be made in one direction at a time. Seals are specified for temperature stability rather than for the lowest unit cost.
The Numbers That Matter
Dimensionally this is a 46 mm × 220 mm spring; within that envelope Öhlins offers a range of rates, and this one is 42 N/mm.
Where This Rate Belongs
Rates here suit a solo rider of typical weight on a road-going machine. If you are unsure and close to average weight in full kit, this is the sensible starting point. This is the middle of Öhlins' range — the rate most riders of average weight end up on once sag is set properly. Road surfaces are the hardest test of a spring rate, because the fork has to cope with both a smooth stretch and a broken one.
How a Rear Spring Works
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. Rear spring rates run in the tens or hundreds of N/mm because the spring sits at the short end of that lever, not at the wheel.
Applications
Ask us with the machine and rider weight and we will tell you which rate in this size to take. This spring is chosen by its dimensions rather than by motorcycle model: check inner diameter, free length and rate against the fork it is going into. Öhlins lists no fixed model here — the spring is defined by its measurements, and any fork with matching dimensions can take it.
What Fitting Involves
The fork legs come off, the springs are swapped and the oil level is reset — half a day in most workshops. A spring that is the correct length still needs the preload spacer checked, since installed length is what sets sag. Check the free length against the old springs before fitting — a sagged original often measures short.
Road Approval
Road approval: no separate certificate. The spring changes the rate, not the construction of the fork, and is treated as a service part.
Fitting and Setup Service
Öhlins recommends that its suspension is fitted by an authorised service centre. We are one, and we do the work here: installation, servicing and a proper setup. Ask us and we will include it with the order.
Specifications
- Brand: Öhlins
- Part Number: 00281-04
- Spring Rate: 42 N/mm
- Free Length: 220 mm
- Inner Diameter: 46 mm
- Stroke: 117 mm
- Construction: Straight
- Finish: Powder-coated yellow
- Country of Origin: Sweden
FitmentWhich bikes this fits▼
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