ohlins calculator

What This Öhlins Calculator Does

A good Öhlins calculator helps you make fast, data-driven suspension changes instead of guessing in the garage. The most common place to start is rider sag, because it tells you whether your spring and preload are in the right range for your weight and riding style.

This page focuses on three key outputs:

• Target sag in millimeters (based on your travel and preferred sag percentage)
• Preload adjustment estimate (how many mm/turns to add or remove)
• Spring rate direction (whether your spring likely needs to be stiffer or softer)

Why Sag Matters for Öhlins Performance

Öhlins suspension can feel incredible, but only when it starts in the right operating window. If your rider sag is too deep, the bike sits low in the stroke and can feel vague, lazy, or unstable under acceleration. If sag is too small, the bike rides too high and can feel harsh or twitchy.

Typical rider sag targets

• Street: often around 28% to 33% of travel
• Track: often around 25% to 30% (depends on bike, tire, pace, and preference)
• Adventure/off-road: often slightly more, depending on terrain and load

There is no universal perfect number, but there is a range where the chassis starts behaving predictably. That is what this tool helps you find quickly.

How to Measure Correctly Before Using the Calculator

1) Measure full extension

Lift the wheel off the ground so the suspension is fully topped out. Measure your fixed reference points and record the number.

2) Measure rider sag

Sit on the bike in normal riding gear, feet on pegs if possible, with a helper balancing the bike. Bounce lightly, settle naturally, and measure again. The difference from full extension is rider sag.

3) Repeat for consistency

Do at least three readings and average them. Small measurement errors can lead to wrong preload decisions.

How to Use the Calculator Output

Once you click Calculate Setup, compare the recommendations with where your adjusters are now:

• If the tool says to add preload and you still have adjustment left, do that first.
• If it says add preload but you are near maximum preload, move to a stiffer spring.
• If it says remove preload and you are near minimum preload, move to a softer spring.

The spring rate estimate in this calculator uses a practical proportional method: if your sag is larger than target, your spring likely needs to be proportionally stiffer, and vice versa.

Common Setup Mistakes

Using damping to fix spring problems

Compression and rebound tuning are important, but they cannot fix a spring rate mismatch. Start with spring and sag first, then fine-tune damping.

Changing too many things at once

Adjust one variable at a time and document each ride impression. Good notes beat memory every time.

Ignoring riding conditions

Tire choice, temperature, track grip, and fuel load all affect feel. Your ideal setup may shift slightly across conditions.

Quick Practical Workflow

• Set tire pressures correctly first.
• Measure and set rider sag with this Öhlins suspension calculator.
• Verify static sag to ensure preload window is healthy.
• Test ride and tune rebound/compression in small steps.
• Recheck sag after major changes (spring swap, geometry changes, heavy luggage, etc.).

Final Notes

Think of this as your baseline setup calculator, not a final race engineer replacement. It is ideal for quickly estimating preload turns and deciding whether spring rates are close. If your bike still behaves unpredictably after correct sag and spring setup, it may need deeper chassis geometry tuning or a professional suspension service.