Why Ohlins Oil?

I say this not just as the largest Ohlins dealer in the world or as a suspension technician, but as a test rider. If you do not use Ohlins specified oil in conjunction with Ohlins spec'd valving you will NEVER get your damping curves correct. Trust me they know what they are doing. There are very specific reasons why Ohlins uses a more resolute kinematic index for rating viscosity and much of that is down to consistency for each application. Rating viscosity based on pressure in the similar manner as it is being utilized is far superior to rating it based on time alone.

Every single week I get a phone call from someone, somewhere that had some budget shop service their Ohlins forks or shock and they complain that it doesn't work or feel the same as before the service. When pressed on what oil they used it is almost invariably any brand other than Ohlins specificed oil. That is why it does not work!!! Ohlins is not trying to pad their bank account by selling you their semi-expensive self-labeled brand of oil they are selling you a product that guarantees it will perform correctly and consistently with the valve spec they have designed using that oil.

EDIT 07/09/19: So this has really started to become a pet peeve of mine. I still continue to get phone calls about this and people just simply do NOT GET IT and some have even argued the point with me. Just because the bottle has the #5 on it does not mean it is the correct oil specified for your application.

You must use the oil specified by part#. Here are two bottle of Ohlins Suspension Oil. Both have a big ass "5" on the label, but they are that are 2 completely different kinematic viscosities as well as different lubricity.

No two manufacturers have the exact same viscosity SHOWA 5wt is different than Maxima 5wt which is different than Silkolene 5wt etc. That is why Ohlins rates their oil by kinematic viscosity and when they specify a specific part# for the required oil in their shock or forks it is because the valve spec in that product is designed around the oil.

The following is an article released from Ohlins on the subject:

Downloadable Word Document