Öhlins History

Öhlins History

It was the 1970s, and a young man named Kenth Öhlin spent most of his spare time pursuing his favourite sport: motocross. A careful observer, Kenth's attention was continually drawn to one specific detail - motocross bikes had more engine power than their suspension could handle. It wasn't long before Kenth realised that better performance could be achieved by improved wheel suspension.

At that particular time, Kenth used to help out in his father's machine shop, where he often renovated shock absorbers for his fellow motocross riders. His first-hand track experience, and intimate knowledge of the market, told him that shock absorbers capable of withstanding such rigorous treatment simply weren't available. So he decided to change all that. Kenth set about designing and manufacturing shock absorbers that he would wish to have for himself. A combination of engineering skill, attention to detail and superior raw materials soon achieved results: Öhlins shock absorbers were an instant success.

Öhlins Racing was established in 1976, and just two years later the company won its first World Championship title. During those early years, Öhlins were largely concerned with motocross and enduro racing, providing both manufacturers and the after-sales market with quality shock absorbers. Successive wins on the track, however, soon attracted major interest from high performance riders... and the story goes on, from strength to strength. Öhlins policy of total commitment at the highest levels of motor racing has proved successful, and winning on the track has also led to first place in the eyes of everyday consumers.

The move from two to four wheel applications was but a short step to take. It soon became apparent that certain of Öhlins shock absorbers for motorcycles could easily be adapted to suit the needs of car applications. And so they were! One of the first such projects was to design a shock for Japanese Gymkhana racing - a slalom event for saloon cars in restricted areas. The designated team of specialist engineers soon established permanent status, and one of their first Formula One assignments was to work with Modena-Lamborghini. Alas, the Formula One project was short-lived, as Lamborghini withdrew from Formula One. It did, however, result in a contract with the Newman-Haas CART team in the US, and was the start of highly successful partnerships with CART teams which has continued to the present day, and is still flourishing.
Today, Öhlins have numerous automotive partnerships with premium car manufacturer and racing teams all around the globe.

Despite being in the business for 30 years the search for perfection and new functions is still the main focus of the company. Today the unique TTX concept has been launched in the whole shock absorber range and will for sure change the market for good. Many more applications will soon follow.

With an exceptional precision, quality and easy high/low compression and rebound tuning access with minimum cavitation problem, the TTX concept is a proud product of 30 years of testing, racing and engineering experience.