Contact with Matris

Funny story, or, at least amazing to me. I'm about to have a local indie shop swap out the stock Showa fork cartridges for the Matris F12S cartridges. Only thing is, the Matris's didn't ship with the installation instructions included. So I thought I'd have a go with the Google Docs translator and send a request in Italian to Matris directly to see if they couldn't fax me, or by whatever means, get me a set of instructions.

I fired it off, thinking I most likely wouldn't hear from them for a very long time, if ever. Much to my surprise, literally within 2 minutes I get an email back from Matris with instructions attached, and a brief note in English stating "This should meet your requirements". And there it was. I figure it was about 7 pm Italy time when I sent my request, leaving me all the more incredulous. No offense to Italians, but this seems a bit out of character.

The mechanic that will be doing the work suggested that perhaps I lucked out as Italy has just come off their vacation, and so maybe they were working late getting caught up on the backlog.

Hi, it would be great to hear your report on how the new matrix parts work.

Be prepared to be amazed. I found myself aiming for rough sections on the road to test out the Matris upgrade. Don't set them to hard and they'll soak up the bumps well.

What Ron said. Gone from teeth-rattling, kidney jarring to smooth. Only takes about $2800.

beetle wrote:

.....Only takes about $2800.

LOL^^^^^^

Ronbo10,

How did the Matris shock work out ?

What did you end up paying for the work ?

Nobleswood wrote:

Ronbo10,

How did the Matris shock work out ?

What did you end up paying for the work ?

Welllll....I haven't chimed in for quite a while as this suspension thing has become quite a debacle for me. I've been in a kind of low-grade funk over this, and I just want to get it resolved.  

Started last fall when I had a local shop (used to be an MG dealer, but didn't make Piaggio's cut) do the install work (Matris rear shock and fork cartridges, supposedly set up for my weight and riding style) as at the time I didn't have the proper stands, time, work bench, expertise and virtually anything else that might be of use in performing the task. What I thought would be a few days to turnaround morphed into a seeming eternity (for various reasons, some related to the work, some not). When the guys had my GRiSO ready to go, they warned me that the forks seemed awfully stiff following the cartridge swap-out.

Well, awfully stiff would be an understatement. The forks sag about a half of an inch and then are essentially hydraulically locked. The bike in this state rides very high up front, like I should have tassles coming off my bar ends, for chrisake. And they don't move.

After the ride home, I inquired from the shop who did the work if they had had any unusual issues in doing the install. Said the damper rods moved extremely slowly through the fork fluid while purging the bubbles and only with great effort at that. Hmm. Didn't sound right to me. So I'm thinking, maybe I'll have Elraldo Ferracci look at 'em. By this time I had gotten the proper stands so at least now I could drop the fork legs out and bring them in. So I let Mr. Ferracci have a crack at it. Paid him a visit a couple of weeks after drop off, and he says, "Ron, you gonna a-snappa-your-wrists- something's messed up with the valving!" Mr. Ferracci sent me home, fork legs in hand, no charge, so that was nice.

By this time (it's late December now) I figured I better get them over to the guy who sold me the cartridges, so I FEDEX'd 'em out and that's where they've been, since late January. Before I sent them, his opinion was that the issue was related to improper install, most likely, so he should be able to fix me right up. I haven't heard from him in a while, so I'm guessing that it's something more than that. Which means (I imagine) a back and forth correspondence with Matris, (which I'm coming to believe that despite my experience recounted at the top of this thread, is something that happens at a leisurely pace at best) and who knows how long it'll take to resolve, or how, in the end, it will be resolved.

In retrospect, I dunno. Before I unfairly and unintentionally tarnish Matris, I'm going to wait to see the final outcome.

Ironically, I was leaning toward Traxxion Dynamics, but they require you to send the forks in to their shop in GA. My thinking was that I'd rather avoid that because I've heard horror stories of forks being significantly damaged in transit. In the end I had to send them anyway.

So to answer your question- the shock? I couldn't tell you- I was too distracted fishing around with my feet for the highway pegs. And all this joy, for only about $2.6K plus shipping.

I realize I could demand my money back, but it's still winter here and I'm going to give it a bit more time. I've got some other issues at home to contend with anyway.

Well that sucks. I hope this works out for you. Please keep us posted. Good luck.

Damn. I hadn't expected that reply! I hope this turns around for you soon.

I suspect they fucked up the cartridge install.

Hope you're right, Beetle- I gather that the Matris can be particular that way. I think it's possible that the first two guys I tried weren't up to speed on the concept that the install would convert the forks from having compression and rebound adjustability in each leg to one leg having just rebound and the other just compression. If that were the case, it might have one thinking that parts are interchangeable between one side and the other, whereas they aren't. Can't recall if the instructions make that apparent, but yeah, this could be at the root of the problem.

Soon as I find out what's going on, I'll post.

That definitely sucks. Hope they get it worked out soon for you.

1st, check the oil level/air gap is correct.

I agree with Beetle...they fugged something up.
Ohlins forks from a Tuono sounds like a good proposition after all...
Good luck with the resolve.

Are the ohlins are straight exchange or do parts have to be made ?

The Ohlins I have require the bottom yoke to be bored and shims for the top yoke.

My bad then.
I thought that a set of Ohlins from a 08/11 Tuono was a direct swap...might have read that on the guzzitech back in the days but can't recall for sure.

No, the Tuono ones may fit, I dunno. All I can say is mine need that mod. I can't remember what they were off but I thought they were Tuono??

Pete

A friend of mine has a 2010 Tuono...I will see him this week for Bike Week in Daytona and see for myself if it's a direct swap or not.
I assume that it gas to be a "Factory"? Or does the regular Tuono carries the Ohlins forks as well? Can't remember...
I want to sort this out cause I can pick up a set (used) locally...

The Matris vendor believes that it is either the wrong kit or incorrect parts. Awaiting word from Matris (slow going these days, says the vendor). Vendor's done 5 installs of this kit with no issues, so there is clearly something here that doesn't seem right to him either, though he didn't elaborate.

Thanks to all for the advice/encouragement. I'll post with the resolution. Might take a while.

Keep the Faith, you'll get there