Dear Ian,
Ridiculous? I'm thinking thats a very subjective word. The fact is: Shocks, and suspension components wear out and require scheduled maintenance. They're moving parts that build up energy and need to radiate that energy via heat and higher temperatures.
"Re-Setting" is not having a friendly neighborhood mechanic, to increase your preload..... Thats the "Placebo Effect" my friend, and eveyone around the planet attempts this "quick fix" and believes it magically increases the performance of the shock as opposed to having it serviced.
. Ohlins recommends your Forks and Shocks be serviced evey 2 years......Period. If you beat it more, obviously less...... Wilbers actually stands behind a 5 year warranty and service shedule on they're rears only..... Agian, this is designated by the rigourous and destructive testing of the shock, by the manufacturer.
As your spring (An energy storage device) compresses and expands over time, it begins to lose its spring rate....It wants to be straight again, and begins to increase it's length..... This happens very slowly over time....so you nor anyone else will notice until one day, you find your Nitrogen (If you had a quality shock) is gone and the shock may or may not be leaking. but the oil is "Cooked" and you have the viscosity of water inside..... Joe Shmoe shows up and says: Nahhhhh it's fine, I just make your spring harder, you happy now!
As far as Ohlins, WP, Wilbers, Nitron, TPX, HyperPro or any other Shock manufacturer...... No one will estimate the distance in Kilometers or Miles because that would literally be impossibe..... who knows where you are riding, how hard you ride, if you have smooth "Autobahn" highspeed roadways, or if you're battling it out with the rest of us here in Bangkok, or any other community in Thailand.
A plethora of other factors chime in as well,,,,,as you mentioned: Weight and travel cycles. Correct Tires and Tire Pressures, Average Mean temperature, dust, construction, agricultural farming and burning, Road inconsistancies, and my favorite: Who's servicing my suspension and when was the last time it was accomplished,
When we modify anyones chassis, we place a Placard under your seat (Fork Tube if you are racing) that tells you your date, settings, spring rates, Sags, comp/rebound clicks, for both your front forks and rear shocks. This way you can easily manage, schedule maintenance, and tune your suspension depending on your map!
You are the operator/owner of your machine, Whats of value to you may be the bottom line.... Whats of Value to me, is my bottom arse, lower back, optimization of safety and comfort while riding! Hence: why we're in business and educating as many Thai residents as possible.
If you have any questions, we're hear to answer.
Cheers
