New damper added to forks range and Vivid Coil unveiled
RockShox has announced an overhaul of its forks range, with the Pike, Lyrik and ZEB now featuring an updated Charger 3.1 damper that’s said to broaden the adjustment range of low- and high-speed compression.
The American brand has also updated its Super Deluxe rear shock, with a redesigned main piston and reservoir allowing for optimised oil flow.
Alongside these updates, RockShox has released a new Vivid Coil rear shock, which uses the brand’s TouchDown position-sensitive damping system and features an adjustable hydraulic bottom-out.
The forks and shocks are available to order now, with RockShox also offering the Charger 3.1 damper separately as an upgrade to existing RockShox forks.
RockShox’s parent company, SRAM, has also recently released its 250Wh Powertrain Range extender and AXS Pod Rocker Paddle.
Charger 3.1 RC2 damper
RockShox says its new Charger 3.1 damper sees updated plumbing in the low-speed compression circuit to make the oil’s easy-flow path even easier, enabling 68 per cent more oil to flow through when the adjuster is set to open.
This is said to reduce compression damping, allowing for greater traction control while reducing low-speed trail noise.
High-speed compression damping has increased in the closed position, with RockShox increasing the size of the pyramid.
To match the increased oil flow, a new internal floating piston has been developed, which is said to improve consistency and control.
A new shim kit priced at £29 / $30 / €32 gives the damper two compression and three rebound tunes for you to customise.
RockShox also says it has given the damper a new mid-valve check spring, which aids in further reducing compression damping for more traction.
The new damper will feature in the new Pike, Lyrik and ZEB, as well as being available separately for £345 / $358 / €386, and is compatible with the previous-generation forks.
For those who already have a Charger 3 damper, RockShox is offering a Charger 3.1 RC2 upgrade kit, which includes a new piston assembly for £72 / $75 / €80.
New bushings
While the new damper is the standout update, RockShox has also introduced a new bushings package that’s said to give the forks the overall lowest friction.
The bushings are larger than on the previous generation, with the brand saying it has applied what it learnt when developing its Boxxer downhill forks to the range.
Changes have been made to the lower legs to accommodate the bushings, so unlike the new damper, these can’t be retrofitted to the previous generation of forks.
The new Pike features a hollowed-out top cap, which maximises the fork’s negative air chamber.
This is said to make initiating the fork travel easier, while improving traction and small-bump sensitivity.
Elsewhere, the ZEB Ultimate is now available in an Electric Red colourway, similar to that found on the Boxxer Ultimate.
RockShox Vivid Coil
The Vivid Air shock was released last year, and we’ve seen sneak peeks of its Coil counterpart in the UCI World Cup and Red Bull Hardline pits this year.
The shock is designed for the gnarliest trails, being equipped on some of the best enduro bikes and downhill bikes.
Like the air shock, the Vivid Coil features the brand’s TouchDown technology, which offers position-sensitive damping that’s said to be forgiving at the beginning of the stroke while remaining composed at the middle and end.
This is done by bypassing the compression damping in the first 10 per cent of the shock’s travel.
After that, 70 per cent of the stroke rides on compression damping before entering the last 20 per cent, which is controlled by an adjustable hydraulic bottom-out.
There are five tuning settings for the adjustable hydraulic bottom-out, allowing for a wide range of rebound tunes that better fit your frame’s kinematics.
Alongside this, RockShox has also developed a new stroke-specific bottom-out bumper that maximises the shock travel.
RockShox Super Deluxe
The American brand has also updated its Super Deluxe rear shock with redesigned high-speed and low-speed compression damping.
Oil flow has been improved, and there are now five low-speed compression damping adjustments, which the brand says are more noticeably different from one another.
A high-flow piston and lighter rebound check plate have also been added to smooth the transition between damping circuits and improve suspension tracking to the ground.