It’s been some time since we’ve heard from ND Tuned, however they had been displaying off some very distinctive prototype forks and shocks at Taipei Cycle present.
Identified for his or her tuning kits and substitute dampers for Rockshox and Fox forks, ND Tuned additionally makes aftermarket shock valve kits for off-road motos, too. Now, they’re engaged on their very own full suspension merchandise for mountain bikes.
The forks will use a hybrid spring that depends on twin optimistic air chambers plus a coil detrimental spring. They are saying this design has a number of benefits. The coil detrimental will get the fork shifting simply when it first encounters a bump. The twin optimistic air spring permits you to set one chamber firmer for an improved pedaling platform and resisting backside out, then set the opposite one softer to maintain it plush over small- to medium-sized hits.
The system is their various to utilizing quantity spacers, letting you tune two completely different air chambers somewhat than making an attempt to make one deal with each sort of compression.
Making it much more distinctive is the truth that the spring is stacked on high of the damping cartridge, all within the identical leg. The opposite leg is empty. They are saying this makes it much less more likely to have uneven compression, the place the spring is resisting compression on one facet of the fork whereas the damping facet is permitting it on the opposite.
However, principally, retaining each legs shifting in unison is dealt with by the outsized carbon arch and stout machined dropouts.
Inside are a mix of sliding and glued bushings. The higher bushing is fastened on the lowers, just under the wiper seals. The decrease pushing is on the stanchions, so throughout compression, it’s all the time as far-off from the higher bushing as potential, maximizing the gap between them. They are saying this affords improved reliability and fewer friction than having each bushings fastened into the lowers.
It has an all-alloy chassis, no magnesium lowers. The fork will launch with a 38mm path model, and it’s mild – goal is 2150g with axle. An enduro and dual-crown model are deliberate subsequent.
Prototype ND Tuned Inline Shock, too
ND Tuned has provided a piggy again shock for some time, and now they’re engaged on an inline model, too. It’ll have excessive IFP stress to offer it a little bit of a pedaling platform by resisting mild compression. But it surely’ll even have a coil detrimental spring that helps overcome that pressure on impacts so the shock can do what it’s imagined to.
Inside are separate low- and high-speed compression damping circuits, pre-tuned for anticipated using speeds and the corresponding influence speeds. Meaning no exterior compression changes to maintain prices down, making them extra aggressive. Additionally, it’s designed deliberately for e-bikes, the place you’re much less more likely to care about having a lockout swap.
They are saying eradicating the required inside porting and components that permit for exterior changes additionally helps hold oil temperatures down for extra constant efficiency…barely. How? it lets them use a bigger piston diameter that lets extra oil circulation by means of bigger compression circuits, somewhat than forcing it by means of tinier circuits situated away from the principle shaft the place controls will match.
The result’s a shock that’s quite simple, however with persistently excessive efficiency run after run. Claimed most weight is simply 295g w/o coil, and about 630-650g with a coil spring. That’s respectably mild for a coil spring.
All merchandise doubtless coming later this 12 months.
