About

Impulse Movement is a one-person shop in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m Kristoffer. I design, 3D print and test suspension parts for bikes like the Yamaha MT-07, FZ-07 and FZ6 and the Honda Grom and Kawasaki Z125, so you can get a better front end without spending more on parts than the bike is worth.

Where it started

I’ve loved being on two wheels for as long as I can remember, from jumping a BMX bike in the dirt to heading out on the trails on my first mountain bike. Motorcycles were the natural next step. As soon as I was old enough and had saved up the money, I bought my first real motorcycle.

It was a shiny red 2007 Yamaha FZ6. That’s a lot of bike for a beginner, but I’d grown up on two wheels and knew I could grow into the power. It had more power than I knew what to do with and a comfortable riding position, and I loved it, except for one thing.

Being new to motorcycles, I didn’t understand how much the weight shifts under hard acceleration and braking. In my first year on the FZ6, brake dive put me in a handful of scary moments where I wasn’t sure I’d keep the bike upright. Eventually I just learned to live with it. I figured every motorcycle did that, and every rider just had to deal with it.

The bike that showed me the difference

I rode that FZ6 for a little over eight years and put just under 100,000 miles on it. Then one morning on the way to work, a driver who didn’t see me turned left in front of me. Insurance totaled it, but it was still more or less rideable, so I kept it. I also moved up to its big brother, the FZ1. Knowing how much more power it made, I was a little intimidated at first.

What surprised me most wasn’t the power. It was the front end. The FZ1’s upside-down forks felt nothing like the conventional forks on my FZ6. The valving inside them holds the fork up under slow loads like braking, but still lets it move quickly over bumps, potholes and sharp edges. The bike stayed level on the brakes and still soaked up the road.

Why I built Prime

Naturally, I wanted that same front end on my FZ6. But when I looked at the aftermarket, the math didn’t work: I’d have to put a couple thousand dollars of parts into a bike worth about $1,000. So I built my own. That’s where Impulse Movement and the Prime Series Emulator started. The first Prime went into that FZ6, to give it a stable, controlled front end without spending more than the bike was worth.

Today Prime fits the Yamaha MT-07, FZ-07 and FZ6. It’s a spring-loaded valve that takes over from the fixed holes in the stock damper rod. Heavier fork oil makes the whole fork stiffer. Prime makes it firm only where it should be: firm under braking, and compliant over sharp hits. A cartridge kit costs anywhere from two to five times as much as Prime. Riders who’ve reviewed Prime rate it five stars. Read their reviews.

Why I built AirTech

With AirTech, I wanted the same big jump in performance I got with Prime, at a much lower cost. It’s for the rider on a Grom or Z125 who’s getting into suspension but doesn’t want to spend big on a brand-new cartridge set. It’s also for anyone who wants extra protection for their forks because they bottom them out a lot, whether that’s from stunting or just riding hard.

How I make parts

Every part is designed, 3D printed and tested here in Phoenix. All the testing is done in house, and every design is ridden on my own bikes before it ships. Printing isn’t a shortcut. It’s what makes these parts possible:

• Always the latest version. A printed design can improve between batches, so every part ships as the current version.
• Shapes a lathe can’t make. Prime’s internal oil passages can’t be machined.
• Real engineering materials. Prime is printed from engineering-grade filament, then heat-treated to handle the heat and pressure inside a fork. The Grom bar bushings are carbon-fiber-reinforced nylon (CF-PA6). AirTech is one airtight piece of TPU.

What you can count on

• Priced for real budgets. Each part is built to get you a real upgrade without cartridge-kit money.
• No big teardown. Prime installs in about 20 minutes with the forks on the bike, and it’s set up for your stock fork oil.
• A real warranty. Every part is covered, and the main body of every Prime emulator is covered for life. Read the warranty for the details.
• Free shipping in the USA. Orders with keychains ship for $5.
• You deal with the guy who made it. Questions about fitment or setup come straight to me at info@impulse-movement.com.

Find the right part for your bike

If you ride an MT-07, FZ-07, FZ6, Grom or Z125 and you’re tired of brake dive and harsh hits, start here.

Riding something else? Tell me what you ride.