Description
Control and comfort without the cost and confusion
Most entry-level bikes utilize the primitive damper rod technology of the 1930s. The damper rod design offers manufacturers a quick and easy way to produce motorcycle suspension. This design is just barely good enough to prevent the bike from bouncing along like a boat. The design’s limitations lead to suspension that either rides like it’s made of marshmallows or feels like it is non-existent.
So what’s the solution?
You could find some new style upsidedown style forks and then replace the whole front assembly of the bike. However, the price of the upgraded parts alone usually outweighs the value of the bike. Changing the forks can also negatively affect the bike’s geometry if not set up correctly. For the average rider, the cost and complexity of this modification make it unobtainable.
Another option is to improve upon the bike’s existing suspension. Increasing the viscosity of the oil can dampen a fork’s high-speed movements but does little for the slow finite changes in road force unless using an exceptionally heavyweight oil. Using a super think oil however leads to a bike that rides like a rock over every large bump in the road. This leaves you with a give-and-take situation where you must sacrifice one type of performance for another.
Aftermarket fork cartridges work by replacing a hand full of internal and adding extra valves to control the flow of oil through the fork. This simplifies the process however Fork Cartridges tend to be on the pricy side reaching well over $1000 for a system with independent compression and rebound control.
And then there are cartridge Emulators where the bike’s stock internals are used in tandem to add a layer of damping to the stock configuration. Traditional Emulators only change the compression stroke of a fork and do so with a single pressure-dependent valve. This adds extra damping force that diminishes as higher amounts of force are applied to the fork. While this implementation is better than stock, it still has limitations to how much damping you can have without making the bike unrideable. the valve needs to be soft enough to open for small imperfections in the road, but hard enough to hold hydraulic pressure and prevent the fork from bottoming out.
While there are a few options to improve on the 1930s fork design, non of the high performance options are sensible for a rider with a finite amount of cash to spend on upgrading their bike
Don’t get left Behind
Impulse Movement’s Prime Series Emulators look to bridge the gap in performance and price of entry-level motorcycle suspension.
With Prime Series, you gain next-gen levels of control and confidence in your bike’s front end without burning a hole in your wallet. Using additive manufacturing, these custom inserts are engineered to slot perfectly into your existing suspension with minimal effort and tools.
Prime Series Dynamicly switches between firm and soft to give you a compliant suspension that still feels planted to the ground.
the multi-stage valving of the Prime Series allows for finite control while still having high-speed bump performance.
The prime series emulators offer full adjustability to suit any rider’s preference and riding style.
The full tuning guide can be found HERE
High-speed Damping- Large potholes, Speed bumps, curbs, coming down from wheelies
Low-speed Damping- decelerating, cornering, changing directions, elevation changes
Hi/lo Bais- the balance between high-speed and low-speed damping
Rebound Damping- used to control the recoil of the fork after taking a hit or when the fork is extending down to the road. The fork should extend quickly to regain traction on the road but not so quickly as to feel the recoil in the handlebars or cause the tire to bounce.
The prime series utilizes additive manufacturing otherwise known as 3-D printing to create intricate parts with features that would be impossible using conventional machining techniques. This allows the prime series to not only control the inbound travel of your fork but also reach down into the damper rod to control the rebound motion as well. The parts are “printed” from an engineering grade filament, and heat treated to create a tempered part capable of withstanding the harsh conditions inside of a motorcycle fork.
Prime series emulators are designed to retrofit your motorcycle without any modification to the existing suspension.
A full installation guide can be found HERE!
We are adding more bikes to the catalog over time. If you have a bike with nonadjustable, non-upsidedown forks that you would like to upgrade, please contact us.
Grayson (verified owner) –
I’ve had my eye on these for a year, and I wish I had bought them a year ago! The bike feels tighter and more sure of its self. No more harsh nose dive when on the front brake. I can’t speak on longevity, because I’ve only had them installed a few days but so far I’m very impressed.