With their suspension lining up on the World Cup XCO races once more, Manitou wanted a contemporary XC fork and shock for the Rockrider Ford Crew riders.
The brand new Manitou R8 and Mara are it, providing an up to date tackle their dampers, lowers, and air springs for the entrance and rear of the bike. Let’s begin with the fork…
Manitou R8 suspension fork
Constructed round their 34mm stanchion platform and signature reverse arch, the brand new R8 is available in at a claimed 1450-1480g. They declare the rear arch is stiffer than a comparable entrance arch, or lighter than one with equal stiffness…a win both approach. And now they’ve bolt-on fender mounts and pressure-relief bleed screws, too.
The uppers (stanchions) are Hyperlite, a light-weight alloy design borrowed from sister model Reply, with deeply bored cutouts and exterior machining on the crown to save lots of weight.
On the backside, the brand new Hexlock SL-R is their lightest-ever through axle at simply 25g.
Internally, a brand new XC-tuned Dorado air spring is a bit lighter, however retains the power to alter journey at dwelling in 10mm increments, from 80mm as much as 120mm. The changes change each optimistic and adverse air volumes in tandem, so the trip high quality is constant irrespective of the way you set it up with out needing to purchase a completely new air spring simply to alter the journey, which is what number of of their rivals’ forks work. A brand new XC model of their IVA quantity adjustment permits you to tune the air spring, too.
The damper can also be new. It’s an XC-specific VTT Professional-X that’s lighter and has a novel three piston/three place adjustment. In contrast to different dampers that make changes to the identical high- and low-speed circuits, Manitou’s multi-piston design lets them have distinct settings in all three modes – agency, path, and open.
In Agency mode, it’s mainly locked out, with its personal piston primarily closing off each circuits. Within the center place, a second piston adjusts each high- and low-speed circuits to create a supportive platform that may nonetheless take in the terrain. Within the open place, a 3rd piston permits you to independently alter low-speed compression damping to your liking whereas high-speed is opened as much as be extra conscious of huge hits.
Principally, it’s kinda-liking having exterior controls for each, however with three principally pre-set settings that alter each high- and low-speed compression with a single knob. There’s additionally an 18-click rebound adjustment on the underside.
Out there in 29er solely with 44mm offset, enhance spacing, and an choice for distant lockout lever. Talking of, they’ve a brand new Ace/Deuce lockout lever with three paddles, one for fork and shock lockouts, one to launch the lockout, and one for dropper seatposts. What’s cool is which you could stack them nonetheless you want, placing suspension or dropper controls on high or backside.
Manitou Mara air shock goes XC to Enduro
The brand new Mara shocks are available in three varieties – Inline, Inline with King Can, and Piggy Again. All three get new, extra sturdy air piston structure and are straightforward to tune with optimistic and adverse quantity spacers that want no particular instruments to put in.
Inside, a brand new compression piston and up to date shim stacks enhance small bump compliance. Mid-stroke help is adjustable utilizing exterior compression changes and the amount spacers.
All three additionally use their Steadiness Groove, which is actually a examine valve that robotically equalizes optimistic and adverse air stress, identical as just about each fork on the market besides Cane Creek’s Helm.
For XC bikes, the slim Mara Professional IL XC inline shock (above, left) has a brand new Lite Can air can, which has decrease complete quantity for a firmer, extra environment friendly trip high quality. That makes it ramp more durable, however for XC racers, it additionally retains it from wallowing round beneath onerous pedaling and sprints.
For path bikes, the brand new King Can outsized air can provides extra quantity with an outer sleeve. It’s discovered on the Mara IL Professional & Comp (inline) and Mara Professional PB (piggy again), providing you with choices for longer journey bikes, all the best way to DH and park driving.
The Mara Professional PB provides a two-position swap that allows you to rapidly toggle between two pre-set modes – Work (for climbing) and Celebration (for descending). Work mode makes use of one damping circuit, and Celebration makes use of one other which you could tune with exterior high- and low-speed changes.
There’s additionally a fourth Mara Professional PB DH that loses the Work/Celebration swap because it’s geared toward lift-served driving with no climbing.
Manitou Mattoc LE
Pining for the glory days? Again whenever you had one fork for all the pieces from XC to DH?
For a restricted time you will get a totally fashionable Manitou Mattoc path fork within the black and silver end that the legends rode, besides it’s for 29″ wheels, not 26″.
Claimed weight is 1750g and it comes preset at 140mm journey however could be simply adjusted from 110mm to 150mm. It comes with their Hexlock SL2 through axle, Dorado Air system, and IRT dual-positive air spring adjustment that allows you to individually tune the mid- and end-stroke ramp.
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