Showa SFF AIR?

sozo
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sozo
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 7:44am
http://www.vitalmx.com/videos/member/First-Annual-Showa-Pro-Circuit-Ride-Day,4653/ocscottie,405
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Drew580
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Drew580 11/8/2011 7:35pm
11/8/2011 7:35pm
hmmm.... interesting. its been done on snowmobiles before so you would think it would work on bikes too
Tiki
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Tiki 11/8/2011 8:00pm
11/8/2011 8:00pm
Nice!
Xeno
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Xeno 11/8/2011 9:40pm
11/8/2011 9:40pm
Dude won a set of Showa "A" kit suspension!
SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 11/9/2011 2:56am
11/9/2011 2:56am
Well after sitting through all that I might have got to see what they unvieled. I got to hear that they were eating, and ripping, but nary a word about Showa...wasn't this thier ride day?

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FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 11/9/2011 7:40am
11/9/2011 7:40am
The air side sounds a bit like a fox airshox with a second bladder.
newmann
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newmann 11/9/2011 7:47am
11/9/2011 7:47am
Georges Jobe had an air suspension system developed and tested by MXA ten years ago. Knocked ten plus pounds off the bike between the fork mods and the rear shock. I spoke with him about it at Glen Helen back in 2002. Super nice guy and pretty damn smart. Not just some dumb World Champion level dirt bike rider. Will be interesting to see if things have advanced enough in the last 40 years since air forks were all the rage.....and the cause of gazillions of DNF's. If they work, I'd like a set of them. Always like the lightweight trickness. Just need a Fox Float for the rear!Smile
kongols
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kongols 11/9/2011 7:47am
11/9/2011 7:47am
Next one will be electromagnetic suspension.
layinbody31
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layinbody31 11/9/2011 7:51am
11/9/2011 7:51am
Sweet! Now my truck won't be the only thing on air ride!
mtl
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mtl 11/9/2011 8:06am
11/9/2011 8:06am
Not a fan, It adds and even prevents maintenance of the suspension. Instead of changing fork oil height/amount you now need a nitrogen tank to do anything with your forks. Great for high level racing, not so great for Sunday racers.
motomike137
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motomike137 11/9/2011 8:29am
11/9/2011 8:29am
mtl wrote:
Not a fan, It adds and even prevents maintenance of the suspension. Instead of changing fork oil height/amount you now need a nitrogen tank to do...
Not a fan, It adds and even prevents maintenance of the suspension. Instead of changing fork oil height/amount you now need a nitrogen tank to do anything with your forks. Great for high level racing, not so great for Sunday racers.
I think you have your wires crossed here, the nitrogen filled bladder will take the place of your springs. The other fork leg will still have a damping mechanism that is controlled with valving, oil level and oil viscosity from what I can tell.
GrapeApe
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GrapeApe 11/9/2011 8:34am
11/9/2011 8:34am
Air spring on one side and damping on the other, this sounds familiar. I have 3 sets of these forks in my garage on my mountain bikes.
mxtech1
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mxtech1 11/9/2011 8:46am
11/9/2011 8:46am
mtl wrote:
Not a fan, It adds and even prevents maintenance of the suspension. Instead of changing fork oil height/amount you now need a nitrogen tank to do...
Not a fan, It adds and even prevents maintenance of the suspension. Instead of changing fork oil height/amount you now need a nitrogen tank to do anything with your forks. Great for high level racing, not so great for Sunday racers.
It's no different technology than any current models that run a nitrogen filled shock.

A nitrogen tank setup does not cost very much money. You can build a 1 gallon setup for about $100, which holds enough volume for about 30-40 shock charges. The nitrogen costs about $25 per tank fill.

So basically, for almost the cost of a new set of fork springs, you can build your own nitrogen charging system.
Erick
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Erick 11/9/2011 8:49am
11/9/2011 8:49am
mxtech1 wrote:
It's no different technology than any current models that run a nitrogen filled shock. A nitrogen tank setup does not cost very much money. You can...
It's no different technology than any current models that run a nitrogen filled shock.

A nitrogen tank setup does not cost very much money. You can build a 1 gallon setup for about $100, which holds enough volume for about 30-40 shock charges. The nitrogen costs about $25 per tank fill.

So basically, for almost the cost of a new set of fork springs, you can build your own nitrogen charging system.
Good point

I wonder where this technology goes
layinbody31
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layinbody31 11/9/2011 9:18am
11/9/2011 9:18am Edited Date/Time 11/9/2011 9:19am
Erick wrote:
Good point

I wonder where this technology goes
I can just see it now...

On-board nitrogen supply with a valve setup that allows the rider to control the pressure/volume in the fork (just like an automotive air ride setup). Then if it's coupled with a controllable air shock you could rapidly fill the suspension on the face of the jump giving a 'launch effect' and clear that quint while the other riders only triple except for Stewart who is maybe attempting a quad Smile
Scooter
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Scooter 11/9/2011 5:43pm
11/9/2011 5:43pm
kongols wrote:
Next one will be electromagnetic suspension.
May not be far off. What if they linked the throttle positon sensor to the Electromagnetic Fork and Shock. A computer could automatically adjust the rear suspension stiffness depending on the throttle speed. Also during starts to increase traction and potentially help prevent wheelies. Or even adjust during hard braking.......
The Universe
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The Universe 11/9/2011 5:48pm
11/9/2011 5:48pm
kongols wrote:
Next one will be electromagnetic suspension.
Electronic valves would be most likely first... Less rotating mass, more customization in valving. 2 stroke lightness with insane power curves. It will be a good day.
WhKnuckle
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WhKnuckle 11/9/2011 6:32pm
11/9/2011 6:32pm Edited Date/Time 11/9/2011 6:33pm
I'd love it, but it would be wasted on me. Funny how you can't afford good stuff when you're young enough to be fast, and by the time you can afford good stuff you're too old and slow to deserve it.

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