Tomac using airfork

I think he has been all along, like most of the team?

I’ve read it’s also a hybrid, not a production air fork

Air has better hold up deep in the stroke and makes square edge disappear.

He has ran the air or air hybrid for a number of years on the Yamaha I believe. He did say he was on a new system this year but didn’t give specifics. 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I heard on pulp or the mattes/Blair project,  the other day that he’s no longer working with Gilly? Again maybe I misunderstood. 

It was hard to parse exactly what they were saying but gilly is working with Webb and other team members. And it sounds like they have another tech that Eli may be working with, or there is some crossover with Gilly still. 

Some of the factory guys have been running the psf2/ hybrid spring/air for a number of years

I was of the understanding that Eli has primarily used the PSF for quite awhile. Keefer’s interview with Gilmore has a lot of info. He indicated the PSF was the better fork.

Why?

There is a stigma around air forks that they are all junk.  At the factory level they are at the tip of the spear in performance. 

@ML512  as a part of the always great Pit Bits, can we get insight into what forks everybody is using? 

Do any Star Yamahas use SSS? I don’t think so, but could be wrong. 

SSS is a marketing term from yamaha like BASS (brake actuated suspension system) was in the eighties. Most KYB sponsored teams have continued to use some version of the PSF1 or PSF2 hybrid air fork in SX as it works better in those controlled conditions over a relatively short time. They will switch to spring forks for outdoors as the motos are longer, rougher,  and during the heat of the day. 

Yeah Yamaha has used some iteration of the PSF fork on some of their factory bikes since it came out

I know SSS is a Yamaha specific term, but it’s what everyone seems to use for KYB spring forks. So, I just go with the flow…

As a KTM owner, I find it ironic that using Yamaha spring forks is all the rage, while some number (I don't know exact) of Yamaha racers use a variant of an air fork. Just curious about who uses what forks across all teams. 

Yamaha has a patent on their fork and trademarked the name.

At factory level, you have the resources to make nearly fork good. I do see the appeal of just bumping up the air pressure to change initial feel.

Plessinger uses the aer outdoors, and I think indoors too. 

Star been using PSF-1 in SX for years now...

They was an interview a while back from a KYB tech and he said they know so much more about the PSF 1 fork now and can make it work very well. The KYB A-Kit forks have been available in both spring and air for many years now. I’m sure the factory teams have an even more advanced fork. 

"I do see the appeal of just bumping up the air pressure to change initial feel."

Yeah, it's pretty new. I mean, we only started doing that in the '70s with schrader valves on the caps. 😁

I think Plessinger was even running a variation of the stock AER fork. 

PSF2 is not hybrid, PSF2 was a low cost production fork.

LSF is the hybrid fork.

Your forks? 

Kyb PSF1 air fork has been one of the best overall forks for the better part of a decade. 

I thought the psf1 has a coil spring on the damper side and then obviously air on the other. 

Air both sides and both sides have damping the same. 

I've seen KYB A-kit psf1 forks for sale on MX Locker.  Anyone in here run them and have any feedback?

I have had 2 sets. Some still in my garage now. Both times ENZO set them up. Nothing has ever come close to them. Absolutely amazing forks!