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ABS Fork Tune Test

finetto-abs-fork1-tune

ABS Fork Tune is a product designed in Italy that allows anyone to do a good tuning to their fork, thanks to the insertion of polymers in the positive chamber of the same. Alessandro Bonarotti, former inventor of the Vittoria Air Liner with the support of Deaneasy, is the mastermind of this project.

In the world of mtb suspensions represent a fundamental aspect for riding. It is no coincidence that in recent years many services have been created for the most technical and advanced bikers. Until a few years ago, for many the annual fork service was an unknown matter that was used until the sensitivity was equal to a piece of wood and then blame the brand and change it directly. It's a little different now and there's more sensitivity to this aspect. The product we are showing you is an easy to assemble product, it does not require technical skills for installation: just a 32 wrench, in the case of Fox (better with a socket), and a fork pump; And that's it. In RockShox instead you need the "key" that is used to extract the sprockets (24mm). Abs Fork Tune is a product that in recent times is getting noticed given the use made of it on the competition fields and by the most "geeky" athletes. With this product (available in 2 different kits: comfort and race) it is possible to modify the compression curve and the damping speed, in compression and rebound, of the fork.

MOUNTING

As mentioned, assembly is extremely simple: just remove all the air from the fork, open the cap with a 32 bush (remove any tokens if we have inserted them in the past or if they were already inside the fork), insert the kit properly greased inside the chamber, screw the cap back on, inflate the fork and voilà! The only warnings are to grease the cylinders well and measure the offset (distance between the end of the kit and the base of the cap) in such a way that once the cap of the positive chamber has been screwed on, there is at least 15mm between the latter and the ABS. Fork.

FEATURES

fork tune abs race kit
Race ABS Fork Tune Kit

Unlike the classic elastomer, which is a static material, the polymer used in the ABS Fork compresses at air pressure to fully extend subsequently, therefore it intervenes both on the compression speed and on the extension speed of the pneumatic part. We will therefore use less air inside the fork by “exploiting” more the work of this polymer: less air equates to a less nervous fork (because the air has more Stiction or detachment load) and more like a spring. How many regret the operation of the spring forks but snub them for the weight? Here, if this ABS Fork Tune works properly it could really be the solution, given its weight increase of only 50gr with all 10 cylinders. Working with less air there are fewer overheating problems, fewer changes in behavior at different pressures / conditions (any pressure increases related to overheating due to friction are compensated by the volume variation of the polymer) and a more controlled response in both compression and extension . The price is 49 € the kit. I already see your faces: but for 10 pieces of rubber? The price often does not do the material itself but the idea, the tests and the development (not counting the distribution), and if these € 50 give us an advantage comparable to changing forks, it is worth it all.

FIELD TEST

comfort kit abs fork tune
Comfort ABS Fork Tune Kit

No more chatter, let's go directly to the test of this product. Assembly was quick and painless, we mounted it on a very technical fork like the 36mm Fox Float 2 Kashima FIT GRIP170. By default (without ABS), I found the right setting at 65psi (with 0 token / spacer), with compression values ​​in the middle, both at high and low speeds, and a quick high-speed rebound: HSC 11 (on 16), LSC 6 (out of 12), HSR 6 (out of 8) and LSR 6 out of (16). After putting the Comfort Kit in the Fox 36, on the advice of Alessandro Bonarotti (the inventor) who defined the Race Kit as truly racing, I removed 15psi (50psi) to reach the same previous sag value. On lap 1, however, there was no feeling and I had to slowly open the low and high speeds almost completely between each hydraulic braking and working almost exclusively with the polymer, I found excellent comfort and sensitivity. It seems to have a spring fork under the butt, less nervous but more of substance, more prone to copy the ground. But what is surprising is the resistance at the bottom of the stroke: despite the excellent initial sensitivity, later the bottom stroke is sustained and not walls, a curve however progressive but which reaches us in a more linear way than an air hydraulics equipped with token (pardon the pun). The problem with tokens is the behavior in the central part of the compression curve: if you use a lot of tokens you have to drop significantly in pressure (to be able to take advantage of a good part of the ride) and the central part of the excursion is not exploited properly with a very decisive bottom-out in the final part. Note: this phenomenon is felt more in the cheaper forks while in the high-end forks, like the Fox 36 here in test, this problem is less marked by very refined cartridges that allow us to set our suspension in a finer way. Now all that remains is to set the return: starting from a default value in the middle, I opened just 2 clicks at the low and 2 clicks at the high (reaching to open them completely). In fact, to find the perky fork I had to really speed up the return to highs so much and I came to remove a cylinder from the kit in order to have a pinch more air inside the chamber. The result? In a bit more nervousness (air) and less calmness (polymers), also given the addition of a 5 psi (55psi). Having found the right setup, the fun begins and the feeling is excellent: I felt the greatest change in the stresses at high speeds where the reading of the ground is excellent and all this gives greater safety, better feeling, more desire for thunder in the broken sections, this due to the fork that remains more sustained in the final part in the face of a soft start. A bike less sunken in the front and more gritty, which therefore better preserves the geometry of the vehicle. I also had the opportunity to test it in the competitive field and on that occasion I realized that, for my riding style, the race kit would be more suitable because I would be able, with the same air, to have less initial sag (more sustained fork at low speeds) but with similar responses in the final stage of the race. I will not be long in trying it for good.

fork tune abs finetto

PROJECTED IMPACT

A plus that helps all riders, from beginners to the most experienced. For normal riders, or less "gagged", who want to have a sensitive fork that responds well to stress, I recommend the comfort & Grip kit that transforms your air fork into a spring one (like sensations and compression curve) but with greater support at the end of the stroke. The race kit is better for the more adept riders, which sustains more at low speeds and therefore has a better range of sensitivity at high and more violent impacts. On cheaper forks, this kit is a MUST and must be installed without thinking twice. Even for those who ride with a spacer / token inside the fork, I recommend trying it: you will give your fork a better initial sensitivity with a less marked but more usable progressivity. On the forks with more advanced hydraulics the improvement is less noticeable but the more sensitive riders will notice it anyway.

+-
• Greater initial sensitivity
• Last part of progressive race but more
exploitable with respect to air
• Ease of installation
• With all cylinders, he gets a little lazy
the return


Written by

[email protected] I am passionate about everything that has 2 wheels: in my youth I practiced competitive cycling on the road and on the track with good results. At the age of 18 I moved to cross country competing at national/international level as U23. Once I passed Elite, I made the choice to take things easier from the training point of view, and that's how my love for gravity disciplines was born, training as an FCI MTB instructor and guide. Now I have made my passion my profession by managing 3 MTB centers on the island of Elba (Elba MTB), creating the FANTAmtb and telling in an ironic but professional way, everything that revolves around MTB thanks to 365mountainbike and 365TV (YouTube 'PULITI dentro BIKER fuori').

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