BOS Mountain Bike Suspension - World Class Engineering

Mar 8, 2008

Bos Engineering, manufactures of high end, and we mean high end suspension, have developed a very nice line up of suspension designed for intense applications. World Cup rider Nicolas Vouilloz recently had a few rounds on the Idylle fork, and was very pleased. But hey, don't take our word for it, read on for more information.

Bos Idylle Downhill Fork
At last!

The much-anticipated new downhill fork from BOS succeeds the legendary upside-down V Process factory fork ridden for more than 5 years by Nicolas Vouilloz, multiple World Champion and new BOS test rider.

In five years, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge in Toulouse, and we have learned a lot from working at the top level in different disciplines. We applied our mountain-bike knowledge to cars in the early years at BOS, and now we’re applying the car knowledge gained from our involvement in WRC and Rallye Raid to bikes!


The first thing you notice about the Idylle Pro is that it’s a pressurized fork, thanks to the separate reservoir. It uses the same technology as the rear shock, and is obviously similar to the famous Mitsubishi WRC factory shock.

Like many of the high-performance BOS rear shocks, the Idylle Pro has an adjustable hydraulic bottom-out.

You’ll also see that the compression adjuster on the piggy-back reservoir is exactly the same as the one on the Stoy shock - a matching set.


The high and low-speed compression damping and rebound damping are all adjustable on the Idylle Pro.


The version that you see here is pre-production and will be very similar to the final version which should be available in a few weeks. We’ll be putting the finishing touches to it with the help of Fabien Pedemanaud and Nicolas Vouilloz, who will also take it on its first downhill runs.

The Idylle Fork Features:
-Pressurized damping system
-Single damping cartridge with piggy-back reservoir, right-hand side
-Adjustable hydraulic bottom-out
-200mm travel

Adjustments:
-high and low-speed compression damping, rebound damping
-Spring and preload on left-hand side
-Air bleed screw on top of both upper tubes
-7050 aluminium upper tubes – 36mm diameter
-Magnesium lowers
-Forged 6061 aluminium crowns
-1 1/8” steerer
-20mm axle diameter
-Post mount

Next up is the Stoy rear Shock.
Successor to the DH07, Stoy is the new downhill shock from BOS. Even more advanced than its predecessor, its main design change is a new piggy-back shape and shorter reservoir. Its compression adjustment assembly is completely new. Stoy’s mounting hardware uses needle roller bearings, a luxury reserved up ‘til now for Nicolas Vouilloz’s “factory” shocks. The benefits: bushing play reduced to zero, and incredible durability compared to normal mountings.


As with all BOS shocks, Stoy is fully adjustable and easy to service. Each new shock is set-up specifically to suit the rider and the bike.


Stoy fits most downhill bikes on the market. It’s also available in non-standard sizes on demand.

Features :
-Hydraulic monotube shock with 3-way valving

Adjustments:
-high and low-speed compression damping, rebound damping
-Can be completely disassembled, serviced and re-built
-Custom-tuned to match rider weight, style and bike
-Aluminium reservoir housing, sealhead, body, preload collar and eyelet
-12mm shaft diameter
-Needle-bearing mount kit

The BOS downhill fork cartridges are now well-known on the race circuit for their performance improvement. Initially developed for the Marzocchi 888, kits are now available for the RockShox Boxxer and, recently, the Fox 40

BOS have used a hydraulic system based on Nicolas Vouilloz and Anne Caroline Chausson’s BOS forks, tested by Karim Amour who has been perfecting the 888, Boxxer and Fox 40 kits over the last three years.


The BOS cartridge kits totally transform your downhill fork, as the original internals are completely replaced by the BOS system. In effect, it’ll feel like a totally new fork!

Most downhill forks work in a pretty similar way. Their weak damping systems aren’t up to the demands of top level racing, and can’t match the ability of the best riders.

How does the BOS kit improve my fork?

The most noticeable difference is the damping. When you brake, it doesn’t dive as much. It does go down (which is necessary), but not as far and it’s more controlled. It’s the same on big compressions, the fork doesn’t sink down as much or spike. It’s the relationship between spring and damping … one is useless without the other!


Effective damping allows the rider to move over the front of the bike in a more aggressive position and keep the speed up over bumps. Now, instead of feeling like the bike comes to a standstill, it will not only keep its speed (even on braking bumps) but also accelerate away strongly after the hit.

You’ll notice an amazing increase in front wheel grip allowing you to track the ground better and you’ll naturally want to bring your weight forward to give better steering, later braking and make it easier to keep your line.


It’s the bike’s higher front-end position which allows you to keep your speed and acceleration, without feeling like the rear suspension is pushing you.

Maintenance and durability

The BOS kit is a lot more reliable than most other fork internals. It’s often the unseen attention to detail which gives better performance. But you’ll only notice this when you ride it … not in the shop window! All the components are hard-anodized, which means the oil stays cleaner and therefore increases the life of the fork. Whereas top riders might be used to doing an oil change on their conventional fork every three months (or weeks … or runs!), BOS recommend one oil change per season for regular competitors, and once a year for amateur or occasional riders.

For More information on Bos products please visit there website at:
www.Bos-Engineering.com


In more recent news, Bos Engineering signed Nicolas Vouilloz:
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/nico-vouilloz-bos-3-year-2008.html