Intend Release Limited Edition 'Moto' Fork & Shock Set

Nov 30, 2023 at 7:24
by Seb Stott  
<Photo is private>

It seems that Intend want to be thought of as the crème de la crème of mountain bike suspension. When they saw that their rivals from across the Atlantic - Push Industries - had unveiled an upside-down fork at Sea Otter last spring, it got them worried. Based on the images, Intend thought Push were working on a fork with sliding bushing technology - something that is common in high-end motocross suspension but so far not often seen in commercial MTB forks. "If that is the case," they thought,"it would be our responsibility at Intend to upgrade technically."

They then began to develop an upside-down enduro fork with this design. This idea promises to cut friction in high-load situations by maximising the distance between the bushings as the fork compresses.
Intend MOTO Details
• Matching fork & shock kit
• Fork uses moto-style sliding bushings, carbon stanchion guards & dual-compound seals
• Fork travel: 180mm, 170mm, 160mm, ...
• Shock: 55-75 mm stroke, Metric & Trunion
• Adjustment: Low-speed compression &rebound (fork and shock), custom valving
• Air spring with tunable progression (fork and shock)
• Claimed fork weight: 2,475 g
• Claimed shock weight: 450-550 g
• Price: 3999€, inc. 19% VAT
• intend-bc.com


Intend has finally released the fruit of this one-upmanship. The fork is based on the Intend Flash fork and integrates the sliding bushing tech and a few other features. The moto look is completed with carbon stanchion guards and a colour scheme inspired by motocross suspension from KYB and SHOWA. It's sold as a suspension set alongside Intend's Hover Gamechanger rear shock with a matching colourway. Only ten such sets will be sold, each costing a cool €3999, although Intend did add "let's see what the future brings."

Intend see this offering as "An engineer's dream come true. Unrestricted by costs, efforts, ease of assembly and serviceability."

Oh, and Push never did produce a fork with sliding bushings - not yet, anyway - so this is one of very few MTB forks you can buy with the technology.

<Photo is private>

Why sliding bushings?

In most MTB forks (whether upside down or conventional), there are two bushings that are fixed inside the outer legs. Their job is to allow the inner tubes (stanchions) to slide through with minimal friction yet minimal play. The distance between the two bushings in each leg is called the bushing overlap. When the fork experiences lateral forces due to braking or landing to flat, the bushings become side-loaded, and this increases friction between the stanchions and the bushings. Just try pushing directly downwards on the grips of a bike without applying the brake (so the force is not parallel to the stanchions) and you'll feel how much friction this side-loading can add. The more overlap, the less the fork will be affected by side-loading and so the lower the friction in dynamic situations.

But traditionally, there's a limit to how much bushing overlap a fork can have, because both bushings must be far enough away from the closed end of the outer leg that the stanchion tube can slide out the other side to the distance of full travel and still leave room for oil and air inside the outer leg at bottom-out.
photo
With sliding or dynamic bushings, one bushing is connected to the outer tube just behind the seal head (as per usual), while the other is fixed to the end of the stanchion tube and moves with it. So, as the fork compresses, the distance between the two bushings increases and is generally greater than can be achieved with fixed bushings.


Why don't all forks have sliding bushings?

Intend offers three reasons: "manufacturability, ease of maintenance and cost". It's easy to see how maintenance is harder - having a bushing on the end of the stanchion means the seal head must be removed before the stanchions can be slid out (as shown in the video above). As for manufacturability and cost, Intend spell that out too: "Normal bushings in bicycle suspension forks are made from a soft aluminum alloy with a reasonably flexible PTFE sliding layer that can be adjusted to the tolerances of the housing and tube through simple compression (also called calibrating), motocross sliding bushings are made of a bronze backing and a rigid PTFE layer. These cannot be calibrated and must fit precisely. If they don't fit, it either jams or has too much play. Those issues are not as critical for a 200kg motocross machine as they are for a 15 kg mountain bike."

Then there's the fact that you have to make two sliding surfaces instead of one - the inside of the outer tube as well as the outside of the inner tube. It may also be a clue that the claimed weight of this fork is 125 g more than the regular Flash enduro fork on which it's based.

<Photo is private>
<Photo is private>

Construction and details

The fork is a collaborative effort with dual-compound wiper seals from SKF, carbon stanchion guards from Rulezman suspension, sliding bushings from S-Tech and custom-manufactured upper tubes from Intend's Austrian turning shop.

The fork is available with 180, 170 or 160 mm travel, and the shock is available in most sizes: 250 Metric / 225 Trunnion by 75mm stroke, 230 Metric /205 Trunnion by 65mm stroke, 210 Metric / 185 Trunnion –by 55mm stroke (all strokes can be reduced by 2.5, 5 or 7.5 mm).

The shock is fitted with a shim stack to suit the intended bike, but apart from the hard-anodised external parts that change the look of the shock, it's no different functionally to the standard Intend Hover shock. The fork can be re-valved for especially light or heavy riders too.

Both units are supplied in a moto-style hard case with a shock pump for 3999€, inc. VAT. For comparison, the regular Flash fork and Hover Gamechanger shock go for 1949€ + 1079€ = 3028 €.

intend-bc.com

<Photo is private>

Author Info:
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Member since Dec 29, 2014
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219 Comments
  • 202 4
 sending shivers down my spine
  • 7 1
 I see what you did there!
  • 36 2
 Now that is an absolute Bomber of a pun.
  • 36 2
 Did you intend to make a joke?
  • 10 2
 Some don't understand the intended reference you're making.
  • 14 0
 @dan23dan23: Jenna Jameson remembers...
  • 6 0
 @sngltrkmnd: I still have some of those Marzocchi posters
  • 1 3
 That's one shocking MOFO set!
  • 1 0
 Tou che sir!
  • 4 2
 @sngltrkmnd: Wish we could still make those ad's nowadays.
  • 3 1
 @artistformlyknowasdan: You can still see them online.
  • 3 0
 @CSharp: This is like Quagmire discovering porn in the Internet....
  • 1 0
 @bigtim: Let's see what ChatGPT has to say...
  • 1 0
 @Garantson: Me too....
  • 1 0
 So Vintage!
  • 51 2
 I love that Intend stuff seems to be made with ham fisted mechanics in mind. No torque wrench? No problem! Need some suspension fluid? Make your own! Can’t get a bushing on? Use some tape and maybe leave it on, shouldn’t matter!
  • 4 1
 WOW, now I understand why someone replaces the cartridge with the Manitou
  • 8 4
 Could partially be they're being honest too and unlike Sram and Fox, not completely fixated on emptying the pockets of their consumers by lying about it. 4k though lol. lImiTeD eDiTiOn though.
  • 8 9
 @pinkbert: Fork and shock so isn't that crazy
  • 3 0
 @AurexPinkbike: AHAHHAHAH Amazing from Savona
  • 6 3
 @briain: must be nice.
  • 5 0
 @pinkbert: yeah, I love to try an intend fork and see till then I'll be a Manitou fanboy
  • 10 1
 It's designed with the idea that Dangerholm will probably use a pocketknife to shave a little off the uppers to save some weight......
  • 50 1
 Man, I'd like to see this 200kg motocross bike. Gotta be a 1000cc inline 4?
  • 11 0
 Gonna be a TENERE at the line this year I guess.
  • 13 7
 its an e bike
  • 2 0
 ... would probably look somthing like this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSd6eJ7iNSQ
  • 4 1
 @jimbobley: No is not, it's the INTENSE Tracer, the Enduro pedal model.
  • 6 2
 That was pretty hilarious. Way to go showing that you don’t actually truly know what you’re talking about. These things weigh like 90-110kg; being off by a factor of two is pretty bad.
  • 9 0
 @nickfranko: Maybe he just meant including rider? Would make sense & then he is not that far off.
  • 2 0
 @one38: that was my first thought, too, but then again fork nor shock won't fit my sons 12" balance bike. Surely 15kg is including the rider, too?
  • 3 0
 @one38: on the other hand I recall my friend and me asking his mom what she thought a 125cc scooter weighed. She said 300kg. It was hilarious at time but maybe the joke was on us as she included herself riding it?
  • 1 1
 @jimbobley: it’s your mum
  • 1 0
 @nickfranko: tell me you made a number up without telling me you made a number up
  • 37 3
 Yum! If money was no option, my biike would have these and some Trick Stuff brakes to slow it down too. Smile
  • 13 1
 For a cunning linguist, not that cunning Wink
  • 4 0
 Sounds so fellatious! Big Grin
  • 26 4
 Anyone that ever serviced a Mtb fork and did bushings and did the same job on an MX fork can tell that the maintenance is vastly easier on the MX fork. What a lot of BS to keep justifying why the Mtb industry is using an inferior solution.
  • 9 0
 Why is it easier, though? Standard tools? Standard parts? Availability of tools? Availability of parts? Size of components making access easier? Availability of documentation?
  • 18 0
 @justinfoil: it's easier because you don't need a super expensive special bushing press or removal tool. You generally have 2-3 proprietary tools that can be had for about $150 total. The most expensive being the seal head press which is tube size specific. It also means that the bushing and Seals can easily be replaced more often to achieve maximum performance. The bushing overlap is an issue that is greatly overlooked, as well as this presents an opportunity to improve the internal lubrication of these parts, and the inter tube usually has a lubrication port to ensure the bushings are adequately lubricated. Rebuilding my KYB is faster and easier than my Fox 40. The only downside to MX suspension is the cost of maintenance is higher because you use significantly more oil.
  • 3 0
 @jomacba: I wouldn't call seal tool a proprietary tool since they can be had anywhere and can be used on any brands as long as they are the same diameter. And to be fair so fair on WPs I never had to even use a seal tool. Like you said, the only thing that is more expensive is the amount of oil they use, especially the open cartridge type. But you can keep them fresh so easily compared to mtb stuff it's not comparable.
  • 5 7
 @jomacba: So what's the BS from MTB industry? Why is rebuilding the KYB faster than the Fox 40? What do you mean by rebuild? I can change the bath oil (which also partially refreshes the damper oil) in my Fox 36, cleanly, in under 10 minutes. Can change the wiper seals additionally in like 20 minutes total.
  • 1 0
 @Balgaroth: That's a fair statement, I guess a non generic tool is more what I'm referring to. I've never torn into WP stuff myself, so I can't comment on it.
  • 6 0
 @justinfoil: I can do all those things too, however your not rebuilding the fork, your only change the bath oil and Seals. That's like comparing a tire change to adding air in your tire and saying it's the same thing.
Also saying that your partially refreshing your damper oil, is like spraying febreze on dirty clothes and saying you washed them.
I'm not by any means saying that MTB stuff is hard to work on, because it's really not. but I know with absolute certainty, that you aren't touching the bushings at all.
  • 3 0
 Ok, so what are the steps required to drop the lowers, clean them and change the lubrication oil on a MX fork? And why are they faster and easier than on a MTB fork?
  • 1 0
 @Ttimer: You don't have typical "lowers" on am MX fork. You have inner and outer tubes. Again, I can't speak to WP, but KYB and most Japanese brands follow a near identical architecture, bit it's pretty simple.
-Take off the front wheel,
-Drop the fork legs from the triple clamps,
-Loosen the damper but don't remove to keep the oil in the tubes,
-Remove the footnut, and rebound rod
-Drain the bath oil
-Remove the damper, spring perch, and spring
-Pop the dust wiper off
-Remove the seal head retainer clip
-Pull apart the inner and outer tubes
(This will pull out the bushings and Seals together.
-Damper rebuild is nearly identical to a fox 40.

Obviously replace all bushings and seal at this point, change the damper oil and headset and Midvalve Seals.

Reassemble in reverse order, and fill bath oil to desired level based off rider preference.

Overall, not much different from MTB stuff, but just easier when it comes to buahing service.

The only drawback is MX suspension is heavy, so it's a bit more cumbersome.
  • 12 1
 @justinfoil: There are a few good reasons (and probably a bunch of dumb ones) that MTB forks are relatively expensive, low performing, and hard to maintain compared to moto forks. First, is pedal bikes are vastly more weight sensitive than moto, so the industry goes to extreme measures to cut weight, and by extreme I mean at the expense of performance not just cost. Sealed but not pressurized damping cartridges, cast lowers, air springs are all in the name of saving weight, with a few side benefits (like not needed to stock or manage diff steel springs). Second, is that the partially sprung mass of a moto is so significant - typically ~60% of the total mass, so the system is preloaded at static, and the rider is massively insulated by the inertia of the chassis. This means seal and bushing friction is much less noticeable, and air springs can be vastly simpler (when used), and variation of total system weight due to rider weight is in a relatively narrow window.

That said, the moto industry does a far better job of valve design and shim spec than MTB, and it's due refinement and QC, not crazy expensive tech - Craig at Avalanche has been using those same designs for 20+ years. MTB industry just seems to love (over)complicated damper designs executed without much field testing and poor MFG quality control. MTBers don't help themselves by shopping for cool-sounding novel features vs. well-executed standards. And despite not being particularly weight-engineered, moto forks are not cheap. Retail on OEM forks is typically $800-900/leg without triples or steering stem, and A-Kit with more sophisticated damping runs $5k-$8k.
  • 2 0
 @jomacba: Interesting, thank you. However, it seems like typical moto fork design does not allow for the possibility of a “small service” as is common and recommend in the Mtb world.
I get that it’s probably not required in a moto fork with vastly larger oil volumes, much more tolerance for friction and far fewer weight constraints. But a fork where you have to press in new wipers and bushings every time you pull it apart would be a total non-starter in the Mtb world.
  • 3 0
 @Ttimer: To be fair, the real difference would be the bath oil and air swing service for a "Small service". Because most moto forks with the exception of some A-Kit Japanese brand suspension and WP use springs, you would only need to change the bath oil. On that note, to your point; It isn't necessary on moto stuff, where as on MTB suspension, the bath oil levers are substantial lower (35ml air side and 50ml damper side for the 40 as reference, vs anywhere between 250ml to 320ml for KYB), as well as the main part that requires the most service intervals on modern MTB suspenion is thebair spring.
Your service intervals on moto suspension is approx every 20 hours (for track rising anyway) vs approx 100 hours on most MTB suspension. The forces applied to moto suspension are significantly higher and the lifespan of the serviceable items therefore don't experience the same life expectancy.
Overall, generally with moto suspension, when you pull it apart, replace all the serviceable items. This equates to once or twice a season, depending on how many hours you run. In all reality, the motor service intervals are substantially lower. I do my engine oil every 2-3 hours, and I'm lucky to get about 6 hours out of a rear tire and not much more than 12 out of the front.
Chain and sprockets once a year.
The engine will get a top end rebuild around the 75 hour mark (new rod, piston and timing chain), and clutch pack will likely get replaced around the 30 hour mark.
Overall, most MTBs are extremely reliable, and very low maintenance compared to a true MX race bike.
Add in a HC piston, and now you gotta run race gas at approx 15-20$ a litre.
  • 2 0
 @jomacba: enduro rider or general punters don't service their bikes nearly as much as you do and is usually more on par with the world, one a year and done. Same for tire. Unless you race and are somewhat competitive in which case I understand but DH riders of equivalent caliber would also do lowers servicing ever other days, change tires lke they change their underwear and so on.
  • 1 0
 @jomacba: so, just like a shiver.
  • 1 0
 @hubertje-ryu: The shiver had fixed bushing if I am right, so replacing those would have been the same annoying job as for any other bike fork. Whereas it is as simple as changing your wiper seals on a moto fork.
  • 1 0
 @ohio: Amen! Preach!
  • 1 0
 @hubertje-ryu: Not really. Shivers were open bath dampers, not a closed cartridge.
  • 2 0
 @Balgaroth: Fully agree, however I'm speaking to the reccomended service intervals as noted by Yamaha when it comes to suspension. They actually reccomend a piston check at 12 hours, which nobody does. Hence part of my reason for the low hours between oil changes. My MTB suspension typically will get a lower service every other week during racing season, and gets a full rebuild about 2-3 times a season.
My moto, I have been riding more often, and didn't race this past season as I've had other commitments, but I generally keep my service intervals the same as I would if I was.
  • 2 0
 @Balgaroth: You are correct.
  • 16 2
 Bright Racing's Fork has floating bushings. www.vitalmtb.com/features/bright-racings-f929-next-custom-fork-review
  • 6 1
 Manitou 1 fork also had sliding bushings back in 1990.
  • 3 4
 @baulz: ...then Bright Racing Shocks from 2012
  • 4 1
 More curious, does the floating bushing matter that much? The shortest bushing overlap you get is when the fork is extended. Whatever load you introduce has the largest leverage in this case. Yes in a theoretic static situation there can't be a load (as you can't have grip if there is no normal load) but this doesn't quite apply in a dynamic situation (like the initial impact when landing a bit sideways in soft soil). Where it would shine is deeper into the travel as the bushing overlap increases. But as the distance between axle and lower bushing (hence the leverage of the load) also decreases, is this really the critical situation for which the bushing layout needs to be optimized? Especially as this is an USD fork. The drawers in my cupboard also have floating bushings (or ok, rollers). The largest bushing overlap is when the drawer is closed. All good, but the construction still needs to be strong enough with the drawer opened (minimum overlap) especially with the dynamic loads of someone putting something in there.

TL;DR: Good to see the floating bushing concept making the fork stiffer the deeper you dive into the travel. But is that the critical scenario which makes it worth the (supposed) complexity?
  • 4 3
 @vinay: it's all logical and it's the exact working principle of a Bright Racing Shocks fork
  • 2 0
 @vinay: But the fork is experiencing the highest loads when it's compressed and lightest loads when it's extended. It's the heavy hits when it's really gonna bind!
  • 1 1
 @hirvi: Yeah, so that's what I was curious about. Obviously I wasn't questioning the axial loads (which may be highest when you hit the bottom out bumper but which puts little load on the bushings). I was wondering about the loads on the bushings which to me seem largest when the fork is loaded under bending. And this bending moment obviously increases with a larger load but decreases as the fork becomes shorter. And again, for an USD fork the ratio of bushing overlap to the axle-to-lower-bushing-distance (if there is a word for that) changes even more dramatically.
  • 2 0
 My X-Fusion Revel has floating bushings too. I thought this was inherently part of the design of inverted forks? It'd be possible to design a fixed bushing inverted fork, but since floating bushings are much easier with inverted designs, and well proven in MX and old MTB forks, I don't see why a company wouldn't want to capitalize on that technology.
  • 1 1
 As does the WP Magura Boltron. Floating bushings are only possible with hard anodised upper and lower tubes. This rules out almost all conventional forks which use magnesium cast lowers.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: short answer is yes it makes a significant difference under braking.

That is when you have massive lateral (fore-aft) loading, AND are deeper in the travel so the sliding bushing will be significantly spaced from the fixed. If your fork feels harsh under braking, this could be at least one of the culprits.

Outside of braking, not a huge deal especially on shorter travel forks. But braking through the rough stuff is one of those moments when good suspension is a beautiful beautiful thing.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: great analogy with the cupboard drawers!!
  • 1 0
 @ohio: It seems you are making the assumption the stanchion is infinitely stiff? If the fork is deep in the travel yes, the reactionary load at the sliding bushing is decreased but now the tube has a greater distance between load vectors thus increasing the chance of flex or in other words bowing. If the tube bows then edge loading is a factor.
  • 1 1
 Wren forks have'm too, for $699
  • 2 0
 @iliketurtles37: It doesn't have to be infinitely stiff for the edge loading to be far greater from the moment around two stacked bushings than the edge loading from two spaced bushings with a flexed stanchion between them. Remember your outers are also not infinitely stiff.

It may help to visualize if I highlight the other major advantage is a significantly stiffer system in the scenario above - much less total deflection, means less strain at the loading points, means less delta/angle aka edge loading. Not to mention, that fore-aft stiffness makes a dramatic difference in handling and control by maintaining trail and tracking, aside from issues of compliance.
  • 14 3
 Bright Racing Shocks has been producing floating bushings since 2012 and I believe they were the first to introduce it to MTBs
  • 5 0
 My HANEBRINK fork had floating bushings in 2001. It was not a very good fork, but since we are at it...
  • 2 0
 @mrti: A little scotch tape if they were sloppy
  • 12 1
 Really disappointed this doesn't cost more. Could have easily passed the $5,000 mark.
  • 7 1
 "But traditionally, there's a limit to how much bushing overlap a fork can have, because both bushings must be far enough away from the closed end of the outer leg that the stanchion tube can slide out the other side to the distance of full travel and still leave room for oil and air inside the outer leg at bottom-out."

Ermmm. Thats not the correct reason. Can we please get some proper tech editors at PB? It's embarrassingly bad at the moment.
  • 4 0
 They'll never fix it. Typos and mistakes get pointed out all the time. Sometimes an "editor" even chimes in to explain what was meant and claims it will be fixed ASAP, and it still doesn't get fixed months later. Sometimes it's as small as writing "335mm" for a chainstay length that is supposed to be "435mm" (in a comparison to the 440mm CS length on the next size up), that gets pointed out in the comments, but never fixed. They don't care about being correct, they care about getting impressions and clicks.
  • 3 0
 There were methodological errors in the Onyx fork review, there were factual errors in the cold weather shock article; maybe the degree from PB academy isn't as valuable as we were led to believe -- I've a mind to write a sharp letter to the accreditation board! Also, wasn't it the Italian shredder Juvenal who once posted "Who edits the editors?"
  • 4 0
 @justinfoil: @Snfoilhat
I've always wondered if you two were the same person, or you both are just really into tin. Now seems as good a time as any to ask, lol.
  • 3 0
 And let's not forget the time the google scholars drew a host of spurious conclusions about mtb crank length from 7 papers not a single one of which investigated mtb crank length. It was like Jesus and the loaves and fishes except extrapolating into an untested context to feed the multitude (of hungry muppets, fraggles, and doozers?)
  • 2 0
 @gabiusmaximus: no, my name's matt -- lotta overlap in our areas of interest, though!
  • 5 0
 Mr. Grammar Man says: If you are looking for definitive guidance, many style guides agree that names of companies are singular, including The Chicago Manual of Style Online (in Section 5.15) and the 6th edition of the Australian Style Manual (in Chapter 5).
  • 4 0
 What do sliding bushings help exactly? As a fork with fixed bushings compresses, the lever arm applying the side load gets shorter, so the relative bushing overlap increases. It seems like maximizing absolute bushing overlap at full extension, when the side loads are greatest, perhaps with a dual-crown upside-down fork, is going to offer more benefit than maximizing absolute overlap at full compression when the side loads are the smallest.
  • 2 0
 …and additionally there is a further huge disadvantage of the sliding upper sealing: when the fork is maximally loaded (e.g. during a huck to flat situation), the deformation of the upper tubes next to the fork crown is maximized due to the bending loads. The sliding bushing now has to glide thru this deformed cross section. This should create a reasonable amount of stiction.
  • 8 4
 in a real world, however, the truth is this www.vitalmtb.com/features/bright-racings-f929-next-custom-fork-review
@Brigh Racing Shocks has been making screw bushings for over ten years
  • 4 5
 ...and this is a fact that no one will ever be able to dispute. But then the smart ones arrive
  • 4 1
 @AurexPinkbike: Marzocchi had them in the Shiver in 2001. They'd been used in moto forks for a decade earlier. These are nothing new.
  • 4 0
 @hg604: shiver DCs can run 27.5 wheels so time for us to go back to them
  • 8 2
 WOW - so thats 2000.- for the fork 1000.- for the shock and 999.- for the case? Must be some very special case....
  • 3 0
 These cases are no joke. We have Peli branded ones at work for our most sensitive measuring equipment and theyre a few hundred euros each.
  • 5 0
 It’s basically a rifle case. I use one to ship my Moto suspension in for service. Cost about $50 max at local sporting goods stores here. Less common / more expensive in non gun crazy countries im sure.
  • 1 0
 peli cases are for protecting really sensitive stuff ......oh wait a minute
  • 1 0
 @Struggleteam: you can get one of those for like 60CHF at Decathlon
  • 1 0
 @endoplasmicreticulum: A peli gun case is not too far from 1k euros.
Peli cases are EXPENSIVE!
  • 1 0
 @Struggleteam: I have one of those cheap gun cases, not comparable to a Peli case.
Can't really justify getting a Peli at this point, but someday...
  • 1 0
 @Losvar: yeah I wouldn’t want to ship suspension in anything that nice anyway! Likely to get stolen just for the Case! . I’ve been shipping my Moto stuff in the same $30 gun case for years and it takes a beating in shippping. The case is beat up but still does the job.
  • 3 0
 Once you've understood and internalized the fact that none of this fancy stuff will make you a better rider or even significantly increase your enjoyment, the idea of spending so much money seems absolutely ridiculous. I get the appeal and I get why it's special, I just don't see the point.
  • 7 4
 Bright Racing Shocks out of Italy does theire USD forks since the very beginning with a sliding bushing system. One of the facts they are successfull. Without copying anything from anyone.
  • 4 15
flag AurexPinkbike (Dec 6, 2023 at 6:26) (Below Threshold)
 the only real answer I read here. Good boy
  • 4 1
 Ma non vedo nulla di nuovo Bright e dal 2012 che ha questa tecnologia .
Mi sembra che intend abbia dato una scopiazzata ...
www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/bright-racing-shocks-releases-new-skunk-fork
  • 6 0
 Shiver SC had sliding bushings in 2002
  • 2 0
 I'll be damned. Have one sitting in the rafters even, and didn't know that.
  • 2 0
 Looks sweet. Can't wait to see the details on the new Push 9.1 when it's released too. It's weird to me that the companies making the inverted forks aren't making them for short travel applications where the drawbacks they're fighting against matter less. There's a lot of money in the gravel segment right now and that seems like an easy application for it. It's odd that they're starting on the more difficult end of the spectrum with the longer travel options.
  • 2 0
 I'd think that has more to do with the engineering costs and the relative value assigned to suspension products in each segment. In DH and enduro, it's viewed as game changer and a life saver, which they use to justify the msrp. In gravel, even if it does provide a tangible benefit, it's more of a "nice to have". And that limits the upper bound of the product pricing. Something that is inherently more expensive to engineer in bikes probably has less inclination to make a product for less market and profit motive.
  • 4 4
 The gravel crowd are still "oooing" and "ahhhing" over flex stems.
It'll be years before they can consider that suspension could be in a fork.
  • 3 0
 @Jonesey23: fox and rock show have been making 40mm travel gravel forks for years
  • 3 0
 Rockshox tried that in the XC market with the RS1
  • 1 0
 What drawbacks are they fighting against that don't matter as much in gravel? A large reason that moto forks went inverted is to get larger bushing overlap without lower legs extending below the axle. MTB bikes don't need this as much because less travel. Even DH bikes get decent overlap with "right side up" forks without huge projections below the axle. Short travel forks deal with this even less: there is plenty of room in the lowers of a 700c fork for overlap much greater than the 40-60mm travel of a gravel fork.
  • 2 0
 @iforte312: yep and if they implemented a couple things like a larger thru axle with more purchase on the dropouts and a better bushing design I think it would work really well. A lot of things are "tried" and then years later actually work due to a few design advancements or changes in manufacturability. Just like the Atomlab fork for dirt jumpers.
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: biggest drawback that's typically pointed out is twist due to not being able to have a brace floating up and down with the wheel. Twist is definitely less of an issue with gravel in my mind as you're not typically glancing off of large rocks and roots. And even when you are, there's less leg there to twist since A2C is shorter on the short travel options.
  • 1 0
 @xciscool: yes buddy, but how many do you actually see on bikes that are ridden?
  • 1 0
 @Jonesey23: not long ago people were making the same comment about tubeless tires on road and gravel bikes. It's becoming more common, but it takes time.
  • 1 0
 @Breeconay: cannondale has been shipping a version of their lefty inverted forks on gravel bikes, like the Topstone.

If only Cannondale would make a 220mm lefty DH
  • 1 0
 @MI-Corey: You'd be amazed how many of them still poopoo tubeless. Even with the big boys like Specialized and Giant supplying their bikes setup from factory.

@Breeconay: Giant also spec the Fox 32 fork on their Revolt X... doesn't mean they sell them in decent numbers. Certainly not in the UK at least
  • 1 1
 @font style="vertical-align: inherit;">font style="vertical-align: inherit;">iforte312 /font>/font>: facendo una brutta fgura
  • 2 0
 @Jonesey23: I see them around, obviously most gravel bikes are still rigid. I’ve ridden the rockshox one. Can’t say I’ve started a spreadsheet counting the ratio of gravel bikes with vs without suspension in my area. How is your spreadsheet going?
  • 1 0
 @Jonesey23: I've been riding a Fox Taper-Cast 32 on my Otso for a while now...
  • 3 0
 They have done a great job hiding the suspension in use throughout almost the entire video... The only clip where you can see the fork and shock go through its travel is the last clip around 2:20.
  • 2 0
 I’d like to offer some marketing feedback on the product video. First, the high caliber riding with jumps and doubles is obligatory as the inductive logic suggests the product is at the same standard as the rider. However, the very first clip of the product in action on the bike is a foot-down skid which any product can achieve. I would have opened with a cable-cam shot from the side with the rider going through a long rock garden showing the suspension’s ability to dampen the terrain while allowing the bike and rider to remain balanced. You could have also addressed public perceptions of inverted forks as lacking torsional rigidity with a head-on shot of a rider navigating a steep rock garden.

I’d also like to ask why you’re calling a mountain bike ‘moto’ which directly means ‘motor’ but obviously is a derivative of motocross. Inverted suspension forks are not unique to motorcross and evokes memories of early 2000s with 20mm axle standards which were actually a carry-over from motorbikes and I’m not sure you want people thinking about old technology with the launch of a new product.
  • 5 4
 it seems that the writer is poorly informed about the world of MTB suspensions, it is absurd to read such an article because BRIGHT RACING SHOCKS (www.brightracingshocks.com) has always made sliding bushings in forks.
Bright is by far the best performing fork around.
  • 3 3
 absolutely
  • 6 0
 [90s Marzocchi just entered the chat]
Who's poorly informed NAO?
  • 5 1
 www.pinkbike.com/news/review-bright-racing-shocks-f929-next-inverted-enduro-fork.html

He wrote a review on the Bright Racking Shocks fork in 2021, so I think he knows about it.
  • 2 1
 today is a historic day, because through Intend's fool we are talking in depth about usd forks and a technology that actually makes them superior to any traditional fork even in the mtb world. sliding bushings were brought from the mx world to the bike world by Bright Racing Shox (and before that by Fimoco in the DH world) starting way back in 2012. After "only" 11 years someone started to "copy" this solution, for a lot of a few specimens. Do you know how many Bright forks have been produced, overhauled, revised and improved in 11 years, between xco, next and skunk? 11 years of experience, study and testing of every aspect have allowed Bright to "handle" this technology perfectly! Remember that even a small car adopts the same technological solutions as a custom-built one, the difference is how these are designed, engineered and produced... what an incredible day!
  • 1 0
 someone is more afraid of Push then Bright Racing Shox?
a usd AND floating bushings fork is not easy to develop in the right way
it' not just enlarge the upper tube inside diameter and redesign the upper part of the leg, adding a bushing.
if you want to develop a fork in that way, there's too much thing to rethink
this look to me like just a quick project. and those upper looks too thin and flexy.
I prefer the previous Intend project. but over all I prefer the mind behind Bright Racing Shox. with years of develop (remember Fimoco and Race Factory right??) in the floating bushings system till the first era of mtb
No. sorry but this time Intend disappointed me
  • 6 1
 So, Intend supplies their fork stock with stanchion guards.
  • 17 4
 They intend to yes
  • 1 1
 @alfiebeaty: if only there was a way to get rid of guards on USD forks...
  • 3 0
 yes, because stanchion guards Rulez
  • 2 0
 @Muckal: But, where would you put your stickers?
  • 8 1
 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: On the stanchions, obviously.
  • 1 0
 Yea. kinda lame. I got a set of guards from Wren Sports, for the my Hero fork. They fit perfectly.
  • 2 0
 @SwampThAAng: they have floating bushing too.

From 01:00
youtu.be/uvLdCPausWo?si=tjkqKJB9DqW6Y86l

From 03:16
youtu.be/6dC8CVKaUe0?si=tUpKganE50hJTIlr
  • 4 0
 I saw the chainring spinning... Is it kind of a freewheel in the chainring?
  • 1 0
 Yes, you can ziptie one spoke to the biggest cog and shift without pedaling as long as you are rolling.
  • 4 0
 www.pinkbike.com/news/review-intend-rocksteady-magic-cranks-let-you-shift-while-coasting.html
  • 5 0
 Price includes delivery by a villain from a James Bond movie
  • 1 0
 My hainebrink bat fastard 8" upside down forks from the 90's had sliding bushing, didn't need any tools to replace either. Shivers where better and now have both bikes on 37mm Dorado's and they are simply best forks I've had but the nickname not as good....
  • 1 0
 Does anyone in the US service Intend suspension? Or does Intend sell all service parts to consumers? It doesn't look like it based on their website. The Hover shock looks very easy to service though. I hate to have to mail suspension to get it serviced.
  • 6 5
 WTF!!! but what a lie I read, #bright racing shocks has been making sliding bushes since 2012 so watch this video and be wary of imitations www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d4TzE077cQ
  • 4 0
 A 'moto-style hard case'...I was wondering what kind of case that was.
  • 1 0
 gun case maybe?
  • 4 0
 @vhdh666: Whaaaat? Everybody knows you don't pack rifles in a moto-style hard case.
  • 2 0
 Well. Time to put out some fake news that someone has made an air spring that is EXACTLY coil-like. I believe our guys at Intend will then deliver.
  • 2 1
 Absolutely droolworthy kit - looks amazing and tech as well as finish is above everything else in the MTB industry. For all the special effort done and the highly limited number, the pricing is absolutely fair.
  • 1 0
 You know for that amount of cash the could have added the matching red brakes to make it a full kit as shown in the video - or ask a little more but at least it’s complete then Smile
  • 2 0
 CR Conception also had sliding bushings on their Fore SC inverted fork (too bad they stopped their activity) (ohh and it was a coil fork)
  • 3 1
 Cornelius Kapfinger is f*cking unreal entrepreneur / engineer. breaking into the bike industry with a high end & complex product like suspension is f*cking insanity.
  • 1 1
 How are you charging so much for a suspension product yet lack a torque wrench and gloves? WTF. Great "service" video. Shows some real professionalism... Just throw some tape on it and don't show yourself removing it... what a joke!
  • 2 0
 So, like Marzocchi from 20yrs ago... Sweet. I know it's heavier, but can we get that full open bath setup back too? So smooth...
  • 4 1
 So how does it compare to a good ol' Dorado?
  • 4 1
 The BOS Obsys has had sliding bushings for a few years now.
  • 2 0
 I’m sure this stuff is great, just piling on to mention: this is the way my Manitou EFC from like 1996 was made.
  • 3 1
 $4375 USD for this fork? I think this qualifies for a new income bracket. I don't think dentists are in this category. Lol.
  • 12 4
 Man the dentist jokes are played out. They go to School until they are fuggin 30 only to graduate and then fix your nasty ass teeth for a living. Hardly a glamourous life. I'm not a dentist but can we please change this stigma to hedge fund managers, trustafarians or some other useless humans that don't earn or deserve the disposable income they have?
  • 4 3
 @Struggleteam:
Amen brother!
I used to come here for tech advice- ameeting of minds. Thought this might be an opportunity to open up the torsional rigidity debate again.
Now it’s a meeting of puns, dentist jokes and downvotes..
  • 4 0
 Specialized can add this to the S-Works Turbo Levo and they might have the first MTB with a $20K price tag.
  • 2 0
 Keep in mind the price is for the fork and shock and includes a 19% VAT tax. So you're looking at about $3489. Still very expensive though.
  • 3 0
 My dentist just ordered this while I was in the chair. I'm numb
  • 3 0
 My dentist now says I have to call him a SENTist.. still numb
  • 3 2
 Intend basically took a bright racing fork and copied it entirely. Now they are showing off telling the story of being the first to use that type of bushings. Jokers
  • 3 5
 They are so lies and so shit persons!

The technology with "sliding bushings" is anything but new. There is already an Italian manufacturer who has been installing this for years.

Look at www.brightracingshocks.com
  • 3 0
 Very Nice! *Borat Voice*
  • 2 0
 What kind of shock pump do they include?
  • 1 0
 I second this question!
  • 3 0
 It's a digital high pressure shock pump. I think it's the same they included with my Hover shock.
  • 1 0
 @Bitelio: meh, I was gonna buy a set, but it has to be a bougie high end shock pump.
  • 1 0
 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: it does the job.
  • 1 0
 @Bitelio: needs more gold.
  • 1 0
 Maybe a kashima pump rod
  • 3 0
 Perfection.
  • 2 0
 "We want less inverted forks" - Nobody
  • 1 0
 This fork elevates the Intense image some. Intend Intense builds and Costco Intense builds. Interesting gap.
  • 2 0
 Didn't monster t also have the bushing on the stanchion?
  • 1 0
 bike companies be like: people arent buying more of our stuff. lets release some ridiculously expensive stuff to fix that.
  • 2 0
 freaking beautiful work as always, well done Intend!!
  • 1 0
 Wankers as far as the eye can see. Im swollen with marketing. My social score matters
  • 2 2
 Bright Racing Shocks in Italy has been making inverted forks with sliding bushings for a few years. I’ve got three of them and they are amazing.
  • 2 0
 What helmet is this?
  • 2 0
 Ekoi Enduro fullface (www.mtb-news.de/news/ekoi-vtt-enduro-light)
  • 1 0
 And already adjusted to 2024 prices.
  • 1 0
 I thought all Intends were limited editions
  • 1 0
 That’s a nice case of goodies.
  • 1 0
 Wow, that's the same case CRC used to ship my fork...
  • 1 0
 Are you serious? What fork did you buy? I want the case. Lol.
  • 1 0
 @tacklingdummy: You must not be familiar with their boxes. haha
  • 1 0
 just take your pick. i have used one for years to ship my moto suspension in for service.

www.planooutdoors.com/hunting-storage/rifle-shotgun-cases
  • 1 0
 @Struggleteam: I don't often get smarter from PB comments.... thank you.
  • 1 0
 @noapathy: I'm also very curious what fork was bought that included a case. Never seen that before.
  • 1 0
 @tacklingdummy: It was a joke. It's pretty well known their cardboard boxes are only slightly stronger than wet toilet paper. Just a little less well known that they often pack their OEM forks in ONLY one of these and no original packaging. I've ordered 2 and despite the box looking like it tumbled down 40 flights of stairs, somehow both forks were fine.
  • 1 0
 Someone that doesn’t know what to do with a pile of cash will buy this
  • 1 0
 Looks like a single-crown Dorado.
  • 2 1
 “200kg motocross machine”. . . . . ha ha
  • 1 0
 We've reached Peak Froth here. That Tracer is mint AF.
  • 1 0
 At this price people are just going to leave the frame and take the fork.
  • 1 0
 Four thousand european dollareydoos. Yeah, no.
  • 1 0
 oh good, 29'er lol have fun buying this
  • 1 0
 What? Rulezman and an airshock in the same video? Is this opposite day?
  • 1 0
 its like the KYB A KIT of the moto enduro world
  • 1 0
 Love this stuff! but why did he choose an Intense bike? lol
  • 3 3
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d4TzE077cQ
  • 2 0
 I didn't understand a word but it was a great visual on how the bushing system works.
  • 5 5
 Did you gather all the right information before producing this article?
  • 3 0
 hey man I think they know the plain truth very well, but pinkbike is pinkbike so nothing new
  • 2 2
 @USDLovers: I'm sure
  • 1 1
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d4TzE077cQ
  • 1 1
 Bright Racing Shocks, uses floating bushings since 2012
  • 1 0
 Now that is a beauty.
  • 2 2
 Don't care only want to advent calendar
  • 2 0
 I guarantee you'll get the exact same amount of stuff this year as you did from last year's advent calendar.
  • 1 0
 @tacopop: which will always be zero items.
  • 1 0
 So pretty... SANTA!!!
  • 1 0
 Phuken gorgeous.
  • 1 0
 LOL.No one needs that .
  • 1 0
 JUST FUCK IT.
  • 1 2
 Just needs a moto fender!







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