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Telescopic fork
A telescopic fork is a form of motorcycle or bicycle front suspension whose use is so common that it is virtually universal. The telescopic fork uses fork tubes and sliders which contain the springs and dampers.
The main advantages of the telescopic fork are that it is simple in design and relatively cheap to manufacture and assemble, and that it is lighter than older designs using external components and linkage systems. Telescopic forks sometimes have gaiters to protect the fork tubes from abrasion and corrosion.
A more modern (and more expensive) version of the conventional telescopic fork is the inverted or "USD" (upside-down) fork.
BMW's patented telelever front suspension appears at first glance to be conventional telescopic fork, but the fork tubes contain neither springs nor damping. Instead, a wishbone and an inboard monoshock perform suspension duties, and the forks serve to locate the front wheel and control steering.
The first production motorcycles with hydraulically damped telescopic forks were the German BMW R12 and R17 in 1935. However, undamped telescopic forks were used on bikes made by The Scott Motorcycle Company from the beginning of production in 1908, and the Danish Nimbus used them from 1934 on.
Conventional telescopic forks invariably have a pair of fork tubes, or "stanchions", at the top, clamped to a triple tree (also called a triple clamp or a yoke), and the sliders are at the bottom, attached to the front wheel spindle.
Inside most tubes are springs, fork oil, and air, creating a shock absorber. Some forks allow pressurized air to be added through a valve in the top of the fork to stiffen the suspension. Quality forks have a flexible air tube between both fork tubes in order to balance the air pressure in both forks. Modern fork tubes have a method which employs a screw to compress fork spring to increase or decrease spring pre-load.
Cartridge forks provide regressive damping. Self-contained cartridges within the forks contain spring-covered orifices regulating fork oil flow. The springs resist low forces and thus provide high damping rates. Higher forces compress the springs, allowing more oil flow and less damping. Thus the fork is stiffer when responding to small bumps but will soften as larger ones are encountered.
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Telescopic fork
A telescopic fork is a form of motorcycle or bicycle front suspension whose use is so common that it is virtually universal. The telescopic fork uses fork tubes and sliders which contain the springs and dampers.
The main advantages of the telescopic fork are that it is simple in design and relatively cheap to manufacture and assemble, and that it is lighter than older designs using external components and linkage systems. Telescopic forks sometimes have gaiters to protect the fork tubes from abrasion and corrosion.
A more modern (and more expensive) version of the conventional telescopic fork is the inverted or "USD" (upside-down) fork.
BMW's patented telelever front suspension appears at first glance to be conventional telescopic fork, but the fork tubes contain neither springs nor damping. Instead, a wishbone and an inboard monoshock perform suspension duties, and the forks serve to locate the front wheel and control steering.
The first production motorcycles with hydraulically damped telescopic forks were the German BMW R12 and R17 in 1935. However, undamped telescopic forks were used on bikes made by The Scott Motorcycle Company from the beginning of production in 1908, and the Danish Nimbus used them from 1934 on.
Conventional telescopic forks invariably have a pair of fork tubes, or "stanchions", at the top, clamped to a triple tree (also called a triple clamp or a yoke), and the sliders are at the bottom, attached to the front wheel spindle.
Inside most tubes are springs, fork oil, and air, creating a shock absorber. Some forks allow pressurized air to be added through a valve in the top of the fork to stiffen the suspension. Quality forks have a flexible air tube between both fork tubes in order to balance the air pressure in both forks. Modern fork tubes have a method which employs a screw to compress fork spring to increase or decrease spring pre-load.
Cartridge forks provide regressive damping. Self-contained cartridges within the forks contain spring-covered orifices regulating fork oil flow. The springs resist low forces and thus provide high damping rates. Higher forces compress the springs, allowing more oil flow and less damping. Thus the fork is stiffer when responding to small bumps but will soften as larger ones are encountered.