Motorcycle suspensions are popularly known as shock absorbers. This system protects the riders from the shocks and jerks of an uneven road by ensuring that the motorbike rolls smoothly on roads and different surfaces. Initially, these were only used at the front wheel of the motorcycles as the early versions of the motorcycle frame were unable to fit it. Due to innovations in design and technology, now both the front and rear suspensions are used in motorbikes for different needs and as per pricing benchmarks.
1. Types of Motorcycle Suspension
As we discussed earlier, as per placement, motorcycle suspensions are of 2 types. Front Suspension and Rear Suspension. These are further divided into different types that are given below.
2. Front suspension
Front Suspension is divided into 2 types. These are:
3. Telescopic suspension
. Upside Down Forks (USD). These are telescopic suspensions that are placed . . upside down.
. Rear suspension
4. The rear suspension is divided into 4 types.
. Spring loaded hydraulic suspension
. Gas-filled also known as Nitrox charged shock absorber
. Mono Shock suspensions
. Dual Shock suspensions
Let’s discuss in detail these motorcycle suspensions below.
5. Telescopic suspension
Telescopic suspension is the most used front suspension for motorcycles today. These suspensions have a primary barrel and a slider bar inside that provides free movement. A spring and fork oil is also loaded inside that provides it with the shock-absorbing capacity. Telescopic suspensions are easy to design and cost-effective to manufacture.
6. Upside Down Forks
Upside forks are also known as inverted forks. These are telescopic suspensions that are placed upside down. Here the outer slider is situated up top and the fork tube is located near the axle. These work by pressing together and coming back to the original position thus providing a better handling experience and comfort during riding. Upside down forks reduce the additional weight of the bike and increase flexibility. But they are more costly than the regular telescopic suspensions and may lose their damping oil all of a sudden. USD forks are generally used in sports bikes.
Rear Motorcycle Suspensions
7. Spring Loaded Hydraulic Suspension
Damping oil is used as the suspension base for this category of shock absorbers. It is placed in an air-tight hydraulic piston. A spring is located outside the suspension that absorbs the shocks as it brings the piston back to its original position. These types of suspensions are also called dual spring suspension or spring n spring suspension (SNS). These motorcycle suspensions are cost-effective and used at the entry-level motorcycle segments. Due to cavitation (bubble forming) in the damping oil, these suspensions are not ideal for continued long journeys as their performance gets lowered.
8. Gas-filled AKA Nitrox Charged Shock Absorbers
These are also spring-loaded hydraulic suspensions but use canister-filled gas instead of damping oil. Usually, nitrogen is used for this purpose, so these motorcycle suspensions are also known as Nitrox suspensions. Due to the use of pressurized gas instead of damping oil, the issue of cavitation is eliminated and the performance of these shock absorbers in long journeys becomes effective. The rider travels with better comfort and enhanced safety.
9. Dual Shock Absorbers
Dual shock motorcycle suspension has 2 shock absorbers placed at the rear end of the motorbike. These were introduced during the early 80s and became popular due to the advantage of increased rear-wheel travel. These motorcycle suspensions have powerful shock absorbers that can carry heavy loads and provide a smooth on and off-road riding experience. Dual shock absorbers are cost-effective and are low maintenance too. But these suspensions also have some disadvantages. Since dual shock absorbers have two valves and two pistons that work independently, so at high-speed riders face difficulty during cornering and also at maintaining balance.
10. Mono Shock Absorbers
Mono shock absorbers are single shock absorbers that are connected to the rear frame of a motorbike. These absorbers have a single valve with a wider piston that absorbs the bumps of the roads equally and provides better stability and handling. Its placement is generally at the front of the rear wheel of the bike and is connected to the swing arm through a linkage. Mono shock motorcycle suspensions provide great performance with excellent cornering and handling experience. They are better at high speeds and offer an excellent riding experience. They are also easy to tune and adjust. The challenges with mono-shock absorbers are that they are expensive to manufacture, require high maintenance, and have comparatively less longevity than other motorcycle suspensions.
Conclusion
So, these are the different types of motorcycle suspensions that are used in bikes. Suspensions are used to provide a better riding experience and safety to the riders. Each of them has different features and is used by the motorcycle manufacturers as per the price segment and the type of bikes they are rolling out.