WP Introduces Air Fork Technology

Today I have to start with a firm disclosure: for those of you who have not been drinking enough of the MY 2016  orange koolaid this week, please note that the US will not get an air fork this year. I have already received one reprimand from KTM for not making that point clear enough. They were not buying my  assertion that I write for a worldwide audience. It didn’t help that they posted the information to the all new KTM.com website a day before it was supposed to go to the press and I made initial the error of not digging deep enough to see the difference between US and rest of world models, my bad.

Regardless, the air fork is big news. But it may be some time before we get any chance to ride this new set up. I am sure all the moto journalists will be chomping to see it as a replacement for the 4CS that they all seem to have such disdain for.

Who knows if this is in line to become an enduro fork of the future. The idea is tantalizing merely for its simplicity. One air valve for all pressure adjustments and no fork springs to mess with, you have got to love those benefits. Just the same, maybe letting the rest of the world do the R&D for a year is a good plan.

This is a separate function fork with air in one leg only. Compression and rebound functions are still hydraulically dampened in the other leg. The air is contained in an isolated chamber that WP claims to be leak proof. This is interesting stuff for sure.

For now, here is a link for a detailed look at the new AER 48mm fork from WP and an instruction video.

Link – WP Performance AER