So there were a whole pile of rumours on what the new boxxer was going to be like - some people said they were going to be identical, some had secret insider info that they couldn't share as usual but would post just to get some attention, some said bigger stanchions... and the list goes on.
Well in actual fact the fork saw a whole host of minor improvements, most covering issues which I had already found easy home fixes for, but there were other changes too.
1. The floodgate and compression adjuster leak (two separate issues which saw two separate solutions). The entire adjuster shell was redesigned, you'll notice the plastic below the floodgate is now grey instead of black - but the real changes were inside. The shell now has a large o-ring below the existing compression adjuster seal, which takes care of that compression adjuster. The seat for the floodgate sealing o-ring (not visible in picture) was then raised so that the adjuster sat against it properly, stopping the o-ring from popping up and allowing oil to leak.
2. Some tiny updates to the maxle. A small hole was added to the two slots for the expanding section of just one side of the maxle. This seems to encourage both sides to expand more evenly as the expansion wedges are driven in. The chamfered edges on both 6mm allen key slots have also been removed to give a little more grab area for the key, but the change is so minor that anyone dumb enough to wreck the old one could still wreck this one. For the record I've never had any problems with the maxles of past years.
3. Some serious changes to the arch and upper bushing areas of the fork lower. The arch now wraps a lot further back into the lower leg, especially on the inside of the legs - which should add significant stiffness and strength without the weight and wall thickness sacrifices involved with bigger stanchion diameters.
The sides around the upper bushing now also bulge out noticeably, to add more surface area for the newly designed arch to grab onto, and to provide more stiffness around the upper bushing:
But weight saving hasn't been forgotten in this quest for stiffness and strength. Obviously it's impossible to recoup it all, but they've made an effort:
4. The middle of the legs have been given a greater wall thickness. The old fork used to recess and become thinner from above the brake mount onwards, whereas the new design leaves it straight walled
Well there you have it. A number of running changes to make what was arguably the best race fork even better. For the weightweenies, I weighed the lowers on their own to compare.
07 Boxxer WC = 676g
08 Boxxer WC = 706g
So ~30g of added weight in the new fork, which will probably fluctuate a little depending on paint thickness, oil volumes, etc. Not a bad sacrifice, still the lightest DH fork around.
Well in actual fact the fork saw a whole host of minor improvements, most covering issues which I had already found easy home fixes for, but there were other changes too.
1. The floodgate and compression adjuster leak (two separate issues which saw two separate solutions). The entire adjuster shell was redesigned, you'll notice the plastic below the floodgate is now grey instead of black - but the real changes were inside. The shell now has a large o-ring below the existing compression adjuster seal, which takes care of that compression adjuster. The seat for the floodgate sealing o-ring (not visible in picture) was then raised so that the adjuster sat against it properly, stopping the o-ring from popping up and allowing oil to leak.
2. Some tiny updates to the maxle. A small hole was added to the two slots for the expanding section of just one side of the maxle. This seems to encourage both sides to expand more evenly as the expansion wedges are driven in. The chamfered edges on both 6mm allen key slots have also been removed to give a little more grab area for the key, but the change is so minor that anyone dumb enough to wreck the old one could still wreck this one. For the record I've never had any problems with the maxles of past years.
3. Some serious changes to the arch and upper bushing areas of the fork lower. The arch now wraps a lot further back into the lower leg, especially on the inside of the legs - which should add significant stiffness and strength without the weight and wall thickness sacrifices involved with bigger stanchion diameters.
The sides around the upper bushing now also bulge out noticeably, to add more surface area for the newly designed arch to grab onto, and to provide more stiffness around the upper bushing:
But weight saving hasn't been forgotten in this quest for stiffness and strength. Obviously it's impossible to recoup it all, but they've made an effort:
4. The middle of the legs have been given a greater wall thickness. The old fork used to recess and become thinner from above the brake mount onwards, whereas the new design leaves it straight walled
Well there you have it. A number of running changes to make what was arguably the best race fork even better. For the weightweenies, I weighed the lowers on their own to compare.
07 Boxxer WC = 676g
08 Boxxer WC = 706g
So ~30g of added weight in the new fork, which will probably fluctuate a little depending on paint thickness, oil volumes, etc. Not a bad sacrifice, still the lightest DH fork around.