Motorcycle Forks & Cartridges - Explained

Learn things you never knew about Motorcycle forks and cartridges. What is a shim stack? What is a needle valve? What happens when you turn your clickers? Why do you need preload? And what are top-out springs? We answer all of these questions and more about your motorcycle’s forks and cartridges. From the early days of simple fork designs to modern day cartridges with needle valves, mid-valves, and base valves, motorcycle forks and suspension components have come a long way. So, understanding them can be a challenging but important step to take on your journey to becoming a better, safer, and more successful motorcyclist. Special thanks to my buddy Gavin Botha for helping me make this video. His “invisible” cartridge is a brilliant idea that we both came up with simultaneously – but he actually made it a reality. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 1:24 - The basics of forks 2:15 - Cartridges, damper rods, & orifices 8:10 - What happens when you turn your clickers? 9:45 - What is a needle valve? 12:30 - High vs low speed 14:00 - What is a shim stack (and how does it work)? 24:20 - Midvalves 26:00 - Base valves 26:45 - Top-out springs 29:05 - Preload 32:55 - The KTM OEM top-out spring 35:10 - The top-out spring counteracts the preload 35:45 - Oil & air gap 38:30 - CLOSING #motorcycles #suspension #HowItWorks #superduke1290r #ktmbikes