Q: I keep reading about closed-cartridge and open-cartridge forks found on modern day motorbikes. So, could you please take a few moments to explain what the difference is and why the closed-cartridge version is supposedly much better than the other?
Thanks for a great site as well, the best we have in SA by far.
Chris
A: Open cartridge forks have basically the normal fork internals we’re all used to seeing. The damping rod sits in the oil that is put into the fork tube when you have a service for example, which most people can do in their own garage.
But now, as you say, we have closed-cartridge suspension used by all Moto GP and World Superbike machines and indeed top of the range off –road motorbikes as well. This is in effect a sealed unit, set at the factory that drops inside the fork tube and cannot be serviced or messed with easily. Then separate oil is placed around the outside like a conventional fork, so there’s basically now two parts to the fork.
This prevents foaming and air contamination and keeps the damping process constant at all times, which is what racing demands of course. It basically makes the front fork now act in a similar fashion to the rear shock and is much more effective. The down side is that these types of forks are more expensive to produce. Hope that clarifies things, Chris?
Thanks for the support and comments as well.
