Q: Hi guys, just a quick one. What’s with all these ‘funny bottles’ appearing on the fork legs of modern bikes, specifically the new Kawasaki ZX-10, and the much-anticipated all-new Suzuki GSX-R? Also, every World Superbike and most certainly all Moto GP bikes seem to have them as well.
They also seem to have different length or sizes, so why is that as well? I’d like to know so I can tell all my mates that I pretend to know everything.
Corbus.
A: They’re called ‘accumulators’ and they hold gases or fluids that drastically improve the damping capabilities of the front fork. What they basically do is to make the front fork work like the rear shock to put it into simple terms. But they do cost more, which is why the bike carrying them will undoubtedly be more expensive.
The different shapes and sizes will alter the damping rates for different tracks and surfaces. And, there’s a big reason for these appearing on new bikes – they work and vastly improve the front-end feel and grip of the bike – if you can ride fast enough to appreciate them that is!
