RockShox 2010 BoXXer is the first “all new” redesign of their downhill fork in the model’s history.  It’s “lighter, more precise and ultimately faster” according to the press release.  Ranging from 6.0 to 6.5 lbs, they’re getting down close to some single-crown freeride forks in weight, and the 35mm sliders and trussed forged crowns handle the “more precise”.  Dual Flow adjustable rebound and compression damping bring the “faster” to the table by keeping the tire stuck to the ground.  Read “more” for full specs and model comparisons between the World Cup, Team and Race versions…
WHAT’S NEW?
Greg Minnar (pictured), Sam Hill, Steve Peat and Nathan Rennie have all been testing and racing this fork for a while, and all had glowing things to say about the increased stiffness and lighter weight.  In fact, it’s been on the winning rider’s bike in 5 of the 6 WC DH events so far this year.  So, what’s new about it? In a nutshell, this:
 – 35mm Chassis
 – Mission Control DH
 – Maxle Lite DH
 – Air Volume Adjust (WC)
 – DropStop (Team)
 – Direct Mount Stem compatible
Rather than reinvent the wheel, here are the highlights directly from the press release, followed by closeup pics with our own descriptions:
Lighter – Lighter is always better. BoXXer achieves its light weight through a detailed study of where the actual forces are applied on a DH fork. By using the larger 35mm upper tubes to carry the strength, the steerer tube can be lightened. Maximizing the material properties of the upper tubes allows the tubes to be thin and strong. BoXXer’s new forged crowns use less material on the arms, while maintaining strength and stiffness by incorporating trussing. The new MaxleTM Lite DH pulls out 28g while being more robust than its predecessor. Add all this to a new spring and damper featuring aluminum shafting to create the ultimate light weight DH fork.
More Precise – A new 35mm chassis creates the perfect stiffness balance for Downhill riding. Turn the bars and the BoXXer will go where you want. Hit a bump and the fork will move into its suspension movement instead deflecting and providing too much feedback to your hands. Maxle Lite DH allows for greater expansion forces, creating a more robust junction from wheel to fork. The perfect balance equals more precision.
Faster – Increased Control – The new Mission Control DH with Dual Flow adjust compression and rebound provides the ability to get Velcro® like front wheel traction. Dial in detailed settings for all riding conditions and styles through external adjustments for high and low speed compression and beginning and ending stroke rebound. Mission Control DH’s high displacement, shimmed valving allows for a butter smooth transition between circuits, giving the BoXXer that “stuck to the ground†feeling.
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The World Cup model gets Solo Air with an air volume adjust knob on the bottom that lets you control the rate of ramp at the end of the stroke (shown above).  The Team model gets a non-air variation called the Drop Stop, an MCU (elastomer?) that smooths the transition between the spring rate and the bottom out pad.  The Drop Stop is adjusted via a knob on the top of the left leg.
At the top of the right leg is the Mission Control Compression adjustment knobs.  The outer knob controls high speed compression, inner does the slow speed stuff.
The rebound compression is controlled by similar knobs on the bottom of the leg, shown below.
Here’s the new Maxle Lite DH, which replaces the old thru-axle:
All models now have a printed Sag Measurement right on the fork leg, making it easy to dial in your settings.
Here’s how the models compare (click to enlarge):
The new BoXXers will be available at retail in early 2009.  Pricing was not released yet.
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