As usual, SR Suntour brought in a race bike from one of their sponsored riders, this time from the Absa Cape Epic. The bike has their nearly full carbon Axon Werx suspension fork up front and some prototype stuff going on out back. There’s also plenty of updates to the rest of their suspension line up that’s actually available, including Boost and Plus compatibility on a wide range of forks for tires 24″ up to 27.5″…
SR Suntour’s dual button remote is generally used on the left hand side, hence the upside-down icons on the levers, but this bike was running two of them. One for the fork, which has been a Werx option for a while that locks it out but…
…thanks to the knob on top of the remote attachment, still allows compression adjustment. Word is it could also be hiding a PCS upgrade to its damping cartridge – more on that feature down below.
The UnAir and DuAir rear shocks got a major revamp last summer, but this bike was running a prototype remote lockout replacing the lockout lever, but keeps the external rebound adjustment. For 2017, both versions of the shock get new sizes to fit in with new metric “standards”, but this remote probably won’t show up until MY2019 if at all.
The biggest news is the additional Aion option, which bumps up from 34mm to 35mm stanchions, spreads the axles out to 110mm and adds a fender. It’s designed to work well for enduro and 27.5+ riders on a budget (the Durolux is the higher end, race-ready option but is still 100mm spaced, 20mm thru axle only), but is beefy enough for e-MTB, too.
It, along with all of their mid- and upper end forks use their QLoc quick release thru axle system. Note the full fender mounts at the bottom in case you don’t want to use their integrated fender design…a nod to e-bike use.
Upgrade a bit to the 2017 Auron and you’ll get their RC2 damping cartridge that also has their PCS (Piston Compensator System) found on the Durolux and RUX. PCS fully separates the air and oil inside the damping circuit, ensuring it won’t cavitate (create air bubbles) during long, extreme descents so as to maintain consistent performance even under ultra aggressive riding.
You’ll still need to upgrade to the Durolux to get R2C2 external high and low speed compression and rebound damping controls, but the new Auron does upgrade to the black stanchions. But, if you prefer or need 15mm thru axles rather than 20mm, the Auron RC2 PCS could be just the ticket.
The Raidon is a more budget oriented performance fork that’s mostly found on OEM applications, giving new bikes a decent piece of suspension while keeping the entire package more affordable. For 2017, it gets a forged 6000-series alloy crown and butted stanchions, and it goes to 110mm Boost spacing to handle 27.5+ tires.
The XCR also goes to Boost/Plus sizing, but does it in an even more affordable package thanks to steel stanchions. The bonus is that it offers it for everything from 24″ up to 29er, with several lockout/control options. The Boost/Plus sizing trickles on down the line to many of their super budget and OEM forks, too.
