Based out of Redwood City, California, Motion Instruments are a new company, to market at least, specialising in building suspension data analysis systems for mountain bikes to enhance rider experiences, improve race times, and develop new suspension designs. After teasing us with glimpses on both the EWS and World Cup Downhill circuit, Motion Instruments are now ready to unleash the power of their suspension data analysis system, offering it to Downhill, Enduro and Cross Country riders the world over. Now, it seems we all have the opportunity to unlock the true potential of our bike’s suspension.
Motion Instruments Suspension Analysis System
Motion’s suspension analysis system has been kicking around for quite some time. We’ve seen Ibis use it to test lighter damper tunes on the new Mojo HD5, with Ibis’s EWS race team riders, Lewis Buchanan, Robin Wallner and Bex Baraona, using it to dial in their suspension last season. Motion say they have tested the instruments with a very broad range of rider ability, but began their testing with none other than World Cup legend, Greg Minnaar. Also on the list of celebrity clientele are Rae Morrison of the Liv Enduro Team and another EWS star, Cody Kelley. Thus, Motion Instruments are certainly not short of ambassadors for their product.
Motion Instruments is a team of senior engineers who enjoy riding mountain bikes and motocross. Together, the team has decades of engineering experience plus countless hours of trail riding and working on bikes. “Today we are launching our product line and I’m really excited to unleash this technology to everyone,” said Founder Robert Przykucki. “We made a conscious decision to release the product only when it was worthy to be in the tent of a World Cup team. We have uncorked something special and this technology will provide value for everyone, on any bike, riding any terrain. We developed this technology with riders of all abilities, starting with Greg Minnaar. We have worked with the best OEMs in the industry and we are incredibly proud of what we’ve built.”
Motion are launching with no fewer than six data analysis systems for use with cross-country, enduro, and downhill bikes. To break that down; there are two packages of hardware and software at two different price points for each riding discipline. The Pro systems are MI’s highest performing option with the best accuracy, ideal for suspension tuners and engineers looking for the best performance possible. The Expert Systems are more aimed at your everyday rider, looking to squeeze the most out of their suspension when they hit the trails at the weekend. It is MI’s best price-performance option with 99% of the accuracy of the Pro systems, designed for riders wanting to properly geek out and dial in their bikes for any terrain or track.
What sets Motion Instruments apart from other suspension set up systems, like ShockWiz or SussMyBike, is that the MI systems can take into account not only the feedback from your actual shock and fork, but also the leverage curve of your specific bike, pulling in information about front and rear wheel traction, as well as the balance between suspension behaviour at the front and rear of the bike, and the terrain under your tyres.
What will make or break MI’s suspension systems is their practical usability for the everyday rider, who isn’t necessarily an engineering PhD graduate. The systems will generate data on compression speed, compression length, rebound speed, rebound length, in addition to comparing front and rear bike-to-ground interaction, the number of strokes, and the axle position at any one time. It will highlight virtual o-ring watermarks for specific trail events, position and velocity histograms, and terrain-specific analysis. All of this will be essentially useless unless the information is displayed in an intuitive fashion, and in a way which will allow riders to make informed decisions about suspension setup. Not to worry, Motion Instruments say they have this dialled, too.
All Motion Instruments suspension systems connect to the MotionIQ app, currently only available on iPhones and iPads, but an Android version is in the pipeline. The MotionIQ app will record, analyze and display information about your suspension set up wirelessly and without the need for an internet connection. Data will be available immediately at the trailside. MotionIQ will give you actionable insights that are specific to your bike, with its specific geometry and leverage ratio, and the terrain you are riding.
Motion Instruments offer three Motion IQ app levels: Free, Expert, and Pro. The free MotionIQ app will record and analyze information about your fork and shock behaviour. If you want to dig deeper into your specific bike, MI will provide support for an ever growing list of bikes with MotionIQ Expert, available on a subscription basis for $9.99/Month or $99/Year. You’ll have the ability to see how your wheels are interacting with the terrain versus just looking at damper speeds. Finally, if you want deep insights into bike balance and rich setting comparisons then MotionIQ Pro is available for $29.99/Month or $299/Year.
Data files from the MotionIQ app can be easily shared over any communication medium
supported by the iPhone or iPad, including via email, text, AirDrop, or automatically uploaded to your iCloud drive.
Motion Instruments Cross Country Systems
Tuning your cross country bike’s suspension will not only give you a better ride, it will improve your efficiency, control and lessen fatigue. You may feel pretty good about your current setup but without the data, you’ll never know what you could be missing out on. Motion Instruments Cross Country suspension data acquisition kit, will show you how much travel is being used, and how much time is being spent at any one position in the travel. The data will let you make educated adjustments and see how those changes directly affect your ride. With lightweight cross country bikes, squeezing every bit of performance out of the suspension is critical in gaining speed, adjusting to different terrain, and adapting as you get faster.
Motion Instruments Enduro Systems
Between numerous race courses, a wide range of conditions, and limited practice time, Enduro racing has a special set of challenges. With MI’s Enduro Pro suspension data acquisition system, you can tune your bike at the trailside without ever having to go back to your tent. MI will provide data to allow you to better balance your bike, understand what your suspension is doing over different terrain, and make smart adjustments. It could give you the edge when trying to tune for a range of suspension requirements with limited practice time.
Motion’s Downhill Systems
In downhill racing, one second can mean the difference between the top podium spot and a
top-ten finish. With the Motion Instruments Downhill Pro suspension data acquisition
system, you’ll see actionable insights you never thought possible. MI say this system is a game-changer. It’s rugged, lightweight, affordable and easy to use. Simply ride the course, click a button, see your results, and dial in your bike.
Pricing and Availability
For 25% off you can pre-order your Motion Instruments Suspension Analysis System now, and expect delivery of it within 6 to 10 weeks of placing the order. Each Motion Instruments System sits at a discipline-specific price point; at the pre-order pricing, the Cross Country Systems will set you back $519.99 and $359.99 for the Pro and Expert levels, respectively. The Enduro Systems will cost you significantly more at $999.99 and $799.99 for the Pro and Expert Levels, respectively, while the Downhill Systems are, narrowly, the most expensive, priced at an equivalent $999.99 for the Pro Level, and $839.99 for the Expert Level.
