Hot of the success of the recently launched Emerald downhill fork, DVO will soon be launching their new Diamond platform. Using many of the technologies developed for their top tier dual crown fork, this trail fork eschews the current trend of simplifying tuning options. Instead, it introduces an unprecedented amount of user serviceability and customization.
So drop past the break to learn what all the knobs do!
The Diamond is expected to retail for $1,100 and should be available next month in a 140/150/and 160mm (all internally adjustable via a step ladder system) travel for all three of the current wheelsize standards.
This model only arrived the day before the show and was not fully assembled, although they did have several of the internals available for photos.
On the air sprung fork you will find the typical high and low speed compression adjustments, which Bryson Martin tells us are generic, but offer a good tuning range when coupled with the other built in tuning adjustments built into the fork.
The OTT adjustment compresses a smaller secondary spring, housed within the main negative spring assembly
For example, the OTT (Off The Top) dial allows you to adjust the negative air spring. This means even riders of widely different body weights can still get the same level of performance out of the fork, because it can be tuned in conjunction with the air spring to dial in sag.
According to their sponsored racers, the adjustment makes a huge difference when switching from hard pack terrain to loam, because in hardpack you need more sensitivity of the top in the initial 30-40mm of travel to maximize traction.
At the bottom of the fork, The Loader compression adjustment assembly system allows riders to tune any part of the stroke with a set of shims. An aftermarket shim kit (seen here) which is available for both the Emerald and Diamond forks, will allow users to tune the fork for different terrain in a way you simply can not with adjusters. This aftermarket loader can be installed quickly without requiring a full fork rebuild, so racers can quickly try out different tunes between practice laps.
With the emphasis on tune ability, it should also come as no surprise that DVO also has full tech break downs off all the different features, a portion of the site where riders can share their preferred settings, and will also custom tune your fork for your riding style directly from the factory. Check it out and more at DVOsuspension.com.
