RockShox has brought fresh updates with its latest Charger 3.1 damper to expand its adjustment range and make the Pike, Lyrik and ZEB more adjustable than before. The SRAM-owned company has also carried out similar tweaks to its Super Deluxe shock and has unveiled the latest Vivid Coil. A lot is going on here, so let's dive in.

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For RockShox, the pursuit of innovation is something that never ends and 2024 has been a mighty year for the brand with the introduction of the Psylo fork, the cross-country going Flight Attendant, and the Maven brake. This time, the brand has turned its attention to its Charger damper tech and shock offering.

Let's take a look at the new Charger 3.1 damper. It builds on the standard Charger 3 damper known for bringing separate High-Speed and Low-Speed Compression circuits to offer cross-talk-free adjustments (adjustments that don't influence each other) for independent tweaking. And with this older damper, the middle setting was designed as a rider's starting point, allowing folk to adjust their suspension by subtracting or adding damping.

For the Charger 3.1, RockShox has decreased overall damping with internal changes while expanding the adjustment range of both compression circuits. This has been achieved by freeing up oil flow within the low-speed compression circuit, so 68 per cent more oil can flow which should result in less compression damping, an increase in traction and to make for a quieter operating fork.

2024 rockshox zeb ultimate.jpg, by Liam Mercer

To answer calls for more high-speed compression damping from World Cup athletes, the Charger 3.1 damper features a larger high-speed compression pyramid for more support. The brand says that the larger pyramid rustles up more damping when the high-speed compression adjuster is closed. With all the combined, forks that use the new Charger 3.1 damper, the Pike, Lyrik, and ZEB provide less damping when fully open and more when closed than the previous iteration.

Other changes include a new IFP, or internal floating piston that benefits from a stiffer spring that's said to provide a closer match to the newly increased oil flow to boost consistency. As well as a new mid-valve check spring that's been added to reduce compression damping further, RockShox is offering shim tune kits that offer two compression and three rebound tunes for even more tunability.

With the introduction of the Charger 3 damper on the brand's 2023 forks, RockShox made a lot of noise about its increased bushing overlap, and for 2025, the brand has taken another look at its bushings. On this production run of forks, the Pike, Lyrik, and ZEB benefit from revised bushing tolerances to reduce friction further.

The Pike and ZEB also get a couple of pieces that are unique to them. The Pike now runs a hollowed-out top cap to increase its negative air chamber's volume which is said to reduce the force required to initiate travel. The ZEB then comes in Electric Red for 2025.

All of these new features are available as aftermarket upgrades.

2024 rockshox super deluxe ultimate.jpg, by Liam Mercer

The Super Deluxe shock gets redesigned high-speed and low-speed compression circuits, with the latter getting a new high-flow piston that frees up oil flow for less damping. It's combined with a lighter check plate, too, and the duo is slated to ease rear wheel hang-ups and help the bike track more precisely, says the brand.

RockShox is bringing a new Debonair+ Linear XL Air Can to the fray. It's been added to the range to bridge the gap between the Super Deluxe and the brand's heavy-hitting Vivid. This new can provide a larger positive air volume and offer a supple start to the travel.

The high-flow piston kit, shim tuning kit and Linear XL Air Can are available as aftermarket purchases.

Last but not least, RockShox has overhauled its Vivid Coil shock with TouchDown tech – a position-sensitive damping system that's said to be forgiving at the start of the travel but composed as it gets deeper through to bottom out. It then gets an adjustable hydraulic bottom out that allows users to fine-tune how the shock's compression damping in the last 20 per cent of its travel specifically.

2024 rockshox vivid coil ult.jpg, by Liam Mercer

There's a soft bottom-out bumper specific to the shock's stroke to help get the most out of its travel.

As for prices, the RockShox Vivid can be bought in either Ultimate or Ultimate DH guise, which will set you back a maximum of £696. The new Pike fork can be picked up for £763 up to £1,049 for the Select and Ultimate builds, the Lyrik is available for £813 and £1,199 in both Select and Ultimate, and the ZEB is priced at £864 and £1,119 in the same models.

• www.sram.com

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