What does every downhill rider look for? The answer is simple: the perfect suspension. Unfortunately, however, that doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as a perfect trail. Trails vary from place to place and from run to run.
Instead of finding a setup that works quite well in most situations, instead the aim should be to find the most easily and quickly adaptable suspension for any situation. This was our goal when we decided to design our first downhill fork.
Nero R features a sealed damper with adjusters for high and low speed compression, as well as rebound speed. On the air side, Nero R is equipped with the 3Air system, made up of three air chambers working simultaneously (positive, negative and end-stroke progressivity).
TRAVEL
GEOMETRY
Axle to crown
593mm +/- 5mm at 200mm of travel
Fork Offset (Rake)
50mm or 56mm
STEERER TUBE
Size
1 1/8” Straight or Tapered 1.5” (optional)
CROWN
Material
Hollow Forged Aluminum
LOWERS
Color
Black (matt) or Ultraviolet (matt)
STANCHIONS
Finish
Hard anodized black
ADJUSTMENTS
Rebound
21 Click adjustment
Compression LS
12 Click adjustment
Compression HS
20 Click adjustment
Air adjustments
Progressivity (Gold), Main (Silver), Sensitivity (Bronze)
OTHER FEATURES
Damping
Drop-In Cartridge with Internal Floating Technology
WEIGHT
Standard
2.620g
TECHNOLOGIES:
3 AIR
The 3Air is the technological heart of the Nero R. The fork features a three air chamber system: Gold (end-stroke progressivity), Silver (positive) and Bronze(negative). The use of this technology allows full customisation of the spring curve. The big advantage is not only to be able to shape the fork’s performance the finest amount, but also to do it quickly and easily. Thanks to the 3Air system, you will be able to accurately adjust your fork without taking it of the bike, without using tools, without having to use internal air volume spacers; all you will need is a shock pump.
HEX
The ability of a fork to resist flexing is a key factor for maximum riding precision. A fork that rebounds too fast may make riding unsafe with an overall lack of control, above all when braking and cornering. In the same way, it is important that the fork is not too stiff, because it may make riding too tiring. When designing the Nero R we had a fundamental aim in mind, finding the perfect balance point between stiffness and flex, this is the same as our standard forks. Thanks to the Hexagon Design, the natural flex of the fork has been dramatically decreased with this lightweight method. In this way, we have managed to combine the advantages of the standard boost with the stiffness of a traditional fork.
IFT
The IFT (Internal Floating Technology) is what truly differentiates our forks from any other fork. Smoothness is very important in terms of suspension performance. After many tests on stanchion coatings, we now know that they have a minimal effect on reducing friction. With the IFT we wanted to approach this aspect from a very different point of view. All forks, regardless of their stiffness, experience some kind of lateral stress while riding. This type of stress increases the friction of the internal parts. Thanks to Formula’s design, our hydraulic cartridge is structurally merged with the stanchions and lower legs. In a riding situation, our internals compensate for the external stresses placed on the fork. This causes an incredible reduction of friction.
FIRM LOCKING SYSTEM
Downhill forks are constantly exposed to an extraordinary amount of stress, especially in the thru-axle area: Nero fork is fitted with a new locking system called Firm. When designing it, the aim was to make wheel changes quick and easy, getting rid of multiple screws on the lowers, and at the same time offering the maximum stiffness. The Firm system centres on a 20mm thru-axle that is secured by a ‘counter-knob’ that is tightened after the axle is installed and prevents the axle from unscrewing, providing maximum security and minimum weight.