AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
First impressions
I rode the rMotion out West last spring, but hopped on the pre-production model after other riders had dialed it up to the stiffest settings, not a pleasant ride at normal trail speeds. Our senior test rider, Les Pinz, and I, thought it more important to test the rMotion at normal trail speeds, where 80% of trail riders operate.
I ended up adjusting the pretension all the way down and softening the compression dampening to get close to the ride of a Rush suspension on the ripples and 6-inch stutter bumps. I didn’t get a chance to ride the test sled in the softer spring mount that allowed more adjustment of the low-end pretension, but Les did. He and others reported a definite improvement in the stutters in the softer setting.
For the 2012 season we will have several long-term test machines available, and a better chance to try all the settings.
My initial impression is this is a good working design, and a large step forward from the SC-5. The young hot shots all liked the big mogul performance and we were able to get good ripple and stutter performance as well within the limits of the adjustment envelope. The “Quick Adjust” kit is a big advantage and a step up compared with other brands’ models, where adjustments sometimes can be cumbersome and time consuming.
The rMotion is a solid weapon in today’s suspension wars and will stand up favorably against the other brands’ latest offerings.