Hollow fork crown, 36 millimetre stanchions, new damping cartridge with separately adjustable high and low-speed compression and rebound stages, 160 to 180 millimetre stroke, grease nipple for the dust rings, dropouts compatible with 20 and 15 mm axles, integrated fender, black anodised stanchions - in fact, only the cap on the air valve and the name have remained the same on the Durolux 2016. The centrepiece of the fork, which weighs just under 2250 grams, is the new damping unit in the right-hand stanchion. A spring-loaded piston in the cartridge separates oil and air from each other. This is SR Suntour's way of counteracting the problem of cavitation, i.e. the formation of bubbles in the oil during extremely fast piston movements. The old Durolux did not have this separation and did not provide satisfactory damping at high speeds: either too firm on fast strokes or dipping on steep gradients. The R2C2 cartridge is therefore a huge technical step forward compared to its predecessor without this piston separation. With a speed-dependent rebound unit, separate compression stages and the option of reducing the air chamber via plastic plugs, the Durolux is on a par with the top forks on the market in terms of adjustability, at least on paper. SR Suntour has also approved it for tough freeride use and bike parks. The choice of location for the presentation shows that the Japanese are serious about this:
The La Fenasosa bike park near Alicante in Spain is dominated by angry and very rocky downhill tracks. Alternatively, you will find jump-heavy tracks with sometimes frighteningly large distances between jump and landing. Not classic enduro terrain, but ideal for exploring the real limits of the suspension system. However, you first need to understand the basic idea of the separate rebound stages. The aim is to ride the rebound stage as quickly as possible so that the front wheel can react to even the smallest bumps. At the same time, you have to prevent the fork from opening up too quickly on jumps and edges. The interaction between the rebound and compression stages is always complex. With a total of six adjustable parameters, the recommended basic set-up reads like a rocket manual: with a rider weight of 68 kilos, you need 65 PSI of pressure, 1 token in the air chamber, 8 clicks of low-speed compression and position 1 of 5 high-speed compression. In addition, 2 out of 4 clicks of high-speed and 10 out of 21 clicks of low-speed compression (all clicks from fully open). The customer will therefore also have to familiarise himself with the Durolux in detail before its potential can be exploited. Racetech is not available as a plug and play version.
However, the first run in the basic set-up also makes it clear that nothing is left of the divey, mid-range fork of the past. The fork is high in its travel, provides active counter-pressure and can still absorb fast hits well. The separate rebound damping works very effectively. In the course of the test, we were able to gradually increase the low-speed rebound and thus noticeably improve traction at high speeds. The fork does not sink into the suspension travel even with many small bumps and remains active. On jumps and hard bumps, however, the high-speed rebound, which then slurps loudly, prevents loss of control and excessive rebound. The Durolux already has a crisp progression with a token. By the end of the test, we had therefore lowered the air pressure by 10 PSI and increased the high-speed compression stage by one click. At the same time, we reduced the low-speed compression to 3 clicks and the low-speed rebound to 6 clicks. As a result, the fork responded finely but retained its high, stable and active position in the mid-stroke. If you dare to do the marathon tuning, the Durolux rewards you functionally with performance that is on a par with the Fox 36, RockShox Lyrik and DVO Diamond. So everything is perfect? Almost.
In the negative chamber responsible for the response behaviour, the fork has no air but two steel springs. This should make it less susceptible to defects. The negative spring of our test fork rattled audibly in the bar. This could be stopped with a pack of grease, but it is unclear how long such lubrication can suppress the noise. In combination with the noisy high-speed damping, the Durolux is not a quiet fork. The complex cartridge with separating piston also has more seals than a bladder cartridge. This increases the friction in the system. The Durolux therefore does not quite achieve the creamy response behaviour of a Lyrik. But it is sensitive.
That leaves the weight of almost 2300 grams. Here too, the top dogs from RockShox and Fox are lighter without being softer or less precise. Where does the extra weight come from? On the one hand from the negative steel spring unit. On the other hand, from the slightly heavier casting of the lower tubes. As the fork can be ridden by the customer with up to 180 millimetres of travel by changing the plastic clips in the air chamber and an unrestricted bike park approval should be in the specification, the Japanese played it safe here. And finally, the Q-Loc2 thru-axle is also not a gramme-fox, but does not require any threads in the casting. SR Suntour is therefore focussing on durability and customer-friendly maintenance and not so much on weight. Unlike the competitors' bladders, the R2C2 cartridge can be opened and bled without special tools if cavitation should impair the damping function over time. And as it has already happened to us that a Fox 36 has contracted due to the air exchange between the positive and negative chambers, a slight rattling is an acceptable alternative to a defect that can only be rectified by the dealer.
ConclusionThe new, powerful Durolux is a real alternative to the well-known top dogs. The set-up is also complicated here, but the function is really very good and suitable for racing. With mudguard, grease nipples and the option of both axle standards (incl. Boost), it is also very well equipped. The most affordable high-tech race fork currently on the market costs € 699. We will check how it performs in the long term in a long-term test.
