Vorsprung Smashpot V2 Öhlins

Building upon the success of the original Smashpot, the V2 brings a host of enhancements designed to elevate your ride to new heights, because if there’s one email we get frequently, it’s from people saying “Hey Vorsprung, how can I elevate my ride to new heights?”. Word for word, every time.

All this is new to me, what is a Smashpot?

The Smashpot is a coil conversion kit that completely replaces your air spring (and its associated friction, stiction, nonlinearity, stiff initial stroke, maintenance, inconsistency, leakage etc) and replaces it with some bendy metal and hydraulics that make it eat bumps (much) better, for longer, without harsh bottom outs, and with much better bushing lubrication due to the increased oil volumes.

Smashpot V2 vs V1 - key improvements:

Extended Travel Range:

- The Smashpot V2 now offers 140-200mm travel, expanding from the previous 130-180mm.

- Travel is set during installation using internal spacers behind the topout spring.

- Travel is limited to the maximum that the fork chassis/damper/air spring would allow from factory.

Larger Top-Out Spring:

The V2 features a larger top-out spring to eliminate any top-out noise for riders who prefer a very fast rebound setting.

Dual Crown Compatibility:

In response to rider demand, we're excited to announce that dual crown compatibility is coming very shortly. This will allow even more riders to experience the unparalleled smoothness and control that the Smashpot V2 delivers. Or perhaps the same number of riders on twice as many bikes. Because DH bikes rock.

Enhanced Hydraulic Bottom-Out Adjustment:

We've widened the range of hydraulic bottom-out adjustment, giving you more control over how your suspension handles the most demanding impacts. The firm end of the adjustment range is still firm under heavy hits, but the open end is more open (softer) than before. It’s still a shimmed, speed-sensitive valve, and can be revalved firmer or softer if you wish.

Progressive Spring Rates at 180mm+:

For those running long travel setups, we've introduced progressive spring rates at 180mm and up. This comes from our dual-rate spring system, which uses two springs in series to further improve suppleness and deep-stroke progression. This gives you a softer spring rate at the start of the travel, then a firmer rate in the middle and end of the travel. Not only that, it’s more progressive for firmer spring rates, so the heavier and harder-charging riders get the increase in support that they need, without getting beaten up on the small stuff, while the lighter riders and those who are cruising get a bit less progression to ensure they can make good use of the travel. Travels of 140-170mm still use a single-rate spring.

Lighter oil:

We now specify 5wt bath oil instead of typical 15-20wt bath lube, for better cold weather performance, wider adjustment range, and longer seal life. Some wiper seals struggle to retain thicker oils at the higher-than-OEM oil volumes that the Smashpot uses, especially in cold temperatures, and most super thick (20wt or higher) oils get super duper thick (that’s the technical term) at temperatures below 10C, which can make the fork feel lethargic and the oil more prone to getting dragged past seals.

Expanded Compatibility:

The Smashpot V2 is compatible with the following forks:

Rockshox

- Zeb/Domain (2021+)

- Lyrik/Yari (2016-22, 2023+)

- Boxxer 35mm (very soon)

- Boxxer 38mm (very soon)

(Please note Pike is no longer supported)

Fox/Marzocchi

- 36/Z1 (2015-20, 2021+, including e-bike/Rhythm forks, Factory series and Performance series)

- 38 (all)

- 40/58 (very soon)

Ohlins

- RXF38m.2

- RXF36m.2

- DH38 (December)

DVO

- Onyx 36

- Onyx 38 (December)

- Onyx DC (December)

EXT

- Era V2 (December)

Manitou

- Mezzer (December)

Who is the Smashpot for?

It’s a gravity-oriented product, suited for anyone who wants maximum bump-eating performance from their long (or long-ish) travel fork, where they’re more focused on the downs than the ups.

Enduro riders/racers

Bike park rippers

DH racers

E-bikers

Anyone who wants their suspension to eat bumps as well as possible, regardless of skill level - eliminating stiction is as beneficial for beginners as it is for world cup riders.

Who is the Smashpot NOT for?

Being a gravity-oriented product built to ride fast on rough terrain, it’s not the best choice for short travel applications, like XC racing, dirtjumping, skatepark, pump track. Those applications are better suited to air springs.

Are any of the Smashpot V2/V1 parts interchangeable or backwards compatible?

The topcaps for Fox, Ohlins and DVO forks are interchangeable between V1 and V2. The springs are also interchangeable; the longer-travel V2 fork kits include the secondary spring to pair with the primary spring - the primary spring is the only spring used at 170mm and below. You will need a stiffer primary spring when using the secondary spring as the combined rate is softer.

Can I install it myself?

Yes - if you’re comfortable servicing the air spring of your fork (which you’ll need to remove to install the Smashpot) you’ll be fine with the installation. Check the instructions here to get an idea of what’s required. Otherwise, we have a network of dealers who can help you out.

What spring rates are available?

140-170mm:

Primary/only spring rates:

30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 lbs/in

180-200mm:

Using those same primary springs in conjunction with the secondary spring:

30: 24-30 lbs/in (26 average)

35: 27-35 lbs/in (31 average)

40: 30-40 lbs/in (35 average)

45: 33-45 lbs/in (39 average)

50: 35-50 lbs/in (44 average)

55: 38-55 lbs/in (48 average)

60: 40-60 lbs/in (53 average)

65: 42-65 lbs/in (57 average)

70: 45-70 lbs/in (61 average)