CounterShox Assessment [Counter-Reaction Steering Device]

As an fanatic dust bike rider, I need a enjoyable, protected, and thrilling journey with none severe surprises. Using in Southern California means we have now all kinds of terrain. From sand and silt, to rocks and boulders, to simply plain dust with rain ruts, it’s all enjoyable, and it’s all difficult. I exploit no matter I can to enhance my using expertise—from Fasst Firm Flexx handlebars (decreased arm affect) and NueTech Tubliss tire inserts (elevated traction from decrease tire pressures) to establishing the suspension for my weight and talent. After some investigation, the progressive fork leg-mounted CounterShox system seemed worthy of consideration, as I need my rides to be longer, much less fatiguing, and extra pleasurable.

Principally, it’s a counterweight using in an oil-filled tube. Though it weighs about three kilos, it mimics as a lot as 90 kilos of counterweight. Explaining the physics laymen’s phrases behind how the CounterShox works is tough, so right here’s the phrase from the producer: “CounterShox is a bolt-on system designed to supply a tuned counter-reaction to obstacles in racing and excessive racing environments. Impulses to the entrance fork are used to supply an computerized reactionary drive that the rider not has to supply via the handlebars.” CounterShox’ web site backs up the claims with charts describing the impact of the system.

Claims are nice. Nevertheless, it’s all about outcomes, and we all the time go right into a check of latest expertise with applicable skepticism.

Set up is easy, taking no more than 10 minutes, and matches all full-size inverted fork legs. Begin by loosely mounting the clamps to the fork leg (two bolts per clamp). Subsequent, mount the CounterShox on the clamp (two extra bolts per clamp). Then, tighten all bolts to spec. Accomplished.

The unit will be positioned beneath the decrease triple clamp, or behind the numberplate or headlight between the triple clamps. The $350 CounterShox system is available in 4 colours—black, blue, purple, and orange.

CounterShox recommends mounting the unit on the fork leg between the triple clamps. Nevertheless, I mounted it beneath the underside triple clamp to make elimination quick and simple. I needed to have the ability to take it off rapidly if I didn’t like its impact.

After putting in the CounterShox on my Husqvarna FE450, I instantly went for a protracted journey

Proper out of the gate on my first journey, I believed my tire stress was decrease than normal, or my steering damper was turned up an excessive amount of. The entrance wheel stability enchancment was instantly noticeable. The CounterShox affords a lot stability that I turned my steering damper off for the remainder of the day. That allowed me to give attention to the impact of the CounterShox. I by no means felt the necessity to flip the steering damper again on; I often run it with at the least 4 clicks in.

On single-track trails with a number of uncovered but embedded rocks, the advance is rapid. I roughly estimate a 50 % lower in deflection. Which means a much-reduced must cowl the clutch for surprises arising from deflection.

On quicker, bowled-sand single observe ridden at speeds starting from 15 to 40 mph, the necessity to death-grip the bars is gone. The entrance wheel tracks bowled trails completely, and understeer within the sand is considerably decreased.

It’s tough to explain exactly the impact of the CounterShox. It is sort of a steering damper mixed with a fork suspension improve, plus a bulldozer using in entrance of you, flattening out the terrain.

Whereas I believed I would possibly really feel a distinction, that it would possibly make the entrance finish really feel much less heavy over whoops and such, it did much more than that.

CounterShox cancels forces that may in any other case throw you off your line, or braking/bump forces that may trigger an upset in rider stability when sitting or standing. It makes the entrance finish really feel lighter, but significantly extra planted in every kind of dust.

That’s all nice, so I took it off to see if I might discover the distinction.

That was a giant mistake—deflection returned, as did the fixed compensating required on sandy and rocky single-track trails. I’m now spoiled.

I rapidly reinstalled it, and it has turn into a everlasting fixture on my Husqvarna FE 450 with dozens of hours underneath its belt. My satisfaction with its efficiency is undiminished. Subsequent, I’m going to placed on my Beta 430 RR Race Version—it’s that good.

Is the CounterShox unit Pixie Mud or Black Magic, or possibly it gives the world’s finest placebo impact? Truly, it’s none of these, although it’s a black field design. Nevertheless, the CounterShox is science, and it really works.