2016 Öhlins WSBK forks explained

For 2016 the majority of the WorldSBK field will run on Öhlins suspension and for those who want the latest material the forks will be all-new RVP25s (Rod Valve Piston, in 25mm piston diameter).

The new forks – based on the 2015 Moto2 units used last year – still have 42mm inners like the 2015 WorldSBK offerings but this time the solid piston system has been replaced by an inline damping system, pressurised by a coil spring.

The latest bushing technology has been adopted but the main aspect of note is that they are lighter than the previous WorldSBK cost-capped versions, by over a kilogramme per set.

The lightweight fork bottom has been achieved by using a weight optimised inner tube and a lightweight fork bottom. More rigidity is also claimed.

These characteristics were achieved by moving all the adjusters to the top of the forks, and splitting the jobs of rebound and compression damping between the legs. Rebound adjustment goes to the right fork top and compression damping is moved to the left fork top. This means that there is no requirement for external damping tubes or adjustment chambers at the base of the units, saving a lot of metal. There should be forks available in two levels of stiffness and two lengths.