To ensure safety and durability, high-performance mountain bike suspensions and components must be subjected to punishing real-world shock and vibration phenomena for extended test periods. Fox Factory Inc. conducts testing and research on its racing forks and shocks in a state-of-the-art laboratory equipped with advanced MTS shock and damper testing technology.
Testing High-performance Bike Suspensions
Kurt Siever and Ariel Lindsley provide a look into the Fox test lab, exploring the methods and technologies used to simulate real world usage and ensure that high-performance shocks and forks are safe enough for the world's most powerful riders and punishing courses.
The Fox laboratory employs a tightly integrated array of MTS servohydraulic test systems and infrastructure that are engineered to maximize testing accuracy, operational efficiency and safety.
![damper test system](/-/media/ground_vehicles/industry/article-graphics/849_322c.jpg?as=1&h=685&w=593&la=en&hash=42F581C55192CAF382B9F455142B8BCA)
![FlexTest Controllers](/-/media/platforms/products/controllers/images/30699R_FlexTest494Family_mc.jpg?as=1&h=458&w=700&la=en&hash=5E9F823A879DE4D17F0C70CC4A0064AF)
![Damper Software](/-/media/ground_vehicles/industry/article-graphics/Damper_sw.jpg?as=1&h=1582&w=2343&la=en&hash=E97836D202FF5AC88645DF12EA12BE90)
![SilentFlo HPU](/-/media/platforms/products/hpus-and-hsms/images/73252SilentFlo51590mc.jpg?as=1&h=412&w=648&la=en&hash=F372E31033CD60C49EDC049CB6A8031B)
![HSM](/-/media/platforms/products/hpus-and-hsms/images/81043_IHSM_295_card.jpg?as=1&h=458&w=700&la=en&hash=4A385CB472C4DD8828B74814196590E3)
![MTS Echo](/-/media/ground_vehicles/industry/article-graphics/MTS-Echo2.jpg?as=1&h=332&w=662&la=en&hash=512EF1AF033D12208CCE2982246194DD)