Intend Introduces the Blackline Series and Announces Internal Improvements 1

Let's start with probably most visually striking innovation. In addition to the so-called Intend Originals suspension forks, which also receive all technical internal updates but are equipped with the already familiar hard-anodized tubes with pressed dropouts, there is now the optional Blackline variant for the Hero, Edge, and Flash fork models. This variant features one-piece, forged, and mechanically post-processed lowers with black hard anodizing as well as milled aluminum protectors, also black hard anodized, to protect them.

The black lower legs are forged and subsequently milled. Thus, the dropouts and stanchions are made from a single piece. The guards are mounted into the dropouts at three points with black titanium bolts and are therefore not compatible with the dropouts of the Originals series.

"I'm pleased to see how the suspension forks have been gaining popularity over the years. The functionality is now better appreciated, and I want to
assure you that with the OPTimized upgrade, we have reached a new level. In collaboration with all Intend employees seal types, damping settings, and volumes have been reconsidered, resulting in - of course, not a revolution - but a noticeable evolution towards improvement." - Cornelius Kapfinger, Founder

The upper assembly, consisting of the stanchion, bridge, and steerer tube, remains the same across both line-ups, as well as the internals of the air spring and damping. One could therefore say that the change of the Blackline series is purely cosmetic, apart from the increased unsprung mass due to the guards and their protective properties.

What prompted Intend to offer protectors now? Intend states that the Originals version without protectors will continue to be available and remains the functionally recommended product. They are cheaper and functionally even better with 110g less unsprung mass. However, they also noticed the demand for black stanchions and guards. Accordingly, the intention was to meet this demand and develop a product that aligns slightly more with customer expectations than with their own philosophy.

According to Intend, the most technically interesting innovation is the new Travelizer air spring. In addition to the Travelizer function, the new air spring also includes a reduction in friction due to non-additionally pressurized seals, a longer negative chamber, and the elimination of the volume spacer.

"We take the volume of the volume spacer and incorporate it into the performance (the negative spring) of the suspension fork.“

With the previous air spring, most customers preferred the medium progression setting. This prompted Intend to design the progression in such a way that said progression is now the standard configuration and the saved volume is added to the negative chamber. This further improves the characteristic curve and reduces the unsprung mass by 26g. However, an adjustment of the progression is still possible using two additional bottom caps provided, which allow for the volume to be increased or decreased by -15 and +15mm, respectively. The most distinctive feature of the new Travelizer air spring is the adjustable travel. The process is quite simple: attach the air pump, rotate the stanchion - clockwise for +1mm increments, counterclockwise for -1mm increments per 360°. Once the desired travel is achieved, remove the pump, and an internal locking mechanism engages, preventing further adjustment of the travel (while the stanchion can of course still be turned).

The 3 models Hero, Edge and Flash will be adjustable up to a range of 30mm in increments of 1mm each. The lightest fork, Hero has a travel range of 140-170mm, Edge from 150-180mm, and Flash from 160-190mm. To withstand the mechanical stresses of the adjustment, all parts are now made of 7075 aluminum. Only the sliding surfaces are equipped with PTFE slide elements to ensure smooth operation of the fork even under lateral loads.

"From a handling perspective, the further development of the damping system seems to make the biggest difference." says Simon Reiberg. Simon joined Intend BC in early 2023 and is responsible for the latest iteration of the damping system, now called "OPTimized", as an engineer and an avid fan of dyno-testing and damping tuning.

What has changed?
The damping cartridge is now "closed" but still self-bleeding, as before. The basic architecture has worked excellently, but now a rubber bladder has been added. Air and oil are now cleanly separated, and the existing self-bleeding of the system prevents potential defects. If air enters the system, it will be expelled with each stroke from the high-pressure area. Additionally, the overall system, consisting of dust seals, lubricating oil, and air spring friction, has been combined with a new, more reactive and higher-travel damping tuning.

1. With the latest generation of suspension forks, the previous SKF seals are being replaced by Racing Bros. To be honest, these are not only cheaper to purchase, but they also eliminate packaging waste (as SKF seals are not available individually, but only in the well-known retrofit pack). Additionally, the seals have lower friction values in dynamic comparison to SKF. A win-win-win situation. Long-term tests in real-world conditions revealed no leaks.
2. The previous Motorex Supergliss 68k lubricating oil is now being replaced by a mixture of 50% 32k and 50% 68k. Upside-down forks have the advantage that the bushings are constantly immersed in oil, which also brings a slightly increased low-speed damping. At the same time, the lubricating oil must not be too thin, as this would increase the tendency to jerk. After many attempts with mixing ratios of 1/0, 3/1, 1/1, and 1/3, the 1/1 mixture has proven to be ideal.
3. The lower friction of the air spring must also be taken into account in the damping tuning.

A special part of the damping system is the new 2-zone adjustment range of the compression damping adjuster. For racers who require resistance and control and need to fine-tune nuances, the first 7 clicks out of a total of 14 are very relevant. In this range, the adjuster is finely divided, resulting in less change per click. For comfort-oriented riders or when hands ache more during bike park vacations, clicks 8-14 are intended. The adjustment here is coarser and more comfortable. For a technically precise explanation of the new damping setup, Simon Reiberg explains in the video starting from minute 17:03.

Specs, Prices and Availability

Originals
• Hero – 1849 €, 1950g, 140 – 170mm travel
• Edge – 1899 €, 2150g, 150 – 180mm travel
• Flash – 1949 €, 2300g, 160 – 190mm travel

Blackline
• Hero – 2149 €, 2060g, 140 – 170mm travel
• Edge – 2199 €, 2260g, 150 – 180mm travel
• Flash – 2249 €, 2410g, 160 – 190mm travel

Axle: 15x110mm
Brake Mount: 203 / 180mm
Steerer Tube: Tapered, 240mmm

The Originals suspension forks without protectors are now available, while the Blackline forks with black stanchions and protectors will be available from around mid-May. Prices include 19% VAT.

More information at intend-bc.com.