MAGNETIC SUSPENSION?

Modern bikes all use the same method of damping: a hydraulic system. This uses special oil, which is forced through small holes in the suspension units, absorbing the kinetic energy from the wheel, and damping down the movement of the wheel. When we adjust the damper, we make the holes bigger or smaller, giving less, or more damping force, respectively.

But what if, instead of changing the size of the holes, we could change the thickness of the fluid? We do this in a coarse way when we change our fork oil for a thicker grade, and we also feel it when the suspension is cold in the morning, making the damper much firmer. But changing the oil itself as you go along would be an amazing thing.

And there is such a system, available on some high-end cars. Magnetorheological fluids are special oils, which change their viscosity when subjected to external magnetic forces. The oils have iron in them, and the magnetic forces on these tiny ferrous molecules adds more drag when they move past a magnet. So – fit variable electromagnets inside the dampers, around the oil passages, and you can increase the effective viscosity of the oil by turning up the power to the magnets.

It’s too heavy and uses too much electrical power to be useful on bikes at the moment. But it’s an intriguing possibility for the future.