Suspension gets treated as an afterthought in e-moto tuning. First comes the controller, then the motor, then the wheels — and the fork stays standard, because it "works well enough". Right up to the point where, once you have raised the power, it starts bottoming out on every landing.
This article explains what each adjuster does, how to match the spring to your weight, and when replacing the suspension genuinely makes sense.
Why the standard suspension stops being enough
The standard fork on a Sur-Ron and Talaria was chosen for standard power, standard top speed and an average rider weight. Change any one of those three and the equation no longer balances.
The symptoms are recognisable:
- Bottoming out on landings — you feel the hard clunk through the bars
- The front diving under braking, which takes away your feel for the front wheel
- Wallowing after a bump — the suspension rebounds and doesn't settle straight away
- Losing front-end traction in corners on uneven ground
Each of those symptoms has a different cause and a different fix — which is why it is worth understanding the adjusters before you spend money on a new fork.
Three adjusters and what each one does
Preload (spring pre-tension)
This sets how far the suspension settles under the weight of the bike and rider before you have even started riding. It is not a stiffness adjuster — it is a starting-point adjuster.
Important: preload cannot fix a badly chosen spring. If the spring is too soft, winding on preload only shifts the problem, it doesn't remove it.
Compression
This controls how quickly the suspension compresses. Too little compression damping and you bottom out. Too much and the suspension goes stiff, stops absorbing small bumps and the bike loses grip.
On better designs, compression is split into high-speed and low-speed. High-speed compression deals with sharp hits — rocks, edges. Low-speed compression deals with smooth movements — braking, weight transfer through a corner. That split is what lets you have suspension that is soft over the small stuff and firm on landings.
Rebound
This controls how quickly the suspension returns after compressing. Too fast and the bike bounces back and wallows. Too slow and the suspension can't get back up before the next bump, so it gradually "packs down" and loses travel. The second mistake is the more dangerous one and the harder to spot.
Spring by rider weight — this is the foundation
No adjuster will fix a badly chosen spring. You match the spring to the rider's weight in full kit — with helmet, body armour and boots, not to the figure on the bathroom scales.
Example ranges for the Rfloxa Hawk 32:
| Spring | Rider weight |
|---|---|
| 45 lbs | up to 85 kg |
| 60 lbs | 85–130 kg (up to heavy jumping) |
| progressive 45–60 lbs | 80–130 kg |
And for the Rfloxa RAF55RV rear shock for the Ultra Bee:
| Spring | Rider weight |
|---|---|
| 450 lbs | 65–85 kg |
| 550 lbs | 75–105 kg |
| 650 lbs | 95–135 kg |
If you fall on the boundary between two ranges, your riding style decides: jumps and aggressive riding — the stiffer spring; technical, slower riding — the softer one.
Rfloxa forks — which one for what
The forks are listed from the entry point of the range upwards.
| Model | What for | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Hawk 31 Pro | Sur-Ron, Talaria, E-Ride | entry — the cheapest way into proper Rfloxa suspension |
| Hawk 35 Max | E-Ride Pro 3.0 and SR | entry |
| Hawk 31 Max | Sur-Ron, Talaria, E-Ride | mid |
| Hawk 31 Max Gold | Sur-Ron and Talaria, gold finish | mid — same as the Hawk 31 Max |
| Ultra 43 | Sur-Ron Ultra Bee | top |
The Hawk 31 Max Gold is mechanically the same fork as the Hawk 31 Max, at the same price — the only difference is the finish. If looks don't matter to you, there is no reason to choose it over the standard version.
The Ultra 43 is a design built for the Ultra Bee — thicker tubes and a different operating range, for a bike that leaves the factory more powerful and heavier.
What people don't replace but should — the suspension linkage
The linkage is the part that the entire force from the shock passes through on every landing. In standard form it runs on plastic washers and a bush sitting on a threaded bolt — ride harder and that ends in play and worn-out axle bearings.
The Warp 9 V2 linkage is made from 7075-T6 aluminium and, according to the manufacturer, is three times stronger than the factory part. The V2 version has precision-machined axle bolts instead of plastic washers, plus neoprene covers protecting the bearings from mud. It costs a small fraction of what a fork does, which makes it one of the best returns on money in the whole suspension. There is also a chromed version.
The cheap cover that saves your shock
A shock shaft is polished to hundredths of a millimetre. One grain of sand dragged under the seal makes a scratch, a scratch means an oil leak, and a leak means a rebuild or a new shock.
The Warp 9 rear shock cover is made from 4 mm neoprene, is one of the cheapest parts in the whole range and fits with hook-and-loop, with no need to remove the shock. It fits shocks around 10.5 inches long (267 mm eye to eye) — including the Sur-Ron Light Bee, Talaria Sting, E-Ride Pro, Rawrr Mantis, Beta Explorer and 79 Bike Falcon.
The order that actually makes sense
- Match the spring to your weight — this is sometimes free, and otherwise the cheapest step of the lot, and it often solves the whole problem
- Set compression and rebound — start from the manufacturer's base settings, one click at a time, one change per run
- Protect what you already have — the shock cover and the V2 linkage together still cost a fraction of a new fork
- Only then replace the fork — if you are still bottoming out after the above
That order is worth knowing, because the most common mistake is buying a new fork where the problem was a spring chosen for someone 25 kg lighter.
Frequently asked questions
Will a Rfloxa fork fit my bike?
It depends on the model and year — Hawk 31 for the Sur-Ron, Talaria and E-Ride, Hawk 35 Max for the E-Ride Pro 3.0 and SR, Ultra 43 for the Ultra Bee. Message us with your model and we'll confirm before you buy.
Do I need a workshop to fit a fork?
Fitting one means removing the front wheel, the brake caliper and the triple clamps. That is a job for someone with experience in motorcycle mechanics — and with torque figures for the triple clamp bolts, without exception.
Will stronger suspension make the bike faster?
Not directly. Indirectly — yes, and more than most people expect. Suspension that keeps the wheel on the ground lets you use the power you already have.
The full range: e-moto suspension, the Warp 9 collection and the catalogue.
