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Inertial suspension... hype???
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Posted by: SirReel---------------------
So far, I have only seen Kyle Lewis running it, but what is the idea behind this. According to the folks I got to question at Red Bud, it is a "self contained dampner". On Kyle's bike they said it was set to help control front wheel chatter going in and coming out of corners. They said you could "tune" it to work for other areas of the suspension. All this from some little tube hanging of the back of one side of the swingarm??? Jeremy, or anyone, what's the idea behind this thing, and does it work? I couldn't get past the techno talk on their site (www.inertialsuspension.com ).
Posted by: Shawn Mc---------------------
Your link doesnt work. Too bad, I wanted to see this. From what I saw on the interview with Lewis, he said it aids the shock to control the rear wheel over bumps, to keep contact with the ground, with out taxing the shock itself. At least thats what I thought I understood about it.
Posted by: SirReel---------------------
that is strange it was working on Friday. Maybe they did some "upgrades" to the site over the weekend and broke it :o .
Anyway, here is a pic (as soon as it is approved) to show it...Inertial Suspension thingy...
Posted by: Rcannon---------------------
The thing sounds kind of like "an object in motion, continues in motion". I am no expert, but it sounds like a moving weight that resists the upward hit from hitting a bump.
I know. I should have stayed in school.
Posted by: SirReel---------------------
Looks like the site is working again...
Posted by: yzeater---------------------
It costs $275!!
Posted by: SirReel---------------------
yeah, i saw that too. I just don't see how this little tube (even if it has fluid and springs) could do much for the suspension. I just wanted to get some other opinions on what it is this thing is suposed to be doing??? Looks like a bunch of hype. And since Lewis is still the only one running it, I was wondering about the benefits. I mean everyone jumped on that hole-shot front fork compressor in SX. well except for RC (he stopped using it). But then again, he's inhuman in the first place :confused:
Posted by: marcusgunby---------------------
I just read all the info-now im no einstien but i dont understand a word it says-i dont understand the concept or its intentions.How does something make a part lighter because its attached to it???someone explain it to me because im baffled.
One line from the site 'it reduces lineal impact and increases suspension proportionally from 10 to 60% at least' WTF?????????????
Posted by: Jasle---------------------
one of the mags said it really worked well for the rear. Can't remember where I read about it though.
Posted by: SirReel---------------------
Quote:
Originally posted by marcusgunby
How does something make a part lighter because its attached to it???someone explain it to me because im baffled.
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Exactly. When they use plain english, it makes no sense... bolt this on and the parts become lighter...huh? Or they use some of the craziest techno-babble I've ever read, confusing me more. But heck, if the thing makes things lighter, I think I'll order one and hook it to my belt :confused: Or, does it mean if I put enough of them on my bike will float in the air 
Posted by: jmics19067---------------------
from what I believe I see , in extremely simple terms those weights that they put on the bike kinda act like little shock absorbers. This is only a guess based upon my 7 th grade science class way back in the 70's.
The weight is supposed to follow a straight line down the track horizontally. When the rear tire hits a small bump forcing the rear wheel up the weight and all of its internals are helping to dampen the load.Hopefully letting the shock work less. The inertia is trying to fool the shock into thinking it isnt the only one on the bike so the shock thinks it has a lighter load.
Whether or not it works, and whether or not it is a feasible performance part for the masses only time will tell. But I love the innovation , something truly new and exciting to ponder.
Posted by: marcusgunby---------------------
Im starting to understand now, it has a small mass inside thats sprung loaded.Surely once the wheel does move it wants to carry on and this will only make that happen more?
Posted by: Stretch374---------------------
Kyle Lewis has been having a great year and I’m very confident that his riding ability has a great deal to do with that. But in racing at the national level every advantage is a plus. I’m confident he wouldn’t keep something on his bike that was hurting his performance or adding extra weight.
I have read through the web site 3 times now but would like to understand it more.
A rear wheel with sprocket and brake disk weighs a lot, I would think that this mass moving up and down inside this device would have to be of a significant % of the wheels weight to have any real effect. Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m thinking the farther back you moved it the greater effect it would have.
Posted by: jmics19067---------------------
Quote:
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Surely once the wheel does move it wants to carry on and this will only make that happen more?
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That is where my understanding of it ends. My thinking is, it is only directional sensitive. The rear wheel goes up loading this "bob wieght " so it is pushing downwards on the back of the swingarm fooling the shock to think it has less momentum to deal with "lighter feeling"<?>.When shock starts to rebound pushing the rear wheel down that will change the direction of the bob wieght's loading of the swingarm.
My question of curiousity is what is happening at the exact moment the shock starts to rebound and/ or the shock tops out if in the air. When this wieght has to change directions, could a Pro or someone of impeccable feeling for his bike notice this and what kind of an effect it would have.
Posted by: Shawn Mc---------------------
The device works just like a recoiless hammer. If ya dont know how that works, go someplace that has one and hit the floor with it, it will change your mind about this device I bet.
Posted by: Bill Hibbs---------------------
I believe it acts like a Damper. The weight in inside a chamber of oil that's valved. Say you had two cylinders. One with the suspended weight in oil and one that's completely solid and you dropped them on the table. The solid one would bounce but the other would kind of "stick" as it hit the table because the floating weight would absorb the energy. I has this same effect on your rear wheel.... Maybe... 
Posted by: Shift-MX---------------------
In Dirtrider (the mag) they had a review on it, they gave it like 9.5/10 for trails and somethin like 3 or 4 for motocross...i could scan the article if you guys wanted?
Posted by: Shawn Mc---------------------
I can see how they would not like it for moto, if your a seat-hopper, seems like it would cancel a seat hop attempt. I dont know though, it might be uni-directional, but I cant see how that would help at all. Id love to try one. They oughta show up someplace (Elsinore, Saddleback etc) like Thunder Alley does and let ya demo the things.
Posted by: dale williams---------------------
How's this for a stab at what is happening? The weight inside a fluid filled tube will cause a force in the opposite direction of the acceleration. So if the tire is traveling on a level surface and hits a bump the device will tend to hold the tire down, possibly increasing traction and delaying the bounce. If the wheel is traveling up the device will tend to make it want to continue going up but because the up motion was delayed it will be at a lower velocity (with the increased mass of the device) so the energy that the shock has to absorb will be the same but at a lower velocity so the frequency of bounce is reduced to a level similar to if you were riding at a lower speed.
Posted by: marcusgunby---------------------
Im still not sure i understand it.It must have a negative effect as everything does(as well as it hopefully having a positive)you dont get something for nothing.If they used better english to explain it maybe we could understand it better.
Posted by: old#48---------------------
This link seems to work better : Inertial Suspension
It skips the long intro which seems to (some of the time) flub the whole thing all up.
If it still don't come up, hit refresh, then it usually does.
Posted by: dale williams---------------------
I think Marcus has a substantiated reason to be skeptical. What I described in my last post would be the way I would design it with oil and shock type shims for fluid control. Then I read the "official" description. It seems that at low vertical speed (smooth trails) the device does nothing but make the bike heavier. At high speed the air is not able to get around the piston so it essentially locks the piston to the tube. Here's the kicker: additional unsprung weight on smooth trails is not a problem so why is it important to have the weight float on smooth trails. Couldn't the same thing be accomplished by replacing the light aluminum sprocket with a heavy steel one. Even if it were a device with oil and flow control devices, I'm not sure that the same affect couldn't be obtained by placing a tool bag with a couple pounds of weight in it on the rear fender and increasing the high speed dampening on the shock. You could really do it up exotic by placing the weight between a couple sheets of foam rubber so it can wiggle up and down and absorb energy there too. Is shock temperature really a big deal for most of us and if it is painting it black will significantly cool it.
Posted by: marcusgunby---------------------
Come on Jer give your views on this
Posted by: Rcannon---------------------
I have one of the hammers your talking about . It works, no doubt. The weight weighs as much as th ehammer does.
I think I am going to strap two of the 100 lb plates to the back of my YZ.
Posted by: dale williams---------------------
A dead blow hammer strapped to the swing arm would have a different affect than this device because the shot starts it's life in the lowest position were as with the device the weight starts suspended. On the other hand if your continually going over rough terrain (normal riding) the shot would continually be kicked up and absorbing energy. You know you might be on to something. Strapping a dead blow hammer to the swing arm might even work better than the $250 device. Anyone up for trying such an unproven idea for the cost of a hammer that if it doesn't work you can add to your tool box.
Posted by: Shawn Mc---------------------
Adding 8 pounds of unsprung weight to the furthest most part of the swing arm just dont sound like a good idea to me 
Its making me laugh just thinkin about it. Can you imagine the looks youd get at the track :scream: But it might work, I'll try it right after you! 
Posted by: Mephisto---------------------
umn ...id use some duck tape
Posted by: jmics19067---------------------
Quote:
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Adding 8 pounds of unsprung weight to the furthest most part of the swing arm just dont sound like a good idea to me
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heh that what they said about water cooling in the 70's and four strokes in the 80's. Reed valves couldn't compare to rotary valves and power valves was just something extra to break and /or decarbonize.Disc breaks where unessecary and too powerfull in the dirt. Long travel suspension<anything over 6 inches> was terrible for handling. oooh the list is endless
I am not saying these things are the next greatest thing to sliced bread but don't discount them yet. 250 bucks is quite a bit to experiment and your money would most likely go further getting your suspension revalved for your particular needs.But as I said before I love the brain child of this thing after all it is something truly new and innovative. Everything on a dirt bike that I know of <except for maybe powervalves,expansion chambers,speed sensitive shim stack valve bodies and rising rate linkage> is pretty much an old idea rehashed. Most anything else can be related back to bicycles, industrial equipment, cars whatever.
Posted by: dale williams---------------------
I was thinking of finding a piece of square plastic tube, er, gutter pipe, about 6 to 10" long, and filling it about 1/3 full of sand and taping it to the swing arm.
Can't be much crazier than those bob weights that target bows use to stabilize the bow during release of the arrow.
I'm sure it's a different principle.
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