Fournales Shocks

In the Shed
1

Learned Collective…

In the on going quest for remotely adjustable rear shocks, I’ve come across a French brand called Fournales.

These are air sprung shocks, using compressed air rather than an actual spring.

Apparently, adjusting between solo and two up riding is simply a case of increasing the air pressure within it.

Each shock is built to rider and pillion weight specifications, they’re rebuildable and have a two year guarantee.

They’re also competitively priced compared to Wilbur and Hagon shocks.

Sounds like an ideal arrangement on paper.

Has anybody heard of them, and / or had any experience of them?

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Are they totally air sprung or are they air preload?
I have no experience of these personally,maybe Fred would be best to ask for an opinion being as he’s French and an engineer

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I have never been a fan of air-only suspension. With all the advances in suspension technology, they still use springs for a reason. Even the major manufacturers have largely abandoned them on motocross bike forks too after a fairly recent resurgence.

Mountain biking seems to be the best application.

4

Thanks guys,

I have a level of skepticism about them myself. If they were that good they’d be used in formula 1 and motogp.

Looks like it’s going to be a Hagon with a hydraulic remote preload.

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I have one on my VF1100S Sabre (a VF1000 on steroids with drive shaft). I’m pretty happy with that, you have to pump from time to time depending on the weight of the pilot and the passenger, nothing more.
BUT, if I had to buy it again for one of my other VFs, I won’t! I would buy a second hand CBR1100 Black Bird shock and modify it to fit for about 1/4 the price of a Hagon with more tuning possibilities …

But I may have scottish roots somewhere in my DNA… :moneybag:

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6

What issues do you have with it?

What’s important for me is to be able to adjust it for two up riding without having to disembowel the bike for access just to be able to attack it with a C spanner.

You seemed to be quite emphatic that you wouldn’t buy another one?

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Hi Chris,
No problem in 4 years of daily use, from solo to two up, just put 2 or 3 kg of pressure in the shock with a high pressure pump (50 € in any good mountain bike shop). It’s just that I discovered the Black Bird thing and it’s much cheaper …

(Maybe I’m a little parsimonious :money_mouth_face:)

Fred

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Thanks for your input Fred,I thought you would be the man to ask

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Thanks, Fred, that’s very helpful.

Thanks for arranging the consultation, Bill.

Further deliberations, methinks.

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I’ve already put a Blackbird shock on our 84’ VF1000F. Had it out again today. It works every bit as good as the one that is on the 84’ Sabre 700. The Sabre has had one on it for about 3 years now and it is way better than the stock shock.
The Sabre was $22 and some scrap metal. Now since I posted it a while ago a shock was more money, $80 and some scrap metal this time.

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I did the Blackbird conversion 12 months ago as it cost nothing but a bit of time and a few welding rods as the VF shock was shot. The shock Blackbird shock had been cluttering up the shed since I pulled it out of the as I thought it was rubbish and it still is really. They didn’t have a good reputation from new but of course I’m comparing it to a multi adjustable Penske which I have on the BB now.
Mind you, I am in Oz and the roads 3rd rate at best where I live so if your roads are reasonable they work OK but still wallow a little when pushing it.

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I think you are comparing it from the wrong end of the scale. The Blackbird shock is much better than the factory air over spring shock. Sure I could go spend $500 on a shock for a bike that only cost $1100 but I won’t.

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I didn’t have the opportunity to test the VF shock when it was working so I can’t compare. I’m just trying to put it into perspective, I don’t want folk to think that if the shock comes from a high performance bike that it is a high performance shock. It meets my expectations as I knew what I was getting and I’m happy that it meets yours.

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I have had my rear shocks (Vf1000R & CBR1100XX) rebuilt by a professional here in qld AU and both perform as expected. Admit though that the VF is a stock rebuild and is exactly that… but shes a vintage now and not my daily or performance ride.

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You’ve found somebody to overhaul the original Showa shock?

Could you find out if they can do it by post if I shipped one from the UK? Nobody over here will touch it.

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Hi Chris
contact MPE Suspension
Web:
www.mpesuspension.com.au

They specialize in mostly offroad but do OEM rebuild and upgrades.
They recently quoted my 93 Cb400Sf frontend but wouldnt touch the non standard rears…
Cheers
Peter

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