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Originally Posted by Topaz
After reading this article from Race Tech:
https://www.racetech.com/page/title/...%20They%20Work
I got this: (correct me if I'm wrong)
I can tune slow compression by changing the forks oil only and not install emulators.
Emulators will allow me to tune slow compression without changing the oil.
Emulators will allow me to tune fast compression.
Slow compression occurs when you brake and lean.
Fast compression occurs when you hit a hole.
If the above is correct, and your track doesn't have significant pot holes, are emulators any useful in a track only ninjette?
I know it's a popular mod at the track. What am I missing? |
Emulators do not allow you to tune low-speed compression without changing the oil.
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With the Emulator installed on top of the damping rod, low-speed damping is controlled by low-speed bleed hole(s) in the valve piston (see figure 3.15). Oil flows unrestricted from chamber A to the inside of the damping rod, then up toward chamber C. At the lowest velocities there is not enough pressure to open the main valve piston and all the oil goes through the Emulator’s low-speed bleed hole.
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You're basically just moving the compression holes from the stock damper rod to the Emulator body. It's still just a fixed orifice damping setup, where it's perfect at one point, and too soft for anything slower and too hard for anything faster.
You can tune the high-speed damping via the spring on the Emulator's valve. The spring rate and preload affect how the valve opens (just like the rate and preload of your fork and shock springs affect how the bike's suspension moves). Since the valve acts as an overflow of sorts for bigger bumps, the simple damping hole needs to cover less of a range of suspension action, so it's less of a compromise; it's only covering half of the range whereas the stock damper rod holes have to cover the full range.
I tend to agree with you that the design lends itself better to street riding with rough roads than to riding on a smooth(ish) track. It does give you two different ways to adjust the damping (the bleed hole and the valve), so it's adding more tuning ability to your suspension.
I originally purchased Emulators for my 500, but when I found out about Intiminators, I sold the Emulators without ever installing them. I bought them for my 400 too, but haven't gotten around to installing them yet. On a very basic level, they're similar to Emulators, but I feel they're a more high-tech solution. Instead of replicating the damper hole, they use a shim stack like actual cartridge forks. You can tune the compression by using a different number or thickness of shims. Their "overflow valve" isn't just spring-loaded, it's held up with a tiny spring and uses the inertia of the cover piece to open. When the chassis pushes down (cornering forces, etc.), the whole Intiminator is pushed downward. When the wheel bumps up (hitting a pothole, etc.), the inertia of the cover causes it to stay put while the center of the Intiminator moves up, exposing the holes and allowing the oil to flow through. Oversimplifying, the chassis pushing down will never open the big valve, and the wheel bumping up will always open it. You get great pothole mitigation without sacrificing any chassis firmness for hard riding. In comparison, the Emulator's valve will open any time there's enough pressure to overcome the spring (which admittedly probably shouldn't happen from the chassis forces, if it's tuned properly).
Again, I think the concept is much more suited for rough roads than for tracks. However, it's a fairly cheap and easy way to get pseudo-cartridges for your cheap little forks. A number of people have found them to be a huge improvement, for both street and track riding.
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Originally Posted by choneofakind
Yea! Very much. They were a noticeable improvement at the track. I could feel way more and the brake dive was definitely reduced. Tire wear looks really good after 2 days on track.
Worth the time. Could maybe have the shim stack changed a bit, but huge improvement considering how little effort the install took.
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I'm sure there are more people familiar with tuning Emulators than Intiminators, if you're looking to really tweak them to perfection. Even if Emulators aren't quite as good as Intiminators theoretically, perfectly tuned Emulators could be better overall than poorly tuned Intiminators (though most people find Intiminators to work very well without any tuning whatsoever).
Pregen Ricor Intiminator install has a lot of Intiminator-related info.