Make a good fork a great fork.
Do it yourself OR send your suspension to S4 for a rebuild and ask for the Vorsprung upgrade:)
Introducing the Luftkappe air piston kit for Rockshox Pike, Yari and Lyrik Solo Air forks.
Pinkbike:
"The Luftkappe's change to the feel of the Lyrik was immediately noticeable on the trail. Traction was increased across chatter and the fork remained higher in its travel and more stable, improving the dynamic ride height without sacrificing the top end. My confidence soared when hitting sections with a lot of chatter and mid to large-sized hits, and the result meant more comfort and speed through such sections."
Taking everything we learned with the Corset air sleeves, the Luftkappe is a new air piston assembly for Rockshox's current generation Solo Air Pike, Yari and Lyrik forks. User installable and simple to set up, the Luftkappe transforms a good fork into a great fork.
- Coil-like feel without the harsh bottoming of a completely linear spring
- Larger negative air chamber
- Lower initial spring rate
- Increased sensitivity
- Improved mid stroke support & control
- Superior bump compliance and traction
- Reduced hand fatigue
- Reduces required compression damping
- Retains Bottomless Token compatibility
- Optional 10mm shaft clamps available for self-install
Prefer us to install it?
Fill out a work order here
Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how stoked I am about the Luftkappe. The improvement to my Pike RC 160mm has far exceeded my expectation. I was always stuffing around with air pressure and found too little psi gave reasonable small bump but to much dive and to much psi was just harsh everywhere. Now it's awesome!
- Cam McLaren, Dromana, Australia
Compatibility & Versions
Luftkappe A1:
Pike MY2014-17 (all wheel sizes) Solo Air (not Debonair)
Lyrik/Yari MY2016-18 (all wheel sizes) Solo Air & Debonair
Pike MY2018 29+ wheel only Solo Air (note: 29+ Pike is actually a Lyrik chassis)
Luftkappe A2:
Pike MY2018 Debonair, all wheel sizes
Note: Luftkappe A2 is backwards compatible - it uses the same piston assembly with an adaptor stud that increases its length. The adaptor stud can be omitted if it is being used on any A1-compatible fork. Why not just only have the A2 variant then? Because it's a bit more expensive due to the increased parts count.
Not compatible with MY2019 forks or DPA (Dual Position Air) forks of any year.
FAQ:
1. Can I install it myself?
Yes, provided you have access to the supplies and tools listed in the installation instructions above.
2. Does it work with DPA forks?
No, sorry.
3. Does it work with the Boxxer?
No, sorry.
4. Does it work with older Lyriks (Mission Control/Motion Control)?
No, sorry.
5. How does it actually work?
It enlarges the negative air chamber to reduce the initial spring rate. This lets you run higher air pressure for more support in the middle and end of the stroke with improved sensitivity in the start of the stroke.
6. Does it work with MRP's Ramp Control cartridge?
Compatible configurations: Pike up to 140mm, Lyrik/Yari up to 160mm
Incompatible configurations: Pike at 150mm or more, Lyrik/Yari at 170mm or more. These configurations cause interference between the Luftkappe and the Ramp Control cartridge.
7. Shouldn't I just buy a new fork instead?
Um, if you want, they're about the same price as the Luftkappe...
8. What parts does it actually replace in the air spring?
It replaces only the plastic piston itself, and the foam topout bumper is removed but not replaced. You reuse your air shaft and seal head, as well as the piston bolt (except for 2018 Pikes, in which the piston bolt is replaced). The kit includes new seals for everything you may want to replace on that assembly (piston dynamic seals, piston bolt o-ring, dynamic shaft o-ring, seal head outer o-ring).
9. What about 2018 Debonair? Does that make the Luftkappe redundant?
For 2018, the Pike's Solo Air spring was updated to be more similar to the Lyrik/Yari, which had a larger negative chamber than the Pike. Lyrik/Yari were essentially unchanged except the shape of the topout bumper. All of them were given the "Debonair" name even though only one of them changed substantially. 2018 Pikes, Lyriks and Yaris benefit every bit as much from the Luftkappe as the previous generations.
10. Who is this NOT suited for?
The Luftkappe is outright superior to the stock air spring for nearly everyone, however there are a few cases where it might not be for you:
- If you run a Yari (not Lyrik) at 180mm or a Pike at 160mm, it will be quite progressive. You may well like it more than stock anyway, but you may also find it hard to use the last 5-10mm of travel - if this would bother you then have a think about it first. At any lower travels, it will be fine.
- If you like running really low sag for some reason. The Luftkappe runs more sag than the stock fork, but is firmer in the mid stroke - similar to a coil fork, but with ending-stroke ramp up to prevent harsh bottoming. If you're the kind of person who wants the fork to run 5% sag, this isn't for you. We could point out that a setup like that probably just means your handlebars are set too low and you're compensating with oversprung suspension, but we aren't here to judge you, so maybe just don't buy it.
- If you're anal about your fork having an exact (but rounded-to-the-nearest-10mm) amount of travel. Because the Luftkappe balances forces at a pneumatic topout, the force right around topout is very low (literally zero other than friction), meaning the weight of the bike alone will cause it to sag a few millimetres. Your car's suspension sags under the vehicle's own weight, so should your bike - unless it was so sticky, overly stiff or over-preloaded that 10kg of bike weight wasn't enough to cause your suspension to move at all, of course. If the idea of only having an apparent 148mm out of a 150mm fork is a big deal for you, stick with the stock fork.
