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Vaia

38.5Ø MTB Downhill & Enduro Fork

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The wait is finally over. EXT is proud to unleash the Vaia, a dual-crown inverted DH fork, distinguished from all others in its class. This groundbreaking product breaks away from familiar suspension design and is packed with innovation and cutting-edge tech for the gravity focused MTB world. While the Vaia completes EXT’s DH lineup, it’s thoughtful design and adaptability simultaneously lends itself to aggressive enduro bike and e-bike applications as well. With travel options from 170mm to 200mm, and the ability to change between 15mm and 20mm axles, the Vaia is both a powerful and versatile contender in the MTB market.

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TECHNOLOGY and features

While the Vaia completes EXT’s DH lineup, it’s thoughtful design and adaptability simultaneously lends itself to aggressive enduro bike and e-bike applications as well. With travel options from 170mm to 200mm, and the ability to change between 15mm and 20mm axles, the Vaia is both a powerful and versatile contender in the MTB market.

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ENDURO

downhill

1 stem, 2 offsets!

Thanks to a proprietary cam stem design, developed with Mojo Rising, the Vaia offers two offset options (44 and 48 mm) with only one stem and crown, allowing for personal adjustment of steering geometry. The fully machined double crown is made from 7075 aluminum.

floating bushings

We have implemented technology derived from our motorsports heritage to provide optimal bushing performance, via floating bushings.

The new DU bushings in the Vaia fork are manufactured to precise tolerances for each assembly and works seamlessly with our specially formulated EXT oil. This combination ensures zero stiction and exceptionally low friction, even under high side loads.

Like in MX, our unique DU guiding system, featuring a specially designed long bushing overlap, provides maximum guidance and optimal torsional rigidity for the stanchions. We’ve named it the CGB (Continuously Guided Bushing) system, which also boosts dynamic stiffness. Optimized inner volume design ensures maximum lubrication for floating bushing systems.

FLOATING DESIGN

This technology inherently allows for optimal bushing overlap that increases throughout fork travel but also has the advantage of incorporating a radial float capacity, that constantly adapts to any forces exerted onto the fork tubes by the wheel. As such this small degree of float may be percetible while unweighting the system from a static state, such as lifting the front of the bike in the parking lot. However, in actual use this is not detectable by the user.

modular axle system

Twin hexagonal Grade 5 Titanium (Ti Gr 5) floating wheel axle guarantees perfect wheel alignment and excellent torsional stiffness. Available in 15mm diameter version for enduro wheels and 20mm for DH, with no need to replace any major components of the fork; just add an adapter forthe 15mm axle!

titanium hardware

Bolts, nuts, washers, and other hardware components made of Grade 5 Titanium DIN 912 spec, used in aerospace and industrial applications for its high mechanical strength, light weight, and corrosion resistance characteristics. We know that even the small things matter, so all details were considered.

double drop crown

Vaia will be available with two different top crowns:

  • 10 mm drop for headtube from 107mm to 136mm
  • 30 mm drop for headtube from 127mm to 156mm.

new self containing air cartridge

Vaia features the EXT HS3 technology, a unique hybrid air spring system with two separate positive air chambers that work in tandem with a large-volume, self-equalizing negative air chamber. HS3 is designed to provide excellent mid-stroke support around the dynamic sag position, while also delivering outstanding sensitivity and bottom-out protection.

All passages and ports are designed to minimize air pressure drop during long stroke high-speed movement, minimizing hysteresis.
The special design improves heat dissipation and better isothermic conditions, balancing pressure variations and ensuring consistent performance even on long descents.

HS3 with extra tuning

The advantages of our HS3 system doesn’t end there. We have introduced volume spacers to our current HS3 system to further increase the range of tunability. By adding or removing tokens you can both reduce and increase the volume of the chambers independently.

The ++ chamber offers further tunability within the end stroke of the air spring curve. This tuning allows for significantly increased end stroke ramp up while minimizing impact to the initial and mid stroke characteristic.

The negative chamber volume is also tunable with volume spacers. Adding spacers to the negative chamber increases support throughout the entire travel range without affecting the curve. This allows for further air spring curve optimization for different rider weights and levels of aggression.

3 way-adjustable cartridge

A high-flow, 3-way adjustable hydraulic cartridge is the core of the Vaia fork, featuring independent high/low speed compression and rebound adjustments. Maximum hydraulic fork tunability allows each rider to dial in the damping forces to perfectly match their riding style and weight. High dynamic response valves and turbulent flow ensure optimal performance in extreme working conditions. The options for customizing this fork are virtually limitless.

LOW SPEED COMPRESSION

HIGH SPEED COMPRESSION

REBOUND

we got you covered

Dedicated mudguard protection, directly mounted on the stanchion guards, soon available for purchase separately as an accessory. 

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EXT Racing Shox is thrilled to offer a 5-year Warranty Period for the Vaia fork, starting from the 21st November 2024. This extensions program provides you with 3-year additional coverage to EXT products assuring you with peace of mind for years to come. This extended warranty is in addition to the original 2-year legal Warranty Contract, which remains guaranteed for every product sold. 

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the "porter tips" for ext vaia

Chris Porter, head of Mojo Rising in the UK and universally recognized as a suspension “guru” in the MTB world and beyond, has been actively involved in the fork’s development. Here, in a few words, he explains how to approach the initial setup of Vaia!

EXT VAIA ADJUSTMENT POSSIBILITIES

There are so many ways that you can adjust a multi-chambered air spring with independent volume adjustments as found in the EXT Vaia. Along with the Geometry adjustment options through fork height in the crowns and 44mm or 48mm offset adjustment in the crowns and multi adjust damper, the Vaia offers so many different ride possibilities!

 
But what adjustments do what thing to the actual ride feel to help achieve support, comfort and stability… and which adjustments allow the Vaia rider to home in on a feeling?

The Vaia main chamber pressure allows the rider to set the support of fork for ride height

  • The ++ chamber creates a ramp of support in the mid stroke because the main + chamber is a single, short, progressive air spring until the pressure matches that of the ++ chamber and adds its extra volume for more linearity.. This support ramp can be adjusted further into the travel with a greater pressure differential between + and ++ or can be earlier in the stroke with less pressure differential. A higher pressure in the ++ can solve a bottom out problem a lower pressure can create one.
  • The shape of the second part of the air spring curve after the support ramp is dictated by the volume of the ++ chamber. You adjust the ramp up of the ++ chamber towards bottom out by reducing volume for more ramp and increasing volume for more travel usage.
  • Allows the rider to play off trail against head angle independently. A slacker head angle can feel amazing at high speed (lots of trail) and more unstable at low speeds (lots of side to side flop). A shorter offset can bring that low speed stability back for more confident low speed handling. The higher offset can flatter a steeper head angle to make the handling faster for more aggressive riders.
  • Of course the dual crown Vaia can also be raised or lowered on the fork legs (within limits!) to give an adjustment in head angle and front end height which coupled with under the stem spacers gives the rider independence in bar height adjust with different head angles and front end heights.

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FOR SMALL BUMP SENSITIVITY
 
A rider in search off comfort ‘off the top’ will use + pressure to get a nice initial spring rate, from that point adjusting the negative volume will give the rider a more linear and comfortable start to the stroke with a larger negative volume and with less negative volume they will get a tighter more progressive negative spring with more feedback. The ++ pressure also affects this initial part of the travel, if the pressure differential is lowered then the negative spring influence will overlap the ++ chamber support ramp and make the initial travel more linear.

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TO ACHIEVE MID-STROKE SUPPORT

A dual air spring with a preloaded second chamber as in the Vaia’s + and ++ allows the rider to create a ’support ramp’ in the air spring. That’s because the + chamber is a single, short, more progressive air spring until the pressure increases to match the ++ chamber at which point it becomes a lengthening, dual air spring with more linearity… Because the feeling of ’support’ can come from quite shallow to quite deep in the travel there are a lot of overlapping adjustments that affect the ’support’ of a fork… reducing the negative volume in the Vaia can make the negative spring less influential into the + spring so you get a feeling of support earlier in the stroke. Changing the ++ pressure differential changes the amount of travel used before the ++ air chamber engages. The higher the pressure differential the deeper into the travel the support ramp lives and if the differential is lowered then the support tails away sooner. At the point where the ++ chamber comes into play, the rider can adjust the feeling of support from this point by adjusting the ++ volume. Adding volume spacers to reduce the volume makes the ++ chamber more progressive and creates more support in the second half of the air spring. Whereas increasing that volume can allow a less aggressive rider to use more travel, more comfortably in bigger terrain. 

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END STROKE RAMP
 
Adjusting the pressure or volume in the ++ chamber creates a bottom out resistance too to get support right at the end of the stroke… By overlapping the large and adjustable volume negative spring with the ++ support ramp and ++ volume spacers it is possible to shuffle the feeling of support around in many ways to play off support against comfort and get the best compromise.

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HANDLING AND RIDER SPACE

All of these adjustments help the Vaia rider to achieve a good feeling of balance with the rear suspension. This feeling of a bike ‘keeping its shape’ is something that can be the key to rider confidence. Keeping that bike shape and rider confidence at all speeds and in all terrain is where the geometry and rider shape adjustments on the Vaia can improve handling and confidence. The Vaia’s 44-48mm off set adjust allows the rider to play off trail (self centring stability) against head angle (steering) independently. A slacker head angle can feel amazing at high speed (lots of trail) and more unstable at low speeds (lots of side to side flop). A shorter offset can bring that low speed stability back for more confident low speed handling. The higher offset can flatter a steeper head angle to make the handling faster for more aggressive riders. Of course the dual crown Vaia can also be raised or lowered on the fork legs to give an adjustment in head angle and front end height which coupled with under the stem spacers gives the rider consistency in bar height with different head angles.

TRAIL MEASURE AND AXLE TO CROWN

What is “trail parameter”?

Trail is the horizontal distance between two points:

  1. The point where the extended line of the fork steerer axis intersects the ground.
  2. The point where the center of the front tire touches the ground.

 

This distance is measured in millimeters and is determined by three main factors:

  • Head angle: A slacker (more open) angle results in a longer trail.
  • Fork offset: The distance between the steerer axis and the front hub axle. A larger offset reduces the trail.
  • Wheel diameter: Larger wheels increase the trail, assuming other factors remain constant.
  • Pros: Greater stability, especially at high speeds and on rough terrain. The bike tends to “hold its line” and feels less twitchy.
  • Cons: Reduced responsiveness and increased effort to steer at low speeds, such as in tight switchbacks.
  • Pros: Better maneuverability and responsiveness, making the bike more agile in quick direction changes and technical sections.
  • Cons: Less stability at high speeds and a more nervous feel on challenging terrain.
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Specifications

  • Built entirely in 7075 and 7050 T6 alloy and Grade 5 Titanium
  • Tapered 38.5 stanchion tubes optimize the strength to weight ratio, offered with our proprietary surface finish
  • Floating bushing system design with an impressive overlap (240 mm around SAG position) with 200 mm travel, ensuring consistent sensitivity and torsional stiffness for riding precision while braking and cornering
  • Adjustable high/low speed compression and rebound cartridge with low friction seals, high dynamic response valves and turbulent flow, assures performance in extreme working conditions
  • HS3 air cartridge unit with 2 independent positive air chambers as well as an innovative negative chamber with a tunable volume design for increased sensitivity and adjustability
  • Pressure release bleed buttons to release air on both fork legs
  • Optimized inner volume design ensures maximum lubrication for sliding bushing systems
  • Unique double crown design offers 2 offsets, from 44 to 48 mm, enhancing personal adjustment on steering geometry without having to purchase additional crowns
  • Available with interchangeable 20 mm and 15 mm Grade 5 Titanium wheel axles for both maximum stiffness and rigidity
  • Dedicated stanchion protection with available bolt on fender
  • Weight: 3195 gr (in 200 mm travel with 20 mm wheel axle, cut steerer tube, oil included)

 

 EU PRICE  2600,00 €
 US PRICE  2250,00 $

Travel

  • 200mm
  • 190mm
  • 180mm
  • 170mm

 

Axle to crown measures:

  • 200mm travel —> Max 614 mm / Min 604 mm
  • 190mm travel —> Max 604 mm / Min 594 mm
  • 180mm travel —> Max 594 mm / Min 584 mm
  • 170mm travel —> Max 584 mm / Min 574 mm

Rotor size:

200 mm up to 220 mm with brake adapter

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