Tike technology for mountain bikes
"The SKF Tuning fork seals are by far the most powerful seals ever produced for mountain bikes," says Christoph Petit from Akira Tuning. "The technology comes from the high-end motorcycle sector, where SKF seals enjoy a first-class reputation. I started working with SKF five years ago to make the unique sealing technology available for all common forks," Petit continues.

So much praise for a simple piece of plastic?
Low friction is the basis for a well-functioning and finely responsive suspension fork - and this is exactly what the striking green SKF seals are designed to ensure. According to Petit, the green rubber alloy offers unsurpassed sliding properties, even without lubricants in an emergency. The green miracle rubbers are also manufactured in a special geometry to reduce friction to a "maximum minimum" by mechanical means. Compared to conventional fork seals, the SKF specimens are said to reduce friction by a good half.

The recipe: Less friction for sensitive response
The German manufacturer has even optimized the foam ring that provides additional lubrication underneath the seals. This is made from open-pored polyurethane and coated with a dry lubricant. This process ensures that the oil-impregnated lubrication ring rests lightly on the stanchions without generating additional friction. The upper area of the lower fork section is thus continuously supplied with lubricant, keeping fork performance at the highest level in the long term, including silky-smooth response.

From experience, suspension specialist Petit says that the seals last twice to four times as long as standard material. "The performance gain is clearly noticeable, the maintenance interval of the fork is significantly extended and reliability is increased," Petit adds.

Where can you find the miracle seals?
As a suspension specialist, Petit offers its customers the SKF seals through its company Akira Tuning and also supplies Swiss specialist dealers with the seals manufactured in Europe as a distributor. The sets are available from stock for numerous fork models from Rock Shox, Fox, Manitou, X-Fusion and Bos and cost between CHF 48 and CHF 68

www.akira-tuning.com/skfseals.php