MRP

Noken Suspension Assembly

What Our Gearhead® Experts Are Saying:

"The Noken addresses something that has bothered me about modern air spring design for a while. The push toward larger negative chambers has improved small bump feel but it comes at the cost of a steeper positive ramp that eats into usable travel. With the Noken installed I could run more negative volume for sensitivity and still have a positive spring curve that stays supportive through the mid-stroke and lets the fork reach full travel on square-edged hits. For riders who have been chasing that balance through air pressure alone, this is a much more effective solution."

Modern air spring development has largely focused on increasing negative chamber volume to improve initial sensitivity and small bump compliance. The logic is sound. A larger negative volume reduces the force required to initiate suspension movement, making the fork more reactive to minor trail irregularities and improving overall tracking. The trade-off, however, is a reduction in effective positive chamber volume, which steepens the compression ratio as the fork moves deeper into its travel. The result is a spring curve that feels harsh and progressive in the final third of the stroke and, in many cases, prevents riders from accessing the full travel their fork was designed to use. The MRP Noken Suspension Assembly was built specifically to resolve that trade-off.

The Noken installs in place of the standard damper control knob and expands the positive air chamber volume by routing that space into the crown area above the standard spring circuit. In RockShox Zeb and 35mm forks the effective volume increase is equivalent to 1.1 Bottomless Tokens, while Fox 38 and Fox 36 applications gain the equivalent of 1.5 volume spacers. The practical effect is a reduction in compression ratio across the full stroke, flattening the spring curve and producing a more linear response that closely mimics the feel of a coil spring. Riders can now run larger negative volumes for genuine small bump sensitivity without triggering the steep positive ramp that typically comes with that configuration. Mid-stroke support becomes more consistent, the fork stays active through repeated impacts rather than packing down, and full travel becomes accessible on the hits that warrant it rather than being gated by excessive progression.

Installation is straightforward on all four compatible platforms but requires a downtube clearance check before proceeding. The Noken stands 10 to 13mm taller than a standard damper control knob, and depending on frame geometry and fork crown design, additional clearance may be needed. MRP provides downloadable 3D printable clearance check files for Zeb, RockShox 35mm, and Fox 38 platforms, and offers the Riser Crown Race as a purpose-built solution available in HighRise (+10mm) and LowRise (+5mm) configurations for setups that require additional crown height.

For riders who have spent time chasing the right balance between sensitivity, support, and travel use through air pressure adjustments alone, the Noken provides a more precise and permanent solution. It is the correct upgrade for any long-travel trail, enduro, or all-mountain build on a compatible RockShox or Fox platform where spring curve linearity and full travel utilization are the objective.