TESTED: Fast Suspension Yari Up
The RockShox Yari has the chassis your trail bike needs - but if you want to up the performance, try this out.
Words: Mark Ludenia
Having your suspension tuned correctly can make a mountain of difference to your confidence and the level of riding you are capable of. Fast Suspension’s latest product, the ‘Yari Up’ cartridge allows just this with independent control over low, medium and high speed compressions. The chassis of the Yari is really capable for trail and all-mountain riding, but the stock damping can leave you left wanting when it comes to fine tuning your ride.
And that's where after-market upgrades like the Yari Up fit in. The 24 increments of low and medium speed rebound allows you to fine tune the dampening to perfection. Once the cartridge is installed, it turns the forks into a closed circuit so there is a bleed port to remove any unwanted pressure build up. High speed compression can also be adjusted with changing shims inside the internal shim stack.
NS Dynamics in Brisbane sell and install the Yari Up cartridges, and after having the ‘Up’ cartridge installed by NS Dynamics and a complete ‘Hyperformance’ service they were feeling smooth as butter. Better than new!
On the trail
For my first ride on local trails in the Blue Mountain’s I left the low (LSC) and medium speed compression (MSC) dials in the middle (12). I also had a short ride with both settings at the minimum and maximum settings which got a little chattery at times. Clicking somewhere between 14-20 on the higher end of both LSC and MSC produced that plush feel through the forks over the smaller bumps. This also eliminated that diving feel of the forks under braking. The additional LDC adjustment made the local sandstone slabs and loose rocky singletrack a breeze. Particularly on tight, low speed sections, producing a supple and grounded front end.
The one overall benefit I found the Yari Up cartridge provided was it allowed me to fine tune the ‘even’ feeling of my both my front and rear suspension. Going out for some hot laps of the same downhill trail one afternoon allowed me to click through most of the range on both compression adjustments. All of a sudden both my front and rear were like two peas in a pod, working in sync to give you the confidence to descend like an animal.
I was also lucky enough to have a sneaky trip to New Zealand booked to watch some of the Cranworx events and of course some riding in the famous Redwood Forrest. The first day was some more XC orientated trails with two more days of DH shuttles to come. I did not feel the need to make any drastic adjustments to the fork. The roots, mud and ruts of Rotorua are polar opposite to the rough sandstone at home but I never once felt out of my depth. The forks skimmed over the braking bumps and ruts without any chatter feedback. By the end of the week the combination of perfect loamy corners and a well-tuned grounded fork meant I could keep pushing harder and faster after each run with a huge smile on my face.
With the RockShox Yari being such a solid suspension platform and available on so many mid-range enduro bikes, the Yari Up by Fast Suspension is an excellent option for a rider who is looking to fine tune the most performance out of their fork without breaking the budget. Combined with such a high-end service from NS Dynamics this is a great way to make a good fork a whole lot better.
Hits:
Full range of adjustment
Tailor the suspension to match your shock
Good value, high performance upgrade
Misses:
None to state
RRP: Yari Up: $380
Fitted with a Hyperformance Service: $575
From: nsdynamics.com.au
