Dirt Rider Magazine
Thom Coppersmith heads the U.S. research and development effort for Ohlins factory suspension components. Ohlins’ Swedish-designed and -built forks and shocks work on some unique concepts, and the company prides itself on closer tolerances and greater adjustability than what comes stock on most bikes. I recently got a chance to ride on Ohlins suspension on a truly epic day.
The track was the Budds Creek Motocross of Nations course less than 24 hours after the final international moto had finished. The track by design was filled with tricky off-cambers, big jumps, steep drops and well-tilled loam. The international racers weren’t kind to it, and it was suitably hammered with wicked braking bumps, brutal acceleration chop, tricky ruts and combed jump faces. It was perfect as far as I was concerned-real motocross with a track so destroyed that all supercross-type launches were taken out of the equation.




