“I hate air shocks, but I love the new Vivid” – Kade Edwards
NEW VIVID – GRAVITY EVOLVED
Big, bold, and built to maximize downhill capability and performance, the legendary RockShox Vivid shock has evolved to match everything from downhill to E-MTB to enduro bikes. An air shock with coil-like suppleness and unmatched durability, Vivid has been designed for the most demanding riders and racers. RockShox says this latest evolution offers a versatile damping platform with intuitive adjustability to match every course and terrain.
NEW TOUCHDOWN TECHNOLOGY
TouchDown technology is Vivid’s new position-sensitive damping system. RockShox developed a rear shock damper that’s forgiving at the beginning of its travel while staying composed in the middle and end of the stroke. Each phase of suspension action makes a seamless handoff to the next, so all you notice is that thrilling buzz at the bottom of the downhill.
Just like how you react to the range of terrain on your favourite trails, Vivid’s TouchDown technology handles whatever you drop into with comfort, confidence, and control. A rear shock that smooths out everything from stutters to senders? That was the design brief.
2024 RockShox Vivid suits long travel gravity-focused MTBs, with or without a motor
To give the Vivid a more supple ride at the beginning of its travel, TouchDown technology bypasses the compression damping generated by the main piston in the first 10% of its travel. Quieting trail chatter is just the beginning. To handle hectic terrain, the next 70% of Vivid’s travel rides on controlled and stable compression damping. Adding to TouchDown technology’s adaptability, Adjustable Hydraulic Bottom Out lets you tune rear suspension feel for the harsh hits that dip into the final 20% of travel.
NEW ADJUSTABLE HYDRAULIC BOTTOM OUT
The 2024 Vivid shock features Adjustable Hydraulic Bottom Out (AHBO), which kicks in to increase compression damping within the last 20% of travel – but how much damping it offers is all on you. The key component is an adjustable dial offering five different compression settings to customize the cushioning you experience on impact. Vivid’s AHBO allows for a wider range of rebound tunes to match a range of frame kinematics perfectly.
NEW DEBONAIR – VIVID AIR SPRING TECHNOLOGY
What sets Vivid apart from a coil spring? The highly tuneable air spring featuring DebonAir technology, has a higher volume to provide a more linear, consistent feel and improve small bump sensitivity. The Vivid’s air spring makes it easy to initiate travel while adding support in the middle of the stroke and comfortable bottom-out resistance near the end of the stroke. Add RockShox Bottomless Tokens to offer more bottom-out resistance or remove them to make full use of your travel.
NEW VIVID – GOES THE DISTANCE
A true workhorse, the new Vivid has a strong focus on reliability and longevity, increasing the routine service intervals from 50 to 100 hours of well-earned miles. With Maxima Plush Dynamic Suspension Lube doing the work, the Vivid’s performance and frictionless feel should last longer, even in the harshest conditions, so your bike can spend more time on the trails—not in the workshop.
NEW VIVID ULTIMATE
Big, bold, and built for pure downhill performance, Vivid Ultimate has unmatched tunability and damping for confidence in technical terrain.
With an air spring that acts like a coil, this is the latest chapter in Vivid’s legacy of reliability and rock-smashing suppleness. This premium rear shock is built to push the limits on everything from downhill to E-MTB to enduro bikes.
- Damper: TouchDown RC2T
- Hydraulic bottom-out: Adjustable
- Air spring: Vivid with DebonAir technology
- Weight: 670g (230×65 eye-to-eye, standard shaft, no hardware)
Features
New TouchDown RC2T damper features sensitivity and suppleness off the top while remaining stable and supportive throughout its travel. With added Adjustable Hydraulic Bottom Out to resist harsh hits, this position-sensitive damper offers reliable performance and tunability with energetic responsiveness at every position in the travel.
- NEW TouchDown RC2T damper features Rebound adjustment, independent High and Low Speed Compression adjustment, and an easy-to-adjust Threshold Lever for added pedaling efficiency.
- The most coil-like air spring we’ve ever built featuring the latest in DebonAir technology, Vivid’s air spring maximizes fine-tuning potential, allowing riders to match positive air volume to any bike. Increased mid-stroke support and off-the-top suppleness create an unparalleled ride feel out on the trail.
- Adjustable Hydraulic Bottom Out has five compression settings at your fingertips to customize the amount of bottom-out resistance in the last 20% of travel.
- The Rebound Knob pulls out to reveal a 3mm hex wrench that can adjust both High Speed Compression and Hydraulic Bottom Out.
- Maxima Plush Dynamic Suspension Lube reduces friction, lasts longer, and enhances suspension performance, ride after ride.
- 20 clicks of Rebound adjustment offer a wide range of tunability to accommodate all riding styles.
- Service intervals are now boosted to 100 hours of ride time, thanks to an updated dust wiper seal design and increased oil volumes.
Two aftermarket and three original equipment (OEM) Vivid shocks for 2024
Models
Vivid Ultimate (RS-VIVD-ULT-C1)
- Damper type: TouchDown RC2T
- Hydraulic Bottom Out: Adjustable
- Air Spring: Vivid with DebonAir Technology
- Price: £ 749-779
Vivid Ultimate DH (RS-VIVD-UDH-C1)
- Damper type: TouchDown RC2
- Hydraulic Bottom Out: Adjustable
- Air Spring: Vivid with DebonAir Technology
- Price: £ 749-779
Vivid Select+
- Damper type: TouchDown RCT
- Hydraulic Bottom Out: Adjustable
- Air Spring: Vivid with DebonAir Technology
- Price: Not available aftermarket
Vivid Select
- Damper type: TouchDown RT
- Hydraulic Bottom Out: Adjustable
- Air Spring: Vivid with DebonAir Technology
- Price: Not available aftermarket
Vivid
- Damper type: TouchDown R
- Hydraulic Bottom Out: Adjustable
- Air Spring: Vivid with DebonAir Technology
- Price: Not available aftermarket
First Ride Impressions
RockShox sent us a Vivid Ultimate shock to fit a Specialized Turbo Levo, and we got the chance to take it for a brief ride pre-launch. Set-up is notably simpler than with a Fox Float X2, the Vivid’s main competitor. For starters, the gradients on the damper body make setting your sag a faster process. You don’t need to know your shock stroke, you don’t need a tape measure, and – if your maths is as bad as mine – a calculator to work out 30% of 55mm. Attaching a shock pump is not quite as awkward either, as the valve exits the air can at a slight angle (the Float X2 valve is inline with the shock, and can be a bit tricky to access on some frame designs). Finally, tuning the damping (or the AHBO) doesn’t require recaching for a tool, because the rebound and low-speed compression adjusters are both dials, and pulling out the former reveals a 3mm Allen key for adjusting the high-speed compression and the adjustable hydraulic bottom out. This makes trail-side fettling a far quicker and easier process, particularly as the low-speed compression dial has an easy-to-read four-step dial, so you’re not having to count clicks.
With limited time, I decided to focus my testing on a single track, moving through various damping settings to get a feel for the how they affected the ride. I kicked off with the LSC in the mid position, HSC in the mid position, AHBO as progressive as possible and the rebound damping 6 clicks from fully open at 190psi (giving 33% sag). There’s a lively feel over minor roots and undulations with the bike feeling easy to pop out of compressions. It seems to trace the ground well, moving very freely through the early part of the stroke, but staying calm over 12in high whoops and loading up nicely to link up natural gaps. On the climb back up a glance down revealed just how much the Vivid was moving over those small bumps in the first third of the travel. There is a threshold lever to add a firm platform for climbing, but being on an e-bike I didn’t feel the need to use it.
“With only two clicks of the LSC dial the ride character of the bike had totally changed”
For run two I increased the LSC to its maximum position and left everything else the same. Immediately it was noticeable how my weight had shifted forward on the bike and onto the fork. There was a bit less grip from at the rear as the back end didn’t yield to every little contour, but it was easier to generate speed using the terrain and the chassis felt more stable, with less pitching. With only two clicks of the LSC dial the ride character of the bike had totally changed.
On the third run I went to the fully open LSC setting. As expected I sat back into the bike more, my weight came off the fork slightly and grip levels increased at the expense of some raw speed. It was more comfortable and more composed, but a bit slower if you were really on your game and going for it.
There’s still lots of tinkering to be done. I haven’t played with the HSC, the AHBO or the air volume. But what’s clear already is that RockShox has made a highly tunable air shock that’s pleasingly simple to tinker with. And if that means less faffing and a quicker path to maximum performance, I’m all in.
Danny Milner
FAQs
How does Vivid differ from Super Deluxe Air?
With a bigger air can, Vivid offers riders the most coil-like performance with all the tunability of an air spring. Vivid’s beefier chassis means more oil volume to help with heat management and larger bushing overlap to reduce friction. What sets Vivid apart, however, is TouchDown technology—a new position-sensitive damping system with three compression zones.
The first 10% of travel is supple and forgiving to quiet trail chatter. For 10%-80% of travel, the shock moves into controlled and stable compression
damping before transitioning into the Adjustable Hydraulic Bottom Out, which lets riders tune bottom-out resistance in the final 20% of travel.
Will Vivid Ultimate DH replace Super Deluxe Ultimate DH?
Yes, the Vivid Ultimate DH is the RockShox air shock of choice for DH riding.
Is Vivid compatible with E-MTBs?
Yes! Vivid was specifically designed for use on DH, Enduro and E-MTB bikes.
Is Vivid available in a coil option?
No, the RockShox coil shocks are Super Deluxe Coil and Deluxe Coil
What’s the difference between Vivid Ultimate, Vivid Select+, Vivid Select, and Vivid base models?
For RockShox, the aim is to ensure your suspension feels the same across the line-up, from the high-end to the base-level models. The Ultimate-level shocks have the most adjustability, while the base-level models have the least (but still offer rebound and adjustable Hydraulic Bottom Out).