a deep suspensions story
behind the brand...
Marco D'Agostino
photo ROBERTO ASTRELLI
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suspension technology
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FIMOCO ENGINEERING
a deep story behind a brand
Since 1989, research, design, innovation and performances in MTB suspensions
Pilippe Perakis,
Kamikaze race in Mammouth Lake, USA 1994
A STORY OF INNOVATION
Pablo and Vittorio Fiorilli began designing and manufacturing mechanical sports equipment for motorcycles and cars in 1989, coming from Motocross and from some collaborations with the German DTM championship.
Soon afterwards they added to their normal work an idea: to make a MTB suspension fork, with the aim of giving suspension to a new, really lovable sport.....
…that sport was named Mountain Biking, and the company was named FIMOCO ENGINEERING, a brand meaning FIorilli-MOtorsport-COmpetition and the aim was to generate innovation by using technique, ideas and new vision.
After the activities in the motorsports field, the MTB was their first love and for this sport, Fimoco Engineering, is a real innovator from the start.
1989
A first titanium prototype was built.
1990
First fork model named E137, all CNC fork with 50 mm travel weighing only 1370 grams.
Aluminum steerer tube with a diameter of 1,1/4 inches.
1991
Fimoco introduced elastomeric polyurethane foam and the travel increased to 60 mm.
First version of E129 Rock Crasher is born and the weight is 1290 grams.
With this E129 coming one of the biggest revolutions in the market: gaskets between shafts and outer legs in Polyurethane expressly produced with the Fimoco Engineering trade mark.
In same year coming for the first time and designed for the E129 fork was the ACL system. A special technology dedicated to the automatic lubrication of the shafts.
1992
The evolution of E129 continuing and the travel increasing to 70 mm for the DH field. At that time competitors of Fimoco already in the market were obtaining a travel of 40/50 mm. 70 mm was so big!
1993
Born was the next generation of E129, named “PRO”. The first completely sealed, anti-cavitation hydraulic cartridge was born. In that model, you can decide to use or not use the cartridge in the same fork. As an upgrade.
In the same year, the E129 was equipped by aluminum shafts of 28,6 mm diameter! All manufactured from billett, that particular shaft was a real revolution and the finishing was something never seen before in terms of hardness and precision.
In the same fork it was possible to use three types of steerer tube, with three different material: aluminum, steel or titanium and every steerer tube type was manufactured from billett.
That year in Metabief, in the DH World Championship race, Giovanna Bonazzi, won the first place in the main category and for the Fiorilli brothers the run was changing... It was just the first world champion jersey for the brand.
1994
Together with the E129 fork was born another new suspension fork:
the D196 Lethal Weapon, in the first version, has 100 mm travel and 15 mm through axis with special reinforced dropouts. 15 mm through axis was a real news in the mtb.
1995
The forks range evolved again:
E129 Rock Crasher
E121 Renegade
D196 Lethal Weapon double crown
The new little Cross Country E121 Renegade, born out of the need to offer a competitive price fork range (700.000 italian lire.... considering the brand, it was cheap) became the favourite fork in the market in the first three months.
1210 grams in weight and a compact, beautiful design gave an enticing appeal, in addition to 70 mm travel and the full CNC construction.
In the same year the D196 LW become 130 mm travel and double crown architecture. The shafts of that fork were coated with a special Titanium Nitride finish for a super-fast sliding as a real lethal weapon.
The special guide system, which is used by Fimoco in every grade of suspension, guaranteed a first level of precision to all models produced by the company since 1989.
Fimoco Engineering
E129 RC
year 1995
1996
A new grade of evolution came that year and together with the E129 RC and E121 R for all cross country use, Fiorilli placed into the race the first big fork for Downhill: The 866 "Dragsteer".
A fork with double crown, 35 mm shafts, 160 mm travel and long open bath cartridge. That was a real new era. It was the most sought after suspension fork of the sector. Racers from around the world were asking for that fork.
In that moment Fimoco Engineering supplied racers in all countries, in the national USA series as with all of Europe and some racers in New Zeland series, with dealers and distributors in all European countries.
In a study performed in Italy, more than 27% of racers in the national level in cross country and DH race were equipped by Fimoco Engineering suspensions.
1997
A new range of suspensions were arriving from the same pencil of Pablo Fiorilli... The style of forks change and arrive the following:
- 729 Sledge Hammer
- 621 Renegade
- 866 Dragsteer in the new evolution
The 729 SH was the daughter of E129RC and was designed with 80 mm travel with a new fantastic double air chamber system.
A second version with coil spring and hydraulic cartridge was introduced for Freeride use and it offer 100 mm travel in monocrown and in a special limited edition in double crown version.
The 621 R was the evolution of E121 R and offered a very nice cross country tool with high precision and lightweight architecture.
The evolution of 866 D was an aggressive double crown fork with dedicated hub, 190 mm travel and 38 mm shafts. The crowns was expressly designed in order to offer a special stability in the steerer zone.
One important innovation in that year was introduced to the market. After several tests in 1996 in certain race equipments, Fimoco introduced to the whole range of fork the asymmetric architecture. For the first time in the whole catalog, the forks had a compression system in the right leg and rebound damping in the other leg!
It was a real change in the fork philosophy.
All media taken that design as a real strange and risky choice. With his analysis and instinct, Pablo was sure that in the modern era of suspension forks, that the future of MTB along with Motocross would become asymmetric. Still today, this is the standard solution in all performance forks.
1998
Fimoco and Fiorilli start to develop their Motocross fork with special dimensions and aluminum shafts of 52 mm diameter with travel of 320 mm.
The work continues with a special sealed cartridge and a combined compression spring with coil titanium spring and foam polymer elastomers.
1999
The MTB and his technical vision is under big discussion.
High level systems became to be just for a few fanatics.
Fimoco decided to stop the design activities.
2000-2015
Pablo Fiorilli works in the aerospace and scientific research fields as designer and processes specialist in some of the most innovative programs. Ultra-vacuum systems, composite materials and a deep complex design was a new job together with some racing suspension projects.
2015-2018
A rebirth in MTB racing suspensions took new life and the target was to develop a challenging design: create the fork that nobody had managed to make work... The first MTB upside-down fork with top performances, precision and directionality over the best traditional forks in MTB.
A new philosophy, innovative architecture, a special Cartridge system, new use of carbon fiber, new vision in the performances, no compromises on quality – a real limited edition suspension fork... Here was born the BRIGHT RACING SHOCKS brand project; powered by Fimoco Engineering, designed and produced by Fiorilli Sport Production.
2019
Commercial phase of Bright Racing Shocks suspension forks is starting.
Take your time and take a look for the new suspension era....