RockShox has launched its 2027 trail suspension lineup, headlined by completely overhauled Zeb and Lyrik forks alongside updated Vivid and Super Deluxe shocks. Borrowing heavily from the brand’s top-tier technology pool, the new Lyrik introduces the Charger 3.2 damper, a redesigned chassis, the Linear XL air spring and the new Air Annexe system.
We spent a few months riding and fine-tuning the new Lyrik Ultimate to see how this fully reworked fork performs on the trail.
First look
RockShox has rebuilt the Lyrik from the ground up, introducing an entirely new chassis alongside a suite of internal updates aimed at improving sensitivity, consistency and tuning capability across the 140–170mm travel range in both 27.5” and 29” options. The new chassis appears on Lyrik Select models and above, while the base Lyrik retains the previous-generation structure.
At the heart of the fork sits the Charger 3.2 damper, featuring revised high- and low-speed compression (HSC/LSC) adjustment. A redesigned bezel reduces cross-talk between HSC and LSC circuits, allowing each adjustment to function independently. In practice, this creates a broader and far more intuitive setup window, enabling riders to fine-tune support and bump compliance without unintended interaction between settings.
The Charger 3.2 damper is fitted to Select+, Ultimate and Flight Attendant models, with Ultimate and Flight Attendant also receiving ButterCups for vibration reduction. Select and Base forks use the Delta RC damper. Rockshox will have Flight Attendant, Ultimate and Select variants for sale aftermarket.
Other updates include pressure-relief bleeders relocated to the top of the crown-steerer unit, while a removable crown guard enables cleaner and more secure mudguard mounting. New lower-leg castings and precision CNC finishing complete the visual and structural overhaul for Select models and above.
Rebound adjustment remains fixed to a single factory tune across the range, simplifying setup while maintaining consistent out-of-the-box performance.
The Lyrik’s air spring sees one of the biggest revisions. The new Linear XL system uses a tube-in-tube design that increases overall air volume. This requires significantly higher operating pressures but promises greater stability and mid-stroke support. Volume spacers now thread directly into the underside of the top cap, with previous 35mm tokens no longer compatible, instead using 32mm tokens also seen in the SID.
A new addition is the Linear XL Air Annexe, first seen on the updated BoXXer. This matchbox-sized chamber sits on the lower air-spring leg and manages trapped air inside the lowers. By increasing internal air volume, it reduces pressure buildup during compression, helping maintain a more linear feel through the stroke – supple off the top, supportive through the mid-stroke, and backed up by bottom-out control near full travel.
A major new feature is ABO – Adjustable Bottom Out. Acting as a safety net, ABO engages during the final 20mm of travel using a bumper system to absorb harsh impacts. Adjustment is simple via a 5mm hex key, allowing riders to effectively switch it off or dial in additional bottom-out resistance.
Similar in philosophy to hydraulic bottom-out systems in rear shocks, ABO operates quietly in the background. You won’t notice it during normal riding, but when things get rowdy, it provides a welcome margin for error.
With no air in the fork, the bumper is noticeable near full compression, but on trail it works invisibly – the kind of feature saving your bacon in those brown-pants moments discussed post-ride.
RockShox also introduces updated lubrication management dubbed ButterWagon tech. Improved oil distribution across bushings, foam rings and seals aims to maintain small-bump sensitivity longer while reducing performance fade between services. Though RockShox maintains its reccomended 50-hour service intervals, they state that only a clean and re-lube is required, not seal replacement.
Ultimate and Flight Attendant models additionally receive ButterCups to reduce vibration and rider fatigue.
On the trail
Rather than radically changing the Lyrik’s character, the new Lyrik Ultimate focuses on refinement. The familiar trail-allrounder personality remains, but with noticeably expanded tuning range and improved composure.
The first thing riders will notice is pressure. Increased air volume means significantly higher operating pressures – in my case jumping from roughly 60psi on the previous Lyrik to around 110psi on the new fork.
Weight has also increased. Our test fork weighed 2255g compared to approximately 2045g for the outgoing model – nearly a 200g gain. In reality, riders on 140–170mm trail bikes are unlikely to notice this on trail, and it still sits comfortably below comparable forks like the Fox 38 at roughly 2440g.
The ABO system largely disappears beneath you, functioning as intended: a backup rather than a headline sensation. The Charger 3.2 damper, however, is immediately noticeable. Independent HSC and LSC adjustment dramatically improves front-end control, particularly when pushing into steep terrain or loading the fork aggressively.
RockShox promises improved suppleness, clearer adjustability and greater composure deep in the travel – and on trail, those claims largely hold true.
Compared with the outgoing Lyrik on my Santa Cruz Bronson, the new fork delivers markedly improved small-bump sensitivity. The front wheel tracks terrain more calmly without sacrificing traction or comfort. For a smaller rider managing a relatively big bike, this translated into increased confidence through technical features and tighter terrain.
The updated damper also enhances playfulness due to the capacity to find that happy place in both HCS and LSC. The Bronson feels easier to manoeuvre and less demanding, in part also due to vibration reduction from ButterCups.
Long, rough descents produce noticeably less vibration through the bars thanks to the ButterCups, leaving arms and hands feeling fresher at the bottom of the trail.
Our take
With the launch of the new Lyrik, RockShox has focused on meaningful performance gains rather than headline gimmicks. The expanded tuning range makes setup easier, the Charger 3.2 damper delivers tangible improvements in control and sensitivity, and features like ABO and the Air Annexe work subtly but effectively to increase confidence when trails get rough or mistakes creep in.
Yes, it’s heavier and runs higher pressures than before, but those trade-offs feel justified once pointed downhill. The fork rides calmer, tracks better and offers a wider performance envelope for a broader range of riders.
For riders pushing modern trail bikes harder, increasingly blurring the line between trail and enduro riding, the 2027 Lyrik Ultimate feels perfectly aligned with how bikes are being ridden today: faster, steeper and more aggressively than ever.
The result is a more forgiving, more tunable and ultimately more capable Lyrik.
Lyrik Ultimate specs
- Damper: Charger 3.2 RC2 w/ ButterCups
- Spring: Linear XL w/ ButterCup
- Travel: 140mm, 150mm, 160mm, 170mm
- Fork offset: 37mm (27.5”), 44mm (27.5”), 44mm (29”)
- Wheel size: 27.5”, 29”
- RRP: $2165
