pqsqac said:
This is slightly off topic from the rear shock but can anyone tell me what the benefits are from having inverted front forks versus the conventional forks?
I'm not always the best at describing things, but I'll give it a shot.
Just like the last poster said, they are stronger and have less unsprung weight. The oil on an inverted fork (the majority of it) lives in the outter chamber. On an inverted fork, this is in the upper part of the gold anodized tube. The inner chamber lives in the lower part of the tube, the part that slides up and down inside the outter chamber. On average, there is about 400cc of oil in the outer chamber and 200 cc in the inner chamber. Another factor to include is the weight of the spring. On an inverted fork, the spring is up high in the outter chamber. Again, this reduces the unsprung weight.
Since the lower part is the part that is moving, and it weighs less, it can respond more quickly to terrain changes and suspension movement. Generally, anything you can do to reduce unsprung weight is a good thing. But also remember that it can affect your suspension tuning, so you'll need to make adjustments accordingly.
An easy way to imagine it is with a truck. Assume you leave everything a constant except for the weight of the tire and wheel. A very heavy wheel requires more dampning (suspension) than a lighter wheel. Heavier wheels are more difficult to control. Because they are more difficult to control, it is harder to provide a linear or progressive feel. This makes it hard to absorb small bumps well while also absorbing big ones. That is a very high overview and with a lot of information missing, but it should help paint the picture.
Here is an animation I found using Google on how a motorcycle front fork works. It should help illustrate what is going on inside. It was found on this page -- I didn't read the article, so I can't say if he explained things well or not -->
http://www.kdxrider.net/mobile/thread.php?topic_id=3338
If you really examine the modern inverted fork along with the modern shock, you'll find they are very similar in the way they work. Ultimately, it is all about moving oil through ported pistons that have shim stacks that act as mechanical springs that increment the force needed to open (fold) the shims on the face of the piston. They also both use air chambers. Again a very high overview.
ben