Topaz
Owner’s Manual / Set Up Guide
Pre-Ride Check
Do not ride your bicycle, if any one of the following test criteria is not passed! Riding your bike without eliminating any defect or carrying out the necessary adjustments can result in an accident, serious injury or even death.
Do you notice any cracks, dents, bent or tarnished parts of your suspension or any other part of your bicycle? If so, please contact a trained and qualified bicycle mechanic to check your fork and/or complete bike.
Do you notice any oil leaking out of your shock? Check hidden areas such as the main seals. If so, please consult a trained and qualified bicycle mechanic to check your suspension or bike.
Make sure your wheels are perfectly centered in order to avoid any contact with suspension fork or brake system.
Compress your shock with your body weight. If it feels too soft, inflate to the prop- er pressure to achieve accurate SAG, inflate until your SAG is between 25-30%. Please also refer to SAG section for more details.
Make sure your brakes are properly installed/adjusted and work appropriately. This also applies to every other part of your bike like handlebars, pedals, crank arms, seat post, saddle, etc. Check the cable length and routing of your components. Make sure they do not interfere with your steering actions or full compression.
Check Frame & Shock Clearance
Install the shock onto your frame using the appropriate hardware. Do NOT use old or worn hardware & do NOT use bent or rusted fasteners.
Remove air cap, depress the schrader air valve while pushing down on the bike to fully collapse the shock.
While shock is collapsed, check for any interference or contact points on the frame, shock, tire, and linkage. Make sure there are NO contact points, if there are, you may have the wrong size shock and or a defective or damaged frame.
Run the shock a few times through its travel, check for any binding that may be coming from the mounting hardware and the shock.
After everything checks out and there aren’t any clearance issues, inflate the shock to 50 psi and cycle it through the travel a few times then inflate the shock to the recommended air pressure for your weight and riding conditions (200-300 psi). Then bounce on the bike compressing the shock multiple
times making sure the negative air chamber is set to the positive air chamber. Set SAG according to the recommended setting and enjoy your ride!
After your first trail ride on your new shock, check all fasteners that may have come loose.
Hardware & Shock Installation
1. Press axle (1) into the upper shock eyelet and lower eyelet.
2. Lightly grease the O-Rings. Slide the pin-cap (2) and o-rings (1) onto each side of the axle in the order shown.
3. Make sure everything fits securely with no gaps or side-to-side movement.
- Install both of the mounting bolts before tightening to spec. After they are both installed and everything is aligned, tighten to the bike manufacturer’s suggested specification.
-
It is extremely important to check that no side-to-side play exists. Make sure the shock is fit securely.
Base Settings
Below is a recommended air chart based on rider weight. Remember that these are only starting points and adjustments will vary based on rider ability, trail conditions, frame design, and personal preference. After you are done setting up your suspension according to the recommended base settings, check your sag to make sure you are within the recommended sag settings.
It’s important to keep in mind that air pressures will vary depending on the leverage rate of your frame. This is just a starting point until you check your SAG.
Setting Sag
SAG is the amount the shock compresses under your own body weight. Make sure you check your SAG with all your riding gear on (riding shoes, hydration pack, etc). The ideal amount of SAG is best determined by your bike manufacturer, there are many linkage designs & each design works best according their design.
1. Start by inflating the shock to your recommend pressure from the base settings chart in the tab above.
2. Move the O-ring to the top of the shaft. Mount the bike in your riding gear and in the attack position.
3. Measure the distance the O-ring has moved. Your SAG equals the distance from the O-ring to the air canister.
SAG = The distance from the air canister to the O-Ring.
T3 Compression Adjust
The DVO Topaz offers 3 compression settings to quickly & easily allow the rider to adjust the compression damping for any trail condition.
1. Open Compression– reduces compression damping allowing the oil to easily flow through the circuit offering maximum sensitivity. Open position is also best for lighter riders or for dry dusty terrain where maximum traction is required.
2. Medium compression is for traversing. Sections of the trail where you need it to be active but still maintain a good pedaling platform.
3. Closed Compression– great for climbing to reduce undesirable suspension bob or for heavier/aggressive riders needing maximum support while descending. The heavy/closed setting is NOT a lock-out but does offer significant resistance to weight & pedal induced suspension movement.
Rebound
Rebound controls the speed at which the shock extends after compression. Rebound damping control is relative to the amount of air pressure used. Higher air pressure requires more rebound damping and lower air pressure will require less rebound damping so please adjust accordingly.
SLOWER = MORE REBOUND DAMPING FASTER = LESS REBOUND DAMPING
Setting Air Pressure
Owner’s Manual / Set Up Guide
Air Pressure
Setting the air pressure in the DVO Diamond is setting the spring rate for your fork. This is what is going to make the fork firmer or softer. Below is a base setting chart for air pressure to get you started. Set your pressure to the recommended PSI then check your SAG point. If you are sagging too much, add some air pressure, if you’re sagging too little, remove air pressure.
Proper Set Up
The Diamond uses an external negative spring adjust (OTT) to tune the beginning of the travel (sensitivity of the fork). Once you get into the mid-stroke of the fork, the air spring (air pressure) is active. This controls your mid-stroke support and your bottom out. In simpler terms, set your air pressure for your mid-stroke and bottom out then set your OTT to fine tune how it feels off the top.
How do I know how much OTT is right for my air pressure?
Lighter riders (lower air pressure) will use less OTT. (less sensitive) Heavier riders will need more OTT (more sensitive). The reason for this is because the OTT is there to counter-act the forces of a higher air pressure so you don’t loose small bump sensitivity. When you are using a lower air pressure, you don’t need as much to counter-act the air pressure. If you run too much OTT with a light air pressure, the fork will suck itself down and you will loose travel.
View one of the lower tabs to learn more about your OTT
To access the air valve you must remove the air spring cap. Attach your shock pump securely and inflate the air spring to the recommended air pressure. After you have added the proper amount of air pressure remember to securely replace the air spring cap so that no dirt or moisture can get inside.
 Access air valve by removing air cap |
 Attach shock pump to air valve and inflate to recommended pressure or proper sag is achieved |
Air Pressure Range: 90-170psi
| Rider Weight | Air Pressure |
| 120-139lbs | 54-63kg | 90-100psi |
| 140-159lbs | 64-72kg | 100-110psi |
| 160-179lbs | 73-81kg | 110-125psi |
| 180-199lbs | 82-90kg | 125-130psi |
| 200-219lbs | 91-100kg | 130-135psi |
| 220-239lbs | 100-108kg | 135-140psi |
| 240+lbs | 109kg+ | 140-170psi |
Jade X Full Service
Below is a link to the full service/bleed guide for the Jade X Coil Shock.
Topaz
We recommend all DVO Suspension service should be performed by a qualified bicycle mechanic. Terrain, location and riding ability can greatly affect the interval in which maintenance should be performed. Always inspect your products, and lean towards caution if maintenance is in question. When in doubt, consult a qualified bicycle mechanic, or contact DVO Suspension directly.[/box]
Topaz
Garnet Seat Post
Diamond
Emerald
Topaz
Owner’s Manual / Set Up Guide
Air Pressure
Setting the air pressure in the DVO Diamond is setting the spring rate for your fork. This is what is going to make the fork firmer or softer. Below is a base setting chart for air pressure to get you started. Set your pressure to the recommended PSI then check your SAG point. If you are sagging too much, add some air pressure, if you’re sagging too little, remove air pressure.
Proper Set Up
The Diamond uses an external negative spring adjust (OTT) to tune the beginning of the travel (sensitivity of the fork). Once you get into the mid-stroke of the fork, the air spring (air pressure) is active. This controls your mid-stroke support and your bottom out. In simpler terms, set your air pressure for your mid-stroke and bottom out then set your OTT to fine tune how it feels off the top.
How do I know how much OTT is right for my air pressure?
Lighter riders (lower air pressure) will use less OTT. (less sensitive) Heavier riders will need more OTT (more sensitive). The reason for this is because the OTT is there to counter-act the forces of a higher air pressure so you don’t loose small bump sensitivity. When you are using a lower air pressure, you don’t need as much to counter-act the air pressure. If you run too much OTT with a light air pressure, the fork will suck itself down and you will loose travel.
View one of the lower tabs to learn more about your OTT
To access the air valve you must remove the air spring cap. Attach your shock pump securely and inflate the air spring to the recommended air pressure. After you have added the proper amount of air pressure remember to securely replace the air spring cap so that no dirt or moisture can get inside.
|
Access air valve by removing air cap |
Attach shock pump to air valve and inflate to recommended pressure or proper sag is achieved |
Air Pressure Range: 90-170psi
| Rider Weight | Air Pressure |
| 120-139lbs | 54-63kg | 90-100psi |
| 140-159lbs | 64-72kg | 100-110psi |
| 160-179lbs | 73-81kg | 110-125psi |
| 180-199lbs | 82-90kg | 125-130psi |
| 200-219lbs | 91-100kg | 130-135psi |
| 220-239lbs | 100-108kg | 135-140psi |
| 240+lbs | 109kg+ | 140-170psi |
Jade X Full Service
Below is a link to the full service/bleed guide for the Jade X Coil Shock.
Topaz
We recommend all DVO Suspension service should be performed by a qualified bicycle mechanic. Terrain, location and riding ability can greatly affect the interval in which maintenance should be performed. Always inspect your products, and lean towards caution if maintenance is in question. When in doubt, consult a qualified bicycle mechanic, or contact DVO Suspension directly.[/box]
Topaz
Garnet Seat Post
Diamond
Emerald
Topaz