2025 RockShox Forks First Look | Charger 3.1 Damper

It feels like SRAM hasn’t stopped releasing products in the last few years, and they’re not stopping now. The Charger 3.1 damper is the new top dog in their damper lineup. Just two years ago, RockShox released a complete suite of new fork chassis, dampers, AND airsprings, but their pursuit for performance hasn’t stopped them from already updating the dampers and a couple other things along the way. By replacing the already impressive Charger 3 damper with the all new Charger 3.1 damper, RockShox’s goal with is reducing harshness that makes it back to the rider’s hands and increasing overall control you’ll have on the trail. No matter what kind of riding you do, there’s a Charger 3.1 equipped fork for you, with the Pike, Lyrik, ZEB, and Boxxer sporting the fresh damper.

Just taking a look at the new forks from the outside, they are 99% visually identical to the previous generation, with a little 3.1 on the high speed compression knob and a CHARGER marking on the stanchion housing the new damper serving as the only visual differences. You’ll still find the same high and low speed compression knobs on top with the single rebound knob on the bottom. On the lowers, the pressure relief valves quietly underwent a rolling change in the previous generation, changing from the original button style operation to a cap that is unscrewed to let the air scoot by. The newer version of the pressure relief valves are still being used on this generation of RockShox forks, using a 4mm allen key for removal.

On the inside, things have gotten quite the facelift. The whole damper has been optimized around increasing oil flow when the compression is fully open, and decreasing flow when the compression is fully closed when compared to the Charger 3. This is going to translate to a wider total damping range between fully open and fully closed, so for riders who were running the Charger 3 dampers either fully open or fully closed and wishing they could go even further, the Charger 3.1 is going to be a game changer. A feature I’m happy to see continue from the Charger 3 damper is the completely silent operation, free from the squishing sound that’s common on just about every other damper.

For those of you with RockShox suspension and want the latest and greatest without spending over $1000 on a brand new fork, rejoice, because the Charger 3 can actually be upgraded to the Charger 3.1 for just $75. The Charger 3.1 RC2 Piston Upgrade Kit is a little kit that I imagine is going to be very popular to add on to a normal Charger 3 service, as it includes all of the parts to upgrade your Charger 3 to a Charger 3.1 damper for just $75. The kit includes the new piston assembly, IFP spring, tuning shims, and the Charger 3.1 High Flow Piston Tool, and is compatible with all forks with a Charger 3 damper. We’re going to recommend performing this upgrade while you’re already performing the 200 hour damper service to save some cash, and is going to be a “while you’re in there” kind of upgrade for most people. Or if you’ve got a 2023+ RockShox fork that doesn’t already have a Charger 3 damper, you can buy the complete Charger 3.1 damper with ButterCups for $358 and get all the adjustability of the higher end forks.

We mentioned tuning shims in the 3.1 upgrade kit, and you can also purchase those separately if you’ve got a Charger 3.1 damper and want to adjust your shim stack for an added layer of customization in your fork. There are two compression tunes available: Standard and Heavy, and three rebound tunes: Light, Medium, and Heavy. While we don’t anticipate this being necessary for everyone to get maximum enjoyment out of their 2025 RockShox forks, riders who are very light or very heavy could get some benefit out of adjusting their shim stacks, as all suspension is designed around the median weight rider.

Over on the air spring side of things, the DebonAir+ with the ButterCups is still right at home in all of these forks, and hasn’t seen any changes besides in the Pike. In the Pike, RockShox has added a hollowed out top cap to increase the volume of the negative air chamber, which is going to make the already incredible supple fork slightly more supple. A relatively small but welcome change to our favorite downcountry fork.

We can’t wait to get some more time on these new products and get a long term review under our belt, but for now, that’s all of the information that we have for you on the new Charger 3.1 damper. This latest generation of suspension from both of the main players are incremental gains over the previous product, and while the Charger 3.1 and GRIP X2 dampers aren't revolutionary new products, they offer phenomenal performance that have left us incredibly impressed.

Don't forget to check out RockShox's new rear suspension that is launched at the same time!

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