You've heard the rumours and pondered the questions yourself. "Could Rockshox have actually made the Charger 2.1 damper any better?" The answer, my friend, is here. Introducing the brand-new 2023 range of Rockshox Ultimate forks with the latest Charger 3 Damper and Debonair+ air spring and the all-new Buttercups.

What are Buttercups I hear you ask? Well, Buttercups are a vibration isolating damper system that uses two rubber pucks to absorb "trail chatter" and low-amplitude, high-frequency vibrations before they make it to your arms. Buttercups are mounted at the base of both the spring and damper assemblies, where your fork lowers transmit "trail chatter" from your wheel through to the spring and damper shafts and onward to your arms, causing arm pump and fatigue. ButterCups block 20% of unwanted “trail chatter” before it reaches your hands, minimising fatigue and arm pump.

The all-new Charger 3 damper system further reduces the harshness experienced by the rider with an all-new Internal Floating Piston (IFP) design that is said to improve consistency through the fork travel and provide better separation of the high and low-speed circuits to further improve adjustability and the independence of those adjustments. With less "cross-talk" between the high-speed and low-speed adjustments, and a re-vamped low-speed rebound system, your wheel will be glued to the ground in total silence and you will be empowered to tune your fork to perfection.

The new DebonAir+ design addresses the two conflicting traits that most riders want and results in them working in harmony together, better than ever. With a larger negative air volume, small bump compliance and plushness are balanced with increased support and a more consistent ride height to deliver a fork that is buttery smooth, ultra-supportive and maintains ride height when things get steep.

The All-NewRockshox Zeb Ultimate Charger 3 RC2 Debonair+ A2 Fork Fork is your fearless, long-travel magic carpet ride over the gnar of the world's toughest trails and Enduro circuits. You already know the 38mm chassis is stiff but the new 38mm Zeb Ultimate now features air pressure release valves, longer upper and lower bushings with better overlap to increase stiffness and reduce friction, and new bolt-in adapters to switch between torque cap enabled hubs or standard hubs. Combined with the all-new Charger 3 Damper, Debonair+ air spring and Buttercups isolators, the new Zeb Ultimate gives you the ultimate machine for taming the wildest terrain and pushing the boundaries.

Who's this item for: The new Zeb Ultimate will suit riders that ride hard and go big. Riders that are looking for a high-performance fork that is super-adjustable, super-stiff, and inspires confidence, but not at the expense of sensitivity or responsiveness.

Spring type: The Zeb Ultimate is an air-sprung fork featuring Rockshox's new Debonair+ air spring with buttercups.

Wheel size compatibility: Forks are available to suit 29" and 27.5" wheel sizes.

Fork offset: The Zeb Ultimate is available in 44mm offset for both 27.5" and 29".

Axle to crown height: At the time of writing, these specs were not available.

Max tyre width: At the time of writing, these specs were not available. We suspect it will be around 3 inches.

Suspension travel amount: The Zeb Ultimate is available in 160mm, 170mm, 180mm and 190mm travel options.

Compression damper style technologies / adjustments: The Zeb Ultimate features Rockshox's all-new Charger 3 damper with Buttercups. There are adjustments for high-speed compression and low-speed compression. Adjustments to the Charger 3 damper are said to be more independent and minimise "cross-talk" between them, making your adjustments to high-speed and low-speed settings more specific and more noticeable.

Rebound damper technologies / adjustments: Rebound damping duties are taken care of with the all-new Charger 3 damper with Buttercups. There are adjustments for low-speed rebound, and the low-speed rebound circuit has been re-vamped with improvements to wheel tracking.

Travel adjustability: Travel changes can be made through the removal and replacement of Debonair+ air spring assemblies. If you buy a 180mm travel now, you can change it to a 190mm travel down the track.

Volume adjustability: At the time of writing, these specs were not available. We suspect it will be through the use of air-volume reducing 'Bottomless Tokens'.

Stanchion diameter: The Zeb Ultimate is built around 38mm aluminium stanchions.

Axle size and style: 15mm Maxle Stealth Thru-axle, Boost spacing and compatible with both Torque Cap and standard hub end caps with a removable bolt-in adapter.

Steerer tube standard: Tapered 1 1/8" to 1 1/2" aluminium steerer.

Lowers materials: Secret Aluminium Alloy

CSU / Steerer tube materials: Forged aluminium crown and aluminium steerer tube.

Brake mount style: Post Mount 200mm

Brake rotor compatibility (minimum / maximum): 200mm minimum and 220mm maximum.

Pros: The strength of a dual crown fork with the finesse of a trail fork.

Cons: Yes, the Zeb Ultimate is a little costly, but it's worth every cent.