Motion XElium: A 1.2 kg Claim and a Very Different XC Fork

By MTBSA contributor

Motion Engineering’s XElium approaches cross-country suspension with a single-sided linkage rather than telescopic legs. The company claims a 1.2 kg weight including the shock, making low mass a central part of the proposition—but this remains a manufacturer figure.

Carbon structure and a separate shock

The steerer and upper leg form a carbon monocoque structure. A machined aluminium link carries the front axle, with smaller links completing the mechanism. Suspension is controlled by a custom-tuned Fox Float SL shock.

The announced travel is 120 mm with a 29-inch wheel or 90 mm with a 32-inch wheel. A proprietary front hub is part of the package, so it is not simply a fork swap using any existing front wheel. The source gives inconsistent shock-length figures; confirm the exact unit with Motion rather than ordering from those figures.

What anti-dive means here

A floating brake arm feeds braking forces into the linkage in a direction intended to counter the compression caused by forward weight transfer. Motion states 100% anti-dive at the sag position, where the main rocker sits horizontally.

The curved axle path first moves forwards slightly before moving rearwards deeper into travel. Motion also claims stiffness comparable with a RockShox SID 35 from its own testing. Independent riding and durability comparisons would be needed to assess those claims fully.

Production and pricing were conditional

At the August announcement, Motion required 100 orders before committing to production. The stated preorder price was ≈ R16 460 excluding VAT, including the shock and hub, rising to ≈ R23 514 excluding VAT after the offer. A two-year warranty was listed.

Those are historical launch terms, not confirmation that the offer or stock remains available. South African buyers should establish production status, hub and shock service support, shipping and total landed cost directly before paying. This is a technical first look, not a tested recommendation.

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About these rand prices

Amounts marked ≈ are approximate rand conversions of overseas prices, using SARS reference rates dated 12 October 2026, rounded to the nearest rand. They are not South African retail quotes and exclude additional shipping, import charges and local retailer costs. Confirm current local pricing with a South African dealer. Unqualified dollar prices in US-market reporting are treated as US dollars; explicitly identified currencies use their corresponding rate.