How much sag should an eMTB fork have?

Fox and Marzocchi recommend 15–20% of fork travel, and Öhlins gives 15–25% for the RXF34 m.2. Mondraker's eMTB guides use 20% for both RockShox and Öhlins forks.

How much rear sag should I run on an eMTB?

Fox's Float X2 guide targets 25–30% and RockShox targets 25–30% for the Vivid Coil. Some eMTB makers go higher, for example 30–35% in Mondraker's guide for the Öhlins-equipped Crafty Carbon XR.

Do eMTB forks need more air pressure?

Fox's charts list higher pressures for its E-Bike+ forks. For a 77–82 kg rider, the 36 E-Bike+ starts at 95 psi against 86 psi for the standard 36 Float.

Why does my RockShox fork lose pressure after I pump it?

Air moves into the negative chamber when you compress the fork. RockShox asks you to cycle the fork through about 25–30% of travel and then top the pressure back up.

How do I set up an Öhlins fork with two air valves?

Öhlins forks have a main chamber and a separate ramp-up chamber. For the RXF36, Öhlins says to pump the ramp-up chamber first, then set the main chamber for sag. Recommended values are printed on the back of the lower casting.

eMTB suspension setup by brand

Q: Where do I count rebound clicks from?

Fox, RockShox, Öhlins and Marzocchi count rebound clicks from fully closed. Turn the knob clockwise until it stops, then back it out to the recommended number.

A well set-up fork and shock make more difference to how an eMTB rides than almost any upgrade you can buy. With a motor and a big battery on board, an eMTB is heavier than a regular trail bike, so the fork and shock have more mass to control.

The good news is that every major suspension brand publishes a starting point. This guide explains the basic eMTB suspension setup procedure that works for any air fork or shock, then lists what Fox, RockShox, Öhlins and Marzocchi recommend for their own products. If you are still choosing a spring type, read our explainer on air vs coil forks first.

Before you start

You need a shock pump with a gauge, a zip tie if your fork or shock has no sag O-ring, a tape measure and your full riding kit. One rule comes before any brand chart: if your bike maker publishes its own setup guide, use it. Frame kinematics change how a shock behaves, and many eMTB brands print model-specific tables.

Fox: sag tables and E-Bike+ forks

Fox's tuning guide for the 36 fork puts fork sag at 15–20% of travel, with 15% for a firmer feel and 20% for a plusher one. On a 160 mm fork that is 24–32 mm. For the rear, the Float X2 setup guide targets 25–30% sag. As a first step, Fox suggests pumping the X2 to roughly your body weight in pounds and cycling the shock through about a quarter of its travel ten times. Never go above 250 psi on that shock.

The interesting eMTB detail is in the fork chart. The Fox 36 Factory E-Bike+ gets its own pressure column, set higher than the standard Float. At 77–82 kg the guide lists 95 psi for the E-Bike+ fork against 86 psi for the regular 36 Float. The E-Bike+ version also ships with more volume spacers: three at 160 mm travel, where the standard 36 has one. Fox also offers its bigger fork as the Fox 38 Factory E-Bike+.

Fox counts rebound in clicks from fully closed. Turn the knob clockwise until it stops, then back it out to the number in the chart. For a GRIP2 damper and a 77–82 kg rider, that is 6 clicks of low-speed rebound and 5 of high-speed. On the Float X2, the starting clicks for all four adjusters depend on the air pressure you ended up with, not on rider weight.

RockShox: TrailHead and equalising the air spring

RockShox sends you to its TrailHead app (or the chart on the fork's lower leg). You enter your fork or shock serial number, or scan the QR code, and the app returns a starting air pressure and rebound setting. For shocks, the app also asks for your weight, target sag and rear wheel travel.

The step people often miss is equalising. After you pump the fork, RockShox asks you to compress it slowly a few times through about 25–30% of its travel. That lets air move between the positive and negative chambers. Then you re-attach the pump and top it back up, because the pressure drops during equalisation. Rear shocks get the same treatment: 5–8 slow cycles through about 15% of travel (35% on a Vivid Air), then re-pressurise.

Rebound is set in clicks from closed (the turtle icon). For compression on MY23+ Ultimate and Select+ dampers, start both high- and low-speed in the middle (0) position. On Select and Base dampers, set the single knob to the middle. For coil shocks such as the Vivid Coil, RockShox targets 25–30% sag and sends you to TrailHead's spring rate calculator. If sag is below 20%, fit a lighter spring.

Bike makers often go further. Mondraker's setup guide for the Level R, which pairs a RockShox ZEB Select with a Vivid Coil, suggests 20% fork sag and lists 79 psi for a 79–82 kg rider.

Öhlins: main and ramp-up chambers

Öhlins air forks such as the RXF38 m.2 use a separate ramp-up chamber instead of only volume spacers, so you set two pressures. On the RXF36, Öhlins says to pump the ramp-up chamber first and then set the main chamber for sag. Our Öhlins RXF36 m.3 explainer covers that order in more detail. The recommended settings are printed on the back of the fork's lower casting.

The Öhlins owner's manual for the RXF34 m.2 gives a sag range of 15–25% of travel. eMTB brands narrow it down. Mondraker's guide for the Crafty Carbon XR (RXF38 m.2 fork, TTX22M.2 coil shock) asks for 20% sag at the front and 30–35% at the rear. For a 79–82 kg rider it lists 128 psi in the main chamber and 210 psi in the ramp-up chamber, plus a 502 lb spring for the shock. The same Öhlins TTX22M.2 coil shock is fitted to the Mondraker Level XR.

Marzocchi: simple charts for the Bomber Z1

Marzocchi, Fox's sister brand, keeps things simple. The Bomber Z1 tuning guide targets 15–20% sag with the compression lever open. It lists 76 psi and 8 rebound clicks from closed for a 77–82 kg rider, with a 120 psi maximum. The Z1 can also run a coil spring. Marzocchi offers four colour-coded rates, with the Blue (Medium) spring covering 68–82 kg. Like Fox, Marzocchi tunes progression with volume spacers: a 160 mm Z1 ships with two and takes up to seven.

	Fox	RockShox	Öhlins	Marzocchi
Fork sag	15–20% (36 guide)	Pressure via TrailHead; 20% in Mondraker ZEB guide	15–25% (RXF34 m.2); 20% in Mondraker guide	15–20% (Bomber Z1)
Rear sag	25–30% (Float X2)	25–30% (Vivid Coil)	30–35% in Mondraker guide	—
Where to find pressure	Tuning guide chart	TrailHead app / chart on lower leg	Sticker on back of lower casting	Tuning guide chart
Progression	Volume spacers	Bottomless tokens	Ramp-up chamber	Volume spacers
Rebound counted	Clicks from closed	Clicks from closed (turtle)	Clicks from closed	Clicks from closed

Fine-tuning on the trail

All four brands call their charts a starting point. After a few rides, check the O-ring. Using most of the travel with the occasional bottom-out on big hits is normal. If you bottom out harshly, add a spacer or ramp-up pressure before you add main pressure, so the sag stays where you want it. If the bike feels harsh and you never get near full travel, do the opposite.

Change one setting at a time, in small steps, and ride the same section of trail to compare. Write your settings down, because pressure and click counts are easy to forget after a service. Finally, check air pressure regularly: a few psi lost over a month changes how a heavy eMTB rides.

eMTB suspension setup: Fox, RockShox, Öhlins and Marzocchi

Before you start

Setting sag on any air fork or shock

More from Workshop

Fox: sag tables and E-Bike+ forks

RockShox: TrailHead and equalising the air spring

Öhlins: main and ramp-up chambers

Marzocchi: simple charts for the Bomber Z1

Official starting points at a glance

Fine-tuning on the trail

Frequently asked questions

The best of eMTB, once a week

Before you start

Setting sag on any air fork or shock

More from Workshop

Fox: sag tables and E-Bike+ forks

RockShox: TrailHead and equalising the air spring

Öhlins: main and ramp-up chambers

Marzocchi: simple charts for the Bomber Z1

Official starting points at a glance

Fine-tuning on the trail

Frequently asked questions