In the variable damping suspension, a sensor in the shock reads the piston's speed and position, then sends the data back to a smart circuit that transmits a signal to a piezoelectric actuator in the valve, flexing it in milliseconds. The piezoactuator regulates the flow of oil through the valve, which changes the shock damping. The Smart Shock offers significantly improved performance over conventional manually adjusted shocks, in which the rider presets the compression-damping level at a median position between soft and hard settings, according to James Vandergrift, vice president of research and development at K2. Because terrain and speed constantly change while riding off-road, a single shock setting rarely provides optimal damping. The Smart Shock has three modes of operation.
Soft mode provides lower damping levels, which gives a cushier ride at lower speeds.
Hard mode gives the rider greater shock damping, providing a firmer ride at higher speeds or while climbing. In smart mode, the device automatically switches between damping settings based on shock-sensor readings. An intelligent suspension system smooths mountain bikers' rough rides. It needed to be substantially smarter. Electronics development was left to ACX, the hydraulics design was handled by Noleen suspension guru Clark Jones, and bike-suspension development was led by K2 BIKE's Bob Girvin.