Intend Essential Fork

The Intend experience, minus the fancy extras

The Intend Essential is the most affordable way into an Intend upside-down enduro fork. Intend kept the bits that matter (the trusted enduro steerer and upper legs, a Cerakote-coated BCT crown and the same damping pistons as the top-line forks) and saved money by building it in a single batch with fewer options.

The differences are simple: the damper is a semi-open bath (super easy to service) rather than the sealed bladder cartridge; the air spring changes travel by opening the fork rather than the Travel Ranger tokens; and progression is set with a 3-position volume spacer in the bottom cap (none / mid / max, mid comes fitted).

• Same chassis family and travel as the Edge, at a lower price.
• Choose the Edge or Hero if you want the sealed OPT cartridge, Smooth Operator, Travel Ranger spring and tokenless progression caps.
• Choose the Essential if you want the Intend ride feel and don't mind opening the fork to change travel.

Where does the Essential sit in the range?

Ordered lightest to burliest. Weights are Intend's claimed figures. Blackline versions of Hero, Edge and Flash 35 add forged one-piece lowers, stanchion guards and Racing Bros wipers. The full spec chart (dampers, adjustments, axles, brake mounts) is in the product photos.

The Inside Line:
Will you feel the difference to a top-line Intend? Intend themselves say "maybe yes, maybe not". We say: put the savings into a Hover shock and call it even.

Features:

• Upside-down trail / all-mountain / enduro fork
• Travel: 150, 160 or 170mm (changed internally)
• Weight: 2150g
• Stanchions: 35mm
• Damping: semi-open bath, self-bleeding, same pistons as Originals/Blackline
• Adjust: low-speed rebound, low-speed compression, air pressure, progression (3-position spacer)
• Axle: 15x110mm Boost
• Brake mount: 200/203mm or 220/223mm included
• Steerer: tapered 1 1/8" - 1.5", 240mm
• Offset: 44mm
• Axle-to-crown: 581.5mm (170), 571.5mm (160)
• Wheel size: 29" only
• EFBE E-Gravity rated

Technologies:
Upside-down (USD) chassis
The big tubes sit up top in the crown and the thin stanchions slide into them at the bottom. That puts the stiffest, strongest part of the fork where the loads are highest, keeps the seals permanently bathed in oil (super-supple off the top) and drops unsprung weight at the axle. The trade-off: no fork brace, so the axle and its clamp do the work of keeping the legs in sync, and the exposed stanchions want a little care (or the Blackline guards).
Semi-open bath damper
The damper shares its compression and rebound pistons with Intend's premium forks, but runs in a semi-open oil bath rather than a sealed bladder. It's less fussy to service and still delivers that famously supple Intend feel.
Hand-built, one at a time
Every Intend fork is assembled by hand in Freiburg by riders, not robots. The crown and uppers are bonded with high-strength Loctite so the chassis stays stiff and creak-free (Intend quote 99.98% of forks never creak), each bushing is sized to its own tube so nothing binds, every fork is checked for perfectly parallel tubes, and the lowers get exactly 15ml of Motorex Supergliss 32K/68K lube. No guesswork, no "close enough".

Notes:

• First-batch Essentials are not compatible with the Linearizer or the Travel Ranger air spring upgrade.
• Steel-braided brake hoses are not recommended on USD forks.

Setup:

• Start at about 1.0 psi per kg of rider weight (with gear), then fine-tune. E.g. 80kg rider = ~80psi.
• Rebound: start mid-range, then adjust so the front wheel doesn't leave the ground when you push down and let go quickly.
• Low-speed compression: clicks 1-6 from closed are the "race" zone (more support); from click 6 open is fine-tuning for comfort. Start at click 6.
• Progression: ride the stock (mid) spacer position first, then move the spacer to max if you bottom out, or remove it if you can't use full travel.
• Torques: axle clamp bolts 10Nm, axle 5Nm, brake mount bolts 4Nm.
• Full step-by-step guide, oil volumes and torque specs: Intend Fork Setup Guide. Video how-tos: Intend on YouTube.

Service:

• Intend recommend a factory service at least once a year (lube oil, damper oil, inspection). Lower-leg and seal service is simple and needs no special tools.
• Service intervals, oil types and quantities: Intend Fork Setup Guide. Factory service options: Intend Service & Tech.
• Want us to look after it? Get in touch and we'll arrange service or a rebuild through the Australian distributor.

Need a hand choosing?

Not sure which Intend suits your bike and riding? Send us your bike, current fork, rider weight and the trails you ride, and we'll point you to the right model and travel. Intend forks are built in small batches, so please contact us for current availability and lead time before ordering.

Learn more:

• Intend product page
• Intend fork chart (compare every model)
• Fork setup guide, oil volumes & torque specs
• Intend service form (PDF)
• Intend YouTube channel (setup & service videos)

See our shipping policy for delivery options and times, and our refund policy for returns.