Manitou Presents the New Dorado

Now the emblem of upside-down forks as remains the longest-lived incarnation on the market, the Dorado was born 11 years ago and while numerous brands over the years have tried and abandoned the upside-down concept only to return to standard forks, Manitou continues to believe in the configuration up to present today. Thus, the new Dorado model keeps many characteristics from the previous model but also many innovations.

There are three versions for the new Dorado: Pro, Expert and Comp, and all three are available for both 27.5 and 29-inch wheels. As the name implies, the Pro represents the top of the line and offers carbon fiber upper legs, while on Expert and Comp the uppers are aluminum alloy.

For all three versions the diameter of the stanchions has increased to 37mm compared to the 36mm of the previous model, to improve stiffness while keeping the weight increase low. The upper crowns supplied as standard are flat, with 47mm offset, for the 27.5 and high versions, with 57mm offset, for the 29 versions, but for those who want to customize the geometry of the fork it is still possible to use both types of crowns on both formats to find your ideal setting.

The hub spacing is DH Boost and uses a floating axle that allows you to tighten the wheel on the fork while maintaining the correct alignment of the legs in the bushings so as not to affect smoothness in action, and performance in general.

The spring element of the Comp version is a steel spring, available in 6 different ratings, which provides the Dorado with 203mm of travel. For the Pro and Expert versions, on the other hand, the travel can be set on three standard options: 180, 190 and 203mm. This is because they use the Dorado Air air cartridge for a spring, which can be operated with a spacer to reduce the stroke. The Dorado Air works through positive and negative chambers, which compensate automatically.

The Pro uses the IRT (Infinite Rate Tune) system to manage the progressivity on the last stretch of the travel through a separate air chamber. The Expert instead uses the IVA (Incremental Volume Adjust) system optimized for the Dorado, which is controlled from the right side dropout of the fork.

All three versions are equipped with the TSR (Trail Side Relief) system that allows you to purge the excess air that accumulates inside the uppers, creating a pressure that negatively affects the operation of the fork. In the Pro version it is sufficient to press a small button that allows the valve to vent while for the Expert and Comp versions it is necessary to use a small Allen screw.

The Pro version features a new TPC+ hydraulic cartridge based on a spring compensated IFP and a dual hydraulic circuit. The first circuit manages the first part of the stroke while the second intervenes during the deeper hits to offer greater hydraulic support. An additional HBO circuit handles the last 30mm of travel to absorb bottom-out. The external adjustments allow you to independently control the compression at high and low speeds and on the rebound.

The Expert version, on the other hand, uses a smaller version of the TPC+, with very similar characteristics. The Comp instead mounts a traditional ABS+ cartridge with a hydraulic circuit that was practically born with the Dorado itself, revisited and updated for this new model. Each of these hydraulic cartridges is available as a spare and can be fitted to each version.

Weights and prices

Dorado Pro: 2.970g – € 1.830
Dorado Expert: 3.120g – € 1.455
Dorado Comp: 3.565g – € 1.230

Manitou