Suntour’s Epicon is an obvious lockout-equipped upgrade option for basic full-suspension bikes, but it can’t cope with more demanding riding. However, it’s light and we had no issues with the seals leaking oil or the valve leaking air.
The on/off lockout lever is big enough to find without looking down and the rebound dial is detented for positive adjustments. There’s plenty of rebound damping range too. Initial stiction kills small bump sensitivity, but once it’s moving it’s relatively smooth and linear at lower shaft speeds or under smaller loads. The lockout lever works as a complete stop for smooth climbs too.
As impact sizes and shaft speeds increase the damping gets overwhelmed quickly. One of our test shocks started to spike viciously, while the other felt notchy through the stroke and clunked at the turnaround point. Both heated up quickly even on a short hand dyno session, with the notchy shock spiking after intense repeated cycles. If you hit a bump in lockout mode, it sucks itself back to top out with a savage clang.
