Öhlins Celebrates 50 Years of Suspension Innovation

From yellow springs on motocross bikes to World Cup-winning mountain bikes, Öhlins marks 5 Decades of suspension innovation and excellence. 

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Öhlins is marking two major milestones in 2026, celebrating 50 years as a suspension company and a decade since it began its dedicated journey into the world of mountain biking.

Founded in Sweden by Kenth Öhlin in 1976, Öhlins established its reputation in motocross before expanding into road racing, rally, endurance racing, NASCAR, Formula 1 and other forms of motorsport. Its distinctive yellow springs and gold-finished components have since become synonymous with performance suspension.

From the beginning, Öhlins’ focus has been on more than simply absorbing impacts. The company has built its suspension philosophy around improving traction, stability, control and consistency, using lessons learned in competition to develop products for riders.

That same philosophy guided Öhlins when it entered mountain biking a decade ago. Rather than simply adapting motorcycle technology, the company developed its bicycle suspension around the sport’s specific demands, including lower weight, tighter packaging, pedalling efficiency and the rider’s role within the suspension system.

In 2026, Öhlins is celebrating 50 years of suspension development alongside 10 years in mountain biking. During that decade, the company has expanded its bicycle range, developed TTX technology for mountain bikes, partnered with Specialized Gravity and achieved World Cup victories and World Championship titles across multiple disciplines.

While its mountain bike history remains relatively short compared with its five decades in motorsport, the same development philosophy continues to drive the company: learn from racing, understand the limits of suspension and translate those lessons into greater control and confidence for riders.