Fox 38 Factory Grip X2 (2027)

For the 2027 model year the Fox 38 Factory Grip X2 gets a new air spring, a revised damper and redesigned lowers as it looks to retain that strong mid-stroke support while reducing the old harshness. The increase in torsional compliance is particularly welcome, and the new 38 finds grip more easily on off-camber sections and flat corners – it’s a smoother, less fatiguing ride that still feels composed when the terrain gets rough.

Fox 38 Factory Grip X2 (2027) – Technical Details

How does Fox update an already top-of-the-line hard-hitting enduro fork? By making it more compliant, and smooth across a wider range of situations.

The host of incremental improvements start with an updated Grip X2 damper. The revised main piston assembly (mid-valve piston and valve stack) maintains the support the GripX2 is known for, but removes some of the harshness.

The Glidecore air spring is also new. It has a vertically and horizontally compliant piston head which helps reduce binding, and a new bottom out bumper for those harsh end-of-travel moments. The chassis gets updated bleed valves and new bypass channels for improved oil flow to the foam rings, while the bushings have 20mm more overlap to boost rigidity.

The new 38 is said to be stiffer fore and aft by 8.8%, yet torsional stiffness has been reduced by 6.8%. This keeps the hard-hitting composure we expect from a burly enduro fork, but allows some wheel deflection to make holding tricky off-camber high lines a little easier.

The 38 comes in Fox’s usual three flavours; Factory, Performance Elite and Performance, and there are with 160, 170 and 180mm travel options. There are 29in and 27.5in wheel versions, and all use the standard 15mm boost spacing. Claimed weight starts at 2,200g.

Fox 38 Factory Grip X2 (2027) – Performance

Setup is always key with suspension, and the place to start is the sag. I achieved 20% sag with 100psi, a very similar pressure to the other Fox forks I’ve used. I chose to leave the high and low speed compression damping open at this point, and used the classic carpark bounces to set the rebound. It ended up not far off fully open.

I’m happy to report the mid-travel support is still there, and there is indeed less harshness than before. The Grip X2 damper has a wonderful way of not blowing through the travel, keeping the fork propped up and ready for sequential hits such as a rock gardens or braking bumps. The action has a softer edge to it with slightly less ramp-up, which alleviates some of the fatigue the older 38s could induce.

The initial suppleness of the 38 over small roots and rocks is impressive, but inevitably as the hits get a bit bigger the fork gets more reluctant to use its travel – that’s the payoff for the support in the middle of the stroke.

It ships with one volume spacer fitted as standard, but I removed it for a slightly more linear response in the hope of accessing the last of the travel a little more frequently. It softened that mid-stroke support a little more too, making a noticeable difference.

I also experimented with a lower air spring pressure, dropping 5psi, and again the effect was noticeable. Support from the damper comes in a little further into the travel, so it’s smoother for longer but still has that ‘propped-up’ feeling.

For my 95Kg I could find a happy compromise, but I would recommend lightweight riders to try before you buy as you may find the fork overdamped and struggle to access the full travel.

As the fork bedded in, I dialled in some more high-speed rebound damping, settling on four clicks from open. That gave a good balance between control in large compressions and response on the trail.

The updated chassis is another noticeable improvement. The fore and aft rigidity is still very much present; it gives a burly feeling where the fork is unfazed no matter what you point it at. With the wider-spaced bushings there is less bending and binding under braking through the rough stuff, meaning the fork can continues working smoothly. The braking grip in these situations is great.

I’ve always had issues with big, stiff 38mm forks with the front wheel deflecting off angled hits. The slight increase in twisting flex here is noticeable, as it tracks just a little less rigidly through rock and root gardens, or across off-camber lines, and is less likely to ping the steering because nothing else can give. Those tricky lines are a little easier to stick now, with a little less unwanted feedback through the bars.

I run a mudguard all year round, and welcome the new four-bolt mount as it’s very sturdy and convenient. You may need to buy a new mudguard to fit it, though.

Fox 38 Factory Grip X2 (2027) – Verdict

This top spec Factory model will set you back £1,439, which makes it a pretty expensive option.

The RockShox Zeb Ultimate is the classic nemesis of the 38, and has also been updated for 2027. The Zeb tends to use more of its travel more of the time, but does have a hydraulic bottom-out adjuster to take control of this trait, and at £1,265, the Zeb Ultimate Charger 3.2 Boost is a useful chunk cheaper.

If you really want Fox and can live without the Kashima gold stanchions, however, the Performance Elite model of the 38 is very close at £1,299.

The 2027 Fox 38 builds offers incremental improvements over the already very good outgoing model, and they combine to make it a little more friendly to use. The excellent mid-travel support is still there, but in a softer and more compliant package which helps with fatigue. It’s still a burly fork which handles the hits extremely well, but it’s softer in some ways and more usable at the same time – and the result is only increased control.