First, I'll say that I loved the m9/Dorado combo and had it for 3 years, but the SC and Emerald duo feels like a military fighter jet/McClaren/sex panther.
I'm just gonna do high/low lights right nows . I only got 6-7 runs on not WC trails to get it set up close to what I think I want.
V10 vs m9
I'm losing about 3 lbs off the m9 (still need to get post and casstette) Anyone who says weight dosent matter and you should just poop before riding is an idiot.This thing just lurches out of corner, it's amazing.You actually want to pedal because it takes do much less effort to get it up to speed.
CORNERS.The best cornering bike I've had.Was not expecting that. It feels taller than the m9, but you just flick it over and it just falls right into the pocket of the corner.The m9 felt lower and a bit more stable but was more of a challenge in some corners.It may be that i had a -2° angleset in it.I have a -1.5° in the v10 and it feels really good, but it starts out steeper than the m9.
ROUGH STUFF .Feels like it stays on top of the rough and kindof skips through it, but without the negatives of getting out of control like some other bikes might.The m9 felt more like it followed the obstacle more.
STEEP.Didnt have much of this, but the m9 wins.They seat mast on the v10 is angled too far back.When put my ass back to get behind the wheel, I don't want the seat in my stomach.
MANUALINGM9 wins here too. The v10 feels impossible to manual into stuff. I really like the m9 in the short chainstay mode. I didn't realize how much I manualed into and over things.
OVERALL FEEL The v10 puts you in a more "moto" position, more over the front and aggressive. I didn't really realize how much I missed that.The m9 had a sweet spot that it really took off and it was to put my butt about 2" farther back than what felt natural.
JUMPING.V10 jumps better. Add a little flair and it Flys nice and level.M9 jumped well, too but you have to get your body position right.
DVO Emerald vs Dorado
I'll say first that i was one of the first to praise the new revamped Dorado while most others dissed it due to "flexy" or what they did in 2003 or just plain mob mentality.
Fact is that it's a great fork and would have gotten another one if they were in stock. Manitou was ahead of everyone else with their use of negative travel and small bump compliance with a firm mid-stroke.
The emerald (dislike the name, alot) is a purpose built race weapon.It feels like it. I actually liked some of the deflection that the dorado gave in rocky section, it had some give and kept you in a staright line without pinging you off. The emerald still has some of that deflection , but it does feel about 50% less.
The DVO feels like a ccdb in the sense that you're going to have to turn some knobs to figure out how to maximize it's performance.
It never ever feels divey, the harder you ride it, the better it reacts.Its quite awesome really, out of the box and starting with the recommended starting points.
It's a very stout, solid feeling fork.You can't get an accurate gage on this by pushing on it in a parking lot. I also think it would be a waste of a good fork to buy it as a status symbol or put it on a cat 2 bike, but that just my 2c.
I was really hoping to be so awesome to have to need to break into the shim stack and rearrange some stuff for my level of badassedness. Maybe I'll get to do that, but i dont see it right now.
-NEGS.Green parts and decals.Everyone know red is fastest.Ill make custom decals
Weight-1 full pound more than the Dorado is a ton.I get why they do it but I am a weight weiner and I'm not suspension engineer but 2 gallons of oil in it seems like alot considering you get NO oil in some boxxers
.
Ott knob.Another f***in knob that you rip the skin off you fingers to try and turn.WTF?! Why does this still happen in 2014?Non of the other knobs are like this
1 1/8 to 1.5 steerer tube.Why?
PROPS. Despite what said earlier...you don't have one, so needer , neener.
Integrated mud guard, cool.
Great axle and hub slots on the legs.Super easy tire change.Seriously, Manitou, what gives?
Customer service is top notch .These guys return phone calls and emails. (Hey, FOX)
Looking forward to playing around more with this fork.The sense that I'm just touching it's potential is there and the confidence that both the v10 and the dvo inspire is something that is so important once you get up to a level of riding that that confidence is really a defining factor in seconds on a race run or taking that line that might otherwise make your butt pucker and not feeling sick to your stomach about it anymore.
Sh1t, that was longer than I wanted it to be
I'm just gonna do high/low lights right nows . I only got 6-7 runs on not WC trails to get it set up close to what I think I want.
V10 vs m9
I'm losing about 3 lbs off the m9 (still need to get post and casstette) Anyone who says weight dosent matter and you should just poop before riding is an idiot.This thing just lurches out of corner, it's amazing.You actually want to pedal because it takes do much less effort to get it up to speed.
CORNERS.The best cornering bike I've had.Was not expecting that. It feels taller than the m9, but you just flick it over and it just falls right into the pocket of the corner.The m9 felt lower and a bit more stable but was more of a challenge in some corners.It may be that i had a -2° angleset in it.I have a -1.5° in the v10 and it feels really good, but it starts out steeper than the m9.
ROUGH STUFF .Feels like it stays on top of the rough and kindof skips through it, but without the negatives of getting out of control like some other bikes might.The m9 felt more like it followed the obstacle more.
STEEP.Didnt have much of this, but the m9 wins.They seat mast on the v10 is angled too far back.When put my ass back to get behind the wheel, I don't want the seat in my stomach.
MANUALINGM9 wins here too. The v10 feels impossible to manual into stuff. I really like the m9 in the short chainstay mode. I didn't realize how much I manualed into and over things.
OVERALL FEEL The v10 puts you in a more "moto" position, more over the front and aggressive. I didn't really realize how much I missed that.The m9 had a sweet spot that it really took off and it was to put my butt about 2" farther back than what felt natural.
JUMPING.V10 jumps better. Add a little flair and it Flys nice and level.M9 jumped well, too but you have to get your body position right.
DVO Emerald vs Dorado
I'll say first that i was one of the first to praise the new revamped Dorado while most others dissed it due to "flexy" or what they did in 2003 or just plain mob mentality.
Fact is that it's a great fork and would have gotten another one if they were in stock. Manitou was ahead of everyone else with their use of negative travel and small bump compliance with a firm mid-stroke.
The emerald (dislike the name, alot) is a purpose built race weapon.It feels like it. I actually liked some of the deflection that the dorado gave in rocky section, it had some give and kept you in a staright line without pinging you off. The emerald still has some of that deflection , but it does feel about 50% less.
The DVO feels like a ccdb in the sense that you're going to have to turn some knobs to figure out how to maximize it's performance.
It never ever feels divey, the harder you ride it, the better it reacts.Its quite awesome really, out of the box and starting with the recommended starting points.
It's a very stout, solid feeling fork.You can't get an accurate gage on this by pushing on it in a parking lot. I also think it would be a waste of a good fork to buy it as a status symbol or put it on a cat 2 bike, but that just my 2c.
I was really hoping to be so awesome to have to need to break into the shim stack and rearrange some stuff for my level of badassedness. Maybe I'll get to do that, but i dont see it right now.
-NEGS.Green parts and decals.Everyone know red is fastest.Ill make custom decals
Weight-1 full pound more than the Dorado is a ton.I get why they do it but I am a weight weiner and I'm not suspension engineer but 2 gallons of oil in it seems like alot considering you get NO oil in some boxxers
.Ott knob.Another f***in knob that you rip the skin off you fingers to try and turn.WTF?! Why does this still happen in 2014?Non of the other knobs are like this
1 1/8 to 1.5 steerer tube.Why?
PROPS. Despite what said earlier...you don't have one, so needer , neener.
Integrated mud guard, cool.
Great axle and hub slots on the legs.Super easy tire change.Seriously, Manitou, what gives?
Customer service is top notch .These guys return phone calls and emails. (Hey, FOX)
Looking forward to playing around more with this fork.The sense that I'm just touching it's potential is there and the confidence that both the v10 and the dvo inspire is something that is so important once you get up to a level of riding that that confidence is really a defining factor in seconds on a race run or taking that line that might otherwise make your butt pucker and not feeling sick to your stomach about it anymore.
Sh1t, that was longer than I wanted it to be
