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Info on ROTEC RL9 (2006/7) please!

yetiboyjay

Chimp
Jul 8, 2008
73
0
England, Devon
Just bought one of the above frames, i had a lawwill yeti before and loved it, so sold my sunday and bought a rotec! Waiting for it to arrive now.

I have two shocks coming with it, a 5th elephant (that it came with stock) and a DHX5 air...

I also have available a dhx5 coil but am unsure if it will fit (sure i read somewhere it wouldnt?!)

-Anyone know if i can run a DHX coil?
-Can i use my zero stack CC double XC reducer headset top and bottom?
-Which out of the 5th or Air do you think i should run?

I will obviously make my own mind up when it comes, but for now others may have more hands on knowlege!

It will be built with fox 40's, and other good DH kit.

Any info or input much appreciated!

Opinions on the frame?

Cheers, Jay
 

Jase76

Monkey
Aug 10, 2007
176
0
Australia
Hi man, the guy to talk to is John Sullivan, he's the man behind Rotec john@roteccycles.com. He's super helpful, and will answer any questions you have.

Rotec's are super nice bikes BTW, I love my 08. Here she is,


I run a Vivid in mine, the 2008 frames have a little more clearance than the older ones.
 
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yetiboyjay

Chimp
Jul 8, 2008
73
0
England, Devon
That look sweet dude. I do prefere the newer ones with the tubes under the seat-tube instead of the big old gusset like mine, but hey i didnt want to spend too much incase i didnt get on with it. I splashed nearly £2000 (GBP) on a factory sunday frame and hated it! Loved some aspects of it, but the fact the pedals were so low and the back end feeling like wood (ace on big drops but no movement over roots etc, could have been set-up) i just couldn't get that quick on it! I will mail John, i hear he's the man when it comes to anything rotec.

Cheers Bru.

Jay
 

goodgrief

Monkey
Aug 13, 2008
104
1
Innerleithen, Scotland
i have to use a traditional style lower headset bearing cup so the fork crown clears the boss for the steering stop.

you should get loads more pedal clearance than your sunday, i run 170 cranks and don't have a problem getting the strokes in between the corners.

you'll find out about the rear brake when it arrives too.
it has an 8" IS mount so if your caliper is PM you need an IS to PM adaptor for a 160mm disc
 

yetiboyjay

Chimp
Jul 8, 2008
73
0
England, Devon
i have to use a traditional style lower headset bearing cup so the fork crown clears the boss for the steering stop.

you should get loads more pedal clearance than your sunday, i run 170 cranks and don't have a problem getting the strokes in between the corners.

you'll find out about the rear brake when it arrives too.
it has an 8" IS mount so if your caliper is PM you need an IS to PM adaptor for a 160mm disc

Excellent news, that was the worst thing on the sunday, lack of being able to pedal! I still have some 165mm cranks for the rotec, so even shorter so i should have no troubles then.

I have a spare rear 160 mount to should be good to go then!

Do you think if i cut down my brake side spacer on my ringle hub everything will line up ok to work with the floater?

Thanks
 

goodgrief

Monkey
Aug 13, 2008
104
1
Innerleithen, Scotland
it's not coming with a hadley hub?
unless it has a spacer that can be pulled off then no you wouldn't be able to cut it close enough. my hadley has the bearing and axle tube exposed and flush with the rotor mounting face on the outer edge of the hub.
i had a sun ringle hub on my stab for a floating brake that's pretty near the same dimentions of the hadley. they occasionally pop up on egay if you keep your eyes open
 

yetiboyjay

Chimp
Jul 8, 2008
73
0
England, Devon
it's not coming with a hadley hub?
unless it has a spacer that can be pulled off then no you wouldn't be able to cut it close enough. my hadley has the bearing and axle tube exposed and flush with the rotor mounting face on the outer edge of the hub.
i had a sun ringle hub on my stab for a floating brake that's pretty near the same dimentions of the hadley. they occasionally pop up on egay if you keep your eyes open
Yeah i have the hadley hub coming with it on a mavic UST rim, but i have a sweet pair of camo MTX's on Ringle hubs i want to use! The spacer is removable and i have the old short one from my old Yeti that used the same floating brake as the rotec, so hopefully that will work. I really dont want to have to build more wheels!
 

yetiboyjay

Chimp
Jul 8, 2008
73
0
England, Devon
Really? I have had two sets now, any i must admit i smashed the front one, but it only dented and buckled, itself to the wall of broken stuff it never cracked. I have the pinned and welded camo ones, not the cheapy s-types though. I dont get on with any other brandw i have tried, DT 5.1-thought they were made of clay (sooo soft alloy, dented to hell) and Mavics always crack around the eyelets on the outer skin. I get on with Sunn rims so stick with 'em!
 

yetiboyjay

Chimp
Jul 8, 2008
73
0
England, Devon
your DHX 5 will ft the frame, youre just going to have to run the reservoir down by the tire... theres no clearance for the reservoir in between the seatstay pivots, thats the only reason.

i'm sure you will be insanely stoked when the bike arrives! and even moreso the first time you ride it!
congrats!
Swweeet! Thanks man, cant wait now!
 

stinky6

Monkey
Dec 24, 2004
517
0
Monroe
your DHX 5 will ft the frame, youre just going to have to run the reservoir down by the tire... theres no clearance for the reservoir in between the seatstay pivots, thats the only reason.

i'm sure you will be insanely stoked when the bike arrives! and even moreso the first time you ride it!
congrats!
Not necessarily. Because of the year it might fit. If there is a bar that the bolts on the seat stay go into it won't fit, but you might be getting one that was modified to be like the 08's (like the 07 I have). If you can't run the DHX coil I would use the 5th and do the non-platform mod.
 

yetiboyjay

Chimp
Jul 8, 2008
73
0
England, Devon
Not necessarily. Because of the year it might fit. If there is a bar that the bolts on the seat stay go into it won't fit, but you might be getting one that was modified to be like the 08's (like the 07 I have). If you can't run the DHX coil I would use the 5th and do the non-platform mod.
Here's a couple pics from the guy i bought it off:







Please let me know what year you think it is and if the DHX5 coil will fit (has a dhx 5 air at the mo, as you can see)

Thanks
 

Jase76

Monkey
Aug 10, 2007
176
0
Australia
Thats a nice bike mate, I would think that if the DHX air fits you should have no problem with the coil.
I would however first check the clearance by removing the spring and cycling the suspension through its full travel to make sure nothing hits.
I reckon give it a go with the Air first though, I ran an air shock on my Socom for a while and it was great, If you can get it set up right it may be a good weight saver.
 

Eastern States Cup

Turbo Monkey
Feb 29, 2008
2,465
2
East Coast
the problem is with the reservoir hitting the chainstay pivot bolt sleve. That sleve can be filed or cut, with bolt removed of course. Then you should be fine. I had to do that for a rocco which 2 of my friends and I run on our RL-9s.
 

karpi

Monkey
Apr 17, 2006
904
0
Santiasco, Chile
I have a question, why do rotecs have the lower seatstay with the bearings on the BB? I remeber them doing this to their single pivot frame, so the chain doesnt stretch, but on this frame, being a lawwill, it should stretch, making the bb mounted stay useless
 

dropmachine

Turbo Monkey
Sep 7, 2001
2,922
10
Your face.
From what i've heard, the Lawwill was ALWAYS supposed to be BB mounted with a concentric. Its just that for manufacturing ease and cost, it was moved off.

And having the BB Pivot isn't for chain stretch, its where they feel it works best. lack of chain stretch (or in the Lawwill's case, very little stretch) is just an added bonus.
 

Eastern States Cup

Turbo Monkey
Feb 29, 2008
2,465
2
East Coast
There is a lot of chain growth, not a problem unles you like to use a road or short cage. Med x-9 work well with a road casette, just have to make sure you're not in high gear when doing a drop. The concentric chainstay is part of the lawill design/patent.
 
the problem is with the reservoir hitting the chainstay pivot bolt sleve. That sleve can be filed or cut, with bolt removed of course. Then you should be fine. I had to do that for a rocco which 2 of my friends and I run on our RL-9s.

exactly, i have yet to do that to mine, but at the same time, i run a Romic... so no reservoir

but either way, there isnt a problem with running the shock (supposedly) upside down... and theres a benefit from it too! all the adjustments on the reservoir are totally exposed and not tucked away within the seatstay.
mud? rocks? meh... theres not going to be anything coming down on it that hard

but you might want to wrap it in saran wrap if youre going to be riding in mud! :biggrin:


 

stinky6

Monkey
Dec 24, 2004
517
0
Monroe
The DHX should fit. The only shock that probably won't fit is a CCDB. Its a sick bike. Think I'm going to buy another one in 2010; should be lighter and have a few things tweaked to make it a more refined package. Until then I'm going to ride the crap out of mine.
 
The DHX should fit. The only shock that probably won't fit is a CCDB. Its a sick bike. Think I'm going to buy another one in 2010; should be lighter and have a few things tweaked to make it a more refined package. Until then I'm going to ride the crap out of mine.
:bonk::huh::banghead::imstupid:
DUH!
this is what i get for not touching a bike for six months... i forget everything about them!
YES, THE DHX WILL FIT, the CCDB was the shock i was thinking of...
dunno why i would be so adamant about something after having nothing to do with it for half a year!

sorry 'bout that

:busted:
 
Sep 10, 2001
162
0
Seattle,WA
Hey Jay,

Sully here from Rotec, thanks for supporting the brand with your purchase! Even if its used.

As for fitting the DHX's, if its an 06 and it has a tube that the SS pivot bolt passes thru then NO they won't fit, unless they're upside down. If its an 07, that part has been removed.

The 08/09 have been revised all together. There's a new bridge supporting then SS boss
and they've now been threaded, so no more nut and washer. Much more tidy!

As for air setups, the ROCO WC air has been working really well with the RL9 these past two seasons and as choice for the 08/09's I highly recommend it as a second option for certain venues or courses.

But in the end the coil is the goto setup for most DH applications.

Welcome to the club and enjoy. If you need anything let me know.

Sully
 

yetiboyjay

Chimp
Jul 8, 2008
73
0
England, Devon
Hey Jay,

Sully here from Rotec, thanks for supporting the brand with your purchase! Even if its used.

As for fitting the DHX's, if its an 06 and it has a tube that the SS pivot bolt passes thru then NO they won't fit, unless they're upside down. If its an 07, that part has been removed.

The 08/09 have been revised all together. There's a new bridge supporting then SS boss
and they've now been threaded, so no more nut and washer. Much more tidy!

As for air setups, the ROCO WC air has been working really well with the RL9 these past two seasons and as choice for the 08/09's I highly recommend it as a second option for certain venues or courses.

But in the end the coil is the goto setup for most DH applications.

Welcome to the club and enjoy. If you need anything let me know.

Sully
Thank you very much sully, i shall be putting it through its paces. If like it, i will certainly be buying a brand new one when this is needing TLC.

Thanks!
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
If you can't get a hold of Rotec give the Downhill Zone in Seattle a ring.
(206) 523-3337

Good people, in tight with Rotec, and really, really know their business.
 

goodgrief

Monkey
Aug 13, 2008
104
1
Innerleithen, Scotland
Oh, anyone know what ISCG it takes? I think it will take ISCG + 05 too, but not sure.

Should be here tomorrow!

Cheers


mine takes both no problem. there's not much room to play with but i managed to get my lg1 set up by canting it far forward so the lower roller is almost snug against the chainstay and playing about with spacers and washers to get the chainline.
 
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yetiboyjay

Chimp
Jul 8, 2008
73
0
England, Devon
mine takes both no problem. there's not much room to play with but i managed to get my lg1 set up by canting it far forward so the lower roller is almost snug against the chainstay and playing about with spacers and washers to get the chainline.
Sweet, man i hate messing with chainguides and stuff though. They never all fit the same!

Cheers
 
it should have two separate thread positions, so it will take both...
i just run mine with the BB flange... personally i like it better, but my new Gamut is ISCG, so i'll have to run that...


youre going to be posting your completed build pics right? :biggrin:
i own an RL9 and i still cant get enough Rotec pron! :rofl: