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04 Z150 FR SL vs 05 AM SL - I'll try here since they are quiet in the lounge

J

JRB

Guest
So I ended up ordering an 04 Z150 SL on Wednesday night. Well, the confirmation came and I realized I was getting an 05 All Mountain SL 150. I called Performance and told them the description was wrong and charged a Z150 and they waived shipping. Well - the AM SL came, and minus the QR20 dropouts, it is very nice. I got a hucker bike, but won't hit anything huge, so the machined crown and the QR drops shouldn't be an issue. Thing is, the adjustments on the AM seem bad ass. The Z150 has ECC5, but just cycling it off of the bike, it feels like crap. The rebound is too fast when it's wide open, and the first click has a bad top out. The AM has rebound on the bottom and has adjustment to 130mm by negative air. They are the same weight, until I add the axle, which is nearly 1/4 pound, believe it or not. The weight is no biggie. Thing is, the AM is to be sent back. I guess if I send the Z150, I should pay shipping, since I kept the wrong one. I guess the question is, for a trail bike, as the X2 is, should I keep the All Mountain or the Z150? My hub is convertible, so that is not an issue. Is QR20 that much stronger in terms of preventing flex, or shoud I just stick with the QR on the AM?I have roof racks that it will work on if I do. Help a brutha out. I want to mount one in the next few hours, but want it to be the right one, and don't want to lose a ton in shipping. The AM was $400 and the Z150 was $420.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
Personally, I would stick with the AM. The resale value will be higher in the long run too. 20MM is stiffer, but if you're not riding DH it shouldn't really matter.
 
J

JRB

Guest
Good point, Bicyclist. Will the machined crown hold up on rocky descents and drops up to 4'??? That is about as big as I see myself hitting. However, if I can do 4, I may say, "what's 5"???
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
Loco, I tried finding some monkey feedback on the AM SL v. AM 1 a few weeks ago and got almost nothing. Not sure why they are not more popular, except maybe the weight.

But FWIW, QR 20 is a weak link, people are always breaking the little clamps.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,556
AK
OGRipper said:
Not sure why they are not more popular, except maybe the weight.
It's the air spring, and having to mess with the positive and negative pressures.
 
J

JRB

Guest
OGRipper said:
But FWIW, QR 20 is a weak link, people are always breaking the little clamps.
I'm pretty sure that I will switch to the bolt for the clamp thing. I am not too scared of that part. Seems like something Marz would warranty if it failed. Maybe even with new bolt on lowers. :thumb:

I just set the air the same and the AM doesn't seem to have much oil to it. The Z150 is audible, where the AM is not. The Z150 seems to not have a poof kind of sound, where as the AM does. I am leaning towards the Z150.
 
J

JRB

Guest
I mounted the Z150 SL and rode it. I don't regret my choice. It is super fun.