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Avalanche boxxer upgrade kit out! Will fit majority of forks!

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
Well its been a while for Craig to put out some items and anyone that knows him also knows unless its over engineered and full proof its not good! :D
Just thought it was kind of a cool upgrade, we just had a 5th element done by him and came in today so well be putting it on the bullit and proceeding to beat the H#!! out of it now and run it ragged.

Anyhow it caught me off guard I know hes been working on stuff for a while and my kid has a earlier 888 and wanted to know when.
-The kit will fit almost any of the forks, he will have upgrade adapter kits for the cartridge to fit different forks so if you have a boxxer now and go 888 next season no big deal buy the adapter kit and swap it in, sell off the old adapter kit.


This is the basics:
1- it will fit into a majority of forks so its interchangeable (between fox, 888, boxxer etc as an example) with a upgrade adapter kit.

2- It will have a upgradeable tune kit with shims and an instruction book on how to do it yourself and what starter settings or shims for different terrain and basics so you can do it.

3- It will be well engineered! :D

4- its $299 user installable or $399 and Craig will install it (+adapter kits)

5- It will have flat head screw adjustments as it keeps the knobs from protruding under the fork like a 40 or boxxer

6- knob upgrade is available if you want knobs instead of the flat head adjuster.

Aside of that Im not too sure its just something I noticed got updated today and thought that after it craig working on it for so long its kind of a cool thing!

Heres a link to the tuning page as well.
http://www.avalanchedownhillracing.com/AVA ADV.htm

http://www.avalanchedownhillracing.com/AVA Advantage Cart Kit.htm














Heres weight with 32mm bxr adapter kit and without... Remember with the kit the big gold cap replaces your cap so the only weight that really matters is the internals.



Heres the weight of the internals I took out of the Boxxer WC 2010


Heres what I put back in 8gs heavier then 25ccs of oil less in hte new system knocks of 20gs of weight so it came out 12 gs lighter than a stock boxxer wc.


Heres the rebound assembley tear down



Heres the preproduction knobs, he did these so guys like me would have something to adjust with and quit bugging him. LOL so in the midst of being slammed he managed to give us a basic knob till the COOL production ones will be available. :note: These are not anodized Im having them onod blue/bottom and red/top.



Edited: Added content review and pics now to this post to make it easier....

6/15/2010
OK so the first thing It took it apart and looked at the machine work and went over it plus the reassembley to see how easy it really is to install and its SUPER easy.... Oil height is 245ccs 85/??? golden spectro synthetic (light anti foam and approx 3wt).
athe compression is on the bottom of the leg and the rebound is on the top and WORK GREAT....... The whole assembley is so well designed and easy to install its nice, the whole feel of the cartridge is amazing from start to finish....

I took it out today for the first ride and we had speed, loose caorners, bermed corners, rocks, ruts, tight single track with TONS of dollheads, rock outcroppings, TONS of BIG rain ruts etc.... Its fast real fast and exposed basically hammer down and go for it... Theres corners on big rocks and chunky terrain that have corners down to other chutes etc...

1: Cornering- This fork was consistant top to bottom light and loaded through the corners there were little to no chatter feel and it not once washed out due to lack of damping and control wether it was at the top or mid stroke.... It literally cornered amazing.

2: Rocks- It blew through the rocks without ANY harsh hits, it was incredible railing and was even smoother at speed the faster you went the better it got......

3: overall- The thing felt a bit slow (parking lot test) when messing around so I backed out the adjustments a little and it felt buttery at any adjustment. It does not have that light dry feel like the boxxer did and definently not like the Fox 40. It is as light as the original setup and will lighten up a bit when the production caps are done for the adapter. It did not wallow at all and the damping was consistent no matter where I was in travel so it didnt matter if I was high in it or loaded it reacted the same so my style could stay the ssame without adjusting.
I do not miss the high speed adjuster as this is should stay with the valving and be fine tuned by the low speed. I can honestly say that I have had forks with hi and lo comp and this SMOKES them by a long shot... Completely destroyed what the boxxer WC felt like in action...
I came in hot into ruts and did not get the play in the forks action like before allowing me to maintain the line as well as did load the front end into ruts on purpose (bigger ruts) to see if it slammed me and caused spiking at speed and None it literally and evenly took the hit and felt completely bottomless.
Im running 65psi and did not bottom it out, the hydraulic bottom out did its job spot on. Took the hit and slowwed the shaft speed down with no harsh hit or bad ramping...

Now the bad and this is literally the only complaint I have3 which has been addressed when I called Craig tonight he already said it before I asked...
The compression knob is hard to set without a screw driver so he is testing adjusters with a EPS foam crush zone to prevent internal damage incase of a strike so you can replace it and not the internals should a lowley rock decide to befriend it.
Also he is doing mid strok damping which will not effect the compression what it will do is keep the front end from any brake dive or load up on the ace of big jumps in nastier terrain not so much hard pack smooth cali stuff.

So all in all I was completely floored by this cartridge, I expected good but I did not expect it to feel that much better than the WC it was kind of depressing but exciting at the same time... It was way more plush than my 888 ATA ever was and the small bump on this fork will be legendary. It literally felt like a DHF but at boxxer wc weight.

Now with the air fork it performed flawless it made it consistent even when the air ramped up a smidge I did not turn the bottom out on as its not needed with the hydraulic bottom out so you can run a bit less air as well because it will take care of you.

Bottom line is this thing is literally a monster its smoother then my 888s and definently gives my boxxer wc a beat down...
It will make you faster as control and consistency is there. The Boxxer WC hi speed mod was a huge improvement over stock and I was happy but I will not be going back to stock internals.... I will be on this cartridge no matter what fork chasis I ride.


OK sorry for the dark pictures.... It was down to 80 so good for riding but getting a bit dark.

This one I tried to triple the jump and came in a bit short.



This was just a small step down I was overshooting it on purpose to just plain beat the hell outa the fork....
BTW DID not bottom on any of the landings I nailed all of them and these were the ones that I came in hard for demo..........



bikes in my 4-runner and atomicadam


Mandown taking a pic of taking a pic


Bike post ride on waqy back down





7/11/2010
NOTE: Ankle is broken so movement is limited...

Overshooting the step up, had some issues with other components so I was coming in a fair bit shy of normal...
1st is trying to compenste for a LOW psi rear tire and washout off the lip right before and the second one is me almost taking out the guys shooting pics...
The jump is 18' tip to tip and 5-6' up so go in hot up and over the landing and usually get it to flat. Almost 18' past the tip of the landing...

Fork handles jumping insane as well as tracks the berms and corners like a razor blade, I did get alot of rear wheel flex yesterday with the Big Betty on which I have no idea as to why just yet, it went BWRRRRRRR and grabbed the chainstay before launching which threw me off and acted like a brake check a bit...
So I cant say its the big bettys hooking up better than the Muddy marys even though the MMs never did this but the BBs did it on hard cornering and berms....




Just a shot to show the size of the jumps
You can see my bike in the center as this one lands in a right hand berm so its wise to whip it right mid air....



Say "BYE, BYE" Landing we just passed over you and headed to flat! LOL
 
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nmn25

Monkey
Jun 12, 2006
314
1
portland or co springs
id like to try one on a boxxer. boxxer weight w/ avy damping would be sick. I was talking to Craig today to, just got my 5th sent back to me. I cant wait to try it out
 

Zark

Hey little girl, do you want some candy?
Oct 18, 2001
6,254
7
Reno 911
Hmmm, very nice. Might end up trying one.
:disgust1:Really now? Hucker!

Its cool to see so many kit options for older chassis. CR1, Push, now avalache..
But aren't all these chassis going to be beat? You know, worn bushings, bent stanchions, more gashes than a Reno bunnyranch?
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
:disgust1:Really now? Hucker!

Its cool to see so many kit options for older chassis. CR1, Push, now avalache..
But aren't all these chassis going to be beat? You know, worn bushings, bent stanchions, more gashes than a Reno bunnyranch?
Unlikely, but maybe, we'll see what the final price is.
 
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IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
interesting that just a few days ago the site mentioned that some machine work is needed for the 40, but now it doesnt mention it at all



and the kit isnt out yet or so their site says
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
interesting that just a few days ago the site mentioned that some machine work is needed for the 40, but now it doesnt mention it at all



and the kit isnt out yet or so their site says
Well the 40 doesn't really have oil seals right? So it'll definitely need some kind of new seal setup unless you want oil spewing all over the place, amirite?
 

Eastern States Cup

Turbo Monkey
Feb 29, 2008
2,465
2
East Coast
I have two 888's in his hands right now, he's using them for fit purposes. Will report back when they're back and real world tested. These should be popular as Marzocchi has no rebound cartridges for 07 and earlier available.
 
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profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
I'm very intrigued by this. I just bought a new 2010 Boxxer WC and while its good/great, I am still very intrigued in this.
 
As a guy who has been holding out on upgrading my older boxxer im very much liking buying a 2010 Boxxer Race model and upgrading the internals right away with this. If u do the math and u get a deal on the fork and send it to Craig then ur speunding a little more than buying the Team in the 1st place yet u have sweet glorious shimz to play with.......:weee:
 

Timmah450

Chimp
Mar 24, 2010
1
0
This is a universal kit. It just so happnes the 32 mm boxxer adaptor parts. (Top Cap and Casting adaptors) are in first. I know there working on adaptor parts for some of the newer forks like the 888 and 010 boxxers
 
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Muttely

Monkey
Jan 26, 2009
402
0
When they come out with a kit for '10 boxxers, and when the price drops due to self fitting, ill get one fo sho.
 

rigidhack

Turbo Monkey
Aug 16, 2004
1,206
1
In a Van(couver) down by the river
This does look promising. Pick up a used 888 and drop in a new AVY cart - performance on the cheap!

Sounds like a cool thing to me. I'd like to see the 35mm versions come out as well, given that I'm on a 2010 Boxxer Team for the forseeable future.
 
It says it will work for pretty much any 8" fork, it will just require different adapter kit.
True but you will need the specific adapters and at this time the 35mm Boxxer adapters are not being planned(i called him 2day). Personally i think its a mistake to only focus on the older boxxer (32mm) but it does cost alot of $$$ to make the machined parts and there are more older boxxers around than new.
I really doubt that alot of people with the 32mm boxxer are looking to drop $400 into a tired fork where as the newer 35mm boxxer guys will after a year or so on the fork.
 

jsg04

Monkey
Aug 29, 2006
564
0
As a guy who has been holding out on upgrading my older boxxer im very much liking buying a 2010 Boxxer Race model and upgrading the internals right away with this. If u do the math and u get a deal on the fork and send it to Craig then ur speunding a little more than buying the Team in the 1st place yet u have sweet glorious shimz to play with.......:weee:
That is the idea that I had when I bought my Race, but it looks like I might be waiting for a while.
 

Steve M

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2007
1,991
45
Whistler
As a guy who has been holding out on upgrading my older boxxer im very much liking buying a 2010 Boxxer Race model and upgrading the internals right away with this. If u do the math and u get a deal on the fork and send it to Craig then ur speunding a little more than buying the Team in the 1st place yet u have sweet glorious shimz to play with.......:weee:
The funny thing is that if you buy the 2010+ Team you have shimmed compression and rebound anyway... as well as HS and LS adjusters for both compression and rebound instead of only low speed for each. Sure the stock valving (at least in compression) is a bit of a joke, but for like $10 of shims and a bit of time messing round it's not like it's going to be difficult to make it work.
 
The funny thing is that if you buy the 2010+ Team you have shimmed compression and rebound anyway... as well as HS and LS adjusters for both compression and rebound instead of only low speed for each. Sure the stock valving (at least in compression) is a bit of a joke, but for like $10 of shims and a bit of time messing round it's not like it's going to be difficult to make it work.

Damit your making a really good point.
But the shimz wouldn't be AVY shimz so no care.
Wait, yes i do...:rofl:
 

S.K.C.

Turbo Monkey
Feb 28, 2005
4,096
25
Pa. / North Jersey
I think making a custom damper kit that can retro-fit to any fork is a GREAT idea! Use the fork chassis as a universal platform instead of a design limitation and you've got something there...

I agree with the other guys about receiving more clarification on adapter availability.

Pre 10' Boxxers = 32mm
Pre 08' Marzocchi 888's = 35mm
(All years) FOX 40 RC2's = 40mm

From what I understand - so far, Craig has said that the first Alpha proto dampers will be made available with 32mm adapters for pre 10' Boxxers as well as the first production run (in limited quantities to determine market demand). Is this correct?

I would be very interested in seeing how this damper looks in a 40. Does the removal of the FOX guts and replacement with the Avy damper delete the ubiquitous FOX 40 "male genitalia" located at the bottom of one side the lowers? I always wanted to have those adjusters tucked out of the way on a 40...
 

karpi

Monkey
Apr 17, 2006
904
0
Santiasco, Chile
True but you will need the specific adapters and at this time the 35mm Boxxer adapters are not being planned(i called him 2day). Personally i think its a mistake to only focus on the older boxxer (32mm) but it does cost alot of $$$ to make the machined parts and there are more older boxxers around than new.
I really doubt that alot of people with the 32mm boxxer are looking to drop $400 into a tired fork where as the newer 35mm boxxer guys will after a year or so on the fork.
when the kit is in its final stage, they'll be selling it for 300, which is a damn good price! If I had a 2005-2009 boxxer, I'd do it hands down! To have the feel of a dhs in my forks would be amazing
 
I would be very interested in seeing how this damper looks in a 40. Does the removal of the FOX guts and replacement with the Avy damper delete the ubiquitous FOX 40 "male genitalia" located at the bottom of one side the lowers? I always wanted to have those adjusters tucked out of the way on a 40...



I dunno on the forkcock but he did say that the 40 version is specific to the 40 .
The other models you could *possibly* take the cart from fork to fork with you if AVY ends up offering the adapters you need.
Like 888 to Boxxer to Kowa etc....
 

NY_Star

Turbo Monkey
I dunno on the forkcock but he did say that the 40 version is specific to the 40 .
The other models you could *possibly* take the cart from fork to fork with you if AVY ends up offering the adapters you need.
Like 888 to Boxxer to Kowa etc....
The main issue with the 40 chassis is the complete lack of a oil seal. This leads to some issues when it comes to having oil in the fork and keeping it there.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
Humph. I'd love one if I hadn't bestroyed my 08 WC, and if I didn't think the 35box was such a design improvement over the 32. I guess we'll have to see.