[Electric_City]

Anyone know where to send a 2017 RS Monarch rct3 to get tuned so it actually works? Either that or a coil that will work without a special tune for a 2017 Devinci Spartan (8.5"x2.5")? Dvo? Marz? CC? Thanks

 

[toodles]

Anyone know where to send a 2017 RS Monarch rct3 to get tuned so it actually works? Thanks

Does Vorsprung do a Tractive tune for that model?

 

[Jm_]

The trash can?

 

[Electric_City]

The trash can?

I'm up for that too. Are there any coils that can work on this bike without special tunes?

 

[boostindoubles]

What's the bike? CC Inline coil has some shortys.

 

[Electric_City]

What's the bike? CC Inline coil has some shortys.

Just edited- 2017 Devinci Spartan 8.5"x2.5"

 

[djjohnr]

Here's the leverage curve for that bike - https://linkagedesign.blogspot.com/2014/06/devinci-spartan-650b-2015.html. Looks like a ~22% increase in rate. Should work with a coil with a stock aftermarket tune.

 

[Jm_]

Marz CR is the shock of choice for suspension action.


I had the Monarch+ RC3 tuned and after that, the 3-position switch was more like a low-speed threshold. The "firmest" setting was also the plushest on sharp hits, so it dramatically increased the platform/lsc and would blow off pretty decent, but no comparison to a coil shock. I put the coil shock on and pretty much never look back. The Monarch+ is nice on some flow trails, but I'm not taking shocks on and off just for flow trails.

 

[Nick]

Ask dirtlabs?

 

[canadmos]

Wha happened?

 

[englertracing]

You probably caught him when he's off his antipshycotics.

Let me guess, no compression damping, and more rebound damping than you know what to do with?
So that it blows through and packs
Giving you that wonderful mush but harsh feeling?

 

[Electric_City]

Theres more to it than this and I do take half the blame.

The short story-

I talked to Wendy, I believe, and told her I understand that it was tuned years ago and I'm not looking for any freebees. I offered to send it in and pay to have it re-tuned. Again, my fault.

My rear shock was tuned by him before I ever rode the Spartan. Mainly because he did such an awesome job on my suspension for 2 DH bikes. Unfortunately, the Spartan has never gotten more than 2/3 of its travel. Not once(note the pic above). Being that it's set at 30% sag, what's the point of a 6" travel bike if I only use 4"? I just wanted to discuss getting it re-tuned or looked at. But instead I wasted 45 minutes, with him talking for 43 of those.

"You should never use all of your travel"

"I'm backed up for 8 weeks"

"Rockshox obviously installed the (40 something) shaft instead of the (50 something) shaft in your shock and the sag markings are wrong."

"Are you just putting 240psi in and riding? The air pressure is measured throughout the stroke. The pump needs to stay on as you cycle through the travel. Not just in the parking lot."

"I'm backed up for 8 weeks"

As I told him "ok thanks", he says to me "No, not ok! What are you going to do to fix this!?"

Ummm. Go somewhere else I guess?

 

[englertracing]

Theres more to it than this and I do take half the blame.

The short story-

I talked to Wendy, I believe, and told her I understand that it was tuned years ago and I'm not looking for any freebees. I offered to send it in and pay to have it re-tuned. Again, my fault.

My rear shock was tuned by him before I ever rode the Spartan. Mainly because he did such an awesome job on my suspension for 2 DH bikes. Unfortunately, the Spartan has never gotten more than 2/3 of its travel. Not once. Being that it's set at 30% sag, what's the point of a 6" travel bike if I only use 4"? I just wanted to discuss getting it re-tuned or looked at. But instead I wasted 45 minutes, with him talking for 43 of those. Most of it was stupid shit like-
"You should never use all of your travel"
"Rockshox obviously installed the (40 something) shaft instead of the (50 something) shaft in your shock and the sag markings are wrong."
"Are you just putting 240psi in and riding? The air pressure is measured throughout the stroke. The pump needs to stay on as you cycle through the travel. Not just in the parking lot."

As I told him "ok thanks", he says to me "No, not ok! What are you going to do to fix this!"
Ummm. Go somewhere else I guess?

Classic Craig
"There is no better second tune"

"Your wasting my time" ..... while your actually trying to get off the phone with him

 

[englertracing]

dump the air see if you can compress it all the way.

 

[Electric_City]

dump the air see if you can compress it all the way.

It does

 

[Westy]

I work with a lot of people like this. Constantly arguing with themselves while trying to prove you are wrong.

 

[DaveW]

I'm up for that too. Are there any coils that can work on this bike without special tunes?

DVO Jade X with a progressive spring, I've been installing a bunch of these lately on bikes & been really impressed by the feel of them.

JADE X – DVO Suspension

dvosuspension.com

 

[Happymtb.fr]

A buddy of mine has the same bike with a öhlins ttx coil. I can ask him some details if you wish.

 

[Redwood Mulch Chucker]

Does Vorsprung do a Tractive tune for that model?

It looks like they do, and this is what I recommend if the shock is not replaced with a coil.

The way the tractive tuning dealio works is that any of their "partners" can set it up, it doesn't have to go to Canada. All the parts are provided and the tuning database is shared.

I had a super deluxe tractivated by a tuner near me, it was awesome and just what I asked for.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

The MRP Hazzard can also be had with progressive coils as well.

 

[HardtailHack]

I work with a lot of people like this. Constantly arguing with themselves while trying to prove you are wrong.

I work with people like that and I work on my own.

 

[Electric_City]

A buddy of mine has the same bike with a öhlins ttx coil. I can ask him some details if you wish.

That would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Inclag]

How many bands are installed in there?

 

[Happymtb.fr]

That would be appreciated. Thanks!

He also had the monarch, coming with the frame, with which he could not bottom out with 30% sag.

The coil was better at everything except weight and cost
He told me that he gained support at the beginning of the stroke, he found more grip both on his pedals and on the ground.

Go for coil, I would say!

 

[Electric_City]

How many bands are installed in there?

I forget. He mentioned that if I took those off that it would possibly get more travel, but something else would then be the issue and it would perform poorly and the sag would have to be lower than 30% and by adding more air pressure I'm back to square one and then it requires a different tune and then, and then and then....

 

[Electric_City]

Questions regarding Öhlins and DVO, do you have to be a direct dealer for these brands or are they available through the regular distributors?

 

[englertracing]

Questions regarding Öhlins and DVO, do you have to be a direct dealer for these brands or are they available through the regular distributors?

Skip the monster themed suntor shock.

Just try taking a band out and using the same pressure.

 

[boogenman]

I feel like my life is incomplete because I have never had a talk with Craig before.

 

[boogenman]

Questions regarding Öhlins and DVO, do you have to be a direct dealer for these brands or are they available through the regular distributors?

BTI shows your size in stock if that helps.

 

[Inclag]

I forget. He mentioned that if I took those off that it would possibly get more travel, but something else would then be the issue and it would perform poorly and the sag would have to be lower than 30% and by adding more air pressure I'm back to square one and then it requires a different tune and then, and then and then.... Holy fuck.

.....So what are you so miffed about? Sounds like you and Craig are like oil and water when it comes to communicating with one another.

Take the bands out. See if you like it better....or perhaps you should just get something that's simpler that requires less faffing about like a Marzocchi/Fox Van RC.

 

[Cerberus75]

Skip the monster themed suntor shock.

Just try taking a band out and using the same pressure.

Agreed. I'd only use bands to prevent a harsh bottom out. You have better support throughout travel without them. The Hazzard has a real shim stack unlike MRP forks.

 

[canadmos]

Questions regarding Öhlins and DVO, do you have to be a direct dealer for these brands or are they available through the regular distributors?

You buy DVO and all the spare parts straight from DVO themselves.

 

[ChrisRobin]

I found my Tractive tuned shock has a similar feel to other shocks previously well tuned by Craig (the ones that were done well anyway). Although I did have to send the damn thing back to Vorsprung because they got the tune wrong the first time around, but now it's pretty good.

I don't use full travel either but I also don't feel like I'm slamming into a progressive air spring wall.

 

[englertracing]

I found my Tractive tuned shock has a similar feel to other shocks previously well tuned by Craig (the ones that were done well anyway). Although I did have to send the damn thing back to Vorsprung because they got the tune wrong the first time around, but now it's pretty good.

I don't use full travel either but I also don't feel like I'm slamming into a progressive air spring wall.

So your saying that Steve retuned your shock rather than spewing nonsense at you for 45 mins?

 

[sethimus]

I feel like my life is incomplete because I have never had a talk with Craig before.

same, just ordered the stock 888 cartridge

 

[Jm_]

With my monarch+ stock, I had to run around 40% sag to have any decent compliance, at which point I was nearly 50% into the travel. One of the mods was a couple bands in the negative chamber. After, I could at least run what I thought was a normal-ish amount of sag and still get full travel. There are some negatives to doing this, but they outweighed the positive. The Monarch+ just didn't match up with the RFX well. I will say though, the tuned Monarch+ was head and shoulders above the same shock on a Spec Enduro 29er. I was just able to "let the bike go" through nasty rough sections at the bike park, something I had not experienced on the Enduro, because it was just too harsh at speed.

 

[ChrisRobin]

same, just ordered the stock 888 cartridge

You mean you ordered the stock RC3 or whatever it was called cartridge for the 888? I have an Avalanche one I don't need anymore.

 

[sethimus]

i ordered just the stock 888 avalanche cartridge in 2010, without any fancy custom talk with craig

 

[ChrisRobin]

So your saying that Steve retuned your shock rather than spewing nonsense at you for 45 mins?

I think I spoke to Steve for about 10min, and that was to ask me if I was going to run my Megatower in the short or long chainstay setting. Everything else was done via email. Even sending it back for a re-tune was done via email. Although I did write out a lengthy description of what I was feeling and what I liked and didn't like which I'm sure helped.

I've had those long conversations with Craig before. Sometimes he would tell me stuff that I already knew, but I knew better than try to interrupt him...I just let him talk. But I don't remember getting any sort of attitude from him.

 

[mykel]

I have an Avy cartridge in both the trailbike and the DH bike, and a tuned SuperDeluxe coil on the trailbike (CCDB coil on the DH, so not much anybody can do)
The trailbike was fine out of the box on both ends, but the DH cartridge was a bit too firm.
I think it was a case of the older I get the faster I was, especially post accidents. He had me tuned as expert, when realistically now I'm weekend warrior speed at best. Retune is good.

Phone experience has been pretty good, bit long winded but no arguing. The re-tune was done by e-mail and was fairly painless, when I was able to convey what I needed changed, and what I liked, took a couple of back and forths but in the end everything was very good.

Maybe because I was "warned" before hand and new kinda what to expect it was not too bad. I knew what I wanted, and we were pretty much on the same page, so he did not have to do any selling.

Keeping fingers crossed further contact goes as wall as it has so far.

Damn, bet I just jinxed myself.


Edit - Wendy has always been a joy to talk to both over the phone or by e-mail.