[ScarredOne]

Just got back from a week in Whistler/Oregon, and my brand new 888 RC3 is leaking oil from the damper side and has quite a bit of bushing play. Overall, the craftsmanship is not what I would expect for a fork that costs so much. Well, I guess they ALL do now, anyway .

So the question is, if not a 888, what else? What are your experiences with the new stuff?

What I've read:

Fox 40:
-cracked lowers
-blown out dampers (harder to blow out now with revised bladder?)
-small oil volume = high maintenance
-improved small bump valving for 2009 and newer
-bottom out resistance = buying a 2010 FIT that costs EVEN MORE

Boxxer:
-cracked lowers
-bent stanchions
-high maintenance
-take apart and grease prior to use
-various breakages from purported "JRA" use on 2010 models

I bought my 888 to get that legendary Marzocchi dependability, but it seems that this has diminished from how it used to be. Maybe I would still be better off with my 888 compared to the other two, but with another impromptu Whistler trip coming up, I want to avoid any more problems. Thanks.

 

[Sghost]

but with another impromptu Whistler trip coming up, I want to avoid any more problems.

I must drown the sorrows of my life in finite material possessions.......well, at least my Brooklyn won't break.

http://www.avalanchedownhillracing.com/

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222080

 

[Iridemtb]

I would go Fox 40. Pretty proven. I have had mine since 2007. It works great. Just change the seals every season, and change the oil every 10 rides (but I have gone about 15-20). Then every once in a while give it a really really good cleaning (wipe out lowers, stanctions, wipe down spring/damper).

I haven't had any problems with cracking or the blown carterdge. I do have some pretty serious dents in the lowers though. But they aren't exactly paper.

Maybe the 2010 marzocchi will be more promising. I mean you could also look into an aluminum dorado too. The newer boxxers have their problems I haver heard, but their new stanctions are probably MUCH LESS prone to bending or snapping.

 

[seismic]

http://www.avalanchedownhillracing.com/

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222080

Exacly !! A thread just for people who are tired of forks made up with plastic internals.

 

[ScarredOne]

http://www.avalanchedownhillracing.com/

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222080

Hahaha...shoulda known that the Avy Cult members would hit my post! I had probs. with a DHS 2.25 on my old S8 back in the day, and never looked back at Avy again. Kinda weird. Perhaps I would give Craig's products another try if he made any non-USD forks. Oh well.

 

[soplo]

http://www.bosmtb.com/MTB2/en.html

 

[Sghost]

Then looks like your down to:

and

 

[rigidhack]

Rigid.

No leaks.

No oil changes or worrying about scratching the stanchions.

Not much maintenance.

Light.

Cheap.

 

[Kanye West]

Rigid.

No leaks.

No oil changes or worrying about scratching the stanchions.

Not much maintenance.

Light.

Cheap.

"Sub-standard" tracking ability.

Whack HA.

 

[ScarredOne]

Rigid.

No leaks.

No oil changes or worrying about scratching the stanchions.

Not much maintenance.

Light.

Cheap.

Me and a buddy used to use take-off rigid forks on our trials bikes. One pedal kick drop to flat and it was time for a new one. Ya.

 

[sikocycles]

Hahaha...shoulda known that the Avy Cult members would hit my post! I had probs. with a DHS 2.25 on my old S8 back in the day, and never looked back at Avy again. Kinda weird. Perhaps I would give Craig's products another try if he made any non-USD forks. Oh well.

The S8 was the problem not the Avy

 

[DirtyMike]

Speaking of Avy's, I think I am getting a woodie

 

[MrPlow]

think most of the points you have made are in the past and isolated anyway. If either forks were THAT crap then both companies would be broke by now hey?

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Within the last few years Marzocchi started building their forks overseas. IMO the fork quality is just not the same as when they were built in Europe.

 

[djivotno]

I must say I'm pretty happy with the Travis (08 air backed int... something). Plenty strong (compared to my 07 Boxxer before), seals last longer, the damper is real nice TPC based with IFP serviceable cartridge so no need to play with it every month and no leaks from the floodgate. All the external adjustments you need and if they are not enough you can play with the IFP for position sensitivity or pressure for tuning range, and the R/C shim-stacks for everything else. In the weight department - when you add to the Boxxer the brake adapter/bolts and the integrated stem the Travis (it has them stock) is just 100g over but noticeably less flexy.

Ou and my A2C is 570mm. For the 200mm fork with the 40mm offset is pretty decent

The only real issue i had with it is the gold ano on the uppers but i don't care about cosmetics as long as it performs

I can't figure out why Manitou would stop making them But there are still some in sale and at a great price for a pretty good fork with a pretty bad company rep.

 

[Sandwich]

Speaking of Avy's, I think I am getting a woodie

that happens to a lot of people when they start thinking about avy suspension...


but seriously. My suggestion would be to get a my 06-09ish? boxxer and just deal with the maintenance. Mine has offered great tracking, very very good damping, and is really light. It's about time for a psuedo-rebuild, but I don't have any oil handy at the moment.

I had an avy dual damper for a while, and it was a bit overdamped for me. The thing performed great, but it could have been better. I never toyed with the adjustments enough to be able to say anything definitively in that sense. The one comment I will make is that I never had to maintain it. 2yrs service live on the forks. I would love to try another 7" single damper fork, but the trail on those forks really messed up the handling on my bike, and until the crown or drops are 0 offset, I'll stick with the boxxer and the maintenance.

I still want somebody to make a linkage fork.

 

[fortenndu]

2008 or 2009 boxxer team.

 

[djjohnr]

I'd recommend a Fox 40. The 09 cartridge changes seemed to resolve the bottoming issues, and as long as you keep it maintained they are pretty hassle free. Maintenance is exactly the same as a 36 - wipe off the stanchions after you ride, change the oil ever 30 hours of riding (although you can go longer), and store the bike upside down (this makes a big difference - bushings stay well lubricated).

 

[DirtyMike]

I'd recommend a Fox 40. The 09 cartridge changes seemed to resolve the bottoming issues, and as long as you keep it maintained they are pretty hassle free. Maintenance is exactly the same as a 36 - wipe off the stanchions after you ride, change the oil ever 30 hours of riding (although you can go longer), and store the bike upside down (this makes a big difference - bushings stay well lubricated).

Thats actually why I like My Marzocchi, 07 66. Because I can store the bike anyway I want to, and never worry about it the bushings are lubed!!! I do pop the top dust seal on a fairly regular basis and grease inbetween the two seals to keep it buttery smooth between rebuilds.

 

[time-bomb]

I'd recommend a Fox 40. The 09 cartridge changes seemed to resolve the bottoming issues, and as long as you keep it maintained they are pretty hassle free. Maintenance is exactly the same as a 36 - wipe off the stanchions after you ride, change the oil ever 30 hours of riding (although you can go longer), and store the bike upside down (this makes a big difference - bushings stay well lubricated).

I second that.

My 06 888 RC2X was awesome, no maint, no issues, very reliable. Just a tad heavy and a tad brake dive.

My 08 Boxxer WC was supposed to be an upgrade but the 888 RC2X had superior damping and feel - IMO

Recently upgraded to a 09 Fox 40 RC2. Best dual crown fork I have ridden in the last 5 years - hands down. Has the stiffness of the 888, better damping than both the boxxer and 888. No reliability issues so far but the fork is still too new to really comment on that. Point is, it is a noticeable improvement over both forks.

After riding the 40 the only other thing I would seriously consider at this point would be the new Dorado. Haven't heard anything bad about them other than the price, and that is why I am not trying one out.

Avy seems like way more fork than I need. I would consider it based on reputation alone but it either needs to go on a diet or I need more muscles.

 

[Kanye West]

I do pop the top dust seal on a fairly regular basis and grease inbetween the two seals to keep it buttery smooth between rebuilds.

Grease doesn't go there. It goes in the grooves of the oil seal and the dust wiper. Putting the grease between them might eventually circulate some new grease into those grooves, but by itself it does nothing. Better off just dropping a few CC of some extra thick fork oil or gear oil between them.

I've always wondered about the huge amount of offset on the Avy forks. I've also wondered what the differences in total offset are between an older 888, newer 888, Boxxer, and 40. The greater trail seems to want to "knife-in" a lot more, while the less trail seems to deaden out the steering a bit.

I've been experimenting with the different offsets a bit on the moto, and fortunately I get a lot more time in the saddle and hitting corners to feel out the changes than I would on the DH bike. The less offset (on the moto at least) requires less steering input, and can feel a bit more "planted" in the front. The greater offset requires more steering input for a sharp turn, but also has a more consistent and controllable "push" to it. The lesser offset wouldn't hold a front wheel slide quite as well, and would either want to knife in or give out. The only difference in stability that I noticed was that the greater offset was a little more prone to head-shaking, but the stabilizer took care of all that so I may have been imagining things. Could have been other factors in the valving.

Just gotta decide what you want out of it I guess. There are benefits to each.

 

[djjohnr]

Thats actually why I like My Marzocchi, 07 66. Because I can store the bike anyway I want to, and never worry about it the bushings are lubed!!! I do pop the top dust seal on a fairly regular basis and grease inbetween the two seals to keep it buttery smooth between rebuilds.

Actually, you'd be surprised at how much any fork feels if you store it upside down, including your Marzocchi. The Fox works better to me - better low speed compression damping then any of my old Marzocchi forks.

 

[ScarredOne]

The S8 was the problem not the Avy

The valving/spring combo I initially received on the DHS I could bottom while static or riding off curbs (the spring was quite a bit heavier than the one I used on the Fox I took off). I opted out of the additional cost adjustable compression damping, and didn't have even more money (over the $600 I had just paid) to try various valving adjustments with Craig to see if there would be a breakthrough. Oh well. I just went back to the stock Vanilla RC.

Grease doesn't go there. It goes in the grooves of the oil seal and the dust wiper. Putting the grease between them might eventually circulate some new grease into those grooves, but by itself it does nothing. Better off just dropping a few CC of some extra thick fork oil or gear oil between them.

I've always wondered about the huge amount of offset on the Avy forks. I've also wondered what the differences in total offset are between an older 888, newer 888, Boxxer, and 40. The greater trail seems to want to "knife-in" a lot more, while the less trail seems to deaden out the steering a bit.

I've been experimenting with the different offsets a bit on the moto, and fortunately I get a lot more time in the saddle and hitting corners to feel out the changes than I would on the DH bike. The less offset (on the moto at least) requires less steering input, and can feel a bit more "planted" in the front. The greater offset requires more steering input for a sharp turn, but also has a more consistent and controllable "push" to it. The lesser offset wouldn't hold a front wheel slide quite as well, and would either want to knife in or give out. The only difference in stability that I noticed was that the greater offset was a little more prone to head-shaking, but the stabilizer took care of all that so I may have been imagining things. Could have been other factors in the valving.

Just gotta decide what you want out of it I guess. There are benefits to each.

Hacktastic, you are truly a gentleman and a scholar.