[bighitfsr]

I'm after a new fork and I'm having a hard time making a decision.
I ride 90% DH, 5% DJs and some longer hardcore XC type trails.
I hit drops/gaps up to about 10ft high and allways to half decent trannys. I like my forks to feel really soft so I can bounce thru 70% of its travel in the parking lot. So I want a the fork thats the most progressive.

The fork is going on a Bighit with a custom 9 inch linkage and Avy shock. My current fork is an xvert carbon on its last legs (badly worn upper legs).
When the fork is freshly rebuilt I'm happy with the performance (nice and smooth with a controlled bottom out).
My main complaints with the xvert carbon is that its a tad flexy and its a lot of work to maintain.

I'm currently leaning toward the slider plus for the following reasons: weight, price, and ride height. I also own a 03 firefly which I'm very happy with (stiff, smooth, could be more progressive and I could have a wider range of rebound adjustment).

Questions:

Which fork is more progressive (ramps up the most at the end of its travel)?

Which fork has the smoothest stroke/least stiction/most active ride?

Which fork is stiffer (I'm guessing the 888R if so is there much of a difference)?

Which fork is the most durable/which fork would you expect to last longer?

Which fork is the easier to maintain?

Also is their any issues fitting an 888R on a large bighit?

 

[BlackDiamond]

First off I would recommend doing a search But....

As you can see I've ridden both. I sold my 04 Slider+ to get the 888R. There is a big difference between the two. The Slider is very linear in its travel; sure you can set it up to be more progressive but it gets harsh over the smaller stuff. The 888R feels like butter until the going gets rough then it ramps up and becomes progresive. I'm loving the 888R

If your total stack height is above 167mm you'll need the low rider crown from Go-Ride or the Risse version:

This is what I bolted on my bike, they are currently making me a drop upper crown and I should have it in about a week. It lowered my ride height by about 1 1/2" and works nicely. The only reason I put different lowers is because my stack height was 166mm and was pushing the envelope. This gives me more adjustability in my ride height and they just look really purty.

 

[DHS]

hey Black diamond,

sidenote. i see you have those lovely HOPE brakes, but it looks like you're running a adapter on the manitou.

i have a 7inch caliper and use the adapter on my breakout plus and its a 8inch rotor.
how have you kept the same rotor and caliper on the 888?

 

[Brian HCM#1]

You have to change the calipers from a #3 to a #8.

 

[Silver]

Originally posted by DHS
hey Black diamond,

sidenote. i see you have those lovely HOPE brakes, but it looks like you're running a adapter on the manitou.

i have a 7inch caliper and use the adapter on my breakout plus and its a 8inch rotor.
how have you kept the same rotor and caliper on the 888?

You have a 180mm caliper with the Manitou adaptor and a 200mm rotor right now? If you're doing that, you should be able to run the IBS20 adaptor with the 888 and 200mm rotor.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Originally posted by Silver
You have a 180mm caliper with the Manitou adaptor and a 200mm rotor right now? If you're doing that, you should be able to run the IBS20 adaptor with the 888 and 200mm rotor.

That too

 

[bighitfsr]

1st off I did a search.
The search found some useful infor about the 888R and Slider plus but I couldnt find a direct comparison hence the new thread.

Also I wanted to hear from riders like yourself who actually own both forks. I've found people will usually praise the product that they have over the other they have little or no expirience with.

Thanks for your post it been very helpful and adressed my main question about how progressive the two forks are as well as the 888R fit issue (I'll need an after market lower crown).
I had heard that the Slider plus was a very progressive fork, this is the first post where I've heard it described as linear.

I'm hoping you could also answer my other questions as well a few about the Risse crowns:

Which fork has the smoothest stroke/least stiction/most active ride? (from your post I get the impression the 888R is smoother even when running minimum pressure in the slider plus)

Which fork is stiffer (I'm guessing the 888R if so is there much of a difference)?

Which fork is the most durable/which fork would you expect to last longer?

Which fork is the easier to maintain?

Also about this comment

"The Slider is very linear in its travel sure you can set it up to be more progressive but it gets harsh over the smaller stuff"

Is it not possible to have both a progressive setup as well as good small bump compliance by setting the SPV volume to the minimum setting as well as the SPV pressure to the minimum setting?
Wont the starting compression be the same for:
- minimum pressure and minimum SPV chamber volume?
- minimum pressure and maximum SPV chamber volume?

In other words isnt the progressiveness adjustment independent from the SPV damping adjustment?
If you set the pressure and then reduce the volume the pressure will increase. I'm guessing that this may be why you've been unable to get a progressive setup with minimal compression damping. Perhaps not.