[Rik]

This is going back a few years... I saw a few bikes in the "burly hardtails" thread, sporting this fork below:

I noticed it had a "true" 20mm dropout, and appears to be a 4" SC, pre 2001 model fork. What is it exactly?
I myself have a 1998 Mr T, which I run as a SC fork, and this looks almost like it... but mine is the "bomber orange" colour, these are more of a yellow colour, and they have the adjusters on the top caps, whereas to do the Mr T mod (unscrewing the top half of stanchion), you were left without the anodised adjusters. Were these released "officially" as a 4" SC with 20mm? Or are they a bastardised creation?

Just enquiring, I'm interested to find out...

 

[narlus]

z1 dual, i think? from '98 or so? i recall seeing a few of those around from time to time.

 

[nicklin]

yep, z1 duals alright. a cult legend like the 98 super t. ask Jm_, i'm sure he would know a thing or two about it

 

[Rik]

Cool, didn't know what they were called, or if it was a "proper" fork.

http://www.schlickjumper.de/parts/forum1_95.htm has given me a touch more info.
'Tis a shame there's not more of these and the Mr T's about...

 

[nicklin]

Originally posted by Rik

'Tis a shame there's not more of these and the Mr T's about...

I see a direct decendent of that fork in the 2004 shiver sc, 4 inch travel, true 20mm drop out, killer design, shiver moto-x cartrige, and nice and stiff. things came along, mate, cheer up

 

[soulfly]

'98 z1 dual. mmhhh.....

that fork was my dream over years.
i think, this is the most beautiest sc fork ever made (next to the manitou supernova/millenium). cnc arch, dedicated 20 mm axle, open bath damping.

 

[nicklin]

shiver sc is better......it's got an arch so advenced, you can't even see it....

no seriously though, I love the shiver sc, especially the view from behind...holy crap......

 

[nornirishdave]

z1 dual

produced in 99, then a limited run built from spares in 2002.

interesting fact (almost) first run had standard 14mm foot nuts fitted then dropouts bonded on, only snag was the hole in the dropouts were about 5 mm too small so the fork was un servicable

the internals are nothing special so you could build the same fork from some 98 0r 99 z1 bams and mr t lower

later

simon

 

[Tom DH]

Hears a set of mine, they are still holding up and I have only had to replace the bushes and seals once in all this time. Currently they are not on a bike and I was going to sell them but I don’t want to get rid of them so in the winter I am going to build a nice little 24” street bike so I can use them.

 

[Rik]

Originally posted by nicklin
I see a direct decendent of that fork in the 2004 shiver sc

Oh yeh, I love the Shiver SC, it'd be the perfect fork, except (always a but), I'm wary of stanchion damage. I ride alot in/around alot of sandstone, as well as the concrete jungle, and my lowers get beaten around as is... I'd hate to be scratching stanchions in those situations Even with the fork guards, I bet I could still end up doing some nasty work to the lowers.

"conventional" design, 4", dual HSCV, true 20mm axle, and around 2.5kg's would be my perfect fork, lucky I own a MrT

the internals are nothing special

Some would say the HSCV internals are special

 

[Trond]

Originally posted by nornirishdave


interesting fact (almost) first run had standard 14mm foot nuts fitted then dropouts bonded on, only snag was the hole in the dropouts were about 5 mm too small so the fork was un servicable

Very true, I picked up an unused one for close to nothing - only to figure out it needed a service after a few rides. I had no chance to open it. Marzocchi USA recommended me to file down a tool, but I couldn't get it to work either. Fork was returned.

 

[HTFR]

remember this???
i don't, but i have a pic

 

[zedro]

Originally posted by Trond
Very true, I picked up an unused one for close to nothing - only to figure out it needed a service after a few rides. I had no chance to open it. Marzocchi USA recommended me to file down a tool, but I couldn't get it to work either. Fork was returned.

even the more recent forks have problems with most socket sets it seems. They shoulda stuck with the bolt system instead of a foot nut, so at least you you spec an allen screw with no fit problems.

 

[zedro]

Originally posted by HTFR
remember this???
i don't, but i have a pic

heh, i have the similar XC600 sitting in my garage, leaking all on its very own...

it had a pretty trick 6 position damper dial adjusment built into the middle of the lower leg with lockout though, and pretty light too.

 

[Jm_]

Oh yeah, I remember the DH3. I was pretty close to buying one (so yeah, I've been mountain biking for a while). There was a coil-spring converision that you could get for it (cause their air-seals blew) and if you did that, you basically had a 3" bomber, minus the bomber chassi. It was bomber-plush though. The only thing they did when they went to the bomber chassi was really change the chassi, they kept the damper essentially. I got to ride around on a coil DH3 for a while, and that was why I was thinking of buying one. Except for being super flexy like everything else of the day, it felt pretty damn good.

And yeah, I agree with the otherse, Z1 Dual.

 

[Ian F]

Originally posted by HTFR
remember this???
i don't, but i have a pic

Yeah, I remember that fork. Back when a 3" fork was considered "long travel" and any rear-suspension frame was a "downhill bike."

 

[Kornphlake]

Originally posted by HTFR
remember this???
i don't, but i have a pic

I remember seeing those when I was like 13, I had a theory that marzoochi was on top of things because they hollowed out the lowers just above the drops to save weight since the sliders didn't really need that much overlap anyways. I guessed they'd be at the top of the market in a few years because their forks had "smart" weight saving features. I also thought that the Answer Proforx LT was cool because it was 4" and the lowers extended below the dropouts, I figured that if you really needed all the bushing overlap then the best way to get it was to extend the lowers, I thought they'd be at the top of the market in a few years because of their practical approach to squeezing more travel out of their forks. Unfortunately they were sold to manitou or manitou was sold to answer or whatever happened there and in the end it took a few years longer than it should have but they finally came out with the shermans which seem like good forks.

 

[dropmachine]

Originally posted by soulfly

i think, this is the most beautiest sc fork ever made (next to the manitou supernova/millenium). cnc arch, dedicated 20 mm axle, open bath damping.

What was so awesome about the Millenium? The fact that the fork bottomed out in a stiff breeze? The tons of maintenance that it took to keep the thing working? Maybe the ease with which it felt like ass?

Problem is, a lot of stuff like this (millenium, Z1 Dual ) were definately cool, but only for the time. ANyone here take a Z1 dual over an 04 DJ? if so why? its weaker, less stiff, and will die sooner. Same with the Sherman over the Millenium.

SUre they have nostalgia value, but really, they aren't as good as stuff on the market today, so why drool?






Transformers are still better then any toy on the market today though.

 

[HTFR]

Originally posted by Kornphlake
I remember seeing those when I was like 13, I had a theory that marzoochi was on top of things because they hollowed out the lowers just above the drops to save weight since the sliders didn't really need that much overlap anyways. I guessed they'd be at the top of the market in a few years because their forks had "smart" weight saving features. I also thought that the Answer Proforx LT was cool because it was 4" and the lowers extended below the dropouts, I figured that if you really needed all the bushing overlap then the best way to get it was to extend the lowers, I thought they'd be at the top of the market in a few years because of their practical approach to squeezing more travel out of their forks. Unfortunately they were sold to manitou or manitou was sold to answer or whatever happened there and in the end it took a few years longer than it should have but they finally came out with the shermans which seem like good forks.

any pics of this ols answer fork?
oh how i wish there was an archive for this sort of thing!:devil:

EDIT:Ebay of the Day

 

[soulfly]

Originally posted by dropmachine.com
What was so awesome about the Millenium? The fact that the fork bottomed out in a stiff breeze? The tons of maintenance that it took to keep the thing working? Maybe the ease with which it felt like ass?

Problem is, a lot of stuff like this (millenium, Z1 Dual ) were definately cool, but only for the time. ANyone here take a Z1 dual over an 04 DJ? if so why? its weaker, less stiff, and will die sooner. Same with the Sherman over the Millenium.

i don't said, they were awesome. i just said, they were beautiful. i always loved cnc'd things, even if they don't stronger just expensiver....
and in that time, they were top of the line (z1), or they thought to be top of the line (millenium).

 

[Jm_]

Originally posted by Kornphlake
I remember seeing those when I was like 13, I had a theory that marzoochi was on top of things because they hollowed out the lowers just above the drops to save weight since the sliders didn't really need that much overlap anyways.

Thing is, when marzocchi "invented" the bomber, they just left the lowers hollow like that. Sure they moved up to 30mm stanchions, but there was still a good 80mm from the bottom of the fork that was "hollow". That's why while the bomber was an impressive chassi change, it really wasn't *that* much different than a DH3 with coil springs, in fact it was very much the dame.

 

[HTFR]

Originally posted by Jm_
in fact it was very much the dame.

i don't know why but, that made me laugh.