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Which DH fork should i get?

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,375
1,610
Warsaw :/
I presume you've spent a significant amount of time on a 2010 888 Evo Ti to make a comment like that. I can't say I've noticed much of any "dive" on my newer 888, and the compression adjustments very effective alter where the fork rides in it's travel on the trail. Other folks that have ridden my bike have all been blown away by the performance of the 2010 888. That being said if you don't like the linear spring rate of a coil spring and prefer the more progressive nature of the air spring the Dorado preformed far better on the trail than the Boxxer WC's I've ridden.

To the OP, from what I've ridden I'd suggest leaning the way of 888 Evo Ti if you prefer a coil spring, and lean the way of the Dorado if you prefer an air spring.
Read my post again - it could never convince me (in the older models) and all my friends who own the 2010s claim there is less of it but still they dive more than other forks.(Im to light for their setups) I rode a 07 rc2x for 2.5 seasons and even though I like how push it rode I had to use a bit more damping than now because it would feel loose very easily. If its better than cool but it will take some time before Im convinced to marz again. Right now Id go avy chart, dorado or bos if money allowed.

Also - If I could pick up a dorado I would but Ive got a deal on the WC so Im not complaining. The only complaint I have is that I missed out on the diablo 999$ bos sale.
 

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
Read my post again - it could never convince me (in the older models) and all my friends who own the 2010s claim there is less of it but still they dive more than other forks.(Im to light for their setups) I rode a 07 rc2x for 2.5 seasons and even though I like how push it rode I had to use a bit more damping than now because it would feel loose very easily. If its better than cool but it will take some time before Im convinced to marz again. Right now Id go avy chart, dorado or bos if money allowed.

Also - If I could pick up a dorado I would but Ive got a deal on the WC so Im not complaining. The only complaint I have is that I missed out on the diablo 999$ bos sale.
I cant speak across too many forks, but I have had a 2007 888 RC2x (and a 2006 66 RC2x) which both served me well, but the dive was there, and they could feel like riding on jello sometimes.

Now my 10 RC3 EVO 888 is much more active and rides higher, makes the bike feel more alive, yet settled and controllable. Being 240+ and tall, I am eager to tweak the shim stack; hoping to find Techron somewhere to hook me up!! Maybe too late unless he'll be at Windham WC.
 

RayB

Monkey
Jan 31, 2008
744
95
Seattle
I'm hoping the new damper/bladder setup will be better and that maybe I can just deal with the seals blowing fairly frequently, but there is no question in my mind that they ride significantly better than the Boxxers - way more sensitive to small bumps, far more precise and useful damping adjustments. I hate bleeding dampers though, and replacing seals isn't up there on my "things I like to do before breakfast each day" list either, so hopefully the new 40s are a bit more robust than the old ones.
You pretty much just cited every reason to own a new 888. (as opposed to the new 40)
 

Tomasis

Monkey
Feb 26, 2003
681
0
Scotland
i remember i did read somewhere that avy cartridge in 888 reduces dive or removes it. Im not sure about it. It would be nice to hear somebody confirming that.
 

supercow

Monkey
Feb 18, 2009
969
128
My BOS Idylle's have been/are amazing.
They are buttery smooth and Ive not serviced them in the 1.7 years I've had them. 2 Holidays in the alps down and the normal ****ty muddy UK weather has done nothing to them.
 

Trekrules

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2007
1,226
148
I have dropped the Boxxer of my list,the axle problem get's me mad:mad:.So the list looks now like this.

Fox 40 RC2 FIT Kashima
Manitou Dorado Pro
Marzocchi 888 Evo Ti
Kowa 200SI
 

marshalolson

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2006
1,770
520
FWIW the 40 requires at least 2x the maintenance of any other dh fork i have ever owned (out of 888 rc2x, boxxer, totem, dorado, stratos)
 

Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,522
850
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
If you don't want hassles you should probably drop the Kowa from the list. It sucks to be the guinea pig with a product no one knows about and is harder to get replacement parts for. With something as major as a fork I want to see thousands of them in trouble-free service and a factory presence at major races.
 

E.T.

Monkey
Feb 23, 2004
128
0
NorCal
I have had the privilege to ride/race on the 2011 Kashima Fox 40 since the beginning of the race season so I have more time than just about anybody on the new fork.

I rode it HARD in Europe for a month and a half, Whistler for 4 weeks, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara multiple times, and Colorado for a week.

The seals were changed in Fort William at the World Cup even though they were not leaking. It was more of a preventative thing after racing in so much mud at Maribor!

I have had ZERO problems with the new damper all year long and the fork is still running as smooth as ever after all the abuse.

The performance is hands down the best I have ever ridden. The fork reacts to hits much faster due to the reduced unsprung weight and the lower friction fork tubes.

Riding Tunnel Trail in Santa Barbara I got off line and hit some MASSIVE rocks that would have had me either crashing or front flatting on my old fork. It simply sucked things up and kept me going down the trail (much to my surprise!)

Definitely one of, if not the best forks currently on the market. Buy one and you will not be disappointed.

Cheers,

Evan
 

Trekrules

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2007
1,226
148
Great write up:thumb:,nice to see some one have spend lot's of time on the new Fox 40's:D.The 40 is not going of my list for a long time,so i know this could be a contender to be my new fork.

keep posting guy's:thumb:
 
My BOS Idylle's have been/are amazing.
They are buttery smooth and Ive not serviced them in the 1.7 years I've had them. 2 Holidays in the alps down and the normal ****ty muddy UK weather has done nothing to them.
My Idylle RaRe is on its second season with no service done and is still top notch. I have no plans to ride anything but BOS in the future and I really do not think you can go wrong with them. Roger Estrada at R53 in the U.K is great to deal with when you do need something(lost my HSC dial). Nicho at Rouler Imports is the man too but you dont need to send you stuff to Aussieland. If your only complaint is weight I can tell you mine weighed in at 7.2 lbs.(3265grams). If the boxxer is off the list the rest have very little difference by actual weights via sicklines.com

http://www.sicklines.com/weights/dualcrownforks/

Last BOS praise post from me just had to throw that in there. Good Luck with your choice.
 
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Trekrules

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2007
1,226
148
It now has come down to a Marzocchi 888 RC3 Evo Ti & Fox 40 with Kashima coat.The new colored stanchions on the zokes look pretty good imo
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,375
1,610
Warsaw :/
My Idylle RaRe is on its second season with no service done and is still top notch. I have no plans to ride anything but BOS in the future and I really do not think you can go wrong with them. Roger Estrada at R53 in the U.K is great to deal with when you do need something(lost my HSC dial). Nicho at Rouler Imports is the man too but you dont need to send you stuff to Aussieland. If your only complaint is weight I can tell you mine weighed in at 7.2 lbs.(3265grams). If the boxxer is off the list the rest have very little difference by actual weights via sicklines.com

http://www.sicklines.com/weights/dualcrownforks/

Last BOS praise post from me just had to throw that in there. Good Luck with your choice.
If only I had the money (or knew that for a short while you could get them for 999$ at diablo) Id get the idylle right away. I could even live with the fork dials.
 

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
The Kowa feels nice and plush but dives in it's travel, you can add a light weight coil spring to help prevent this though. The old bushes didn't last long, but new ones have been made, but I'm yet to try them.
Kowa are working on a new damping system, so it might be worth waiting to try that. The 200SI has no comp damping, although the air spring with coil added allows a fair bit of tailoring. The 200sx was okay, but still dived like the SI without a coil added.
The Kowa's are very plush with the Kashima coatings, and the service intervals (appart from Bushes)are good, and they're easy to service.
Stay away from the GF(inverted)it is flexy when tracking ruts etc.
I was pleased with the 888EVO I rode, but it was over sprung for me, but still rode well, and the low service intervals are a big bonus.
I'm awaiting an Avy cart for some 2010 Boxxer Races I have, but I will no doubt put it in some 888s when I find some cheap. 888 with AVY cart should end up being the ideal fork, but we'll see. I'd even like and might try the cart in an older(pre unreliable models)888 as 35mm stanchions would be plenty for me.
Not ridden it, but I'd love to try the Dorrado.
 
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Trekrules

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2007
1,226
148
Im wondering why are the mtb inverted forks tend to be super flexy as hell?,is it because it's such a bad fork design:confused:.As far as i know the inverted design is not bad for Motocross
 

troy

Turbo Monkey
Dec 3, 2008
1,018
757
Im wondering why are the mtb inverted forks tend to be super flexy as hell?,is it because it's such a bad fork design:confused:.As far as i know the inverted design is not bad for Motocross
Moto fork weights around 10kg , maybe that is the reason ;)
 

marshalolson

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2006
1,770
520
22lb fork is sick on a mtb. think abour how flat you could huck to? maybe like 8 feet to 20 deg upslope landings?
 

Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,522
850
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
Im wondering why are the mtb inverted forks tend to be super flexy as hell?
Because the 20mm standard isn't big enough for an inverted fork. Without an arch they totally rely on the axle and using a larger proprietary size (Foes, Maverick) is unpopular. Manitou makes the only successful inverted fork with a 20mm axle and it's hexagonal shaped to help torsional stiffness. My Maverick is as stiff or stiffer than other 6" 32mm forks (and lighter) but uses a 24mm steel axle with knurled clamping areas.
 

Ithnu

Monkey
Jul 16, 2007
961
0
Denver
It now has come down to a Marzocchi 888 RC3 Evo Ti & Fox 40 with Kashima coat.The new colored stanchions on the zokes look pretty good imo
I've owned a Kowa SF dual crown and a 2006 Boxxer. What I still do have is a 2008 Fox 40 and a 2010 888 Ti. I haven't decided which one I like more yet. I've spent most of the summer on the 888 and am leaning that way. But before its final I'm going to do 1 more day on the 40.

I really did not like the 2006 Boxxer and the Kowa had terrible damping. Compared to those 2 I would ride either the 888 or the 40 happily, can't go wrong really.
 

Steve M

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2007
1,991
45
Whistler
Im wondering why are the mtb inverted forks tend to be super flexy as hell?,is it because it's such a bad fork design:confused:.As far as i know the inverted design is not bad for Motocross
Most right-side-up motorbike forks don't have the arch between the lowers that MTB forks have, so they don't have any torsional advantage over inverted forks. Inverted forks on a motorbike do have the considerable advantage of greater fore/aft stiffness due to much greater bushing overlap and longer stanchions, which means a lot less fork binding when your 200-300kg of bike and rider are braking hard. With mountain bike forks, losing that arch means that you do lose a lot of torsional stiffness, and because weight is so critical on a mountain bike (compared to anything with a motor at least!), building an inverted fork that's as stiff as current right-side-up offerings would be way heavier and thus impossible to sell. As Lelandjt also pointed out, the axle makes a considerable difference, and people are (IMO rightly) reluctant to move away from 20mm for DH forks.
 

Trekrules

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2007
1,226
148
Most right-side-up motorbike forks don't have the arch between the lowers that MTB forks have, so they don't have any torsional advantage over inverted forks. Inverted forks on a motorbike do have the considerable advantage of greater fore/aft stiffness due to much greater bushing overlap and longer stanchions, which means a lot less fork binding when your 200-300kg of bike and rider are braking hard. With mountain bike forks, losing that arch means that you do lose a lot of torsional stiffness, and because weight is so critical on a mountain bike (compared to anything with a motor at least!), building an inverted fork that's as stiff as current right-side-up offerings would be way heavier and thus impossible to sell. As Lelandjt also pointed out, the axle makes a considerable difference, and people are (IMO rightly) reluctant to move away from 20mm for DH forks.
Ok that makes sense,thanks for the explanation:thumb:.
 

Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,522
850
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
Exactly, and both kinds of moto forks use thick axles that are much bigger than 20mm and much wider than 110mm.

I never rode a Foes F1 inverted fork with its dedicated hub/axle design but I bet they were sweet, though a little heavy.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
I never rode a Foes F1 inverted fork with its dedicated hub/axle design but I bet they were sweet, though a little heavy.
they are great. the previous F1 forks were better, but the newer Curnutt design is significantly stiffer due to the larger stanchions.
having a odd size front hub makes having spares a pain though and for some reason, they make their Hadley 30mm hubs into a 4bolt pattern for the rotor.
 

sikocycles

Turbo Monkey
Feb 14, 2002
1,530
772
CT
I have a Dorado Pro and a Boxxer team. I feel less beat up riding the Dorado over the boxxer at Diablo but it also could be the 29" wheels.
I really like the Dorado but will be upgrading the Boxxer with an Avy kit over the winter and will see how that is.
 

pl2

Chimp
Nov 20, 2011
4
0

worship_mud

Turbo Monkey
Dec 9, 2006
1,464
2
My Idylle RaRe is on its second season with no service done and is still top notch. I have no plans to ride anything but BOS in the future and I really do not think you can go wrong with them. Roger Estrada at R53 in the U.K is great to deal with when you do need something(lost my HSC dial). Nicho at Rouler Imports is the man too but you dont need to send you stuff to Aussieland. If your only complaint is weight I can tell you mine weighed in at 7.2 lbs.(3265grams). If the boxxer is off the list the rest have very little difference by actual weights via sicklines.com

» Dual Crown Forks - Sick Lines – mountain bike reviews, news, videos | Your comprehensive downhill and freeride mountain bike resource

Last BOS praise post from me just had to throw that in there. Good Luck with your choice.
My BOS Idylle's have been/are amazing.
They are buttery smooth and Ive not serviced them in the 1.7 years I've had them. 2 Holidays in the alps down and the normal ****ty muddy UK weather has done nothing to them.
i totally agree with both statements above.

my idylle is 1,5 years in (ab)use now and no service required yet, you just airbleed them at the end of your riding and that's it. and boy, do they work! superb fork, strongly, strongly recommended.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,775
5,676
Get 888's, I have limited time on mine but they feel much better than my 2010 Totem DH and my 200si, you can have my 200si for $300(sorry not really for sale) they have maybe 20hrs on them.

To pl2, can you get me some new bushings that fit the stanchions properly, tried three sets none were the right size.
 
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norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,375
1,610
Warsaw :/
Get 888's, I have limited time on mine but they feel much better than my 2010 Totem DH and my 200si, you can have my 200si for $300 they have maybe 20hrs on them.
Wait. What? You mean Kowa 200si? 20 hours on them? What year and do you ship abroad ;)
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,775
5,676
Wait. What? You mean Kowa 200si? 20 hours on them? What year and do you ship abroad ;)
Yes, yes, no, ha ha! They hold my shed door open so it doesn't hit my bike if the wind blows when getting my bike out, easier to pick up than a brick.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,775
5,676
Can't believe I replied to a an old thread, the OP would have bought a new for a year ago, damn sneaky spammer.