- 66 series classifi ed as an extreme single
crown FR fork, suitable for large/ safe
drops, jumps & gaps. Don’t case,
overjump or pile drive this product.
Submitted by
Hans-Rudolf Riniker
a Weekend Warrior
from Suhr, Swizerland Date Reviewed: August 4, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Choerbshorn, Davos
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$480.00
Purchased At:
www.bikeimport.ch
Strengths:
Fully tunable to your likes, sturdy
Weaknesses:
Setup can be time consuming, weight if you intend to also go uphill ...
Similar Products Used:
F36 Talas, MZ Z150FR
Bike Setup:
Scott Ransom 20 (built in Equalizer Damper) in a heavy freeride setup
Bottom Line:
Far (and I mean really far when you go fast ant it gets rough) superior to the originally Scott specd F36 Talas. Up to now (5h of riding) not exactly as plush as coil spring based forks. But only noticeable in the really small stuff and it seems to get better day by day.
Setup tip: use lower pressure than given by MZ. I weigh around 200lbs and my setup is 15psi POS and around 100psi NEG, 15psi PAR. If you go for the orignal setup you end up with a very soft first part of the stroke which in turn fosters brake dive.
Really cool fork if you intend to heavy freeride
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Metro Manila!
a
from Philippines Date Reviewed: June 8, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
friend
Strengths:
nice beefy look! Light!
Weaknesses:
i dunno yet but i dunno if all the marz 66 users have the same problem, my 8" rotor is too close to the forks post mount, is this normal? the clearance is about the thickness of a credit card.
Similar Products Used:
Marz Jr.T
Bike Setup:
Freeride
Bottom Line:
havent used it in the trails yet, just around my backyard, i have to know first if the small 8" rotor clearance to the forks post mount is normal and safe.
Ride Safe Everybody!!!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joe Squillace
a Weekend Warrior
from Rapid City, SD USA Date Reviewed: February 11, 2007
Maybe needs to be serviced too frequently...took awhile to figure out the pressures
Similar Products Used:
Rockshox Pilot XC, Rockshox Psylo SL, Marzocchi Dropoff Comp
Bike Setup:
Upgraded 05 Coiler
Bottom Line:
This is an update after 6 months of heavy use. Still, its a very impressive fork! Great small bump complience, and crazy adjustable! For some people, it may be too much. It takes big hits like a champ. After about 5 months, it started to devolop stiction in the Doppio cartridge and I had it sent in for service. In the end, I was only billed for $35! Full rebuild, and new seals! I cant wait to get them broken in to get maximum plushness, but there is snow on the ground. I dont know if it is common to need service on a 66sl that soon though. That will be determined in another 6 months i suppose. In my experience, Marzocchi has been more than met my exectations in Customer service! Gideon serviced it, and everyone down there has been very plesant to work with. Rawk on Marzocchi!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Oli H
a Weekend Warrior
from England Date Reviewed: January 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Bringewood
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$936.00
Purchased At:
Wades Cycles
Strengths:
As Previous
Weaknesses:
As Previous
Similar Products Used:
As Previous
Bike Setup:
As Previous
Bottom Line:
Tried Windwave's setup and it didn't seem to work for me, could only got 100mm travel or so, have just done 1st oil change and its buttery smooth!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Oli H
a Weekend Warrior
from England Date Reviewed: December 15, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Bringewood, Shropshire
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$936.00
Purchased At:
Wades Cycles
Strengths:
Light, Stiff and Adjustable to Suit Anyone
Weaknesses:
Takes a while to get it to feel how you want it to, gotta be better than having a fork you cant alter though
Similar Products Used:
888r, Fox 40rc2's, Manitou Stance Kingpoo's! Pike SL's, Manitou Sherman Single Crowns
Bike Setup:
05 Cove G Spot
Bottom Line:
Very happy with this fork, the adjustability and weight of the fork is great! Gonna try a Windwave's (Official UK Importer So Trustworthy) alternative set up at weekend just to see if it could get any better! Seem like strange setup figures but apparently the PAR chamber can take upto 150psi safely 0psi in +chamber, 73psi in -chamber 100psi in PAR.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from HI, USA Date Reviewed: November 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:
goats gully
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
light, stiff, maybe it will break in and get plush.
Weaknesses:
weak exposed compression adjust knob on bottom of fork leg. oil leaking into negative chamber. customer service was pathetic. advertised as free ride fork, can not trust this fork for aggressive riding.
Similar Products Used:
my first air fork. Van 36, Z1 FR, Totem.
Bike Setup:
Turner Highline.
Bottom Line:
This fork has been a pain. Difficult to set up for my light weight, 145lbs. Stiction, zero sag. Oil leaks into negative chamber causing travel to reduce and oil to spew when trying to correct. Compression adjuster sheared off. Returned to Marzocchi for repair and was given the runaround. Was told my problem was normal wear. Entire compression cartridge has to be replaced because of broken knob. All at customers expense. Tech was rude. Expect high maintenance costs with this fork and no acknowledgment from the Marzocchi that your fork could be a lemon.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ken Bennett
a Downhiller
from Phoenix, AZ , USA Date Reviewed: April 30, 2006
Favorite Trail:
So. Mtn.
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Rage Cycles
Strengths:
Very stiff, almost as stiff as a dual crown. Fully adjustable (if you carry a pump), and it only weighs 5.5 lbs. complete (before cutting the steer tube and including the axle).
Weaknesses:
Breakin period is pretty harsh; if you use the recommended settings the fork barely moves. I initially set my pos. air at 45 lbs. and neg. at 150 lbs. with comp. at 4 clicks in from full open. I only got 50 mm travel on my first ride and that was off a 4 ft. dropoff which I purposely nosed down off.
Similar Products Used:
Several other Marzocchi forks since 1997 (Z-1's, Super-T, etc..)
Bike Setup:
Kona Stinky Primo
Bottom Line:
The key to this fork is to have patience! I had to run at 20 lbs pos. & 200 lbs neg. for almost a month before the fork really broke in. I had decent travel but it felt harsh on the smaller stuff. I now am back near the recommended settings ( 45 lbs pos. & 200 neg. to lower the travel a bit)and the fork is unreal. I've taken it down all the trails at South Mtn. and it does as well as any full on DH fork I've used but it corners much better. I basically feel like I'm riding a 7" travel slalom bike now. The front end is noticeably lighter which helps me float over obstacles rather than pound through them. The spring rate also feels better than the coils I'm used to since it ramps up nicely and doesn't really bottom out. I would definitely recommend this if you're looking to liven up your long travel bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Benja
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, CA, USA Date Reviewed: April 18, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Strengths:
Burly yet supple. Many, many setup options with travel adjust from 40 to 170mm as mentioned in other reviews. Incredibly plush but SOOOOO stiff. This thing goes where you point it.
Weaknesses:
Arguably a bit heavy, but not for what it is. Seals take a good 10hrs of solid riding to break in, but thats just because they are good seals IMHO.
Similar Products Used:
FOX 36 Talas, Marzo Z1
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Nomad
Bottom Line:
If you want a relatively light, plush BURLY freeride/all mountain fork then get the 66SL. Its a better value then the Fox Talas 36 and rides like its Marzo coil bretheren. Minus one chili on the overall for the weight.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Robot Chicken
a Downhiller
from Washington BC transient Date Reviewed: December 5, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Off the trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$656.00
Purchased At:
aebike.com
Strengths:
Come on, do I really need to tell you a 35mm stanchion fork is strong? Well, it is! Flat out burly gnar core. You could fit two beers on top of the crown with the bike pointed downhill, it's that freakin big.
Travel is actually adjustable from 40mm or less (yes 40mm NOT 140mm) to 170mm. Marzochhi's advertising claims must be wrong. This fork is not limited to 150-170mm. I can get mine down to 40mm without even getting within 50 PSI of the pressure limit for the negative spring. I also weigh close to 200 lbs. This fork is also the lightest 170mm fork you can buy, weighing in at just 5.6 lbs with two inches of steerer cut and the axle bolted on. Like the other reviewer stated, this fork uses its travel very well. Out of this world plush on the medium and small stuff and ramps up good and controlled for the hucks.
The new RC2 damping system is better than the RC system of 05. They added low speed compression to help control the ride on trails and to reduce brake dive on the steep stuff. Unlike last years RC compression , the new one blows off really well on hits and is not as harsh.
Marzocchi designed the new doppio air systems for all ther air forks to be more reliable than older models. They made it so the negative air pressure is always higher than the positive air pressure. IF anything breaks inside the fork, the negative air will leak into the positive chamber. Under failure, the fork will go up in its travel, not loacking down and putting you over the bars.
Weaknesses:
Air can be intimidating for most. Go by the feel of the fork when pumping it up, then take note of your settings. The manual is only good for knowing the pressure limits.
Fork will hurt your crotch if you stand over the bike while raising the fork. It can tend to shoot up from a lowered setting when you release the air. I hope I can still have children after my bad experience...
Like every Marzocchi, it's sticky as hell out of the box. Don't let this put you off, they always get smooth after a month of riding and an oil change, by then they can't be beat in terms of smoothness.
Similar Products Used:
Just about every Marzocchi fork made in the last 4 years. Pike. Manitou Sherman
Bike Setup:
Built for NorthShore
Bottom Line:
Lightest, most tunable, most versatile 170mm single crown ever made.
Looks really badass.
If you need a burly fork for anything between 40mm and 170mm look no where else. It will take it all.
Impossible to bottom out with PAR pressure.
Feels just as good as the best coil forks, yet is slightly better in that the spring can be tuned trailside or for any weight rider.
A lightweight 170mm fork will feel weird at first, but you will learn to love the added steering response.
There is seriously nothing this fork lacks. It has everything I could want, and where I want it (like rebound on top, along with the air valves).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rich
a
from Philadelphia, PA Date Reviewed: December 1, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Any
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Bike Line Montgomeryville
Strengths:
Very stiff, extremely tunable, relatively light
Weaknesses:
Marzocchi's recommended settings are very different from what I am running now, took some trial and error to get set up correctly. You need a low-pressure shock pump (0-100psi) to set up this fork correctly.
Similar Products Used:
Fox Vanilla, Talus, RS Boxxer, Manitou X-Vert
Bike Setup:
Intense VPX
Bottom Line:
Bottom line is a burly air fork that rides like its coil siblings. You save a few hundred grams over the other 66s, but for me, the advantages are the tuning options. Two positive springs, a travel-end assist, and a negative spring. I tried the recommended settings (42-52 psi in the main chambers) in the manual, and the fork was much too stiff. Over a period of a few weeks, I dropped the pressure in the main springs. Now I have 36 psi in the main, 90 in the negative, and 15 in the travel end spring. It feels supple on small bumps. The first 5" of travel are readily available for general riding. With the travel-end spring, it really ramps up for the last three inches. I've gone off 8' drops to almost flat, and just barely bottomed it. With so many spring options, you can really tune it to your riding style. The only negative is you really need a 100 psi shock pump. I've been using a 0-300 psi pump, and the scale on the gauge is too small to be accurate. Even dropping the pressure a few pounds makes a difference in the ride. I have a 0-100 pump on order, so I should be able to tune the fork more accurately.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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