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Submitted by
justin
a Cross Country Rider
from mars,mars,mars
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | happy | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | yardsale | | Strengths: | super light, decent plushness, doesnt feel like a motorcycle. Rebound doesnt need adjusting, because its set well. works great for climbing, looks cool imo. | | Weaknesses: | not for riding up stairs, drops, running into fire hydrants | | Similar Products Used: | marzocchi comp(air and coil versions), rst, rock shock, older manitou | | Bike Setup: | litech magnesium frame (3 lb!), amp f1, various shimano, alloy goodies,ritchey tin can,scott bailing wire, duct tape. | | Bottom Line: | fork is great for people who are willing to sacrifice their motocross travel for a fork that weighs half as much as a marz mx. great for moderately smooth single track. Super solid for steering. Again, many of these posters say the fork makes them unconfident, they break etc. yes, these forks are not for people who like to ride directly into large objects(stumps, boulders, small children). But in return your front end wil feel very responsive, and if adjusted right, the fork will take the vibrations as well as the larger knocks. Although they arent really worth the retail, if you can find one for cheap, the trail rider will not be dissapointed. I also never once had a problem with diving or scariness, and i ride fairly fast and aggresively. might not be good for people > 200lbs. They are also easy to rebuild and mod the damper unit. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Art Fisher
a Cross Country Rider
from Sacrmento, California
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | Garner's Palo Alto | | Strengths: | Light weight, quality manufacturing. Any decent mechanic could work on this fork for minor repairs. | | Weaknesses: | Limited adjustability of suspension, user has to change springs to adjust compression. | | Similar Products Used: | Test rode a Girvin shock | | Bike Setup: | 1996 Steelman XC hardtail, custom built | | Bottom Line: | I've ridden my AMP F-3 XC solidly since 1996. Have sent the fork back for rebuild (new bushings, rebuilt oil dampers) three times. Was riding 4+ times per week, 3 hours per day (on rocky terrain) for 4 years, slowed down to 3 times per week in 2001. After 10 years, I would not consider giving up my AMP F-3 fork. I've looked at Zokes, Rock Shox, Fox, etc. Each have great products, but nothing that compares, in my mind, to the value and the predictability of the AMP. (NOTE: my current ride replaced an earlier bike equipped with a Rock Shox Mag air/oil fork).
I have nothing but praise for AMP as a company. AMP has remarkable customer service, when the fork went back for rebuild, it was returned within 7 calendar days. Once when I'd gotten the fork back, the Techs at AMP had cleaned the fork and replaced all of my stickers, it didn't even look like the same fork.
Under the conditions I ride (XC with bumpy/rocky downhills/technical trails), the AMP fork responds fine. Longer travel would be OK, but you learn to ride a better line when you don't have the benefits of longer travel in your fork. Most riders who complain of limited travel need to learn better riding techniques in order to pick the better line.
I broken the main spring once, AMP sends new springs free of charge. A new spring takes about 15 hours of riding to break in (not bad). Springs are made by Eibach, a solid manufacturing company.
Like all machines with moving parts, dust and dirt are enemy to bushings and bearings. This fork is no different. With a little attention to cleanliness, the oil damper and the bushings will give you years of trouble free operation. The key to longevity is getting the right recoil spring for your weight.
I paid full price for the fork when I bought it (new). I would still pay full price today. At 2.4 lbs and responsive customer service, I give the fork and the company high marks.
Most products out there today are pretty good. This product ranks right up there with the rest. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Biker Guy
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Hoot 'n a holler | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Light | | Weaknesses: | Breaks | | Similar Products Used: | Telescopic forks | | Bottom Line: | I am suprised to see a 2005 review. I have not ridden with the F-2/F-3 except ``around the parking lot kinds of things'. But two second-hand experiences. I used to ride with a guy who had the steel-leg version and loved it for a while then he noticed both legs were cracking near both rim brake bosses. AMP replaced it but he was out a fork in the meanwhile. Good news is it gave him time to think about it and find another fork. When he got the replacement fork NO WAY did he want to ride it (nor did I want to buy it from him). Other: I used to ride with another guy I first saw lying on his back surrounded by paramedics and police after the steer tube on his AMP broke after a couple years of ordinary riding. I saw the steer tube -- classic fatigue. AMP charged him for replacement parts, never mind his concussion and emergency services bill. Once he got it repaired no way did I want to ride it, never mind buy it! My guess is newer versions work better but still scary, and some of the AMP designs demonstrate misunderstanding of basic engineering (like the double downtube -- d'oh!) which does not inspire confidence. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dorkian
a
from Austin
Date Reviewed: January 25, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Muleshoe Bend | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | e-blah | | Strengths: | Excellent fork...not much travel but very solid. Mine is set up with the black coil and red bushing as I'm over 200lbs. Legs are stiff. Overall rides like a rigid with a little room for forgiveness so you can save your wrists. | | Weaknesses: | A bit ugly, a bit strange...but who wants to be like everyone else? | | Similar Products Used: | Marzocchi & Rock Shox Judy TT | | Bike Setup: | Boston baked bean brown Bontrager Privateer S set up as singlespeed, WTB nanoraptors, riser bar, canti in the back, V on the fork. Ugly! | | Bottom Line: | Don't believe the negative reviews. Never had a problem with diving while braking. Make sure you get the correct type of spring/bushing for your weight. Not a lot of travel, but do you really need 10"? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt lake City
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Light and funky | | Weaknesses: | It doesn't work as a shock. It's more like a rigid fork that wiggles than a suspension fork as it doesn’t soak up the small stuff and blows through the travel on larger hits. Falling rate suspension does not work on a 2 in. travel fork. | | Similar Products Used: | None like this, thank God. I've owned a few of the old RS-1s, 1 quadra, 1 judy, 1 Duke, and 1 Marzocchi. | | Bike Setup: | It is no longer on any bike as I gave it to my friend who thought it looked cool and would make a hip decoration. I couldn’t even use it as a paper weight as it constantly reminded me that I had spent money on it and was lowering my self esteem. | | Bottom Line: | This fork needs less maintenance than a lot of other forks on the market. However, this is not a result of higher quality. It is simply that this “shock” simply performs so poorly initially, that it’s hard to notice when it stops working properly. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith
a Racer
from Ontario
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Hardwood Hills | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Hardwood Hills | | Strengths: | Light: 2.2 Lbs, Very stiff laterally. Low maintainance. | | Weaknesses: | Only 1.5 inches travel after sag. | | Similar Products Used: | Rock shock Mag 21 (this dates me!) and Fox Talas | | Bike Setup: | Moots YBB, Sweetwings cranks/BB, Mavic Crossrocks, XTR, Moots post, stem, bars, Speedplay pedals (ti) | | Bottom Line: | I bought my Amp in 1997 when I put together my Moots YBB dream x-country race bike. It was and still is the lightest fork going- period. But, after many happy years on the Amp, I am retiring the ol' fella and am going with a heavy but much more efficient and longer travel Fox Terralogic F100X fork. I visited my bro' on the North Shore of Vancouver, rode (free-riding) the trails on his "big bike" and discovered the merits of sacrificing some weight for long, smooth travel- even for us x-country geeks. I would recommend the Amp to x-country racers who have two bikes- one for smooth climbing courses (use the Amp) but have the other bike set up with a modern telescopic fork. The limited travel of the Amp impedes your performance on all but smooth terrain when comared to even an 80mm travel fork. And yes, it compresses when braking. But-The fork is stiff and tracks very well. I've only had to have it serviced once- which the company (or whats left of it) was happy to do via mail. It has no "stiction" common to telescopic forks- its smooth- and it doesnt bottom often depite its limited travel.
I've enjoyed the fork, and if I can afford a second full-suspension bike some day I may re-mount the Amp on my Moots and put the new Fox on the FS bike to address both types of race terrain. But given only one choice, I'd say the Amp doesnt offer enough travel for most riding conditions. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd Manies
a Racer
from Redding Ca
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Any | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Village Cycle Redding Ca. | | Strengths: | LightWeight, Responsive as a True Rigid Fork | | Weaknesses: | Is not Quite as Plush as the Newest Technology. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou,Rock Shocks | | Bottom Line: | Dont buy into the Negative Reviews this fork gets, i bought new in 1993 (Univega Cromoly Version) then i got a free Aluminum Leg Version upgrade for free Shortly after..
i have only had the Fork Serviced twice since 1993/1994 and would recremend this Fork to anyone looking for a Lightweight Alternative to Rock ShoX or Manitous.
Very Well Built fork and i have raced on this fork for years.
Only way i would get rid of this fork is POSSIBLY for a 2.6 Lbs Rock Shox SID. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Howler
a
from Elgin Illinois
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$220.00 | | Purchased At: | Spindocter IL | | Strengths: | i flatLand
This is a great bike it is my 2 week with it and i can already do some realy Bad ass trix.It is so easy to get used to too.Really great.BUY THIS BIKE | | Weaknesses: | Not realy and found...the brakes dont last forever though | | Similar Products Used: | Haro F5 | | Bike Setup: | 1 piece...changed mine with 2 piece much better | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike...Worth $300 | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zdenek Bartos
a Weekend Warrior
from Brno, Czech Republic
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Javorniky Mtns., Lago di Garda | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$140.00 | | Purchased At: | used form a friend | | Bottom Line: | Subject: RE: copy of the mail to M-B
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 21:11:18 +0200
From: Brion La Belle
To: "'zbartos@email.cz'"
We were the only ones building the Mercedes bikes and we are not doing it anymore. We are still supporting what is out there repair and service wise for the shocks, disc brakes, and the forks. We do not have any of the following available:
1) Frames or complete bikes
2) Disc brake calipers
3) F4blt forks
4) F3xc forks with carbon legs (aluminum leg version is still available @ $315.00)
We do have:
1) Repair parts for forks, disc brakes,frame pivots, and shocks in stock and we can service the parts as well.
Brion La Belle
AMP RESEARCH
(949) 221.4189 (Direct)
(949) 221.0043 (Fax)
brion@amp-research.com
www.amp-research.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Bartosovi [mailto:zbartos@email.cz]
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 1:42 PM
To: brion@amp-research.com
Subject: copy of the mail to M-B
Hello Brion,
attached is the copy of my mail to Mercedes-Benz (only for your information). If you know the answer, I'd like to obtain it from you too....
************************************************************
Dear friends,
you are writing on your web about the fact that "All the bikes are codesigned with AMP research and handmade in the U.S.A. ....". On the other side the AMP Research on the web page
http://www.amp-research.com/store/bikeparts.htm write: "KEY FACTS: As much as we enjoy riding AMP mountain bikes, we are no longer building them. Sorry!"
Could you say me please, which factory is now building the new AMP/Mercedes-Benz frames, forks, hubs, disc brakes, dampers and all other necessary spare parts and if are the above mentioned components available separately ??????
Thank you in advance for your answer.
The satisfied owner of 4 AMP forks, 3 AMP disc brakes and 1 AMP B4 frame, Zdenek Bartos - http://zbartos.tripod.com .
************************************************************ | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike A
a Weekend Warrior
from Miami, FL
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Oleta, Amelia | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Stiff, precise, LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT | | Weaknesses: | Very short travel, Rebuilding could be a problem | | Similar Products Used: | Truly there are no similar forks | | Bike Setup: | GT Zaskar, XT XTR mix, Sachs Shifters (old but they rule), ZAC19/Deore wheelset | | Bottom Line: | First of if you are a 250lb freerider forget this fork. With the advances in fork technology this fork is left to fill a niche for the light XC rider who cares about his bike's equipment. It requires that the dampner be filled with oil every so often and the bushings should be wiped clean regularly after riding... THAT'S IT!! This fork is super light and the springload is adjustable. For light XC riding, some rocks and roots and small drops, this thing is great. I have never needed to repair or repalce anything on it, though it's my second one. The first one had the fork legs come loose after 3 rides. Replaced at no cost several years back, doubt this would be the case now. For the $100.00 bucks it supposedly going for it's a great deal for a second ride. My Zaskar is about 21lbs, with ZAC19 wheels on Deore hubs (heavy, but I got them cheap). With lighter wheels this would be sub 20lb ride. Funny how people look at them as if they are some weird thing (well they are actually) but they work!!!
Live for the ride, ride for life....... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Danny
a Cross Country Rider
from Minnetonka
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Levi Trail Mounds | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Light, stiff, reliable. | | Weaknesses: | Hard to find replacement parts for, a bit dated now. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou Black, Mag 21, Cannondale Lefty | | Bike Setup: | XT, AMP, Trek 8700 frame. | | Bottom Line: | I’ve been riding my AMP for nearly 6 years now, with great results! It’s a bit stiff, and not as plush as some of the newer telescopic forks that I’ve ridden recently, but it’s still nearly 2 pounds lighter, and virtually maintenance free. I haven’t encountered a single problem with mine. I know it’s to the point where it needs rebuilt, but I’ve ridden 6 hard seasons on this fork. (It’s the all aluminum version) I had the chromoly version before that, and I generally like it, but the pivots weren’t as good as this fork.
I’m a finesse rider, and lightweight, and I take care of my equipment. It makes a huge difference in any piece of equipment on your bike. I recommend this fork for XC riding, if you can still find one.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bike Rider
a Cross Country Rider
from UP, MI USA
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | All | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$76.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Light, quick, NO BOB | | Weaknesses: | O-rings, difficult to do a full servicing (replacing O-rings and bushings) | | Similar Products Used: | Hard nose, Manitou sx-r | | Bike Setup: | No Shi+mano | | Bottom Line: | It's light! It's STIFF! It doesn't BOB! Remember when you gave light input to your handlebar, and your front wheel went there instantly? That's back when you rode a non-suspension fork, and that's how the AMP-F3xc handles. It has enough travel to smooth out rocks, roots, curbs, and just about anything else, the compression is very predictable and very smooth, and it doesn't BONK when it hits bottom. IT IS AS LIGHT AS A non-suspension FORK (half the weight of most telescoping forks)! It is (almost) a perfect x-country fork.
Bad: The o-rings which protect the linkage bushings tear when you put your front wheel over a bike rack to lock it, and they are (nearly) impossible to replace with normal tools.
Regarding the complaints about diving under braking: Yes, this is a (pretty scary) problem until you re-fill the damper with oil, which is pretty easy. Regarding durability: No problems yet, and I put plenty of miles and plenty of grime on it (like everything else, clean it after every ride and it lasts longer, duh). Regarding the (in)famous AMP service: Even now, with AMP no longer selling these after-market, I e-mailed them a couple of service questions and they responded within a day or two--what else can I ask for?
Would I buy one again? Yes. Would I spend 400 bucks on it? No. Get it on e-bay for about $100. Value rating is based on a price of $100 or less. Don't buy it if you are a maniac mega jumper, but don't be afraid to do that occasionally, it won't hurt you or the fork, it just doesn't have the travel to make it pleasurable.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Palmdale, CA
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Five Deer | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Direct | | Strengths: | Lightweight, stiffness, easy maintenance, strength | | Weaknesses: | 2.25" travel, adjustability | | Similar Products Used: | It works, why bother | | Bike Setup: | Trek 9700, XTR/XT | | Bottom Line: | Good fork, if a bit hard to adjust. Once dialed in, it just keeps going and going, with no maintenance. I'm 225lbs and ride hard, but don't beat my equipment , and this fork has held up really well. Not sure what all the gripes are about. It is starting to show its age, though... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ray Garcia
a Weekend Warrior
from Florida
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Markham,Oleta, they all rule | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$325.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Tech | | Strengths: | Cool looking design, super light weight compared to any other shock in the market | | Weaknesses: | Not too much travel | | Similar Products Used: | SID's, Judy XC, cannondale head shock(not worth it) | | Bike Setup: | ProFlex 856, XT front derailer, XTR rear derailer, TruVativ Cranks, AMP F3 front shock, XT v's, Azonic stem, XTR shifters, Mavic 517's | | Bottom Line: | This is an great shock I've purchase two in my time. Broke one but sent it to AMP and they totally rebuilt it. Only issues I'm having is the travel on the bike. I've heard some "serious bull_$H!+" about this shock beign a piece of $H!+, but the only people that tell me that are a bunch of 400lbs'ers that'll break anything. If your considering this shock take it from me it's worth it. Pops your wheels over some of those killer roots and rocks. Make sure you ride with your hands lose on the grips don't grip hard. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
n
a Weekend Warrior
from CA
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Light, looks good, rare | | Weaknesses: | linited travel | | Similar Products Used: | rigid fork, 2001 SID SL | | Bike Setup: | Amp B2,xt/xtr | | Bottom Line: | The fork was good for the time when the bike was purchased but comes up "short" compared to almost any modern fork. I am only getting about an inct to an inch and a half of travel with this fork. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
n
a Weekend Warrior
from CA
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Light, looks good, rare | | Weaknesses: | linited travel | | Similar Products Used: | rigid fork, 2001 SID SL | | Bike Setup: | Amp B2,xt/xtr | | Bottom Line: | The fork was good for the time when the bike was purchased but comes up "short" compared to almost any modern fork. I am only getting about an inct to an inch and a half of travel with this fork. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Biker Kid
a Weekend Warrior
from Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Dundas Rail Trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$475.00 | | Purchased At: | From some guy i know | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | it's too hard | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox Judy 100 | | Bike Setup: | my bike is set up so i can maximize travel( my fork is soft)and can take high drops with out busting my chops.
| | Bottom Line: | i found this fork is too hard for my liking.i couldn't really find the right stiffness that suits me best for the type of riding i do. it also could have looked a bit nicer than the really ugly on that i got. i looked like a fool on the trail with my reall ugly fork. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christopher Davis
a Cross Country Rider
from Evergreen Colorado USA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Colorado Trail | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Canyon Cycles | | Strengths: | The AMP fork is a ultra light weight suspension fork. I performs just fine, meaning while it not exceptional in a one catorgery it does not have a bad hibits | | Weaknesses: | The customer service a AMP Research are difficult or unpleasent at best. If you have any problems I recommend you kiss their ass or you would get any service. | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox SID, Rock Shox Mag 21 | | Bike Setup: | Race Rig: Ibis Silk Ti equipt with XTR. Chris King headset and Bontrager race lite Wheels. ATAC pedals, Easton carbon posts/bar with Terry Ti Saddle | | Bottom Line: | I keep looking for a new race fork, & everyone including the mags say the AMP fork is piece of @#$!. I generally would disagree, while I have had problems in the past. In my search for a new racing fork I have read many reviews about the problems of the SID's and Mar's forks. In my opinion these forks are just as reliable as any other lite weight racing fork. Furthermore, don't be fooled Rock Shox ,Manitou and the Mags are in bed with each other, meaning you can't expect an objective review when these companies are supporting each other.
Beyond the poor customer service at AMP, I still rate the F3 a great fork for its intended purpose. The fork has some lateral flex but no more than any other lite weight fork. The suspension is not plush but does not bob either, this makes the fork a great compromise for a racer. The best feature besides the 2.2lbs weight, is the shock can be easily worked by self; you don't have to send it back to the factory. I carry a extra damping cartridge and screws in my tool kit. Once every season I buy a new damping unit ($40) and when the fork feels too flexly I swap out this unit, no fuss no muss. One final note the longer travel fork known as the F4 is very problematic and would aviod purchasing. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
luke
a Cross Country Rider
from tn
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | swapmeet | | Strengths: | Wicked light. Pretty. Like the Jpath ravel on many trails. | | Weaknesses: | Carbon legs = flexy as hell. Jpath doesn't make for a universal fork, works well in some situations, will make you cry in others. | | Similar Products Used: | Judys, X flys, SID, various manitou. | | Bike Setup: | Jamis dragon....oh ma ma | | Bottom Line: | Ive been rid of my AMP for about a year now, and while i gave it a favorable rating before, I must say that in comparison to the new crop of teloscopics, the AMP design was pretty weak.
I had a carbon model that allowed the front end to flex and wobble a little at sped, and taking that thing though a rock garden was test of sheer will. It was great for long, rolly, NON-TECHNICAL singletrack or fireroads, but thts about it. The bushings developed play rather quickly, and the tunig options were just not there.
All in all if you are a serious racer, then by all means, get this for with ti springs and you have the lightest fork on the market (made my front end seem feathery).
But for all around riding in varying and versatile trail conditions, go stick with a good teloscopic.
One more thing...what the hell happened to the company? Their website doesn't even sell bikes except through mercedes, did their customer service fall through too? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hakalugi
a Weekend Warrior
from Arlington, VA
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | shhhhh! | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$225.00 | | Purchased At: | performance (i used to work there) | | Strengths: | I have the carbon model- i bought it before the RS Judy (et al) were available, and bought it for these 2 reasons alone: no sloppiness in the steering like telescoping forks, and the light wt (verified 2.125 pounds with steerer). | | Weaknesses: | Some people seem to have trouble w/ 'em (i haven't). And that being the case, you need to send 'em back to Amp for work. | | Similar Products Used: | Judy XC, manitou 2 | | Bike Setup: | Ibis Alibi, full XTR, CaneCreek wheels, USE XCR seatpost, TTT bar, Ibis Stem | | Bottom Line: | I bought it back in '95- when i was getting my old Klien Rascal repainted Beluga Black (the black they used for the Pulse in '96). And for starters- I never really liked suspension- it was too sloppy with regard to steering control and the added wt. was a big minus.
I rode on my Klien "mission control" bar/stem/forks combo for years- so to me suspension was an unnecessary luxury.
When I did try suspenions, their benefits didn't outweigh the crap they brought. Then i tried an amp. And i loved it.
It's only got 2.25" travel, but its ultra light and laterally, just as stiff as a rigid fork.
I raced sport and rode year round on it for 3 years without any problems at all.
In late 1998, i got an Ibis Alibi- and thus needed to change from the 1" steel steerer on the fork, to a 1.1/8" alum steerer. So i sent it back to the factory so that they could press a new one in- and they overhauled it at the same time, swapping out the bearings, etc.
No problems since then either. Amp's are an acquired taste. I liked the feel of original RS air/oil combos, never the feel of the elastomeric stuff (too mushy)- now RS has come full circle with air/oil again, but still none can comprare to the stiffness and control and light wt. of my carbon Amp fork. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from B'ham
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Oak Mtn | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | 2nd hand, off a friend | | Strengths: | Light (ish) | | Weaknesses: | The steerer tube became disconnected from the rest of the fork half way through a ride - Meant that my steering effectively didn't work. The fork is less than 3 years old and I bought it from a friend so I know its not his fault. This seemed to be a major design fault - something to do with the way the steerer is joined to the rest of the fork - by heat/compression only - no bolts. What a crock! | | Similar Products Used: | Noleen Mega Air - the dog's | | Bike Setup: | Kona Kula, Noleen Mega Air, | | Bottom Line: | Steer clear if you value your gonads in a crash. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Cave Creek, AZ
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | roller coaster | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$275.00 | | Purchased At: | bike shop | | Strengths: | Light weight and very stiff | | Weaknesses: | Very Very Very poor customer service, after three months on fork, both legs bent and I paid AMP top dollar to replace them incuding shipping, both ways. Had to have it reworked a few times and it was the same old story. | | Similar Products Used: | Judy XC and now a SID XC | | Bottom Line: | Decent shock, little real travel and very poor customer service. Not recomended. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pat
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | n/a | | Bottom Line: | Since I saw the request posted several times now, I thought I'd provide this info.I contacted Amp Research a month ago and the forks are available for individual sale - the F3xc in aluminum only. Direct or through your LOB. Also, replacement parts will be available in the future. I contacted Amp via the following 2 email addresses:
1. techsvc@amp-research.com
2. Brion La Belle: brion@amp-research.com | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Smith
a Weekend Warrior
from Rockville, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Light weight, cool looks, durability | | Weaknesses: | AMP Research have probably given the ditribution rights of all bikes to the Mercedes-Benz company (see the new AMP web at http://www.amp-research.com/products/Mountain_Bikes/mountain_bikes.htm ) and it seems it will be impossible to buy the frame, fork or disc brake separately. I am afraid about the possibilty of buing the spare parts and repairs too ! If you have better informations in USA, give me please a message. | | Similar Products Used: | My first suspended fork. | | Bike Setup: | Ti hardtail with a mix of parts | | Bottom Line: | I have noticed the brake dive that others have mentioned, but have not felt any negative effects of it while riding, in fanct I think it performs better than the telescoping forks I have owned under heavy braking. I really like the light weight and the travel for my use is perfect. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rene Garcia
a Cross Country Rider
from Miami, Fl. 33156
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Markham Park, Quite Waters | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$230.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Tech | | Strengths: | For five years of what many would call hardcore, this shock has never given me problems till lately | | Weaknesses: | For a fact its not the greatest downhill shock, but it absorbs most of the tension dealing with Florida trails | | Similar Products Used: | I've tried Rock Shock Judy's, Manitou's, and till now I have not found a shock that can ride as good as this shock | | Bike Setup: | Diamond back Axis Pro hollowed out Crome Molly frame, XT shifters with XT front and rear brakes, XTR rear derailer with an XT front derailer, Strong Arm cranks. | | Bottom Line: | Bottom line on this product. I would highly recommend it to anyone that whats to go hardcore through trails. Maintenance wise I still haven't found a bike shop that services this shock. From what I've seen the only people that service this shock is AMP itself. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JRW
a Cross Country Rider
from TX
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light weight, cool looks, durability | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't look like everything else. Wait...that should be another plus! | | Similar Products Used: | Various Rockshock, C-dale Headshock | | Bike Setup: | C-dale hardtail | | Bottom Line: | I bought this fork used in '95 from my LBS for $110.00 installed. It is actually a Concept (Univega) version of the AMP fork with the steel legs. At the time, it was the only thing that I could afford. This fork has been fantastic for XC riding. I agree that it doesn't make a very good downhill fork. Recently I've noticed some play in the bushings, so I called AMP to see about maintanence. I was told that they could either rebuild my fork, or give me $110.00 trade-in on a new F3! Excellent! By the way, for anyone who is upset about the fork making noise, just squirt some plain water in around the spring. Takes care of it in a jiffy. I hope to have this fork for many more years to come. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zdenek Bartos
a Cross Country Rider
from Brno, Czech Republic, Europe
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Javorniky Mnts., Lago di Garda | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$135.00 | | Purchased At: | 1 year used, Martin Bednar | | Strengths: | low weight, low maintenace, proper XC travel great on singletrack, looks like a dream | | Weaknesses: | Problems with dealers in Europe. AMP Research have probably given the ditribution rights of all bikes to the Mercedes-Benz company (see the new AMP web at http://www.amp-research.com/products/Mountain_Bikes/mountain_bikes.htm ) and it seems it will be impossible to buy the frame, fork or disc brake separately. I am afraid about the possibilty of buing the spare parts and repairs too ! If you have better informations in USA, give me please a message. Thanks.
Is better to wear neopren cover (former producer of such covers Millhouse doesn't exist more, so I have a company in Czech Republic, which is able to do such cover for you). In case of small play in bushings, is necessary to buy new AMP F3 XC Pin & Bushing Kit - order number 10-04141-10. | | Similar Products Used: | My first suspended fork. I'd like to have it forever ! | | Bike Setup: | Tange custom Cr-Mo triple butted Marin Eldridge Grade model 95, hard tail. | | Bottom Line: | My fork is after 7200 km (4 years) still like new one. Maintenace: after 5000 km changing the Pin & Bushing Kit, 2x changing Shock O-Ring Kit. Only water washing and using the Millhouse neopren cover. Great ! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Northern, Idaho
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | my back yard | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Light weight, proper XC travel great on singletrack | | Weaknesses: | Not for fast fire road descents, possible future maintenace due to number of moving parts | | Similar Products Used: | Most Rockshox and Manitou products | | Bike Setup: | Ti hardtail with a mix of parts, XTR, Kooka, Ritchey, Amp etc. | | Bottom Line: | Compared to other forks I have used this is a great XC fork, but is definately XC specific. Fast fireroad descents are beyond the scope of it's capabilities (although a heavier oil in the damping unit may help this). I have noticed the brake dive that others have mentioned, but have not felt any negative effects of it while riding, in fanct I think it performs better than the telescoping forks I have owned under heavy braking. I really like the light weight and the travel for my use is perfect. I have the one with the carbon legs, which look cool, but I don't know if they do much beyond that.
4 flaming tacos, just because it is so XC specific | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
a Weekend Warrior
from midland tx
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | the freckinridge trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | extremely light | | Weaknesses: | i havent found any yet | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | klein pulse pro | | Bottom Line: | this fork kicks @$$ plus i got it on discount | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wayne Simpson
a Cross Country Rider
from N.H.
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | bearbrook | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | great feed back, no independent travel, low maintanence | | Weaknesses: | price, hard to find | | Bike Setup: | carbon fiber hardtail | | Bottom Line: | Older concept fork 93ish not as plush as other no problems at all rebuilt once two years ago thousands of miles .liked it so much just bought an anp b-5 with a b-4flt what a difference this on is plush i'll let you know in a few months | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from Apple Valley, Minnesota
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | lutsen #32 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Light as light can be
Looks like a dream
perfect amount of travel for xc
inexpensive
smooth
maintenence free | | Weaknesses: | A little play in bushings | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou spyder r
rock shox SID
marzochi superfly | | Bike Setup: | Salsa ala carte w/ f3 xc aluminum legs | | Bottom Line: | This thing still performs the way it did when they were first introduced. It still is low maintenence and it has noughtravel for all of us xc riders. At the price this fork is youcan definiteley afford one without breaking the bank and this is definitley articulating tchnology at it's finest. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Racer
from Singletrack, MS
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | yes | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | No flex
Light
Looks | | Weaknesses: | Bushing play
Travel | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou 4, rigids | | Bike Setup: | DBR Vertex, nothing too fancy | | Bottom Line: |
This fork was my first after leaving the rigid world. My Amp is the original steel-leg, dual-damper model. I think it was the first one they sold. Anyway, it made my transition from rigid to suspension much easier. While all of my buddies were doing the telescoping thing and coping with flex, buying thick hubs and braces, I was enjoying flex-free cushness.
It's not as light as the new models (probably 3.0 lbs), but that's really never bothered me. Also, I think it has less than 2 inches of travel. I've started to notice a little play in the pivots too, but hey, I've never rebuilt it...and I've been on it for 7 years now. Probably time for a rebuild. Hmmm... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SockBoy
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashville, TN
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | fairview | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | light. works really well under right conditions | | Weaknesses: | Noisy at times. pivot play. Flex of carbon legs. Low speed action. | | Similar Products Used: | Judy, crosslink ELT, multitude of manitou forks | | Bike Setup: | now a crazy singlespeeder | | Bottom Line: | to supplement my original post, I went riding on a local trail notorious for being somewhat hardcore. Halfway into the ride, after a small creek crossing, the fork began to squeak. A lot actuallly. It sounded like someone jumping on an old bed. i tried to ignore it but sqeak*squeak*squeak*squeak*squeak*sqeak* over every little bump and ripple got annoying. It cured itself after a while. But then when I started to get tired, I decided to mess around on some rocks. I tried a little trials maneuver and as I hit a medium sized rock at crawling speed, the fork actually flung me backwards. Finally, when riding back on a long easy downhill, I looked at the legs to see the fork action, and saw that though it diddnt dive much under breaking, i could actually SEE the carbon legs bend backwards towards the rear of the bike. In its defense, its the absolute best fork around for straight fast XC use. But when things get silly technical(especially during long rides) youll be wishing for a plusher longer travel fork like me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SockBoy
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashville, TN
Date Reviewed: January 12, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Fairview | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Functions INCREDIBLY | | Weaknesses: | pivots develop a little play, CRAP! and carbon legs flex a little, but not as much as a judy. | | Similar Products Used: | Judy, crosslink ELT | | Bike Setup: | hardtail, 8 speed XTR (no f der). AMP F3 | | Bottom Line: | For XC and trailriding, this fork has no competition. The limited travel isnt even an issue because the function of the fork easily compensates. I garuntee this fork makes you ride more aggressively, you can almost just ride through stuff rather forcefully, despite the 2.25 inches of travel. Not for everyone though. and unfortunately, the pivots do develop play after a while, the only thing preventing a 5 rating. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Big Daddy
a Cross-Country Rider
from Winnipeg, Manitoba
Date Reviewed: September 3, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Roseile (Pan Am race course '99) | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Light
very stiff
amazing tracking (due to stiffness, and mechanism of travel) | | Weaknesses: |
Not the most plush fork out there | | Similar Products Used: |
Judy SL with Englunds, Z2 BAM 98, Judy XC | | Bike Setup: |
Rocky Mountain Vertex TO, full XTR with Cane Creek wheels and AMP F3 Carbon (under 21 lbs) | | Bottom Line: | Excellent XC fork - works exactly the way one wants, functions perfect. Not for plushness, but performance, and ultra-light. I had the Aluminum legged one for 4 years, then I just got Carbon legs put on. I will see if they are as durable, but man, what an amazing fork. I finally rebuilt it a week ago (when I got the new legs), and it wasn't that sloppy yet. Mostly dry when I ride, and I use a cover when wet. 5 flaming dead horses. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a Cross-Country Rider
from Indiana
Date Reviewed: August 12, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Still looking... | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Light
Stiff
Precise
Did I say light? | | Weaknesses: |
Supple? What's that?
Limited travel | | Similar Products Used: |
RS Quadra.
RS Judy
RS Indy
Noleen Elite | | Bike Setup: |
Specialized Ground Control | | Bottom Line: | Follow up review. Still the same Impressions. Its light, its precise. The carbon legs are still holding after another year and a half and the couple of crashes it entails.Did have one problem with the fork. I managed to bend the brake post in a crash. Got a replacement from Amp (1 call about 1 week and $10). and everything was fine again.Still a great fork, as long as you know what to expect. Out of its element it'll suffer. Next fork I'm getting will have more travel.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Stewart
a Weekend Warrior
from Edmonton, AB
Date Reviewed: July 30, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Light
Stiff | | Weaknesses: |
Brake Dive | | Similar Products Used: |
RS mag 21
RS judy XC
RS indy SL | | Bike Setup: |
Norco Java
with XT/XTR ,Amp front disc and rear canti's | | Bottom Line: | Just got the fork, but so far I'm impressed. They have incredible lateral stiffness and have enough travel to satisfy my needs. If you are thinking of buying a set of these babies, keep this in mind; They are not new school, long travel super supple telescopic forks. They only have 2-1/4 of travel. They work best set up with less sag than tele forks. If you are a 210lb north shore rider, these will NOT be your cup of tea.
I feel that someone should mention how much these forks have changed over the years. I saw an early Amp and compared it side by side with mine. Almost every aspect of this fork has been redesigned over time. The pivots are much changed as is the spring placement. So if you have a five year old model, make note of that in your critique, folks. BIG difference.
I rate it four stars for it's somewhat specialized nature and dive under braking.
Kudos to the Amp gang for evolution versus flash in the pan. Remember, Porsche 911s have been around since '63. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Blake Gettig
a Cross-Country Rider
from Seguin, Texas
Date Reviewed: July 26, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
anything | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
super light | | Weaknesses: |
might as well buy a rigid fork | | Similar Products Used: |
rock shoxs | | Bike Setup: |
mercedes benz(amp b4) | | Bottom Line: | It's day has come and past. Nothing to excited about except maybe its light weight. Travel is just about non-existant and your hands will hurt from the impact of rocks etc. Sadly it doesn't even compare to my Trek 6500's judy c. Probably only worth keeping to show your grandkids. A Rock Shox SID or judy xc would be a better choice.
I give it 2 chilis just because it's light. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andree
a Cross-Country Rider
from Columbus, OH
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Scioto Trails / Central Ohio | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Weight,
sharp steering
no pogoing | | Weaknesses: |
none so far (I don't know about durability) | | Similar Products Used: |
Judy T2 (this one sux big time) | | Bike Setup: |
S. Stumpjumper, AMP F3 XC with carbon fiber legs and
Vee brakes | | Bottom Line: | This fork rules for XC. Don't buy it if you are a free-riding freak !!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Triple Mack Daddy
a Cross-Country Rider
from Calgary, Alberta
Date Reviewed: May 26, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Canmore Nordic Center | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Light. Feels like a rigid while it takes the lumps for you. Did I mention light? | | Weaknesses: |
Can be a little RE-active when trying to climb really steep hills. Sometimes feels like it's pushing back too hard. | | Similar Products Used: |
Manitou 2s, Cannondale Headshock (Ultra Fatty, on an F3000) | | Bike Setup: |
Specialized Stumpjumper | | Bottom Line: | I think some of the other reviewers on here are smoking drugs. This fork is good. Obviously, there's going to be small problems with every design, and I think the minor problems with this fork are much more tolerable then the minor problems with telescope forks. Besides...they look like something out of 'The Terminator', and you can't argue with that logic. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
King MAN
a Cross-Country Rider
from Zedpliyop
Date Reviewed: March 29, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Any trail as long as i dont have and amp fork! | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
none! | | Weaknesses: |
Linkage fork suck!
way to sloppy and to much to maintain. Flex and play is coming your way as soon as you began ridin it! | | Similar Products Used: |
MArrzocchi Fork rule! | | Bike Setup: |
Amp b-3 | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is that Amp fork -and bikes- are for losers. Linkage is the worst moutain bike product of all times squared. The pivts are bound to come lose and the bars are gona bend like macaronni and cause major play. They flex like hot rubber and are as reliable as my mom! They cause - after a while- tons of flex and causes your tire to wable like you were hotdogn or worse!
Yeah you can tighten the bolts but then the fork becomes super sticy like someone added glue to all 3,678,634,213 pivot points! You can alos spend more money replacing the bent part and link when you could buy somthing good for your bike! The wheel of the bike travels in a arc to causing the wheel base to flux at high speeds causing a errie wobleing affect thay causes you to lose contorl of your bike and slam into other riders, trees or of the edge of the trail into the rocky valley 400 feet below.
The worst is when you are ridin along and the bolt break loose and the fork flys apart into 7,956,789,234,123,456 parts and you come crasing down. And you will never find all of the parts to the fork because most are micro scoping pond scum!
Remeber this...If you buy a Linkage fork you will be putting your life in danger and the life of your bike. Dont do linkage forks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Panzyman
a racer
from windsor, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 28, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had two Amp linkage forks, both carbon and aluminum. I was reeled in because of the substancial weight savings.
This fork actually inhibits your technical abilities out on the trail. Have you ever tried hitting stutter bumps while turning with this fork? Believe me it is not a pretty site. The fork has an unpredictable 'forward throw' under consecutive bumps and under heavy braking. It has too many intricate parts, cnc'd too minimally. The pivot points are too small and numerous.
Basically the fork itself cannot be taken too seriously. It belongs in a museum, and not for serious riding. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chuck
a cross-country rider
from MA
Date Reviewed: January 13, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Light,rigid and precise! Not a SUPERFORK, but then again, at LEAST a POUND lighter going uphill. The right tool for the right job as they say. if you want plush,go elsewhere, but for tight singletrack and woods riding, it kills! Put it on a Ti hardtail with a selection of sanely light stuff, and you've got a 20 lb. ride!!!! Take that UP the ski slope and impress your friends with their 4 travel boat anchors! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zark
a downhiller
from SB,CA
Date Reviewed: November 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a toy. Why not just buy a rigid fork. Please do not be the FRED that rides on one of these jokes. Over three years I have seen more broken Amp forks than any other fork. 2 of pathetic feeling travel, Ha! Even the most XC oriented race bike should have 3 up front. Linkage lightweight forks are DUMB!!! F-3's have get more play than a stripper on Sunset blvd!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a cross-country rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: November 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Amp forks are great if you want a re-active fork instead of an active fork. You can't beat them for their weight or their propensity towards rapid sloppiness at the pivots. I've had better luck with the Noleen linkage fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a cross-country rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: November 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Amp forks are great if you want a re-active fork instead of an active fork. You can't beat them for their weight or their propensity towards rapid sloppiness at the pivots. I've had better luck with the Noleen linkage fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Spridel
a cross-country rider
from Los Angeles/Vancouver
Date Reviewed: November 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Kudos to this fork for the same reasons as previously mentioned:
light weight, simple design, stiff. I definitely need to continue
tuning this fork (damping, springrate, etc...) for my riding. I found
it's response frustrating in PacNWest trails (compared to my WhiteBroSC70),
and adequate on others. 3 star XC specific fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stacey
a cross-country rider
from San Antonio
Date Reviewed: October 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been riding the F3 for about two years. I am a heavy (200lbs), aggressive XC biker and have ridden it all over Colorado, Iowa, and Texas with no complaints. I am a former Judy rider and for me the flex (or lack thereof) with the Amp is reassuring. In comparison to the Judy it is light, nimble and rail-precise. I have always had a Millhouse boot over my linkage to keep it clean and have never had to rebuild it. If you are looking for Cadillac poshness, this wouldn't be a first choice, however. My compliments to a job well done, Horst! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a cross-country rider
from Finland
Date Reviewed: October 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been riding with an F3 for 2.5 years and I think this fork is just amazing. It isn't as long travel as some telescopic forks but it is very light, virtualy maintenence-free (I just change the oil every 6 months, which takes 1/2 an hour, and I put new oil seals in once a year.) The stearing precision of these forks is something which you really get to appreciate, they're far more precise than any cc telescopic fork. They're also surprisingly plush - When they're new they're a little tight but once the bushings have bedded in, they become much better.I keep a neoprene cover over the linkage and I recomend that all F3s should be protected in this way. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Big Daddy
a cross-country rider
from Winnipeg, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Gotta say, I am not a 130 pounder (more like 175), yet I have never had to rebuild this thing. I have had to replace the rubber rings over the bushings twice, but that's it. Not very adjustable, but man, is it light, and does it feel good in the corners. It is a ride specific fork, and if you wanna be a down-hiller, don't use this (but hten, you shouldn't be too concerned about weight, either). It isn't plush like telescopic, but you know where your front wheel is at all times, and that is worth alot more to me than a little extra comfort. 4 flaming dead horses just because the adjustability isn't all it could be, but performance is amazing.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeff
a cross-country rider
from upstate new york
Date Reviewed: August 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Iwas a disgruntled telescopic user who was so sick over the short life of a top end fork that i switched back to a cro mo ridgid fork and loved it but i was getting thrashed on technical decents.I think the amp is just the right balance of light weight and precise steering ,this fork took a bit of set up but once i got the right amount of preload/sag and the right spring in it i love it riding in upstate ny is mostly technical singletrack and this fork is super.oh another good feature amp customer service was top notch im a retailer by trade and would recomend these guys just for the good service alone | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
phil
a cross-country rider
from ottawa
Date Reviewed: August 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I love the fork it the best fork on the market. It is so smooth over everything. On the downhills I go so much faster than before. And on the big up hills I also go faster because of it's weight. Who ever wants to buy a Z1 for cross country sucks. Remember this races are one on the up hills and that fork is just what you need because it is light and still is fast on the downhills because of its travel. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J Wallace
a cross-country rider
from State College PA
Date Reviewed: June 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been riding this fork since Dec. 96, and I'm still happy with it. I weigh 140-150, depending on Camelbak load, etc, and I've found the soft spring and 5 weight oil in the damper to work best for me. I set the preload to allow 5-6 mm. of sag, and while this isn't super-plush on big hits, it takes the edge off, and smooths out everything else. And, no flex whatsoever, even with Maguras, although I do run a booster just in case.. I knew what I was getting, though, and it sounds like more than a few others didn't. I do have a bit of slop in the pivots, but no more than a telescoping fork would have. Plus, it's lighter than a SID. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a cross-country rider
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: June 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I really love my fork. I had it on my Mongoose AMP and damn did that thing fly. The fork had awesome performance over bumps and tracking was superb. Alas I totaly destroyed my fork last week after two years of heavy abuse. I noticed a lot of play and wondered about it and after the ride I noticed I had busted the linkages and lost a bolt, nut and all.
All in all, this fork is not for those trails with big ass rocks everywhere and it is not for gonzo descending. But it is the almost PERFECT (except for the noleen) front suspension that I've used. Great tracking and bump absorption.
Only thing I didn't like was that it was a b*tch to change the springs and damping | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zaron
a
from cross-country rider
Date Reviewed: May 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just have a few things to say. Telescopic forks ssuck, too much maintenance, and they still lock up if you're like me and pound the crap out of the supension. Personnally, i Prefer Girvin/Noleen over Amp, but it was Amp that got me into linkeage forks. All you Rock Shox lovers out there, e-mail me and lip me off 'cus i detest the company, they sell expensive pieces of crap that seize up. Linkeage is the way to go. So f*ck you Rock Shox! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Purisma
a cross-country rider
from CA
Date Reviewed: May 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had experience with this fork, and it ROCKS!
It has the steering of a HeadShok, the performance of a Manitou, and the weight of a Rock Shox SID (only lighter). This is one of the four dreams forks.
(Manitou SX-Ti, HeadShok Fatty SL, and Marzocchi Z-2 Atom Bomb)
The performance isn't the best, but the weight more than makes up for it.
The SID is air sprung, but the F-3 is coil suspended, giving it better performance. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neil Booz
a weekend warrior
from St. Pete, FL...USA
Date Reviewed: May 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have taken my F3 which i put on a mongoose from Florida to Pennsylvania, Tennessee to N.Carolina, and hit parts of Georgia and this thing (F3) is a performer. I am mostly a technical rider, and you wouldn't believe the technical riding in Fl. I have to agree with the rest of the pro-AMP riders, it isn't a plush cushy ride, but a firm in control feel. You will feel the little bumps, but it will soak up those big jaw jarring ones. I've had mine for two years and have just now replace the spring and rebuilt the dampener ($30 parts and labor, big deal). And just today I bouhgt another F3, with the carbon legs, and can't wait to beat it in Eiljay in two weeks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Taylor
a cross-country rider
from Ottawa, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Wow, Ottawa must be a hot place for AMPs (two listing in a row) althoug I have never seen another one here except for some guy who goes for Mocas in the market on an AMP B4 with and F4. What a waste. Anyway, I bought an F3 with carbon fibre legs second hand and I have nothing but praise for this fork. I went from a Manitou Pro XC to the F3 and have never been happier. With telescopic legs I always had the feeling of the fork being compressed into the bumps to smooth out the ride but the F3 seems to work over the bumps so nicely that I never get the sensation of my forward motion being absorbed. Yes it is true that the ride is not as plush and you may feel the hits a bit more but I am looking for performance in a fork and not something to just cushion my ride. I really enjoy technical rides and this fork out performs the telescopic forks I have tried (Manitou, Rock Shock and Z1).I have not had any problems with nosedives and I am only a couple of pounds short on the maximum suggested weight for the spring. The ability to turn with this fork is sweet and precise as with the stiff legs you get no irregular movements of the fork legs like you do with a telescopic.If you are looking for a performance fork buy one if you are looking for a fork to give you a nice squishy ride look elsewhere.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark MacNab
a weekend warrior
from Ottawa, Ontario
Date Reviewed: April 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The lack of stiction in this fork makes it perhaps the plushest ride going at half the weight of a telescopic (I don't know if it's EXACTLY HALF, just real light). For middle ring speeds (0-30 km/h) in single track I absolutely LOVE IT!!
It is however a very ride specific fork in my opinion, It isn't suitable for slammin' downhill (yes, I tried) and it isn't especially stable at high speeds (over 45-50km/h). It also requires a rebuild occasionally (once a year).
All said I love it. BUT I would'nt pick it if I could only have one bike. Too specific, and too much maintenance. Still weigh out what you really do with your bike and maybe it's the right choice, maybe not...
For Reference, I'm comparing it to an original MAG 21 air/oil and a cheaper elastomer Rock Shox. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Val Garou
a cross-country rider
from Chicago, IL
Date Reviewed: April 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well, the Amp is a great fork if you're talking about feel, handling, or weight. When you have to rail around a corner, linkage gives a big difference in performance over telescoping. But I am a Clydesdale class kind of guy, and therein lies the weakness of the Amp. Side-load it in a crash and bend the linkage, just a little, and you are screwed. Your choice, a fork that pulls like horse to one side, or a $190 rebuild job, 'cause damaged linkage is too expensive to repair! So, if you weigh 130 pounds, have fun. But if you're bigger than that, shop elsewhere. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Teschke
a weekend warrior
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought an F3 Shock used about 1 year ago. I've ridden many of the Rock Shocks line of shocks. The thing that most impressed me about the AMP Shock is it's performance. It was giving me a nice ride. it was perfect. The only complaint i have is with their Rear Shock
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tim cutler
a
from ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: April 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Don't buy anything that has to do with AMP it will probably hurt you in the end, and it will end sooner than expected. If you do buy an AMP product, don't go over any bumps. The play in the pivots is like as loose as a goose, it can't really be compensated for and the legs aren't any stiffer than my JUDY's. Also the amount of brake dive is unacceptable in extreme condidions | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Grunenberg
a cross-country rider
from Ohio
Date Reviewed: March 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Time to submit a new review, because I bought a new Amp F-3. What was wrong with the origional Amp F-3 that I bought? Nothing, just a new bike to put it on.
The Amp is not a fork for everyone. With that said... 1) The amp is not supple in the small stuff, 2) You can see your brake dive instead of having it hidden in your fork boots, 3) The F-3 is not big on travel.
I ride a dual squishy with less than 3 inches in the rear, and I wanted a great XC mount (read light) and the Amp is a perfect mate for this.
The Amp is the lightest fork out there. (Carbon legs! Woo Hoo!) and has not buckled, bent, or deformed in the few crashes that I've had. The steering precision is perfect, rigid blades do make a difference!
No slop on either fork (one now over 1 year with plenty of riding), has
had no need for adjustment once installed and broken in. (One thing to say is that both forks did get soft springs installed.)
Incredible fork, but causes its riders to be tempermental. Definetly a love/hate relationship.
Verdict - Give me another one! Love it!
James | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a racer
from Calgary, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Other than not having enough rebound damping (yes, I will put in thicker oil), this fork has been swell! No maintenance. No cleaning either! No slop or excessive play after two years. I would recommend this fork to anyone unsatisfied with a Mag-21, Rock Shox SID, or other lightweight XC fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee Norton
a racer
from St. Catharines, Ontario
Date Reviewed: February 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
After much fiddling with springs and damper oils the Amp F3 finally worked not too bad - but by then the bushings started showing wear, and handling degraded. I had the Millhouse protector on and religiously cleaned the fork with water as recommended after any muddy ride. They won't last a year and their action is not as good as most telescopic forks. Buy anything else. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lou
a cross-country rider
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: February 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Stinks..... Not worth the price.....The thing does not feel plush and gets loose as a goose after a couple of hammering rides.... I had to send it back to the factory to get rebuilt, for $50, and did not have the thing for a month. Go with the motorcycle type proven design such as Judy( I love it).... Much better.... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Karl
a cross-country rider
from Blandon (yes, really), PA
Date Reviewed: January 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have an F3XC suspending the front of an AMP B-4. Lighter than a S.I.D.(depending on who you ask), same travel length, better quality travel, and half the price. Hmmmmm...I have other bikes with telescopic forks (Judy XC, XC LT, Hi-5, Q5, Ruby), but none of them have the magical quality that the AMP has when you fly down a gulley, then launch uphill. The transition is seamless.My B-4 has riser bars, which unweight the front wheel quite a bit, making for the occasional sketchy uphill. There are times that I'd like a -- dare I say it -- heavier fork. Better yet, maybe I'll put flat bars back on.The fork has over 1200 miles on it, with no maintenance. Now if AMP would only address the B-4's rear shock... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe Laflamme
a cross-country rider
from T.O canada
Date Reviewed: January 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well i didn't buy the fork
good thing too....I can probably get a better deal on a Manitou or Judy now!!I still think that The AMP is a great product
just not for me
Dang...
Fifty more words?
um, amp is a linkage fork and because of this it weighs less. but has more moving parts as a result in making this a light product. This also means that more maintainence is required for this product. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a cross-country rider
from Salt Lake City, Utah
Date Reviewed: November 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I had an F-3 for about 8 months. I was amazed with the fork at first, until I blew the seals. After that, I started to get major slop in the linkage (after about 4-500 miles. If the fork would maintain its performance for longer than 8 months, it would be a wonderful fork. But I no longer have to worry about that...My AMP was stolen last week! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a cross-country rider
from Texan marooned in Nashville, Tn
Date Reviewed: October 27, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I sold my first AMP (the 25th aftermarket AMP built) with my old bike after 2 years, constant riding in Austin, 1 rebuild, and no care or maintenance whatsoever. I put my second AMP (F2?) on my Litespeed Ocoee in Jan. of 1994, which was bent last week when a Mazda hit my car & bike rack. I never rebuilt that fork and I can assure you that I never maintained it and I usually do not even wash my bike.
Now I just do not understand. This is the first time I looked parts in almost 3 years and everyone is having a cow about play in the bushings. Like telescoping forks do not have play? Yeah, it feels like the headset is a little loose but I do not notice it when I am riding. It still turns great and handles well and it makes this cool squeaking sound that goes away when I douse it with water from the bottle. It is not that plush but I dont drive a Cadillac either. Just ride your bike and stop worrying about it. If it breaks send it back. Don't want it, send it to me.
Yes, after my research tonite, I will purchase another tomorrow. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Geoffrey
a racer
from Salt Lake City, UT
Date Reviewed: September 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought the fork as part of a frameset after falling for the extensive hype that the magazines gave it (especially MBA).
Lesson: Never believe the hype! The magazines rarely test ANYTHING long enough to give an accurate review.I had this fork for 5 weeks before disposing of it.
Week one: Rides great.
Week two: Rides great.
Week three: Develops noticeable play in the pivots, feels like a loose headset.
Week three and a half: Three circlips fall off during a ride, one pivot pin vibrates half way out. I have to pound it in with a rock to ride home.
Week four: AMP's pathetic warranty department addresses the issue by mailing me a ziploc bag full of circlips...no explanation, no offer to look at the fork, nothing resembling customer service (which is amazing since my shop was a dealer at the time.
Week five: Noticeable play becomes unacceptable. With the front wheel held tightly, the linkage has enough play in it that the ends of the bars could be wobbled up/down or forward/back about an inch.
Week five and a half: I return the fork to AMP after negotiating a rebuild with the warranty deparment.
Week six: Since this was the middle of the racing season, I replaced the fork with a RS mag21.
Week nine: When AMP finally returned the F3, I sold the it to another sucker who fell for the hype. At least he got the bag of circlips up front!Bottom line: AMP products are easily the most over-rated, under-engineered, under-performing products I had the displeasure of using or selling. Its not like this was a rare occurance...the problems I personally experienced also occurred with EVERY other customer who bought one of their forks from us.
These guys deserve thier own special wing in the Hall of Shame.
One chili is too much! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe Laflamme
a weekend warrior
from GTA, Ont, CANADA
Date Reviewed: September 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
AMP F-3 in essence, is the, best fork for the price, at the local bike shop.
I want to upgrade to suspension and i was told that AMP is the best bang for the buck. Equivalent to Answer SX\TI/Judy XC\SL/Marz Bomber Z/RST 461\mozo in travel\weight (respectively) Is it worth the buy? At $350 CDN | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Plank
a racer
from Menomonie WI
Date Reviewed: August 12, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been very pleased with the quality and performance of the AMP fork that I own (and also with the service AMP has provided). I bought my F-3 used and had it rebuilt last year (when they rebuild the fork they also bring it up to current year specs) which means I no longer deal with circlips and the pivot bearing shafts are hard-anodized for longer wear.
Overall I hear many people complain about their forks getting sloppy rather fast. This may be due to a lack of regular service. By regular service I mean hosing off the linkage after every ride. If you get any dust and/or other grit in the linkage it works its way in and wears on all of the bearing surfaces. I am an agressive racer and a little maintenance after every ride or race has kept my fork working exceptionally well.
As far as performance goes, this fork was not created to be as plush as an overstuffed chair. It soaks up big hits, takes the edge out of smaller stuff and remains ultra stiff in the corners. Take a look at what the pros are doing with their forks - they're cranking up the preload and making them stiffer so they perform more like the AMP (with one exception - most telescopic forks are a pound or more heavier).
This fork is not for someone looking for the latest barcalounger ride enhancement. Its for serious rider/racers looking to take the edge of their ride without sacrificing performance. If you want freeride comfort look into a different fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil Mackie
a cross-country rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: July 31, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Really nice performer once worn in, the problem being that at this point, you have a VERY short period of great performance, and then the pivots need replacing (If a Circlip hasn't popped off in the meantime, requiring earlier attention). This to me (88KG, or 190Lb give or take) means a rebuild every 3 months which involves sending them to another city and waiting a week (At least) before I can ride again. To add insult to injury, it costs about a quarter of the price of the fork to go through this process, and in New Zealand, these were priced as premium forks! So, in summary, a fork made to be maintained. Rides just great when working properly, which it does about 70% of the time at best. For this, I paid (Note past tense) the cost of them new each year just on maintenance. I have a better use for them now - staking out a couple of shrubs in my garden, where at least they return some investment as a talking point. Sorry AMP, nice concept, awful result most of the time. Very occasional use only by light persons. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd
a weekend warrior
from Ohio
Date Reviewed: July 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Well, it performs well, but after only 5 rides off-road (just when it started
to get broken in), the pivots are already loose. I've checked a million times
that the headset is tight (it just feels like your headset is totally loose),
and it's definitely the pivots. I took it to a shop, and they said they need
replaced, because if you keep riding the fork that way, it can mess up the pivots bad enough that an overhaul won't help.
I told them the fork was only 2 months old and they gasped for air.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Jones
a cross-country rider
from Virginia Beach, Virginia
Date Reviewed: May 20, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have the F3-XC paired up with a B4 frame, and I know it's the best possable XC-fork available. AMP makes the F4 fork for West coast guys who do 60 MPH over huge ruts going downhill. The F3-XC is not down hill fork, but it's superior to ANY FORK ON THE MARKET FOR XC-RIDING!! I've had Manitous and Judys, they both suck for technical single track riding. They are made for kids who pretend they are riding motocross bikes. The telescopic fork design is FOR MOTORCYCLES! AMP is smart enough to understand this.
The F3-XC is amazing in that is completely active over the WHOLE RANGE of a bump. Judys and Manitous are not, I don't care how you tweak them. Just be honest, and ask yourself what kind of riding do you mostly do. If you live on a huge mountain by a F4, if not, buy a F3-XC. You wont be disappointed! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Craig Belle
a racer
from Orange County, Ca.
Date Reviewed: May 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
These forks are the worst pile of garbage money can buy. I was unlucky enough to own one for a year. Every month I had to bring it back to to AMP to be overhauled for sloppy pivots. Then every other ride the little cir-clips would pop right off the bike. Their solution was to give me a bag full of cir-clips. After a year of this crap they said I was out of warranty. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thom
a weekend warrior
from Pittsburgh, PA
Date Reviewed: April 30, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased my Amp fork in July of 1996. It was definitely stiff in the beginning and took some getting used to, but it did break in after a few rides. I ride a C'dale M500. My bike is currently around 24.5# and rides great. My biggest problem that I had was that my brake and rear derailier cables run on the down tube and running the Amp spacer really screwed up my geometry. Luckily I weigh 200# and run the preload almost totally in, and I was able to zip tie my cables. I also ride a Scott Vertigo LSD full suspension with a Judy XC. I enjoy riding that in the mountains where it is very rocky. (More for the rear suspension) But I LOVE riding my C'dale on the single track with my Amp. My greatest praise though, came in the mail today. I e-mailed Amp about my damper losing fluid and even though the warranty was up, I asked if there was anything they could do. They sent me a seal kit for the damper, free of charge. Many thanks to the people at Amp. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thom
a weekend warrior
from Pittsburgh, PA
Date Reviewed: April 30, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased my Amp fork in July of 1996. It was definitely stiff in the beginning and took some getting used to, but it did break in after a few rides. I ride a C'dale M500. My bike is currently around 24.5# and rides great. My biggest problem that I had was that my brake and rear derailier cables run on the down tube and running the Amp spacer really screwed up my geometry. Luckily I weigh 200# and run the preload almost totally in, and I was able to zip tie my cables. I also ride a Scott Vertigo LSD full suspension with a Judy XC. I enjoy riding that in the mountains where it is very rocky. (More for the rear suspension) But I LOVE riding my C'dale on the single track with my Amp. My greatest praise though, came in the mail today. I e-mailed Amp about my damper losing fluid and even though the warranty was up, I asked if there was anything they could do. They sent me a seal kit for the damper, free of charge. Many thanks to the people at Amp. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kenny
a racer
from SF Bay Area
Date Reviewed: April 24, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a good fork. It has it's flaws but overall it does what it is supposed to. I've had mine for about a year and the pivots are starting to get a little loose but not too bad. The first thing to know about this fork is how to set it up because if you don't have it set up right you won't like it. I got mine to ride like I wanted by using the softer spring and a harder bumper. (I weigh 170) Overall I like the fork, it is very light and stiff and you really don't even notice it's there. It mostly works in the med sized bumps, it's a little stiff in the small stuff and there's not enough travel for the big stuff. I think the reason it is not so supple in the little stuff is because the fork travels back first and then up and the little bumps aren't enough to actuate the initial rearward movement of the fork. At least thats what I think. If you ride a lot of single track and like to feel what is going on underneath you then this is a great fork, if you ride a lot of fireroads and rough terrain then this is not an ideal fork. Oh and people who complain about fork dive with an Amp have no idea what they are talking about, sure they dive a little but compared to telescoping forks they hardly dive at all. I did break down and buy a RST Mozo Pro with a nice plush 3.5 travel but I have by no means retired my Amp. I still plan on using it for certain xc races where I don't need gobs of travel. Oh and one more thing that I like about my Amp is all you have to do for regular maintenence is wash it off. A lot easier than the monthly lube job required for Telescoping forks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a weekend warrior
from Berkeley, CA
Date Reviewed: April 13, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had one of the original steel AMP forks for over 2 years now. It has been totally reliable and after 2000 miles of off road riding it remains tight. The stiffness that people comment on was present in the beginning but disappears soon. The only work I have done on the fork was to switch to 2.5 weight oil and to a lighter (940 lb) spring. You can see the fork working over every bump. The damper will leak if you don't screw it back together carefully. Just be careful to get the O-ring totally into its seat before tightening. The only other comment is the slight wooshing noise the damper makes when compressing. Mt Bike Action calls it AMPhysema. I call it reassuring. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Theo Smit
a weekend warrior
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Since my particular F-3 was the subject of Sunny's comments (July 15, 1996), I felt I should put my two cents' worth in sometime. Since the 'Toaster' ride where three shocks (one of them mine) extruded between the shock housing and the shaft guide, I have not had this problem again. I reassembled the shock with 5 weight shock oil and tightened the housing to shaft guide more than finger-tight, and the fork has been a dream to ride on since (I now have a year and about 1200 km, about half on the trails, on it). Yes, I did ride the toaster trail (Barrier Lake/Jewel Pass/Prairie Creek, FYI) again. As a note, the aluminum lip at the end of the shock housing where the O-ring in question seats is pretty thin, so I had a stainless sleeve of about 1 mm thickness by 6 mm long machined up and pressed that over the end of the shock housing.After one year: Bearings / bushings replaced: 0. Play in the parallelogram linkage: 0. Shock rebuilds: 3 or 4 (including the toaster incident). I used an X-acto knife to cut the little aluminum goobers out of the centre of the aluminum Allen-head shock retaining bolts. That lets the Allen key get enough extra grip on the bolt to prevent the hex cutout from stripping when removing or installing the shock.The F3/B4 combination is my first venture into the suspended bike arena, and I've found it excellent. After reading all of the past reviews posted here, I think the worst thing that people do to AMP forks is they don't ride them long enough to break in the linkage bushings, and that they expect them to work and feel like telescoping forks. I just ride it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dieter Schmidt
a racer
from Maryland, USA
Date Reviewed: March 31, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This was an upgrade for my Trek Y frame. The first several rides were difficult. It's handeling characteristics are very differen't than the Judy XC I was using. Although after several rides the fork began to shine.Pro's
- It's very stiff, responsive and light to the steering touch.
- Rides stright and true
- Light weight (almost 1.5 lbs lighter than the Judy)
- Very predictable in hard turns at slow or high speeds
- Fair on small bumps, excellant on medium bumps and good on big stuffCon's
- The Judy XC is definitly better in the rough, big stuff
- The hex nuts that hold the shock together are made of very soft material and strip very easily.
- I had a bad dampener out of the box and had to ship it back to AMP
- Watch for very hard quick turns, the shock will catch and throw you forward as the wheel turns In summary:
If you want a shock that can handle big bumps at higher speeds this is not the fork to buy.
If you are more concerned with precision handeling and light weight with decent but not great shock ability this is a good recommendation.Good riding!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd
a cross-country rider
from Aggieland, TX
Date Reviewed: February 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Right on Fletch. This fork is not for everyone. I purchased my '97 F-3XC back
in November of '96, and have been nothing but impressed. The break-in period
is no tragedy, just adjust your preload when you need to. The more I ride my
fork, the happier I get. Takes out the small stuff like a champ and works
beautifully on downhills. The fork weighs only 2.45 lbs. and gives you 2.25 inches of travel, plenty for cross country. Also, this baby is stiff (absolutely no stiction like a telescopic) and doesn't slow your steering in the least. If your looking for a light, responsive suspension fork with the feel of a rigid, try the F-3XC. Your Rockshox will be for sale in no time. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Courtney Rau
a weekend warrior
from Gladwin MI
Date Reviewed: February 11, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Superlite and stiff.Not enough travel.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff W
a cross-country rider
from California
Date Reviewed: February 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I ride pretty smoothly, not a lot of big air, float on the bike, mostly cross country. For this reason, I was looking for a lightweight fork which would soak up the small bumps, and do an acceptable job on the big hits. Also, I have always been down on the telescoping fork concept because of loss of steering precision and the extra weight. I kind of think telescoping forks are motorcycle technology on bicycles. In fact, I used the Softride Suspension Stem prior to the F3XC, which I took a lot of abuse for from by Rock Schox-using buddies, but I always beat them down the hill! I have been riding the F3XC for about a month now and I must say that I love the fork. It seems to have the advantages of a fork (more travel than the Softride Stem) without the disadvantages mentioned above. It is excellent on the small stuff, and much better than I thought it would be on the big hits. I highly recommend this fork to anyone looking for a lightweight, good all-around fork. Also, the Amp User's Manual says no maintenance is necessary, other than hosing it off once in a while, which is completely different than telescoping forks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fletch
a cross-country rider
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: December 7, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
If your looking for the best overall performance this is your shock! if you like to crp about break in periods get a Judy or something else that will explode in a months. Look, this is a linkage shock, designed to move with the bumps, not smash into them and move the front wheel like a telescope. To get everything out of this shock it needs to be set up for your bike, and weight. When I took this off my Carbon fiber bike and put it on my RTS-1 it took weeks to get it set up again. If your interested in this shock and don't have the time or ability to proporly set it up, save your money and get a Indy or whatever the latest thing is. Read on and you will see many people that have not taken the time to even break the shock in, so set was probably not done with some care. THIS IS A GREAT shock in the small and large bumps, great for Downhill and changing conditions, but it's not for everyone, if you can't sppent time with it get something else | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marc Hirsch
a cross-country rider
from Radford VA
Date Reviewed: November 25, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
After the break in period this fork became a honey. After a bad time with a Marzocchi XC500, I needed something that would work with me. However, after five and a half months of heavy ridding, the fork loosened itself to the point of silliness. Sent it back to AMP and they rebuilt and took care of me as fast as they could. I have not put it back on, winters are wet here,and have been enjoying the pleasures of ridding a stiffie. It is a fine fork, but I don't think it is designed for someone who rides more than twice a week. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J. Miller
a cross-country rider
from Ann Arbor, MI
Date Reviewed: November 20, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Ok You guys out there that are hammering all over this fork, I just have a few things to pass on. First of all, everybody complains about the break in period, yet the first thing that AMP tells you is that it takes 50 to 100 miles of trail riding before it breaks in, so where's the mystery in that? Secondly, I hammered the shit out of this baby for 6 months and haven't touched a damn thing. It's light, responsive, and if this hummer dives when you hit the brakes more than other forks then it's news to me. If you bought this fork expecting it to be more than it is, then you didn't read the fine print or do your homework! Stiff-Light-Fast-Not to Supple-Easy to Adjust-Low Maintenance with looks to boot! If you want anything else, then your not a true AMP FAN! THIS SHOCK ROCKS! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jamie Damanpour
a cross-country rider
from Blacksburg, VA
Date Reviewed: November 18, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Don't buy it. The pivots wear out fast and Amp has horrible customer service. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kevin
a weekend warrior
from south carolina
Date Reviewed: October 7, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I agree that the F-3 isn't as plush as some of the telescopic forks out there. But
what it lacks in plushness it makes up in spades when it comes to lateral stability. One of the reviewers on this page mentioned that the fork dives under braking; well I have news for you, they all do. The only difference with the F-3 is that the fork works with the brake dive versus a telescopic fork that tries to flex under the head tube when braking. Don't beleive me? Try this; apply the front brake while riding one of the other forks and watch the stanction tubes, you'll see quit a bit of flex as the fork bends toward the bottom bracket, scary huh? Another draw back to this scenario is that as the fork flexs it creates stiction, hindering the forks ability to react to impacts; which is why you bought a fork to begin with right? Also, since the fork legs are seperate they are allowed to move independently causing imprecise steering on off camber turns. This, however has become less of a problem since companies are going to bonded together fork legs,ie Mach-5. With the F-3 you get a fork that steers very well and reacts to impacts as they happen, pushing the linkage up in its natural arc versus binding and flexing as a telescopic would do. The negatives of the F-3 are these: long break-in and stiff stock spring. The break-in problem will cure itself as you spend time riding it and the spring problem is solved by a simple spring swap. One option most people over look is changing the damper oil weight. I've found that by changing the stock 5-wt. for 2.5-wt. oil it improves the compression damping some-what, giving a plusher ride and speeding up the rebound. I also did this on the rear shock of my B-3 (5-wt. from 7.5-wt.) it made a world of difference. As you can tell I really like this fork alot!!! I also run the Amp disc brakes front and rear; an option made difficult when using another brand of fork (I know there are adapter kits but the ones I have seen don't fit precisely). Give it a shot, if you have any questions e-mail me or post a reply. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a cross-country rider
from Maryland
Date Reviewed: August 27, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork is great! It's not as supple as a Judy or Mach5, but it is much
stiffer, and weighs a pund less than a Judy xc. I don't care if you're not
a weight-wenie, a full pound up front makes a difference! It's stiffness is that
of a rigid fork, which makes technical stuff and sprinting really nice. The down
side to this fork is that is not quite as good absorbing the rough stuff as the
alternatives, it comes really close to hitting my down tube, and my bikes geometry
is fairly normal, and that an allen key and wrench is needed to adjust preload. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken F.
a cross-country rider
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: August 5, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Having ridden the fork now for 6 months in virtually all possible conditions (except in the wet and muddy), I find the fork to have several problems:
Firstly, the break-in period will vary depending upon how heavy the rider is, what your normal trail conditions are, if you run the proper amount (or less) of preload, and how often you ride. All these factors affect the frequency and force of the impacts the fork experiences in order for a certain amount of wear to occur in the pivots. For me, a 135lb rider who rides fairly rocky and fast trails, it took 150-200 miles to notice more activity from the fork. During break-in, the fork felt nearly rigid.
Secondly, once past the break-in period, the fork still feels harsh on large impacts and unresponsive on small bumps (yes, I did change the spring rate). It seems that the linkage is only actuated by a relatively narrow range of bump sizes.
Thirdly, the offset chosen for the fork resulted (on my bike at least) in very twitchy steering. I was crashing my brains out during my first two weeks on the fork because (aside from not being a Johnny Tomac) of the steering and the fact that I kept forgetting that it would not absorb the big hits like the Judy (with Speed Springs) I had on before.
Two positive characteristics of the fork are the light weight (for relatively smooth x-c courses) and the steering precision in technical situations.
All in all, I would reccommend a more conventional fork for the wide majority of riders, and the F3XC for XC racers who ride in fairly mild conditions. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Carroll
a cross-country rider
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: July 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The AMP F-3 fork is a nice piece of work, but is idealy suited to only certain
conditions. The forks travel is stiff, and I didn't notice a huge difference
over the F-2. If you ride in really rocky areas then you'll defintely want
more travel. However, if you ride primarily XC in areas without too many big
rocks the fork is very nice. Here's a brief summary of the fork:
1. Stiff, it won't suck up small stuff like a Judy or Mach 5. I have to admit
that the Judy does take hits better and is a more comfortable ride.
2. Strange geometry, the fork has about 1.9 of offset which puts it about
.5 greater than other forks. This can do strange things to your handling,
some might like it others might not, it depends on the bike.
3. Great steering, the added rake aside this fork steers as well as a rigid
fork.
4. J-Axle path, the fork moves back and up, which makes it very nice on
technical stuff. I also found the fork very nice on dropoffs, when my Judy
would almost cause an endo this fork would just flow through. It's also
nice on technical climbs where the fork can roll over stuff that would
cause a 2 telescoping fork to sieze up.
5. Improved construction, if you look at the construction of this fork, it
makes the Judy look like something you got out of a cereal box. The machine
work is very nice, and the damper is a piece of artwork compared to the
Judy. Servicing the damper is also pathetically easy. The fork also has
improved seals on the bushings. In the 5 months that my fork was in use
the bushings displayed no slop.
In short it's a fork for a finnesse rider who wants handling above all else. At
slow speeds the fork feels much nicer than the Judy, but the limited travel of
2 (I seriously doubt it's really getting the claimed 2.25) just isn't enough.
My main gripe about the fork, and the reason I got rid of it was the offset, it
just did weird things to the handling of my bike, however I still do have a
healthy respect for the fork and would recomend it.
If you can get over the added rake, and don't ride in really rocky area's then
the AMP is a great fork. If you want more comfort and travel then get something
with 3 of travel and steel springs (like the F-4 or Judy DH) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sunny
a
from Calgary, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 15, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I have not put in any significant saddle time on this fork so I will not comment
on it's suspension performance. However, what happened on yesterday's group ride
should be of interest to those interested in this fork. In a group of seven,
three bikes had F3 forks. During the first 5 minutes of a fast rooted downhill,
two of the three fork's damper failed. Both dampers had their o-ring seal
squeezed out of the damper body. Of the failed dampers, one was brand new and
the other being several months old. We're thinking of renaming the trail
The Toaster. This is not, in my opinion, sufficient info to pass judgement on
the product so, I won't rate it. Please IGNORE THE STARS...had to pick something
before the computer will process the review. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mark
a downhiller
from canada
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
f-3xc set-up:without getting into details;set your fork with 6mm to 6.5mm of sag .also,keep in mind that your rear susp. will effect the forks performance .therefore,run light compession dampening on therear shock to counter fork dive. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chi
a cross-country rider
from Washington, DC
Date Reviewed: June 18, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I don't have the F3 anymore, but when I did I thought it was a fairly good fork. It was stiff and it was certainly light. It didn't handle small hits real well, but it took the big ones fine. I didn't notice the problems that other people have mentioned like brake dive, bushings loosening, or bad preload adjustment. You see the reason I didn't notice all these things is because I bent the hell out of it after the first three weeks I had it.
The biggest failing of this fork is the linkage design. The linkage system is resposible for holding the assembly together, but since the linkage system is made up of weak, thin aluminum flanges, they are apt to bend. This is what happened to mine when I slammed into a stump of a tree (my rim was only slightly potato chipped, you would think it would be completely tacoed before the fork got bent).
If I was strictly looking at performance I would give it a 4, but since I can't afford to buy a new fork every month I'll have to give it a 2 | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan K.
a
from truckee
Date Reviewed: June 13, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
model: f3
Supposedly new and improved over the f2, but I didn't notice any difference. Whether with one or two hydraulic dampners, the fork would still either be too soft or too hard. And that infamous brake dive was still there. Light, but scary fork. Hopefully the BLT fork is the answer. I wouldn't recommend this fork to anyone looking for a serious performance fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Grunenberg
a cross-country rider
from OH
Date Reviewed: May 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The fork works well. I upgraded from a Rock Shocks Quad 5 to the Amp
fork and the differences are astounding. The fork is stiff to the point of
feeling like a rigid fork for steering. Low speed bumps are more noticble with
the Amp fork than with the Quad 5, but the Amp fork takes up the larger hits
with much more ease than the Quad 5 ever did.
The things I love about the fork; 1) It tracks like no other fork out
there (VERY precise), 2) I have control on the rebound. (My old fork was a pogo
stick), 3)VERY light. 4) Brake dive is less than on a Quad 5, (or a Judy)
(Test rode friends bike.) Brake dive LOOKS more noticible, your linkage moves.
Telescopic forks don't do that.
The things I don't like; 1) Break in period. (around a month for me,
maybe longer). 2) LOTS stiffer. It doesn't work well unless really needed or
at speed. 3) Rose the front end of the bike up. (I promptly crashed.)
Overall I really like the fork. I am going to give it until the end
of June to break in, and if that doesn't work I am going to get a softer
spring in it. If you want to play and have a chance for aftermarket toys,
stay away, because the Amp isn't able to do as many changes as a Judy or a
Mach 5...
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
M. Brinker
a cross-country rider
from Orlando
Date Reviewed: May 12, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The Amp B-4 is the best bike I have ever ridden. It's suspension is active (so if you're a retro grouch, it's probably not for you) but not so active that it makes you feel like you're bobbing all over the place wasting energy. The F-3 fork is very responsive, and it's 2.25 of travel feels like a lot more, plus, it's over a pound lighter than the lightest telescopic forks, so it's very easy to track over any obstacle. The whole thing, with XT and disc brakes (which I don't have yet) only weighs 24.5 lbs.!!! Awesome ride and awesome craftsmanship on the frame and fork. Worth every penny!
| | Overall Rating: |
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