Marzocchi Z3 M80 00 Front Shock

4.57/5

(14 Reviews)

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Weight : 1765 g

Product Description

80mm travel

New MAG PowerWrap Cryofit brake arch

New Cryofit bolt-less crown design

Dual SSV fixed valve damping design

30mm stanchions

Forged disk brake hanger (Intl. Stnd.)

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Reviews 1 - 14 (14 Reviews Total)

User Reviews

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Submitted by Chris H from Doylestown, PA

Date Reviewed: August 8, 2002

Strengths:    Strong, stiff, great steering precision

Weaknesses:    Not light.

Bottom Line:

This fork came with the bike. I knew it was heavy so I asked for a Rock Shox SID XC (much lighter) for Christmas. Now I know where that weight went. Steering precision was out of the window, and when I hit the brakes I could actually see the fork deflecting back about 3". Not my cup of tea, I put the Marzocchi back on the bike and have been loving life ever since. Yeah, it's a heavy fork but it *works* and it has earned my confidence time and time again.

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Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Similar Products Used:   Rock Shox SID XC (2000)

Bike Setup:   Rocky Mountain Element Race

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Submitted by Frenchy from London, Ontario

Date Reviewed: April 21, 2002

Strengths:    Great Travel, Stiff, And everything under the sun!!!

Weaknesses:    Nothing...

Bottom Line:

This Fork kicks A**!!! It eats stairs for lunch, then for desert it will suck back any trail you throw at it. This fork is not for the weight weenies! I am a very aggressive rider and I have not been disappointed yet. If you want the better adjustments, then buy the Z3 BAM 80. But you should always have a set of allen keys in the trails, all you do is pop the rubber top off, two turns, and your done! This shock blows away anything in its category!!!

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Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $225.00

Purchased At:   Bike World (Windsor Ontario)

Similar Products Used:   Manitou Magnum R (Not comparable!)

Bike Setup:   Trek 6500 XT components

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Submitted by Michael a Weekend Warrior from Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Date Reviewed: July 25, 2001

Strengths:    Unique and good-looking. Stiff during the moment of impact. Seems to be well sealed. Good quality materials.

Weaknesses:    Bushing play. Quite plush, but subpar when compared to a RockShox Hydracoil. Lack of convenient preload adjustment.

Bottom Line:

Everyone always writes that their Marzocchis are soooo plush, but mine isn't. So I'm thinking that I just got a bad fork. On its own, it's plush enough and it does well to give you suspension, but compared to a Judy, it just isn't quite in the same league. Judys are BUTTERY smooth... my Bomber doesn't reach the same performance over small bumps, even though my springs are set up soft.

But besides that, I have no serious complaints. The fork has bushing play, but every fork does, and even if the external preload adjustment is inconvenient, at least it's not impossible.

On the bright side, the fork is striking to look at, and stiff during the bigger hits. It seems to be well sealed because nothing appears to get by the external scraper seal, and it is solidly constructed, with 30mm Easton stanchion tubes and an Easton steerer tube.

In summary, my main gripe with the fork is the lack of smoothness, since smoothness is what I look for mainly. As I said already, it's good, but why settle for good when the competition is offering VERY good? And to throw salt into the wound, where's the external rebound adjuster? RockShox and Manitous of this price range all have one. At the moment, I'm drooling over the '01 Judy SL, which is silky and delicious in comparison, with a rebound adjuster, lighter weight, AND a lower price!

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Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Similar Products Used:   RockShox Hydracoil forks.

Bike Setup:   2000 Rocky Mountain Element Race, an LX fs bike.

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Submitted by Lasse Räsänen a Cross Country Rider from Finland

Date Reviewed: May 11, 2001

Strengths:    Stifffffff!
Works great.
(Looks good)

Weaknesses:    Weight.
(No quick adjustments)

Bottom Line:

After riding with a -97 Judy SL the biggest thing on my mind was: "God this is stiff!". When I want to ride fast on gravel I don't have to worry about being flung sideways anymore! Wow! Now the thing that limits riding is tire grip, not the limits of the fork.

The second thing on my mind was: "Hey, this actually works." Feels quite nice. But remember what I'm comparing it with...

But. It weighs 600 grams (=1.3lbs) more that my previous fork and since I'm 63kg (=140lbs) myself, I feel every gram :) Choosing a fork is always a compromise between function, stiffness, weight and price.

I'm happy with it but I also know that the next fork in this frame will be lighter.

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Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Similar Products Used:   RS Judy SL -97 with 63mm of travel.

Bike Setup:   Hardtail XC-bike.

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Submitted by Michael a Weekend Warrior from Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Date Reviewed: April 24, 2001

Strengths:    Amazing looks, quality materials, plush travel in almost every situation, unique alternative.

Weaknesses:    Harsh travel in one situation, slightly inconvenient preload adjustment, no boots, bushing play.

Bottom Line:

The M80 looks sleek and strong, it's simply gorgeous in the setting sunlight. The stanchion tubes and the steerer tube are both made from Easton aluminum, something mostly unmatched by RockShox and Manitou forks. In terms of performance (most important to me), the fork is plush over slow bumps, quite plush over big fast bumps, but harsh over small fast bumps. (When I say slow and fast, I'm referring to not just the speed you hit the bump at, but also how slow or fast the fork is required to move. So a slow bump could be a large, smooth-grooved divot hit at a high speed, and a fast bump could be a sharp divot hit at a low speed.) Simply put, the only performance drawback comes when the fork has to track small bumps very quickly; the fork seems to seize up. Expect, after bombing down a fire road, to have sore hands and wrists. This was never a problem with my old Hydracoil Judy. Also, since you need an allen wrench to adjust the preload, you have to make sure you take one with you all the time, which can be mildly annoying. With the absence of boots, the fork feels (psychologically) less ready to brave the elements. In other words, I never feel comfortable using up a lot of travel when I see my stanchions coated with mud. And, as hard as it is to believe, this fork has more bushing play than my Judy, period. This has little to do with stiffness, of course, just the way soft springs have little to do with plushness. Sometimes I wonder how many people eagerly state that their Marzocchi's are 'plush' simply because they have softer springs.
Anyway, all in all it's an acceptable fork, but nothing more. Actually it's a slightly disappointing stock fork on a fs bike that costs $1650 (American). You can't go wrong with Rock Shox or Manitou.

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Duration Product Used:   3 months

Similar Products Used:   1999 Rock Shox Judy C longtravel, 1 year.

Bike Setup:   2000 Rocky Mountain Element Race (fs), Shimano LX/XT, Fox Float R rear shock.

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Submitted by Nick from San Antonio, TX, USA*

Date Reviewed: April 18, 2001

Strengths:    strong fork, plush, good abount of travel, looks sweet, it can handle anything i throw at it, easy to adjust

Weaknesses:    none, it's an excellent fork

Bottom Line:

i'm kind of a big guy at 190, and i was having trouble deciding between the SID and the Z3, but after testing them both, and talking to various people i went with the Z3. it's a stronger ride, and i think it can handle more. sure it is a little heavier, but my bike is light anyway, and that little bit didnt matter to me. bottom line...Marzocchi just rules, i'll never switch. this fork really could be ridden by anyone, free ride-xc, and dh.

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Favorite Trail:   any trail

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Similar Products Used:   rox shox q21r, SID xc

Bike Setup:   Trek Fuel 98, full XTR, Primo Platform Peddles, Easton Monkey bars, Marzocchi Z3 100

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Submitted by Joe Barron a Cross Country Rider from Allentown, PA US

Date Reviewed: April 6, 2001

Strengths:    Stiff, smooth, maintenance free

Weaknesses:    Lack of tuning options

Bottom Line:

I haven't had to think about this fork enough to write much of a review -- which is GOOD. Despite listing tuning options as a weakness, it didn't take much effort to get this fork dialed in perfectly (for me) using different springs and playing with oil level. Set it and forget it is how I would describe it. It just works. Exactly the same, every time, without fail, and without complaing. It never squeaks, rattles, groans, leaks, or noticeably flexes in any way under my 200+ lbs. After 1 year of fairly aggressive, sometimes punishing riding, it works exactly as it did when new, if not better, as the seals have worn in.
As if that's not enough, I've not really done anything to maintain it.

For XC, I really can't imagine wanting more from a fork than this, except perhaps adjustable compression/rebound damping and MAYBE 10mm more travel. Yeah, it's not light, but you aren't considering this fork anyway if that matters to you.

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Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Similar Products Used:   Manitou Pro-C, test-rode/borrowed bikes with various other RS/Manitou forks.

Bike Setup:   2K Kona Pahoehoe -- Stock but for GS 7.0 Shifters/ rear Der, ODI grips, Time pedals, Terry Raven saddle.

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Submitted by joe pickard a Weekend Warrior from Notttingham,England

Date Reviewed: March 10, 2001

Strengths:    well its me again,and they still havcent put a foot wrong on me!
me mates are still jealous of me cos these forks are even good at jumping with (cos sold kula frame for a roast)

Weaknesses:    nope still nothing....well..... maybe the tiniest more amount of travel,but not too much thought as it will spoil the most awesome fork in its price range and against its rivals.Maybe marzocchi have already done this woith the z3 coil 100's....but i still luv em
not too heavy either,just in case you're an xc yuppie

Bottom Line:

still the kippers tits,and the blood red colour looks wicked
i still think theyre top notch for the money
still 5/5 on both
BUY 'EM
a well deserved 5 flaming turds or wotever they are,
cos theyre not really chilis,are they?

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Duration Product Used:   3 months

Similar Products Used:   judy xc,manitou mars,z1 BAM (my bruvvers,they were great too)

Bike Setup:   kona roast (polished),z3 m80,MRP chain device,mavic x517 ceramic (quite strong for the weight,still havent buckled)full 8-speed xt,DMR,too much to list

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Submitted by Ken a Cross Country Rider from Salt Lake City, Utah

Date Reviewed: November 19, 2000

Strengths:    Performance and reliability just as good as a Z2 Atom 80, at a more easily obtainable pricepoint.

Weaknesses:    Z2 Atom 80 gets marginally better microdampening.

Bottom Line:

This should be their best selling fork, it performs tremendously well, feeling closer to the Z2 in ride quality than to any of the poorly-damped "competition". Read my two Z2 reviews and the Z3 is basically just as good.

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Favorite Trail:   Desolation Lake

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Similar Products Used:   Z2, Z4, rest of the "competition"

Bike Setup:   My bro's RM Element Race, stock

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Submitted by joe pickard a Cross Country Rider from nottinngham,england

Date Reviewed: November 14, 2000

Strengths:    very very plush,
build quality is second to none at this price range
marzocchi credibility
great marzocchi uk service backup
did i mention plush?
clean, cool design
oh i forgot how plush it is!

Weaknesses:    i havent found anty weaknesses yet and i dont hope to either

Bottom Line:

for the price (£149 or for the yanks about $260)these forks are fantastic full stop.
thats all i have to say.
did i mention how plush they are? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

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Favorite Trail:   felley

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $260.00

Purchased At:   www.supercycles.com

Similar Products Used:   rockshox judy xc,manitou mars(i dont like them i dont know why though):-)

Bike Setup:   kona kula ,full shimano lx/xt my lovely bombers,mavic,DMR etc...the list is huge

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Submitted by Todd a Cross Country Rider from Smithfield, NC

Date Reviewed: November 14, 2000

Strengths:    Low maintenance, smooth, strong.

Weaknesses:    haven't found any yet.

Bottom Line:

The other shocks I've riden were all good. The Marzocchi is just a bit better thought. It isn't noisy like some of the Rock shox I've been on, and it works extremely well. I'm a heavy rider, 225#, so I had to go with the heavy spring.

I highly recommend this fork for anyone who wants a tough fork with a sweet ride. It's able to handling anything I've put it through so far.

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Duration Product Used:   3 months

Similar Products Used:   Rock Shox

Bike Setup:   2000 Kona Pahoehoe, 130mm stem, Serfas kevlar seat.

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Submitted by Ondras a Weekend Warrior from Czech Republic

Date Reviewed: August 7, 2000

Strengths:    Stiff, Plush, adjustability, it's black :-]

Weaknesses:    After about 1 year of hard usage the M-arch get disconnect from sliders (both !) - 1 week in service and it' OK again

Bottom Line:

I like this fork very much. I ride it for about 1 year and there is not any play unlike in Judy SL (It was after 1 month usage much worse than RST 381!) I works well. It's widely adjustable - the oil level makes wonders (try different oil volumes for each leg). The only problem was disconnecting of the arch and sliders, but it was quickly fixed by Czech Marzocchi dealer - so 1 chili down.

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Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Similar Products Used:   RST 381R, Judy SL, Indy C, Bomber Z1 CR (110 & 130 mm), Bomber Z5 (80 & 100 mm), Kangaroo DH140, ...

Bike Setup:   racebike FUN, FS, ESP7.0, formula discs. http://rbfun.zde.cz (in czech language only, but lot of photos)

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Submitted by rm_no_compromise a Weekend Warrior from orlando,FL USA

Date Reviewed: March 21, 2000

Strengths:    I believe this fork is one of the "cheaper" forks offered by the Marzocchi line up. However, this is truely a remarkable value. Super smooth and stiff even for a big guy like myself. Great value.

Weaknesses:    The fork has these little rubber tabs that that go on top of the adjustment setting and they come off easily. This is no big deal really, but it looks better with them:) It's a bummer when you lose one:)
If you're looking for a light fork, look at the "higher end" marzocchi. This fork is almost 4lbs

Bottom Line:

For the price, I think it's a good deal. The fork performs really well and like I mentioned, Im a big guy. It might be a little heavy for some of you but to me that's not an issue as I prefer to have "bombproof" components than "light".

Five Tamales!

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Favorite Trail:   Downtown Orlando

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Similar Products Used:   Rock Shock

Bike Setup:   Rocky Mountain Oxygen Race '00, Race Face LPs, XT/LX

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Submitted by Ben a Cross Country Rider from ACT, Australia

Date Reviewed: February 6, 2000

Strengths:    Stiff, good amount of travel for a hardtail (80 mm), feels very smooth on the trails.

Weaknesses:    The preload adjusters could be easier to access.

Bottom Line:

I've only had this fork for a month so far but it already feels a lot better than my Indy C's, a lot stiffer and smoother. I've added some fork boots (lizard skins) to keep out the dust and it should mean less maintenance. I should have upgraded to a better fork a long time ago if I knew it would make such a difference to my riding. I've found that I'm now picking lines downhill that I wouldn't have choosen before and my confidence is growing with every ride. I am impressed with the design of the fork and will probably continue buying Bombers in the future.

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Favorite Trail:   Majura Pines

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Similar Products Used:   Rock Shox - Indy C

Bike Setup:   Norco Sasquatch - 1998 Model

Reviews 1 - 14 (14 Reviews Total)

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Marzocchi Z3 M80 00 Front Shock

Product Description

User Reviews

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