Strengths: great fork for many purposes, my specific use is for DJ/urban riding, I've had it for a little over a year now, and i could not be more pleased, it performs flawlessly, i bought it used from a friend and quickly replaced my older Fox F80 RLT... i noticed many positive differences in performance, the crown on this fork is the stiffest single crown i have EVER ridden, almost ZERO flex on big hits, and we're talking 10-15 foot drops from the apex of a jump... amazing fork
Weaknesses: the only gripe i have is that for people like me, this fork in addition to just the rebound adjustment a anti-bottoming function would be nice, just to keep from hurting anything... and a 20mm Thru-axel variety instead of just Quick-Release
Bottom Line:
bottom line, hands down the best fork i have ever ridden for DJ, however a couple of improvements to make in order to make it even more solid and put it leaps and bounds ahead of the competition... the lowers are made in the same factory as the Fox VanillaR just in case anybody was wondering why the two forks looked similar in shape... categories that this fork should be used for: All-Mountain, Freeride, Dirt Jump, Urban Assault, and the daring portion of the single-crown DH crowd
Weaknesses: No lockout, no low speed compression, limited number of distributers.
Bottom Line:
The X-fusion fork was a big upgrade from the OE Manitou coil fork on my bike. The reduced weight makes the bike more manuverable and a better climber. The plush air spring keeps the front end planted better through rock gardens and downhill sections. Performance is comparable to the fox forks on friends bikes that I have tried. I currently have the fork set at 100mm for use on an XC bike but I will remove the spacers for 130mm travel when I upgrade to a 5" trail bike. If you don't have $600+ to spend on a new fork, then this is a great option.
Submitted by
Minden
a Weekend Warrior
from Watsonville
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2009
Strengths: Strong fork, very light, really smooth, adjustable
Weaknesses: 9mm dropout, leaks air a little (might need new seals though), hard to get the cap off to lower it
Bottom Line:
The review below from "Zachary M" was me a long time ago, and now that I've lowered the fork and ridden it more I have decided to take back what I said.
At 80mm this fork is great for dirt jumping if you're a smooth rider. It's light, strong considering its an XC fork, and feels great if you set it up right. I think it would be better if it had a 12mm dropout like the fox forks, as my hub keeps getting loose in the dropouts. Maybe they'll revise it with 12mm in the future, which would be really cool. This fork is ridiculously light for how strong it is and how good it feels, and is really easy to set up.
My complaint about the company itself is that John screwed me over, so here's the story. John AKA "Sam" offered me a deal at a certain price, and to get me riding the fork as soon as possible he let me start riding the fork and billed me later. All this would have been fine except he billed me over twice the amount we had agreed on, and I ended up having to pay it. Fortunately, the rest of the X-Fusion folks are much easier to deal with and helpful, so I do not blame X-Fusion for this mishap.
Bottom line for dirt jumpers, if you aren't a hack and do ride light parts, this fork is great. It feels awesome, weighs under 4 pounds (even less once the steer-tube has been cut), and doesn't cost a whole bunch. Definitely good to try it before you buy it, but even if you don't I'm sure you'll be happy. Well worth the money.
Favorite Trail: "Dirt jumps come and go, but dirt jumpers will live forever"
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$360.00
Purchased At: John Sampson screwed
Similar Products Used: I've ridden pikes and basically every fork from DJ to DH, owned an argyle, fox float 32, etc. It compares in quality to the pike IMO
Bike Setup: Mob, velvet, hope hubs, profile cranks, etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
pancitpalabok
a Weekend Warrior
from Sunnyvale
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2008
Strengths: Great for DJ. Well I'm a newbie on DJ.
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
I weigh about 165 and I like it. Feels really smooth on the transition and smaller drops. Saved me on a couple of foul ups. Planning to try it on my trail bike. I have the R model and the rebound set-up feels so much different from all the forks that I've tried. Feels like it has some kinda damping.
Weaknesses: Lacks Lock out or compression damping, Weight weenies might not like the weight (About 3.8 lbs)
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent trail fork. Right out of the box, it is very smooth & tracks very well. It is much stiffer than my Manitou R7. I can descend faster over rocky terrain due to increase control. Despite aggressive riding, the fork never flexed, and the seals are working perfectly (plus they are quiet). I pretty much do not think or worry about the fork. It is almost a "set it and forget it" type of fork.
The rebound damping is the biggest sell! The knob is located on the top right leg. It is very sensitive, and there are positive clicks to let you know how much rebound damping you are adding or taking away. For aggressive riding, just add more rebound damping, and it won't pogo & adds incredibly control. If you are riding casually, just decrase the damping, and it is plush & smoother than a baby's bottom. It is sensitive, and you actually can feel the damping affecting your ride.
The downside is the weight. If you are a weight weenie, then you might want to consider something else. I have raced this fork in both marathon & cross country races, and the weight never anchored me down. It may be 0.25 lbs heavier than a Fox F100, Marzocchi Corsa, or Rock Shox Reba, but I doubt you will notice any weight difference. Plus, it doesn't have a lockout or compression damping. So, bobbing can be an issue, especially with out of the saddle efforts.
Overall, this is an outstanding trail fork, that can very easily be raced on. If you prefer to adjust negative & positive pressures, compression damping, handlebar lock outs, terralogic, then you should avoid this fork. But, if you want a super solid, easy to set up fork, then seriously consider this. Don't worry about the lack of advertisement. It is definitely, the best fork I have used, and just recently bought another for a second bike. I highly recommend this fork!
Weaknesses: Doesn't come with an air pump. No lock out.
Bottom Line:
For the price this fork cannot be beat. Its stupid light, and with a little adjusting it can be made into a killer fork. Some users say its useless if you're over 175 pounds, but all you have to do is up the compression to compensate (suggested psi's are listed in manual). After six months this fork has held up very well. It soaks up the bumps, and is super plush.
Similar Products Used: None, first air sprung fork.
Bike Setup: Marin Nail Trail
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
mattgroot
a Weekend Warrior
from Shoalhaven, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2008
Strengths: Smoothness over rocky trails, easy setup, robust.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
Just put these forks to the test at the Mount Stromlo 24hr. The track was very demanding on forks, lots of rocks and rough trails. These forks loved it taking a lot of punishment from a large rider (me)! An excelent xc and trail riding fork.
Similar Products Used: Fox float, SR Suntour, Fox 40, Boxxer Team, other forks on friends bikes
Bike Setup: My hardtail is an Ironhorse Yakuza Chimpira and now I don't ride it because of the velvet fork. It used to ride fine, now it doesn't. Now I ride my Morewood :)
And no, I don't mean negative when I say critical. Just a real world review from someone that actually owns one. I'm thinking about throwing one on my singlespeed, but the commen Read More »
