Submitted by
Bikesair
a Weekend Warrior
from San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2010
Strengths: Adjustablity! Easy to work on and very easy to modify.
Very good small bump compliance, I expected a lot worse. Fortunately with PAR you can keep your low end supple to blast over the chatter and still hit some pretty big drops on the same tune.
If you don't want to carry around an air pump on your ride then use the VA adjustment to get your bottom out controlled for when those bigger drops come up.
Extremely stiff. Point it and go...deflection is laughable. Also I do use my travel adjust on those 1000ft grinds to to the top. I helps when I'm pushing the thing too.
Weaknesses: Reliability. Because of the Air cartridge you have to pretty regularly pop it open and give it some new lube and a little TLC. Really nothing that any other fork shouldn't have but in this case the fork WILL break if ignored. Coil can pretty much just run until you wear your stanchions away.
It dives. Not a whole lot of mid stroke compression. Great for the rock gardens but not so great for hard braking turns.
Bottom Line:
If you don't mind quality engineering that needs to be properly maintained in order to perform at it's peak I don't know what else to say. RC3 still competes with 2010 stuff and was way ahead of it's time.
This fork performs way beyond my limits and I love how I can just pop a few squirts of air in for a whole different feel. Screw coils.
Strengths: So freaking adjustable that its ridicules! RC3 is amazing, rebound control seems infinitely adjustable, and the PAR chamber is out of this world. Last but not least, the 38mm nickel-coated stanchions look as sexy as can be!
Weaknesses: none, but i don't see the point of adjustable travel on a dh fork
Bottom Line:
I cant believe that people think that the PAR chamber is "too" progressive, it just makes it so that the bottom out is impossible to bottom out, and the top end is as smooth as butter. Just get this fork, its fantastic, and the settings that marzocchi recommends are almost perfect too. This fork is for anyone that loves quality without maintenance. Buy it, it's worth thew money :)
Strengths: relatively light, easy to tune, extreme small bump compliance, soaks up big hits, tracks really well for racing, stable at speed in and out of the GNAR.
Weaknesses: None for 09,
08s did have oring issues matched with the bushing slop.
Bottom Line:
Been running marzocchi products for 3 years, 08s did have some issues THAT HAVE BEEN IRONED OUT. The 09 stuff is better out of the box then the 08s were, they have a little play the same as 07s did and are buttery smooth and the play is there to allow for oil to come up the sides and wash the stanchions being an open bath system.
The 09 is way more buttery then the 08s were out of the box and feels more tuned and smoother. I was hesitant to try another till proven but picked it up and bashed it at speed and jumps and LOVE IT!!!! Good ol Marzocchi butter is back.
I just came off the Boxxer WC custom tuned and built for me and this is way smoother by leaps and bounds all the way through the travel and yes its because its an open bath system.
Submitted by
glurgg
a Downhiller
from Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2009
Strengths: super adjustable, the two air chambers on the right leg provide a great range of adjustment. 7 pounds including direct mount stem that is included.Can be adjusted from 200mm-160mm travel
Weaknesses: the valve under ata knob took me a while to get at, its easy when you know where it is.
Bottom Line:
Great fork, some of the 2008 888s got recalled but the 09s are good, if u can pick one up cheap its worth it, reliable fork that wont let u down if your the kind of person who wants a fork to be tuned to your riding style than this fork is a good choice for you. The travel adjust works great too. I ride downhill, and i freeride at the local trails, it rips up everything no problems yet. recomend to anyone
Similar Products Used: havn't used many different forks but it feels similar to a boxxer
Bike Setup: 2005 devinci 8flat8, maxxis minion dhf 3c, 2009 888 ata wc, peaty grips, chromag trailmaster seat, manitou metal(soon to be roco wc), hayes 9(soon to be upgraded).
Good people,
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