Submitted by
Jim Breneman
a Weekend Warrior
from San Dimas, CA, usa Date Reviewed: January 21, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Glendora Truck trail
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At:
Inline Cycle
Strengths:
smooth
Weaknesses:
Parts are hard to come by
Similar Products Used:
l
Bike Setup:
l
Bottom Line:
I'm a weekend warrior with more money than skill but i like my bike componants to last more that 5 years or at the least be able to obtain part when needed.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Simon
a Cross Country Rider
from basingstoke Date Reviewed: January 17, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Just to say ive had these 10 years and still out lasting my bikes!!!
Weaknesses:
flex
Bottom Line:
10 years and still going strong, i think that says it all! Just look after them and they look after you :) And the fact they had disc mounts and canti stays means that whatever the brakes (hs33, vee or disc), they are completely compatible
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nathan
a Cross Country Rider
from Nebraska Date Reviewed: April 25, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Platte River State Park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
I can't think of anything that wasn't better about my zoke. It's "economical", I guess
Weaknesses:
Leaked oil like a bandit, which of course attracted dirt, which caused more leakage, etc. Too plush stock (I only weight 180), no where near true 100mm travel, heavy.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Z1 x-fly, Manitou Mars, Rock Shox Judy race
Bike Setup:
'00 Specialized Enduro Comp, stock
Bottom Line:
Not a fan. Replaced with z1. I can't think of a good reason to have this fork, there are others out there you can get that are lots better for similar $. It came on my bike, there's no way in hell I'd buy this if it didn't.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
g. g.
a Cross Country Rider
from santa fe, nm, usa Date Reviewed: September 4, 2002
Favorite Trail:
the ones that are open
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Inexpensive,(almost)4" travel fork, smooth, quiet, had good geometry with tallish front end on the 2000 enduro.
Weaknesses:
Too flexy, non-progressive spring feel, compression pre-load stopped functioning on first ride, non-international standard disk brake mounts, and terrifyingly out-of-control on fast bumps, and awful cold weather performance.
Manitou / Answer is doing the right thing and offering a warranty upgrade/replacement as I have had lots of problems with these forks. The pre-load knob "snapped" the first bump it hit, so it can't hold the pre-load I set it to. The dampening components essentially fell apart and stopped performing so the fork is almost intolerable on anything technical. I hadn't ridden them in a while but the 'Zokes are in for warranty repair so I threw these back on the bike. I noticed right away the front end was taller giving better BB clearance (which is good) but wonder why the forks are so damn tall, making them very scary on technical switchbacks and fast off-camber turns. The other thing is that I never got the 4" / 100 mm of travel claimed. The flex issue is compounded with the tight tolerances of disks, as when the fork flexes, the disk rubs... The upshot is that they are easy to service and the customer service is excellent. But as someone else said here, there is no reason to buy these as aftermarket forks with all the other options out there.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Deano Hepburn
a Downhiller
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: September 2, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Castlerock
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Friend
Strengths:
Strong,Stiff,sticks to the track like glue.
Weaknesses:
Bottomsout far tooooooooooo easly.Even bouncing on them without effort I bottomed them out. Can't do small jumps don't wanna try the big ones.
Similar Products Used:
Judy C's, Pyslo XC's
Bike Setup:
Specialized Hardrock Deore Groupset
Bottom Line:
XC only.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary Date Reviewed: August 29, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
No stiction, smooth and seems to track fine for us old slow guys. Easy to service and rebuild. It's only designed for casual riding. Any old grease will do - don't have to spend time looking for Judy Butter everywhere.
Weaknesses:
Blew apart MCU stack - split a coupling and jammed the mcu's side by side. Everyone I talk to says fluke luck.
Bottom Line:
Once I changed to a better (shorter/stiffer) mcu stack and longer spring it is fine. Leaks some lube from between the bushings, but at least there is lube between the bushings. Never had dampening problems other than looking for 5 wt oil late at night.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Rosa, CA Date Reviewed: July 15, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Cheap and 100 mm of travel
Weaknesses:
Leaked oit since the day I got them, cheap plastic knobs, adjustments make little to no difference in performance and worst of all these forks FLEX a lot.
Bike Setup:
These forks came on my specialized eduro comp that I purchased about one and a half years ago.
Bottom Line:
Like the previous review said "wet noodle." These forks work fine on wide open stuff with moderate bumps, but if you ride anywhere where precision steering is critical go with something that has more rigidity. Technical climbing is a hugh pain with these things, they feel like they are all over place.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Lenexa, KS Date Reviewed: June 29, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Lawrence River Trails
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Bike Source
Strengths:
Well, I got this fork as standard issue equipment on my Specialized FSR Enduro Comp 2000 model. It was a GREAT fork at first, but I quickly found out as my riding skills improved that this fork was too flexible (especially when nailing the front Hayes Discs brakes), it goozed oil EVERYWHERE (even contaminated my rotor once), and the dampening cartridges were EASY to blow. So I have been riding my FSR with a cheapo-Manitou SX-LT on it for the past 2 years... 1 of which with blown dampening cartridges.
Weaknesses:
The dampening cartridge is easy to break...it's about as flexible as a wet noodle under hard braking, and it leaks more oil than my 86' Saab 900 Turbo
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Judy SL (98' model), Rock Shox Jett, Rock Shox Psylo, Manitou SX-Ti, Manitou SX-LT (80mm travel version)
Bike Setup:
00' Specialized FSR Enduro Comp. Marzocchi Z3 01' fork w/ 100mm of buttery smooth travel. Panaracer Fire XC-Pro Kevlar tires, Full Shimano XT drivetrain, THE Fenders, Hayes Discs, Powerconnection 99 chain, Fox Float rear shock.
Bottom Line:
This fork is JUST ok. After riding other bikes with different forks, it makes you want to throw this thing over a cliff. Leave it for the newbies.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Rogers
a Weekend Warrior
from Whitby Date Reviewed: March 14, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Dagmar
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Bay Sport
Strengths:
- Plush in light stuff when set-up correctly. - Microlube ports
Weaknesses:
- Stock spring and mcu way to soft for rough terrain - Flexy in fast stuff - Crappy cheap plastic caps - Does not work well when it gets cold out.
Similar Products Used:
Lots
Bike Setup:
Giant ATX 970, full XT, helix expert rear shock, bla bla bla.
Bottom Line:
I replaced the stock Rock Shok that came with my bike with the SX LT. I'm 200 Lbs and the stock (red) elastomers and spring it came with are way to soft and tend to simply stop working when it gets colder (below 50 F).
I improved the shocks performance by dropping in an X Vert Super "firm" spring and elastomer. The spring is 5.5 " Vs the LT's 3.5" stock spring. I also needed to remove one mcu and cut another down to make this thing fit. It works much better than the SX LT stock set-up and remains a little more functional when it gets cold.
After reading all these reviews, I think I'm gong to give my wife a gift and put the SX LT on her bike... then I'll look into a more relable fork that doesn't lose half it's functionallity when it gets cold.
I will not buy another Manitou product based on the poor service most of the reviewers have received.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from New York Date Reviewed: February 15, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
friend (used for about 6 months)
Strengths:
THIS IS AN UPDATE ON A PREVIOUS REVIEW - -decent fork at a low price -long travel
Weaknesses:
-the seal blew, but it was an inexpensive fix, and i havnt had problems since -ajustable preload has annoying plastic knobs -travel can be a bit sloppy
Similar Products Used:
judy c, manitou sx
Bike Setup:
raliegh m55, lx-xt componentry
Bottom Line:
marginal fork, good price
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Craig Adams
a Cross Country Rider
from Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Date Reviewed: December 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$150.00
Strengths:
Cheap 4" travel fork.
Weaknesses:
Spongey, sloppy stering, inefective preload.
Similar Products Used:
1996 Judy XC
Bottom Line:
I would have stuck with my old elastomer Judy's if i didnt need a 4" travel fork. I haven't had the blow out problems others have had, but I stil find the fork lacking. The steering is sloppy, and the fork flexes a _lot_ under heavy pedaling. Still, it soaks up most of the hits, most of the time. Not bad for the money, but if you can afford somthing better, get it. If not, save for somthing better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Barrett Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA, USA Date Reviewed: December 17, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Brail Trail
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Campus Bicycles
Strengths:
-Long Travel -Plush ride -Easy to maintain
Weaknesses:
-If you ride hard you must maintain after every ride -leaks grease faster than an old pinto -no dampening after two months (dampening shim blew out) -bottoms out on big hits (I weigh 165 lbs) -adjustable preload did not seem to make a difference
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Mag 21
Bike Setup:
Specialized Enduro Comp
Bottom Line:
The fork is fun to ride, but is also cheaply made. I really enjoyed it for the first couple of months, then the dampening blew out and it was horrible. I checked out the Manitou website www.answerproducts.com and downloaded the service manual. This helped diagnose the problems as the bike shop guys did not know anything and said the fork was fine. Lucky for me it was still under warranty and through a better bike shop I got free parts from Manitou. I see on many other reviews that the dampening has blown. The issue is definately the dampening shim (very cheap part not made to handle this type of stress). Solution - you can replace the entire oil piston shaft. I recommend upgrading to the newer more luxurious oil dampening adjustable model, and skipping the replacement piece. I am sure this problem will re-occur if you replace the shim/shaft with the same part. The newer dampening shaft models stack the shims, which will add to their strength and hopefully they will not blow apart.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jesse
a Downhiller
from kelowna Date Reviewed: November 5, 2001
Favorite Trail:
doubledogdownhill
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
deepcove
Strengths:
crap crappidy crap they are orange so they match my hat thats aboot all
they suck hairy nuts i heard of a guy doin a 10 foot drop with em and when he landed they cracked all the way up the side and it sounded like a gun shot mine havent done that yet but i have blown the seals within the first month or 2 and probly re-blew em a couple times by now iam sure the insides look like hamburger cuz.. well.. these things are just plain crap i think manitou thought little 90 pound kids with paper routes would be riding these forks.. actually even those kids would probly destroy the fork
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
adam
a Weekend Warrior
from lake cowichan bc canada Date Reviewed: October 8, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Nice travel dont bottom out to easy
Weaknesses:
Leaks more oil than that blonde that sits on the corner down the street
Similar Products Used:
-
Bike Setup:
gaint warp ds 2
Bottom Line:
Good but has cause greif I got it on the bike as a bonus when i bought it so im not sure how much its worth I dont literally beat the crap out of my bike but still my forks aren't healthy. It is good for probably hardcore riders and xc riders.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Craig
a Weekend Warrior
from VA Date Reviewed: September 18, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came on 00 Enduro
Strengths:
None
Weaknesses:
this fork is a good example of why they don'tmake many cheaplong travel forks. They suck the travel is not smooth. That microlube crap leaked out of the fork continuously. this is the wors four inch fork I have ever ridden.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Zz1 CR, Marzocchi JR T
Bike Setup:
2000 Enduro Comp, Z1 CR, King headset, Zoom stem Azonic PDW bar, sun rims, XT cranks with MRP, Hayes,
Bottom Line:
The fork sucks if you really want 4" and don't have enough money for a good one it will work but I suggest you just save up for a better one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jack Anderson
a Weekend Warrior
from Davis, CA, USA Date Reviewed: June 18, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Third Divide- Downieville
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$175.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
None
Weaknesses:
Flexy to the point of being scary. Seals blow out. Garbage.
Similar Products Used:
Psylo, Zokes.
Bike Setup:
01 Enduro nearly everything changed
Bottom Line:
What a waste. Came stock on my enduro and scared the poopoo out of me on high speed downhills. Absolutely no high speed stability whatsoever. Dont waste your time or money. I remember when answer made good stuff...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean K
a Cross Country Rider
from Livingston, nj, US Date Reviewed: June 15, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Plush...Lots of travel, pretty light, Preload works, eh, cheap?
Weaknesses:
Very flexy(i notice it and I am 110 lbs..28.6mm stactions when 30mm is normal now) Cheap, Damping blew out 2 months after i got it. Bottoms out on pebbles now.
Similar Products Used:
RS Jett
Bike Setup:
Stock jamis dakar comp LE
Bottom Line:
Brian, I feel your pain. We have the same bike, and for the most part, the same problem. Anyway, when I was riding my bike around in circles, i rolled over a 3 inch rock/pebble and i felt a major top out clunk. I bounced up and down to see if i felt what i felt, and the fork seemed like a click-pen. Almost worse than the un-damped elastomer sprung Jett. When I roll off a curb, the thing pops down and clunks. Oil also leaks NOT PREP M LUBE. I dont weigh much, and shouldnt have overloaded this fork. MAN HOW COULD THIS BE FOR FREERIDERS? most being in the 200LB RANGE?! Im going on a 4 week trip to New England in 2 weeks, and I dont have any money to buy a new fork...im completely screwed...I hope this friggin damping thing can be fixed. maybe I should just put in 10wt oil instead of 5wt oil. I hope this is under the friggin warantee. Maybe I need a new damper. Maybe TPC. The next fork I buy will not be a Manitou. They stink. Buy em..you'll be sorry. Manitou, I hope you are reading this.
4 flamin dog craps for being a cheap price, and 2 for umm...it is still rideable while undamped.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian Gresl
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary Alberta Canada Date Reviewed: June 9, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Strengths:
zero
Weaknesses:
bottoms out on anything, crapy seals, useless disk mount, no rebound adj.
Similar Products Used:
rock shox judy
Bike Setup:
2000 jamis dakar comp
Bottom Line:
they broke 3 months after i got 'em. there useless forks. they bottom out an a rock, they have a preload adj but its useless it dosnt work at all. the seals leak really bad they should be advertised as a cross country fork cause i busted them on a 4 foot drop. all in all buy a bomber cause with this fork you really get what you pay for
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Manlius, NY Date Reviewed: May 28, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
from a friend
Strengths:
-awesome travel -plush ride -smoothens out most bumps at almost any speed
Weaknesses:
i haven't found any yet.
Similar Products Used:
-RockShox Indy C -Judy SL
Bike Setup:
Raleigh M55, Alivio Components (crap)
Bottom Line:
This is a totally awesome fork for a VERY reasonable price. The travel kicks serious butt, and I haven't found any serious problems with it yet. I got it from a friend for only $150.00 from his Dakar Comp LE when he got a dual crown. I love it. If you need a really nice big travel fork, at a decent price, go for it, you won't regret it.
(Make sure you check your head tube size, I've seen some people order the wrong size... stupid.)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Greg Saunders
a Weekend Warrior
from Norfolk, England Date Reviewed: April 14, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Anywhere thats not foot and mouth infested.
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Cheap 100mm travel fork.
Weaknesses:
Seals,weight,over damped and theyve got those stupid hayes disc mounts, meaning funny size discs and crappy adaptors for your caliper.
Similar Products Used:
Judy race,rond quake pro(105mm),Z1cr,Psylo XC
Bike Setup:
Orange sub 5 XT build, soon to get psylo races in place of the knackered SX's.
Bottom Line:
3 springs later I still can't set the sag right without them bottoming out all the time! The only thing I can put it down to is the crude damping, OK for gentle XC but not a lot else, it isn't not progressive enough. Now the non spring side seal is leaking like hell. Do yourself a favour and buy a Judy or even a budget quake fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Billy Ensor
a Racer
from Manchester Date Reviewed: April 9, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Delamere
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$175.00
Purchased At:
Decathlon
Strengths:
Good value, Lots of travel, Plush
Weaknesses:
SEALS!!!!
Similar Products Used:
Judy SL,x VERT
Bike Setup:
SCOTT WITH DMR SPEEDGUIDE
Bottom Line:
This fork is good value,plush and has lots of travel however I've had the fork for about 4 months and the seals blew. I'd buy it and put better seals on it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff D
a Downhiller
from Macon, GA Date Reviewed: April 2, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Macon freeride stuff
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
came stock on Enduro
Strengths:
Below 15mph, this is a good all-around XC fork - for the money. Looks good.
Weaknesses:
WEak damping for big hits. 28mm stantions when 30mm is stock nowadays.
Similar Products Used:
Xvert DC
Bike Setup:
Stock Enduro Comp w/Xvert DC's and Rhyno XLT rims.
Bottom Line:
I weigh 195 and added some 20w (yes, 20w) oil to chill out compression on big hits. Rebound worked OK for me and only had to rebuild the damper once in 14 months, so leakage was never really a problem. Even with the heavier/higher oil setup, it does dive under braking and will bottom hard when packed up. I rigged up the stock med spring with a heavy spring and two elastomers which helped speed rebound and keep things plush on the slow end. If the fork comes stock on your bike you can get TPC+ dampers and sub them plus play with the springs like I did but considering you can find Xverts for $200 on the net, there's no reason to buy the SXLT aftermarket.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pete
a Weekend Warrior
from Goderich Date Reviewed: March 31, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Strengths:
Good looks, plush ride.
Weaknesses:
Rebound is SLOW. They are too soft for me (6'2" 185lbs). The seals leak oil like crazy.
Similar Products Used:
RS Judy Race
Bike Setup:
Quake 7.0, upgraded deraillers, shifters.
Bottom Line:
The ride was nice at first, the forks got really slow after the first month. Oil was leaking a fair bit. I just recently pulled the bike out from storage for the winter and the forks were blown. They fully compress with about 2lbs of pressure and will not rebound.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
scott
a Racer
from connecticut Date Reviewed: March 17, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Plush, "100mm" of travel- somewhat stiff
Weaknesses:
too plush, sorta flexy at times, no adjustibility. plastic preload knobs.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou SX-E, Marzocchi z.4 Flylight Air
Bike Setup:
stock 2K1 Enduro FSR except Time pedals
Bottom Line:
Save youself some headache and don't buy one. This thing bottoms out off of an anthill, and while that plushness may be good, its gonna break sooner or later. The stroke of the fork feels more like 80mm than 100, and it doesnt have much "feel". the fork also is a little flexy. However it does take to the air well, and it has TPC. its somewhat smooth, but I am gonna ditch this fork eventually and get me a bomber.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
justin cafferty
a Downhiller
from moscow Idaho USA Date Reviewed: March 4, 2001
Favorite Trail:
bald mountain
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1.00
Purchased At:
George's Cycles
Strengths:
smooth travel, 100mm is nice...all in all it's a pretty plush fork
Weaknesses:
fork seals are piles of sh*t! this fork leaks oil everywhere, and when that happens it loses plushness and gets pretty rough
Similar Products Used:
old-school manitou spider, judy xc, psylo
Bike Setup:
Enduro FSR Comp (now with a Z1 MCR Bomber)
Bottom Line:
I thought that the seals blew because I'm such a heavy rider (230+ lbs.). this fork was never sprung heavy enough for me to begin with, so I figured the seals just blew because of the stress I put on the fork. after reading other reviews on this web site I guess its not just me...it seems as though everyone is having trouble with the seals. I hope manitou agrees to warranty this fork...I ain't payin a dime to fix it!
If your the kind of rider who enjoys downhill, riding off drops, and hitting jumps, do not buy this fork. If you are a trail pounder who doesn't tax your fork to the limit, you should be fine...it is a pretty smooth fork (until it blows the seals, which will happen the first time you hit a 3 foot drop). also, if you are a bigger rider forget it...this fork is not big enough to handle a heavy load.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex Nukka
a Weekend Warrior
from Rochester Date Reviewed: January 22, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Hi Tor
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
feels good over small to medium bumps
Weaknesses:
The first day I got the fork some seals blew and oil leaked out everywhere. I had to have it rebuilt. Six months later this happened again and I had to have it sent back to Manitou to be rebuilt again and I had to pay for labor. Another four months later the rebound broke and I am going to have to send it back to Manitou again to be rebuilt. They won't even work out an upgrade deal...I want to get rid of the fork. I only ride the fork ten miles a week on cross country trails.
Has quite a bit of dive
Similar Products Used:
RockShox Indy C
Bike Setup:
Specialized Enduro Comp, stock except RaceFace XY post and Shimano 646 pedals.
Bottom Line:
This fork feels good and rides good for the money but it just doesn't last, not one bit. Manitou's not even trying to make good on it: no upgrade deal. Don't buy it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ds1
a Downhiller
from Knoxville, TN Date Reviewed: December 22, 2000
don't but this fork unless you are desperate ! ?? it leaks bad..but you can get it to be plush..
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
SJ
a Weekend Warrior
from Upstate NY Date Reviewed: November 20, 2000
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
-If you like the SX(I do),you'll find more to love here -One of the cheapest 4-in. forks on the market -Easy to maintain -Sucks up bumps very unobtrusively
Weaknesses:
-Not as stiff as the short-travel version -This is NOT a freeride fork(Answer is on crack for calling it one) -Still has no adjustability -A bit heavy(still lighter than the Judy) -The one I tested had a small oil leak -Plastic adjuster knobs -OEM only,I think
Similar Products Used:
X-Vert(the best!!),Z5 Bomber(excellent entry-level fork),Judy(plush,but heavy),SX(basically the same as the SX-LT,but with less travel)
Bike Setup:
This fork was on a Jamis Dakar Comp I tested(my friends').He just replaced this fork with a X-Vert over the past week.
Bottom Line:
As good as a standard SX--but with the added plus of more travel.It's a very good,plush fork,and is easy to rebuild and maintain.The only problem with my friend's SX-LT was a small oil leak,but he likes to bash hard on his bike(repeated 3-to-4 foot drops)so I'm not surprised.However,it seems as though the reviewers here have had similar problems with the seals leaking.It does flex a little also--a result of having more travel.
BE WARNED,though:It's not for freeriding.It's not built any stronger than a SX,so don't try dropping off huge plunges with this thing if you wish to live.If you ride really hard,get yourself an X-Vert or Bomber.Otherwise,you'll probably like this fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
UFO
a
from vancouver, bc Date Reviewed: November 2, 2000
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$175.00
Purchased At:
off a buddy
Strengths:
lots of travel, fairly plush, not too flexy, TPC, easily upgradeable
Weaknesses:
seals blew within a week with much lower than normal oil level, bushings unseated, preload adjusters suck--WHY PLASTIC?!?
Similar Products Used:
marzocchi zokes
Bike Setup:
full xt, syncros everything, Norco Team Issue
Bottom Line:
well, i guess i had just had lots of bad luck w/ my pair. but im getting warantee, so i guess that will be manitou's biggest test. had only about 3-4 hours of riding before all my mishaps began and left me more or less stranded in the middle of nowhere. stock, came with waaaaay too little oil. hopefully, my warantee fork will be much better, it had better be. but it worked pretty good until it busted ass. i give 2.5 out of 5 for now, check back for update with my replacement.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick Boisvert
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver Date Reviewed: October 24, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Anything Urban
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Brookswood cycles
Strengths:
0,not a single strength
Weaknesses:
To plush,oil leaks and the shox get stiffer evryday
The first few days the shox worked great but after about a week I dropped a 5 set (that I had done many times) and then I hear this pop I look down and there was oil about an inch down my shock I took it to several bike stores and they said they were busted. Bottom line,don't get these get some bombers instead!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Garret
a
from Yorktown, NY, USA Date Reviewed: October 10, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Turkey mountain/Power lines
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Ummmmmm........It was plush and it was a good price.
Weaknesses:
It leaked oil after the third run and the shop I bought it from said that manitou said it was normal. I have never had that happen but ok. It locks up and it has hardly any adjustments.
Similar Products Used:
Rock shox hydracoil
Bike Setup:
Specialized fsr
Bottom Line:
This fork does have 100mm of travel but it amounts to nothing in the end. All it caused me was trouble and when I get the money I am going for a bomber z1 qr20/Areal freeride fork. This fork is made for a paved bike trail not freeriding! Maybe it could have been a defective one but, I dont think I would ever buy one again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Craig
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria B.C. Canada Date Reviewed: September 6, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Millstream Highlands
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Bike Cellar
Strengths:
good travel when working properly
Weaknesses:
oil leaks fork locks up bottoms out mushy
Similar Products Used:
rock shocks
Bike Setup:
FSR Enduro
Bottom Line:
I was not very impressed with this fork. It was marketed as a freeride fork and when I bought it was told it was strong fork that would have very little maintenance problems. I had nothing but trouble with it. I finally bent it riding in Whistler. I think this fork has potential but it should not be marketed as a freeride fork(it would probably be fine cross-country)and it should not be sold to anyone over 200 lbs(I believe I was just too heavy for it).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Antti Kuitto
a Racer
from Finland Date Reviewed: August 23, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Lentokentän oja
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Finland
Strengths:
Quite good looking....
Weaknesses:
Not very stiff...TPC-sport damping don´t work very good...
Similar Products Used:
Different Marzocchis, Manitou X-vert R, RS SID, RS SL....and many more
Bike Setup:
Specialized Enduro comp...almost stock setup..
Bottom Line:
After few 6 feet drops fork started to leak oil...one and the only shim plate was destroyed...not good! I got it warrantied...but if the fork is advertised as a Freeride fork...it should take some abuse...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jimmy T
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto ON Canada Date Reviewed: August 22, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Ravenshoe
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$250.00
Strengths:
Rigid, very plush, reliable.
Weaknesses:
None yet!
Similar Products Used:
Mozo Pro, X-Vert, various Rock Shocks.
Bike Setup:
Wheeler CZX 5000
Bottom Line:
This shock has been good to me. Tracks very well in rough stuff, does three-four foot drop-offs with no problem and is pretty inexpensive. Buy one, you'll not be disappointed!
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Submitted by
DARRELL
a Cross Country Rider
from BRENTWOOD,CA Date Reviewed: August 18, 2000
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$229.00
Strengths:
PLUSH RIDE 4INCHES OF IT,TAKES BIG HIT VERY WELL.GOOD PRICE FOR WHAT YOU GET,A GOOD PRODUCT
Weaknesses:
NONE YET?
Similar Products Used:
ROCK SHOX JUDY & XC
Bike Setup:
99' XCR 4000 GT I-DRIVE
Bottom Line:
ITS NOT TOO SOFT I'M 240LBS AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS,TOOK THEM OFF 3FT DROPS WITH NO PROBLEMS AND ABOUT THE CAPS WELL! ADJUST THEM AND THEN LEAVE THEM ALONE! LEAKED WHEN BREAKING IN,BUT STOP AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF RIDING.ANSWER, THANK YOU FOR MAKING A GOOD PRICED PRODUCT!
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Submitted by
Sam
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver BC Date Reviewed: August 18, 2000
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$275.00
Strengths:
Easy to set-up PLUSHHHHHHH Pretty solid in rocky stuff Fairly inexpensive
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Lots and lots...
Bike Setup:
Specialized Enduro Comp.
Bottom Line:
This fork is a great match for the rear Vanilla Air on my Enduro. It's stiff, maintenance friendly and can handle variable terrain and anything I've thrown at it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
MRT
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto Canada Date Reviewed: August 10, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Dagmar
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
- Plushness. - Pre-load actually works (for the bottom end of travel). - Takes small and large hits very well. - Micro lube-ports for easy greasing. - Good simple free-ride fork. - Reasonably priced.
Weaknesses:
- No external damping adjustment.
Similar Products Used:
Indy C-LT with Total Air Carts., Judy XC, Mozo Pro, Manitou SX -E, etc...
Bike Setup:
Giant ATX 970 F/S with very few stock parts left on it.
Bottom Line:
This thing worked good for me so far. I wouldn't buy one for cross country racing because it seems to be speced on more "free-ride " oriented bikes.
This is the most responsive fork I have ever riden. The trails I ride are littered with rocks, roots, man-made ladders, ramps and logs. This fork handles them all very well.
I'll update this review after I get more of an opportunity to do some good rock bashing. I hope I don't have the leakage/lockage experience that are part of these reviews...
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Submitted by
Oskar
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia Date Reviewed: August 8, 2000
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
long plush travel
Weaknesses:
flexy
Similar Products Used:
shorter travel Whitebrothers forks
Bike Setup:
Enduro FSR
Bottom Line:
Not many problems apart from the flexiness of the fork. I find that it chooses its own lines in ruts, which is something I find distressing at high speeds bombing down singletrack...
I'm not so disappointed with them that I'm going to throw them out until they are well and truly stuffed.
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Submitted by
buck wild
a Weekend Warrior
from nwhere Date Reviewed: July 24, 2000
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
plush ride, 4 inches of travel
Weaknesses:
sometimes too plush, crappy caps on shocks
Similar Products Used:
rock shox
Bike Setup:
99 voodoo hoodoo
Bottom Line:
These things are a little too plush for me but on the flip side I don't fly all over hell when hitting the rough stuff. I don't think the rebound is too slow. These will leak if you don't watch what you're doing. The oil dampening has a piston that is attatched to the oil cap. There is a small gasket that goes around that piston. shove the piston in too quick and the gasket falls off and oil leaks. Take you're time and these will never leak. Manitou needs to replace the crappy plastic caps with some type of metal. Overall their worth every penny.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lei Thill
a Weekend Warrior
from uk Date Reviewed: July 18, 2000
Favorite Trail:
twisty and narrow
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
smooth action, travel, stiffness
Weaknesses:
limited adjustability, not having universal disc mounts
Similar Products Used:
Rockshox indy, Rond Quake, various
Bike Setup:
Orange Evo2, lx/xt, dx spds, hope sport,
Bottom Line:
I reckon Jack must have had a dodgy pair, I've had no problems with mine (and I ride in the same area :] ), no leaks or lockouts and they work at speed or snails pace. The rebound is a little slow for stutter bumps but remember these are 4 inch travel forks and they are probably weighted toward being good on the bigger hits rather than smaller ripples - that's why I chose them. I've hit housebrick sized rocks at speed and only noticed when the back end kicked over them. They're good and stiff unlike my old Rockshox which used to twist all over the place. I rate them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jack
a Weekend Warrior
from Surry,England Date Reviewed: July 15, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Michalham downs area
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Nice looks, extremely plush, plenty of travel.
Weaknesses:
nastily slow damping in compression and rebound, only preload adjustment, leeks oil rapidly, too soft and mines broken from a measly sub 3ft drop.
Similar Products Used:
99 Bomber Z.5 and Z.1 drop off, 00 Bomber Z3 flylight air, 00 Manitou SX[80mm] and magnum, Judy DH, ancient RST 167, 00 RST 167 and 281 and 97 pace, the ones with gold stantions.
Bike Setup:
Marin Quake 7.0, LX/Alivo group, Richey rock/ORC pro rims, Continental vertical pro tyres and race face air alloy bars.
Bottom Line:
When I got my new Marin Quake 7.0 I was well chuffed, bomb proof looking frame, wicked rims, LX rear mech, and then the forks. They were O.K at first, lots of travel, good looks but soon I began to notice the painfully slow damping especially in rebound. It was actually possible to time them rebounding with a stop watch. The compression is so slow that the forks don't really seem to compress over bumps when your going above 10 MPH! Then the problem with the leeking oil. It just pours out from the seals, the shop said this was not a problem so I ignored it. But last weekend I was doing this small drop of only about 3ft of some stairs, over a little ledge and onto a grassy slope. The forks were O.K but as I landed my last Drop, CLUNK!!! The forks had for some reasson locked out, all exept about 10mm at the start of the travel which barely moves. I cheked the oil level and it's almost all gone!They are also way to soft and the preload adjuster doesen't work at all. Now I have got that lot off my chest there are no forks I have treid that are plusher than these, exept Pace and they won't make you unpopular with Mr bank manager. Although i'd still go for a judy race or bomber Z.3 flylight. I don't think i'm gunna get mine fixed as i'm so fed up with them, i'll get either Z.1 DO/CRs or SID 100s.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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