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Submitted by
aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from australia
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Strengths: | stiff, low maintinence. confidence inspiring | | Weaknesses: | weighty, dives under breaking, no boots | | Similar Products Used: | Z3, indi, jr t, boxer, x vert carbon | | Bike Setup: | Santa cruz Heckler, fox r coil, profile carbon riser. Lx drivetrain. HS 33 magura brakes. Mavic x517 rims laced to truvative hubs. Shim 858 pedals | | Bottom Line: | It just plain works and keeps on working. Seal life is about a year of riding in summer dust and winter muck and even when they do start spewing oil you can still ride them no wuckas. You cam double the life of your seals bu getting your self some boots by either trimming gluing two sets of Z2 boots together or scoring a set of Manitou x vert boots. They fit perfectly but are made of a thicker rubber and can stop the fork from getting the last half inch of travel when they compress. But it's a small price to pay to avoid having to shell out $100 aus a year to have new seals installed. It annoys me that fork companies are trending away from suplying their products with something as practical as boots. Even if they don't supply them at least give us the option by manufacturing some thing to do the job should we want it. 4 chillies for not offering boots. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ian ezzi
a Downhiller
from benderloch, west of scotland
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | beinn lora | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Soak up anything, very adjustable, light enough for cross country (poss.too long though) good for jumps and downhill, ain't noticed too much flex. Silver/orange legs look sweet | | Weaknesses: | Took time and money to set up perfectly, specific tools required for overhaul, crown bolts work loose often leading to noisy use. | | Similar Products Used: | None really, short travel z3s | | Bike Setup: | at first, azonic hardtail with discs etc, now 6" orange patriot with same parts | | Bottom Line: | These forks have taken time to set up, i had to get new springs, new oil etc. and it seemed to take a long time, but now i have forks that will not bottom out and yet are plush enough to absorb anything, what jumps i do do not faze these forks, and the twisty rooty downhill trail i ride most often is a laugh with them. They look good, and stiffness has not seemed to be a problem (i never have to fight them or oversteer or anything). They do get noisy if the crown bolts get loose, although i may have stretched the threads. Loctite seems to have cured it. Initially with my new full sus frame they seemed underwhelmed and dull, but very quickly they returned to their lively plush selves. I would recommend these to anyone wanting to find the confidence to try anything. Riding XC does not seem too arduous either, they are quite light really. I seriously expect to ride some XC with these forks and my new frame, although only as training for the dh races. With practice you an honk up hills without ANY suspension bob, keeping in mind i have heavy springs (i weigh around 12-13 stone) and heavy (10w) oil.
One thing that stands out is the ease of adjustability, the rebound dampers on each leg really make a difference, although i usually have the forks quite quick (little rebound damping) so they come back quickly and keep the front light. The preload adjusters also help a lot, although keeping the oil height right is essential for this.
Overall i love these forks and after my trusty 98 rear derailleur (recently deceased) they have been the best part of my bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will
a Racer
from CO
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Incredibly plush, endless travel. Very pretty. | | Weaknesses: | This thing flexed so much on downhill runs that I nearly died in rough corners. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou X-vert, X-vert-r, various others. | | Bike Setup: | I used it on a Jamis Dakar and then briefly on a Santa Cruz Bullit. | | Bottom Line: | I weigh about 190lbs and I was stupid enough to think that a single crown fork with 130mm of travel could still be stiff enough. There isn't enough bushing everlap in the fork and the cnc'd arch is too flexy. That is all understandable due my weight, the serious problem came when the cardridge in the left leg puked oil all over my disc brake (on the third DH run I ever took on it) in a very bad way. Marzocchi fixed it promptly. Despite the two near-fatalities I had while riding it, I still think it had potential (it sure had resale value!). I think the Jr. T or the Mr. T are probably much better. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ole Jørgen
a Downhiller
from Oslo, Norway
Date Reviewed: February 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Frognerseteren | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Good performance, well built. | | Weaknesses: | 98 Z1 BAM's are a bit too linear,and the seals are sticky. | | Similar Products Used: | Long travel Judy | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Chameleon, Azonic Shorty, 27" bars, flat pedals, 3 year old STX-RC (It still works!) soon Hope discs. | | Bottom Line: | The Z1 BAM is a very good allround long travel fork! It handles everything well! I use my bike for DH, street, trials and general playriding, and I haven't had any serious problems with my Bombers. They just sit there doing what they're meant to do, which is sucking up bumps. My only complaints is a bit too linear spring rate, and stiction in the seals, but the latter hasn't been a problem after I fitted new 2000 seals. In general the Z1 BAM is a sweet fork! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a Cross-Country Rider
from bakldsfa
Date Reviewed: November 15, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
down | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
its super plush, and it is fairly light damnit quit your whining people... | | Weaknesses: |
seals are piss poor | | Similar Products Used: |
judy 100 | | Bike Setup: |
fsr comp, trek 8900 ... cant use my SID SL!! GOT BURNED ON A DEAL! email me for more info.. | | Bottom Line: | it is super plush, light enough to have good results, even on my XC racer... its really annoying though, because i change the oil regularly.. like every month... and i dont think i ride 100 hours (recomended change interval) a month! i am getting frustrated because the seals cost 16 bucks CDN, and i know i want get them under warranty even though its an obvious faulty product... ive had 3 pairs of seals go in just over a year... and now i just heard that i cant get my seals until early 2000!?! its BS! all of their seals are the same as far as i know... 30 mm stanchions... they should be the same... oh well im riding a fork with oil spittin up the left leg for a few months. im not gonna rate it hard though, because when its working good, which is in fact most of the time... its an incredible fork. peace out, ride hard. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dick
a Downhiller
from Alabama
Date Reviewed: August 25, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
DAMN STROng. PLUSH! | | Weaknesses: |
NONE! | | Similar Products Used: |
Z3
Rock Shcok Judy 100 | | Bike Setup: |
Trek VRX
Helix pro rear shock | | Bottom Line: | DAMN PLUSH!.... I lIKE! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JAKE
a Downhiller
from NC
Date Reviewed: August 12, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Bottom Line: | THIS FORK IS VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY SWEEET | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JACK
a Downhiller
from NC
Date Reviewed: August 12, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Bottom Line: | THIS FORK IS SWEEEET | | Overall Rating: |
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