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FSA X-Drive Bash

Average Rating 3.63/5
# of Reviews 19
MSRP $ 199.99
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Description:
  • Tubular 4130 welded chromoly crankarms
  • 7075/T6 spider - 104/64mm bolt circle diameter
  • Precision CNC machined 60661/T6 5mm width bash ring
  • Crank lengths - 165mm, 170mm, 175mm
  • Spindle is 19mm (3/4") by 48 tooth spline
  • Four cartridge sealed bearings
  • Adjustable chainline
  • Crankset weight - 2825 grams (inluding bottom bracket)
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    Submitted by jump mi'bike a Weekend Warrior from bc, canada
    Date Reviewed: December 16, 2006
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $150.00
    Purchased At:l.b.s.
    Strengths:f-in strong crank arms!
    Weaknesses:cartridge bb.
    Bike Setup:a/m rm piplone
    Bottom Line:these arms kick. yeah theyre heavy, but they outlive. my pedal spindle bent. these arms didnt. after 1 season, bb took a dive, so i'm going to try the eu. bmx kit, see if that helps. they cost less, but after replacing the bb a few times, i suppose they endup costing about the same as other comparable products. but the arms are strng! riding these makes me want to get the isis equivilent. plus i can use the leftover parts on my mx bike
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Matthew Altamura a Downhiller from Phoenix, AZ USA
    Date Reviewed: January 26, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:yours
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $1000.00
    Purchased At:my friends house
    Strengths:COol
    Weaknesses:bad
    Similar Products Used:indeed
    Bike Setup:love
    Bottom Line:had to eat it
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Travis a Weekend Warrior from Brantford, Ont., Canada
    Date Reviewed: August 1, 2005
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $200.00
    Purchased At:bikeroom.com
    Strengths:these cranks are strong as you can getz. comes with bashguard, 2 chainrings bottom bracket and all the spacers you need. it even comes with the crank puller.
    Weaknesses:the only couple of issues i have with this crank is the locking ring keeps coming loose from time to time and there was no instructions, luckily one of my buddies and i put the thing together in a couple hours.
    Similar Products Used:truvativ hussefelt.
    Bike Setup:04 kona stuff - 05 Z1 bomber w/OR20, singletrack wheels, fsa xdrive crank, hayes hydros, fsa pig pro hsd.
    Bottom Line:i actually payed about $270 Cdn. for this crank (which is around $200 US).
    for what you get for the price, you can't beat it. compared to over priced cranks from raceface and primo, that don't even come with half the parts that the fsa comes with, it's a deal. as far as people blowing bearings and bending bottom brackets, either you guys are some real hardcore riders or the crank wasn't properly installed. I have been beating the snot out of this crank for more than a year now and it's been great.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Asa Robbins a from Prescott, AZ, USA
    Date Reviewed: May 22, 2005
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Strengths:Steel is real! Nothing better than having pure strength and absolutely no give in the lower regions of the bike. I love not worrying about what might happen if I hit them on a rock, theres no way the crank will bend, and if you bend one they your a beast.
    Weaknesses:The bearing crater really easily. There are a couple of sealed bearing that work as the bottom bracket for the crank set. If they get any water on them at all then they will seez up and eventually break apart. Also the solid cro-mo axle bends and is really really hard to remove after it bends. One more thing, if you get this set of cranks make sure you set aside a couple of hours for set-up because even the most skilled bike mechanic will spend tons of time trying to space the cranks correctly.
    Similar Products Used:Various Isis crank sets, FSA and Truvativ. I had the FSA V-Drives and traded a friend those for the X-Drives.
    Bike Setup:Steelhead, Trail Pimps, Marazocchi '04 z-1
    Bottom Line:Cranks are bomb proof and stiff as hell. The bad ratting is for the absolutely horrible bottom bracket that FSA gives you to use with the cracks. I have blown through 5 sets of bearings, and bent one of the solid cro-mo axles they give ya. Also when you call FSA for help they aren't very polite and will tell you that you set the cranks up wrong, if setting them up according to the manual that is included with the cranks is wrong then how should I set them up? For the money they are awesome as long as you have lots of time and a good friend at bike shop that knows what he or she is doing.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by bil fil a Downhiller from calgary
    Date Reviewed: April 1, 2005
    Favoriate Trail:milenium
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $100.00
    Purchased At:pinkbike
    Strengths:simple to work with, descent
    Weaknesses:Warping at splines
    Similar Products Used:block 8, hussefelts, wide variety, buy i guess hussefelts are the most similar
    Bike Setup:jackflash harcore trials
    Bottom Line:like all mtnbike cranks they suck, bmx cranks (american bb) are the only good cranks out there and they cant be installed on a mtnbike. Never had any problems with bb or cups, but the splines warp and they creak when you pedal as do all mtnbike cranks. I do 10 ft to flats on them, and they have never had any problem. Compared to bmx cranks there crap, but to garbage like hussefelts or holzfellzers these are far superior.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Lucas a Weekend Warrior from CT
    Date Reviewed: November 29, 2004
    Favoriate Trail:local dirt jump and assorted urban drops.
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $200.00
    Purchased At:outdoor sports center
    Strengths:Good cranks, strong, better than FiveDs and affordable.
    Weaknesses:Being underrated, most negative reviews have been posted two years ago, or the reviewers had had the product for at least 2 years and I currently own an 05 crankset. I thought it was squeaking but i put lube on my chain and it went away!
    Similar Products Used:truvative fiveD {sucks ass}
    Bike Setup:04 specialized Hardrock, FSA cranks, Marzocchi DJ3, stock otherwise
    Bottom Line:Better than fiveDs. I ordered Husselfelts but I got these instead so being the idealist that I am, I used the cranks anyways and they were great.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Dave a Weekend Warrior from British Columbia
    Date Reviewed: November 4, 2004
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $300.00
    Strengths:Beefy and stiffer than Ron Jeremy when running properly
    Weaknesses:Instructions are weak
    I have had to replace every piece of these cranks
    Similar Products Used:Race Face
    Bike Setup:Norco Launch
    Bottom Line:I really like these cranks when they are running well, but over the last 2 years they have caused me endless headaches. Luckily the FSA warranty department has been good to me so far. Problems have included:
    Drive side cranks machined incorrectly - had to get them machined at my own expense to allow them to run properly
    Drive side spindle hole stretched - needed axle and crank arm replaced
    Bearing seized (to be somwhat expected)
    Non-drive crank arm spindle hole seems to be stretched and needs to be replaced.
    Setup was hit and miss until FSA pointed me to the On-One Retard crank site for installation instructions with diagrams. I was then able to teach the mechanic at my lbs how to install them.
    Like I said, I love these cranks when they are running smooth. I am 6', 215, and when I twisted my Race Face cranks for the last time, my lbs told me not to mess around and go straight to cromoly. I am not much of a hucker, so I really expected these cranks to be more reliable.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by JJ Wright a Downhiller from Reno, Nevada
    Date Reviewed: August 11, 2004
    Favoriate Trail:Steep, fast, no other riders
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $199.00
    Purchased At:Cambria Bike Outfitters
    Strengths:Once and again - Strength, burly, reasonably priced near the end of summer(finally), so forth and so on... I haven't owned them long enough or beat them up enough to vouch for their durability.
    Weaknesses:Instructions were weak, no illustrations and a little difficult to follow. BB setup is definitely awkard with all these dang spacers. Took it apart a few times before I could figure out the best way for a fit. The guy below says you should have a tech install these things, he's right. But if you're no where near a shop (I'm in Iraq) and you're putting your own bike together for the first time, good instructions and simplicity help. As far as I can see the other guy below was correct in regards to the bearings being exposed. Unless there was a part missing in the box or the people at FSA want my bearings to freeze, I don't see anything that came with the cranks that will keep the bearings protected. I don't expect them to last long.
    Similar Products Used:The whole shimano line of cranks at one point or another.
    Bike Setup:SC Chameleon, Manitou Firefly forks, SRAM X.O Gears/shifters with Front and rear der., Atomic wheels/hubs, Avid BBD brakes, Azonic shorty stem, Chris King Head, Azonic Chubby handlebars, Azonic Love Seat (Ahhh Plush), ACME screws and bolts...
    Bottom Line:The cranks are strong, but as other reviews post I am expecting to change the sealed bearings regularly. I've already ordered a spare BB in anticipation. I'm not going to risk waiting for a replacement and being without my ride. Don't buy them if you want to ride and forget about the mechs. Expect regular upkeep and maintenance. After the intial install, taking them off and cleaning them now and then should'nt be difficult for those of us with common mechanical sense.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by david molony a Downhiller from Kent, UK
    Date Reviewed: January 20, 2004
    Favoriate Trail:rough common jumps
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $150.00
    Purchased At:mail order
    Strengths:they are black at the start, and the arms wont bend.
    Weaknesses:the brearings BL0ody hell. i went thorough 4 sets in a year and a half, i had them set up by two bike shops, on by me (actuallylasted longest) and one by a mate accross the road: they incessantly broke!!!!
    Similar Products Used:Vdrives, darkangels, Deore, Suntour (longest lasting yet) power pro, stylo team (they r crp 2)
    Bike Setup:Identiti slalom with DMR chain cage
    Bottom Line:they are not worth one bit of the money: get a set of isis or octalink cranx, they are cheaper and have disposable bottom brackets that last. also mine rusted the secobd the pain flaked, FSA? Frickin Start Again.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by jon a Cross Country Rider from il
    Date Reviewed: January 5, 2004
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $150.00
    Purchased At:Unreal Cycles
    Strengths:Scarry,Strong,Stiff and Smooth!! Bearings are extremly smooth in the bottom bracket, even after about 10 months of riding
    Weaknesses:This was a Rubic's cube of a mother to put together. Man! whats up with all them spacers? Paint wears easy but to be expected. .WIEGHT INCREASE = slower bike oh well put a 46t ring on the spider. .I did.
    Similar Products Used:HMMM. None. . These replaced my Deore LX's. Bye Bye flex
    Bike Setup:02 TREK 4300,Deore LX VBrakes,derailure's,Shifter's,Hubs and Azonic Stem and Bar's, with XDrive's with a 46 32 24 chain ring setup. On back is a 11-28 XT casset
    Bottom Line:All is well as long a you THINK and get the Chain----line straight! Plan on a 2 day project building these. Don't give up. I took em apart, shuffeld the spacers and put em back together around 5 times before I got it right. . This helped my bike shift better. . I am more confident with these I could see the LX's flex on my 243lbs. .
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Charlie Sponsel a Downhiller from Portland Oregon
    Date Reviewed: November 3, 2003
    Favoriate Trail:Anything X_TReMe
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $150.00
    Purchased At:kinda from Unreal Cycles
    Strengths:Strong spindle, arms
    Great warranty and service
    Good at first
    Weaknesses:Super press fit
    Bottom Bracket sans spindle
    paint job wears off, it you care (flat black looks way cooler anyway)
    heavy I suppose
    Similar Products Used:V-drives, ridden profiles and hussefelts
    Bike Setup:Planet X Bommer, Trailpimps, Aircorp stem and pedals, Marzocchi MXR, obviously X-Drives, MRP, planet x bars
    Bottom Line:basically I got a pair of V-Drives with the Platinum bottom Bracket from Unreal for my old bike(about 100 bucks). Worked perfectly. Then I switched them over to my bommer, requiring a 68mm BB, so I got a RaceFace. Unfortunetly, Other brands Isis interfaces don't worked too well, so I ened up stipping out the innerface. I call up Fsa, they give me a pair of X-Drives for 50 bucks, and i get em in the mail 3 days later. The BB spindle was super press fit, and i almost broke the bolt trying to install them. 6-months later, the bearings are shot, the logos are worn off, and the whole system was loose. Apperently, due to the design, a bb shell mounted chainguide puts extreme amounts of stress on the bearings, causing them to freeze up, so I could choose between a loose chainguide or frozeen bearings. So, I got a Profile 19mm Euro conversion kit from dans comp, and everything is better now. If you want a pair of cranks cheap, get on-ones or go to dans comp, get a pair of 22mm Snafus (or any 3-piece BMX bb) and a 22mm euro conversion kit (about 155 bucks, will literaly last you FOREVER). These are all right, but if it had been my call, I would't have spent my money on these.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Rodney Mickey a Downhiller from Coquitlam, BC, Canada
    Date Reviewed: October 5, 2003
    Favoriate Trail:air supply
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $300.00
    Purchased At:AKA the bike shop
    Strengths:Cheaper then most other cranks, bottom brakets stronger then any traditional mountain bike bottom bracket.
    Weaknesses:bearings blow, bottom bracket bends, crank arms have a tendancy to snap off on the welds.
    Similar Products Used:nothing
    Bike Setup:04 ORYX desert dueller, 04 super-t, custom setup.
    Bottom Line:If you want somthing cheap and strong these are them. Not the strongest things ever though, I only weigh 150 and I bend the bottom brackets constantly, bearings blow out almost every time they get dirty or wet unless you go above and beyond in maitenance, the crank arms broke in half on the weld when i least expected it, not even riding it hard and it just took off. However, I am quite abusive on parts but im still surprised they broke. Honestly not a bad crank, recomended for the rider who breaks race face square tapers every once and a while and just wants that extra bit of strength. Im switchin to block 8's thogh any way.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Taylor a Downhiller from Placerville,CA
    Date Reviewed: June 25, 2003
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Purchased At:came on bike
    Strengths:burly,stiff,indestructable
    Weaknesses:BB's are expensive and blow up,first week went through BB,does not like to be wet or dirty
    Similar Products Used:Giant stock cranks
    Bottom Line:Very good cranks.Way cheaper than Profiles,but close to them.Taken every thing I can possibly do to them.Only came out of adjustment once.They really don't like to get dirty,if dirt gets in the BB they click and pop and creak.All you have to do is take them out clean them,re- grease them and put them back in.That's all.The same thing happens when they get wet.They do rust on the dings you put in them,but it wears off from your foot rubbing aginst them.Overall,I would stick with this crankset for life.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Dave a Downhiller from Worcester,MA,USA
    Date Reviewed: May 22, 2003
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $180.00
    Strengths:Very strong and stiff, no joke, u won't break these cranks!
    Weaknesses:I seized up the bearings in the drive side somehow... Oh well i went to my local bike shop and within a week i had fresh new bearings, big deal, i think i may have got a bum set in the beginning.
    Similar Products Used:NONE
    Bike Setup:01 Big Hit Built STRONG!!!!
    Bottom Line:If your looking for a super strong hardcore crankset for DH and hucking, this is the crankset for you! I got the 5 arm standard drive without the bash for my MRP chainguide, indestructible!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Steve a from Sidney, Canada
    Date Reviewed: February 8, 2003
    Favoriate Trail:Urban, Bottom Feeder
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $200.00
    Purchased At:Russ Hayes Sidney
    Strengths:Tubular 4130 CroMo thick spindel four bearing races comes with spyder spacers and bolts.
    Weaknesses:spindel bolt requires a special wrench
    heavey(if you care)
    Similar Products Used:v drive
    truvative
    Bottom Line:these cranks are the best for the price and mabey the best period. I love them these feel super sturdy very confidence inspiring. the best crank to fit in a MTB BB
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by brian a Downhiller from the dale
    Date Reviewed: September 1, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:hatshorne
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $160.00
    Purchased At:unrealcycles.com
    Strengths:this setup comes with just about everything u could ask for, extra spacers good instructions even a bottom bracket tool. the cranks are definatly bomb proof and stiff as u can get
    Weaknesses:none unless u cant handle 3pounds of steel between ur legs
    Similar Products Used:specialized garbage
    Bike Setup:jamis dakar expert. marzocchi z.1 . planet-x; seat,stem,post,bars . evil chainguide . rhyno/xt wheels
    Bottom Line:these cranks aren't made for xc riders. but if u freeride ull love them. like the guy said below they will rust where the scratches are but only on the surface, just makes them look more hardcore
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by john arnett a Weekend Warrior from saltspring island B.C.
    Date Reviewed: August 23, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:dirt jumps
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $500.00
    Purchased At:bicycle warehouse
    Strengths:strong as a mookie
    Weaknesses:creeks, heavy
    Similar Products Used:hussefelts thingys
    Bike Setup:ORyx dessert dueler stock
    Bottom Line:if your want strong freeride/dirtjumpys and are kinda poor get these i jumped of an 8 foot drop and have beat them up and they still are good.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Carl Leist a Downhiller from Canal Winchester
    Date Reviewed: June 3, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:Personal Trails
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Purchased At:Cyclist Connection
    Strengths:-Stronger than Richard Simmon's mojo
    -Won't die in the elements thanks to quad sealed cartridges
    -You now can use most BMX sprockets if you remove spider
    -Havn't busted 'em yet, but FSA has been good to me in the past with warranties and such
    -Act similar to placebo or sugar pill (i.e. they make you think you can ride harder, and thus you do)
    Weaknesses:-Heavier than Richard Simmon's customers
    -No instructions included in packaging
    -Tricky to install without those dang instructions
    -You can't break em, so now you have to find a different excuse for not being able to ride well
    Similar Products Used:No previous experience with Freeride MTB cranks, just XC cranks then the Snafu's on my Standard (BMX). They match up to the Snafus in build and toughness though.
    Bike Setup:2001 Fuel 90... the frame is stock...
    Bottom Line:These Cranks are better than earlier reviews might have led on to. They are sturdy as a tank and when PROPERLY fitted and installed, they hold up to the elements just fine. You should have a true cycle mechanic install them or you'll probably end up with a problem. Remember, Sealed Cartridge bearings does not mean sealed Bottom Bracket. But if you did the install right, you should get a good seal on the BB shell anyway with any sort of crankset. These cranks definitely do what they're intended and built to do. I ride a mix of Freeride/XC/Downhill and havn't busted them yet. Heck, they even look good too.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Cook a Weekend Warrior from London, ON
    Date Reviewed: March 22, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:anywhere
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Purchased At:Cyclepath
    Strengths:strong as he//.
    Weaknesses:very heavy, scratches and threading will rust, kinda ugly, and does NOT like to get wet.
    Similar Products Used:traditional aluminum cranksets
    Bike Setup:'02 Brodie Holeshot, mostly stock
    Bottom Line:Came stock on the new bike.

    I have the feeling my legs would have snapped before these things....they are definately stiff and strong but the set-up is kinda silly, the main axle sits in 4 cartridge bearings (2 in each side cup). The outer two bearings are left almost fully exposed. It is not a sealed unit by any stretch of the imagination. Both times when I had to disassemble to try and diagnose my noisy set-up there was water in the bb shell and rust beginning to form the axle and bearings! Anyway, discovered one of the outside bearings quit on me so after only about 4 weeks of riding, my bike is out action for 2 weeks while I wait for a RaceFace Prodigy DH to come in. These cranks would be great for someone who doesn't ride in the wet, but I don't know anyone like that!
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1






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