Has anyone here put any time on the new 2023 Rockshox Ultimate forks(Lyrik or Pike)? I just put a new Lyrik on my fresh SC Bronson I built up. The fork feels harsh compared to the previous model. At the recommended pressures, I am no where close to being able to achieve full travel. The fork has no tokens and it ramps up in its travel very quickly. I've backed off on the compression adjusters but its still harsh. I've used the air bleeders on the lower legs to make sure there's not a build up of pressure in there. Small bump sensitivity is lacking also. Just wondering if anyone else has had a chance to ride one yet.
2023 RockShox Lyrik Ultimate feeling harsh...
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Ordinarybikes
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Has anyone here put any time on the new 2023 Rockshox Ultimate forks(Lyrik or Pike)? I just put a new Lyrik on my fresh SC Bronson I built up. The fork feels harsh compared to the previous model. At the recommended pressures, I am no where close to being able to achieve full travel. The fork has no tokens and it ramps up in its travel very quickly. I've backed off on the compression adjusters but its still harsh. I've used the air bleeders on the lower legs to make sure there's not a build up of pressure in there. Small bump sensitivity is lacking also. Just wondering if anyone else has had a chance to ride one yet.
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But the buttercups bro! 
Yes, they tend to be harsh compared to 2022.
There is way more damping from the Charger 3, try running it wide open. The bushings are also longer, so if there is an issue with bushing/chassis fit it will be magnified. Chassis is also stiffer.
Best bet, sell it and get a 2022 at blowout prices!
Yes, they tend to be harsh compared to 2022.
There is way more damping from the Charger 3, try running it wide open. The bushings are also longer, so if there is an issue with bushing/chassis fit it will be magnified. Chassis is also stiffer.
Best bet, sell it and get a 2022 at blowout prices!
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Yes, its definitely a stiffer chassis vs the previous model.
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Went from an 170 mm Charger 2.1 Lyrik Ultimate to a 2023 Zeb Ultimate. Obviously not an exact comparison.
I've got 15 hours on it so far. I thought I made a huge mistake buying it initially, but I eventually went down to 1 click from open HSC and 2 clicks from open LSC. I'm still at the recommended air pressure. I'm still playing with the settings, but I like them so far.
I think the Buttercups are doing what they're supposed to. Rode over some small stuff was actually suprised I didn't feel them.
Big hits? From a spring and damping perspective, I'm very pleased. Bottom outs have been rare, but when they've happened, it was super nice and progressive. Same features used to harshly bottom out my Lyrik.
Regular medium trail stuff? Yeah, it's not as plush. I think a lot of that has to do with how the old Lyrik would blow through so much of it's travel on the regular 2"-5" stuff on the trail. New fork absolutely uses less travel on the same stuff, which has been great for going fast through the chunky stuff or racing, but not if I'm at cruising speed.
My personal take is the new fork is better for aggressive riding at the expense of the Cadliac feel. Of course, I'm comparing a Zeb to a Lyrik, and I'm wholly unsure what the implications on the spring curve and damping characteristics are.
I've got 15 hours on it so far. I thought I made a huge mistake buying it initially, but I eventually went down to 1 click from open HSC and 2 clicks from open LSC. I'm still at the recommended air pressure. I'm still playing with the settings, but I like them so far.
I think the Buttercups are doing what they're supposed to. Rode over some small stuff was actually suprised I didn't feel them.
Big hits? From a spring and damping perspective, I'm very pleased. Bottom outs have been rare, but when they've happened, it was super nice and progressive. Same features used to harshly bottom out my Lyrik.
Regular medium trail stuff? Yeah, it's not as plush. I think a lot of that has to do with how the old Lyrik would blow through so much of it's travel on the regular 2"-5" stuff on the trail. New fork absolutely uses less travel on the same stuff, which has been great for going fast through the chunky stuff or racing, but not if I'm at cruising speed.
My personal take is the new fork is better for aggressive riding at the expense of the Cadliac feel. Of course, I'm comparing a Zeb to a Lyrik, and I'm wholly unsure what the implications on the spring curve and damping characteristics are.
have you tried adjusting the air pressure?
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I've dropped the pressure 10psi from the recommended and opened up the LSC and HSC. It feels better, but still as if something is binding. I may drop the lowers and take a look at the air spring assembly to make sure its not covered in grease. RS is usually not know for this like Fox, though.
The recommended pressure is just that recommended. It is a starting point. Let all the air out and see if it moves smoothly.
Had the same feeling. The only thing you can do drop the air pressure. The recommended pressure is bit too high. I also found the recommendation rebound settings is a bit too fast so reduce that as well. I bought the 23 lyrik to replace a zeb with the goal of reducing weight while maintaining the same suppleness. Its close but not quite the same which makes sense since the Zeb is physically different. The lesson learned is that 23 Lyrik is setup is very different from previous Lyriks. Look forward to dailing in my Lyrik.
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The initial videos reviews commented that this fork isn’t to be set up like the past. In fact that’s why it doesn’t have any volume spacers stock. Also said to lower pressure a bit.
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I'm glad i found this thread. I too have a '23 Lyrik that I am just not getting along with (replaced a previous gen Zeb). When I first got mine it felt pretty bad, I pulled it apart and found exactly 0ml of oil in the lowers. Adding the spec'd amount helped a little but it still felt odd. If I was running enough air to get the support I was looking for, my hands were getting blasted off the bars. If I dropped the air, it would pack up. I ended up sending it back to Rockshox and they turned it around really quickly, I have no idea what they found/did because it was not sent back with any notes. It feels better now, but still harsher than previous RS forks.
What I am really confused about is setting up the sag. The forks sits 5-9mm into its travel under the weight of the bike, depending on air pressure. RS said this is normal, but I don't know if I should be accounting for this when measuring sag or not. If I get on the bike and do the sag setup routine, I can get to around 17% sag with ~4psi more than recommended, but if I lift the front wheel off the ground, the fork extends another 9mm pushing it past 20%. I've tried running less sag, but I don't get the support I'm used to. With previous RS forks, I usually ran 15-17% sag and some tokens. It made for a plush ride off the top with support where I needed it. I have had positive experiences with both the buttercups and touchdown feel, but overall it feels really over damped (which is why I don't really mess with Fox stuff).
I'm definitely interested in hearing how others are setting up these new forks. I understand that the new damper and air spring will make for a different experience, and I bet it will feel awesome when I get it dialed. On the other hand, I loved previous RS products because of how simple they were to get set up to my liking.
What I am really confused about is setting up the sag. The forks sits 5-9mm into its travel under the weight of the bike, depending on air pressure. RS said this is normal, but I don't know if I should be accounting for this when measuring sag or not. If I get on the bike and do the sag setup routine, I can get to around 17% sag with ~4psi more than recommended, but if I lift the front wheel off the ground, the fork extends another 9mm pushing it past 20%. I've tried running less sag, but I don't get the support I'm used to. With previous RS forks, I usually ran 15-17% sag and some tokens. It made for a plush ride off the top with support where I needed it. I have had positive experiences with both the buttercups and touchdown feel, but overall it feels really over damped (which is why I don't really mess with Fox stuff).
I'm definitely interested in hearing how others are setting up these new forks. I understand that the new damper and air spring will make for a different experience, and I bet it will feel awesome when I get it dialed. On the other hand, I loved previous RS products because of how simple they were to get set up to my liking.
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This thread makes me glad I picked up a brand new 2022 zeb ultimate for cheap [emoji3]
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It will bed in and feel better over time...I'm not saying all your issues will go away or if it has too much damping or not but I know with my ZEB it took a couple of months for the bushings to loosen up a bit and get more travel and sensitivity from the fork. I'm pretty sure things will improve, I just can't say by how much. A fresh rebuild with a quality lubricant and checking all ports for too much grease or pistons for too little is always a good idea too.
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