I know there has been some interest here regarding the Magura Wotan, and due to the lack of information no one seems to be jumping on this fork. While i was looking for a new fork, Jared at Down Shift Cycles convinced me to test out this fork which he had a passion for. He believes it is one of the best forks designs and engineering that he has seen.
So he offered this fork to me as a demo to determine if the fork is what it is claimed. I live in Phoenix, primarily ride South Mountain, usually 4-5 times per week. SOMO is where many fork and frame manufactures come to test equipment as it is brutal here. Constant rocks, granite, and sand typically shorten the life of any part faster here than most other places.
I am ride an 06 Turner RFX and previously had a 06 66SL on the bike which I love. This fork certainly has big shoes to fill.
I will be testing and recording my notes in this post regularly over the next 3-4 weeks. I will edit the first post and will date stamp it so you know what information is new. I strongly encourage you to email me at balbrecht@intellichoicemortgage.com with any questions, details, or photos you may want. Consider me "rep" for this fork as I can tell you it appears to be a contender after only 1 ride.
So on to the good stuff, some details:
120-160mm travel
36mm stantions
203mm rotor MINIMUM
Flight Control (travel adjust) remote
Albert Select (compression) remote
Dual arches
Claimed 5.5lbs.
540mm Axel to crown
As you can see, the 66SL looks kid of small. This fork is STIFF!!
![Image]()
Now let me say, I am not a fan of remotes. I do not like a cluttered handlebar. These remotes are very nicely made and fit well. To activate the travel adjust, simply press down on the left remote (black) and compress the fork, release the remote and it will return to the normal postiion. To return to full travel, simply press the lever, pull up and release. Simple and works so well. The compression lever, (blue) clicks and locks into place when pushed. Tis activated the compression system. Once the lever is locked, the gold dial in the middle pops out of the blue dial. This is how you adjust your level of compression. I will basically set the compressionlevel which will work for 90% or so of my riding. To activate, simply press the button and it is on. To go to fully active, release the lever. If more or less compression is needed, simply turn the god dial while it is activated to find your desired level. Very nice. I thought I would never use this feature, but it is oh so usefull. Want to do a big drop. Flip the lever and go at it. It should be noted that while the Albert is active there is virtually no brake dive. It feels great. Stand up and crank away.
![Image]()
Here is a photo of the fork at 160mm
![Image]()
![Image]()
Photo at 120mm
![Image]()
![Image]()
__________________________________________________________________________
2/28/07 - First ride.
I set the fork up to magura's specs. 75psi in the air chamber, occasionally pressing the Flight Control remote (black) to auto pressurize the negative air chamber. Once up to pressure, I measured the sag and it was perfect. I should mention that this fork has very little if any intial travel stiction. Even my 6 month old 66SL has a ton of stiction until you get the fork moving.
So I headed out to climb Mormon. I dropped the fork to 120mm and what a treat. Climbing was great and the bike wandered much less than normal. Note: the fork is actually more plush in the 120mm mode as there is more pressure in the negative air chamber.
I was a bit tired, so I decided to hit national and head back. Press the lever, extend the travel to 160mm and fly downhill. The steering is ultra precise, as is the 66SL. This fork has a more linear mid stroke though. So mediium sized hits felt superb. I was able to ride all olf my normal lines, and at the same speed. This is a huge statement considereing the fork isn't even broken in yet.
A few other notes. The fork weeped some oil, but Magura assured me this was temprary and simply part of the assembly process. Magura is the only company I know that completely, designs, manufactures, an assembles every fork in 1 facility in Germany. You may be familiar with magura forks, and you may be skeptical because of the previus generation forks. You should know that those forks were simply a re-branded ROND forks. These new forks are built from scratch and contain no parts from previous generation forks.
I called Magura this morning, I had cut the remote cables to short. They are overnighting me new ones. Now that is service!.
Stay tuned as i will be writing any findings I have with this fork. I will not be out on it again until this weekend.
Please ask any questions, either here or email me. I will get you any info you could possibly want and that I can answer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday 3.3.07
Sorry guys, I swapped the Wotan out for my 66 today to do some comparisons. To be honest, I expected better from the 66. Sure it was old trusty, and I felt right at home. But I sure did miss the adjustable travel for all of the climbing we did today. The 66 sure has a bunch more brake dive than I originally remembered.
I will be hitting Holbert tomorrow with the Wotan, and that is a real test, so I will post back Sunday with that data. Here is what I am looking for tomorrow:
1. Ability to handle tight switchbacks.
2. Bottom out reistance
3. Progressiveness
Holbert is a combo of high and low speed tech, There is a section which has given me trouble the last few times I have been through it. There is a bunch of off camber stuff which should test the stiffness as well.
Also, I removed the Albert remote, as I will order the dial instead. Having only 1 remote makes a BIG difference in the clutter on the bike.
======================================================================================================
Sunday 3.4.07
WOW. This is a great fork. So today was Holbert. Probably the best all around test for a fork. Some low speed "plunking" around some real rough and steep rocks. Then there is some higher speed bruising sections. So, to answer my previous 3 questions:
1. Ability to hanlde tight switchbacks - excellent. I was concerned about about the 5mm taller a-to-c (I would normally run the 66 at 150 with an a-to-c of 535) and the reduced brake dive. I suspected it would slacken the head angle a bit (every mm counts on some of these switchbacks). Though the fork did sit higher in its travel, I had no issues. Infact, the higher travel helped me setup for the ensuing punishment.
2. Bottom Out - Excellent. Not even close. I was well over 1/4" from bottoming, even without a PAR setting. Normally, the 66 I would use all of the travel. I was really surprised, I'm not sure how they do it, but I never felt bottom out.
3. Progressiveness - Excellent. I used nearly all of the travel, but never bottomed. The compression side is really sweet. I did not run the Albert, as it was not needed.
Ok, so on to the pics, graciously taken by AZMountaincycler.
This is heading up #1 on National. This is the first tech climb. I did the entire climb in the 120mm mode and never felt better. I do need to work on my pedal stroke, as the lower BB height can cause some pedal mashing into ledges.
![Image]()
![Image]()
These are from the lower section of Holbert, called Buckin' Bronco. This is a nasty little section tahn bucks you all over. It is hard to geta consistant line, and if you fall off line you will plant your front tire into a rock, which will inturn plant your face in the subsequent rocks!
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
As you can see, lots of travel left, yet what was used was buttery smooth. I was sure that I would be heading back to a 66 after this demo was over, but today's ride may have changed that. This fork is simply amazing. It is so simple to setup, yet it seems to function as well as my 66 with multiple adjustments. Today, I ran about 62psi, I have dropped it to 58psi tonight and i will report back how it works. The air volume on this fork is huge.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday 3.7.07
Man this fork just keeps getting better. I changed the pressure to 58psi for today's ride. The fork is even more plush, yet I have still yet to bottom this fork. Crazy. I was about an 1/8th of an inch closer though, so tonight I lowered the pressure to 55psi. I will give that a try tomorrow.
Climbing in 120mm is plain awesome. I cleaned everything first try today, so I am starting to get used to the new head angle. In 120mm, the fork goes beyond plush. Not sure there really is a word for it. Smooooooooooooth!
At this point, all of the assembly lube has disappeared. The stations are clean and smooth after a ride in the nasty dust we have at SOMO right now. They feel as nice as the Marzocchi stations, so I know the lubrication system is working well. The seals are exceptional as well, just like the Marzocchi. They have a seperate wiper and seal system, so Magura suggests prying up the wipers and cleaning underneath once a month.
It just keeps getting better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.8.07
Not sure what else I can say. This for is the real deal. I lowered the pressure to 55psi and it felt great. I still have not bottomed the fork, though I was not pushing the fastest pace today. I have noticed through the super choppy stuff I am faster, at least it feels it. The steering is excellent and i really appreciate the apprearance now. The fork is kind of dwarfs other forks, 66's just look small to me now.
This fork definately has 2 personalities. The gentle, super plush, and linear 120mm climber, and the 160mm progressive, bottomless beast.
So he offered this fork to me as a demo to determine if the fork is what it is claimed. I live in Phoenix, primarily ride South Mountain, usually 4-5 times per week. SOMO is where many fork and frame manufactures come to test equipment as it is brutal here. Constant rocks, granite, and sand typically shorten the life of any part faster here than most other places.
I am ride an 06 Turner RFX and previously had a 06 66SL on the bike which I love. This fork certainly has big shoes to fill.
I will be testing and recording my notes in this post regularly over the next 3-4 weeks. I will edit the first post and will date stamp it so you know what information is new. I strongly encourage you to email me at balbrecht@intellichoicemortgage.com with any questions, details, or photos you may want. Consider me "rep" for this fork as I can tell you it appears to be a contender after only 1 ride.
So on to the good stuff, some details:
120-160mm travel
36mm stantions
203mm rotor MINIMUM
Flight Control (travel adjust) remote
Albert Select (compression) remote
Dual arches
Claimed 5.5lbs.
540mm Axel to crown
As you can see, the 66SL looks kid of small. This fork is STIFF!!
Now let me say, I am not a fan of remotes. I do not like a cluttered handlebar. These remotes are very nicely made and fit well. To activate the travel adjust, simply press down on the left remote (black) and compress the fork, release the remote and it will return to the normal postiion. To return to full travel, simply press the lever, pull up and release. Simple and works so well. The compression lever, (blue) clicks and locks into place when pushed. Tis activated the compression system. Once the lever is locked, the gold dial in the middle pops out of the blue dial. This is how you adjust your level of compression. I will basically set the compressionlevel which will work for 90% or so of my riding. To activate, simply press the button and it is on. To go to fully active, release the lever. If more or less compression is needed, simply turn the god dial while it is activated to find your desired level. Very nice. I thought I would never use this feature, but it is oh so usefull. Want to do a big drop. Flip the lever and go at it. It should be noted that while the Albert is active there is virtually no brake dive. It feels great. Stand up and crank away.
Here is a photo of the fork at 160mm
Photo at 120mm
__________________________________________________________________________
2/28/07 - First ride.
I set the fork up to magura's specs. 75psi in the air chamber, occasionally pressing the Flight Control remote (black) to auto pressurize the negative air chamber. Once up to pressure, I measured the sag and it was perfect. I should mention that this fork has very little if any intial travel stiction. Even my 6 month old 66SL has a ton of stiction until you get the fork moving.
So I headed out to climb Mormon. I dropped the fork to 120mm and what a treat. Climbing was great and the bike wandered much less than normal. Note: the fork is actually more plush in the 120mm mode as there is more pressure in the negative air chamber.
I was a bit tired, so I decided to hit national and head back. Press the lever, extend the travel to 160mm and fly downhill. The steering is ultra precise, as is the 66SL. This fork has a more linear mid stroke though. So mediium sized hits felt superb. I was able to ride all olf my normal lines, and at the same speed. This is a huge statement considereing the fork isn't even broken in yet.
A few other notes. The fork weeped some oil, but Magura assured me this was temprary and simply part of the assembly process. Magura is the only company I know that completely, designs, manufactures, an assembles every fork in 1 facility in Germany. You may be familiar with magura forks, and you may be skeptical because of the previus generation forks. You should know that those forks were simply a re-branded ROND forks. These new forks are built from scratch and contain no parts from previous generation forks.
I called Magura this morning, I had cut the remote cables to short. They are overnighting me new ones. Now that is service!.
Stay tuned as i will be writing any findings I have with this fork. I will not be out on it again until this weekend.
Please ask any questions, either here or email me. I will get you any info you could possibly want and that I can answer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday 3.3.07
Sorry guys, I swapped the Wotan out for my 66 today to do some comparisons. To be honest, I expected better from the 66. Sure it was old trusty, and I felt right at home. But I sure did miss the adjustable travel for all of the climbing we did today. The 66 sure has a bunch more brake dive than I originally remembered.
I will be hitting Holbert tomorrow with the Wotan, and that is a real test, so I will post back Sunday with that data. Here is what I am looking for tomorrow:
1. Ability to handle tight switchbacks.
2. Bottom out reistance
3. Progressiveness
Holbert is a combo of high and low speed tech, There is a section which has given me trouble the last few times I have been through it. There is a bunch of off camber stuff which should test the stiffness as well.
Also, I removed the Albert remote, as I will order the dial instead. Having only 1 remote makes a BIG difference in the clutter on the bike.
======================================================================================================
Sunday 3.4.07
WOW. This is a great fork. So today was Holbert. Probably the best all around test for a fork. Some low speed "plunking" around some real rough and steep rocks. Then there is some higher speed bruising sections. So, to answer my previous 3 questions:
1. Ability to hanlde tight switchbacks - excellent. I was concerned about about the 5mm taller a-to-c (I would normally run the 66 at 150 with an a-to-c of 535) and the reduced brake dive. I suspected it would slacken the head angle a bit (every mm counts on some of these switchbacks). Though the fork did sit higher in its travel, I had no issues. Infact, the higher travel helped me setup for the ensuing punishment.
2. Bottom Out - Excellent. Not even close. I was well over 1/4" from bottoming, even without a PAR setting. Normally, the 66 I would use all of the travel. I was really surprised, I'm not sure how they do it, but I never felt bottom out.
3. Progressiveness - Excellent. I used nearly all of the travel, but never bottomed. The compression side is really sweet. I did not run the Albert, as it was not needed.
Ok, so on to the pics, graciously taken by AZMountaincycler.
This is heading up #1 on National. This is the first tech climb. I did the entire climb in the 120mm mode and never felt better. I do need to work on my pedal stroke, as the lower BB height can cause some pedal mashing into ledges.
These are from the lower section of Holbert, called Buckin' Bronco. This is a nasty little section tahn bucks you all over. It is hard to geta consistant line, and if you fall off line you will plant your front tire into a rock, which will inturn plant your face in the subsequent rocks!
As you can see, lots of travel left, yet what was used was buttery smooth. I was sure that I would be heading back to a 66 after this demo was over, but today's ride may have changed that. This fork is simply amazing. It is so simple to setup, yet it seems to function as well as my 66 with multiple adjustments. Today, I ran about 62psi, I have dropped it to 58psi tonight and i will report back how it works. The air volume on this fork is huge.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday 3.7.07
Man this fork just keeps getting better. I changed the pressure to 58psi for today's ride. The fork is even more plush, yet I have still yet to bottom this fork. Crazy. I was about an 1/8th of an inch closer though, so tonight I lowered the pressure to 55psi. I will give that a try tomorrow.
Climbing in 120mm is plain awesome. I cleaned everything first try today, so I am starting to get used to the new head angle. In 120mm, the fork goes beyond plush. Not sure there really is a word for it. Smooooooooooooth!
At this point, all of the assembly lube has disappeared. The stations are clean and smooth after a ride in the nasty dust we have at SOMO right now. They feel as nice as the Marzocchi stations, so I know the lubrication system is working well. The seals are exceptional as well, just like the Marzocchi. They have a seperate wiper and seal system, so Magura suggests prying up the wipers and cleaning underneath once a month.
It just keeps getting better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.8.07
Not sure what else I can say. This for is the real deal. I lowered the pressure to 55psi and it felt great. I still have not bottomed the fork, though I was not pushing the fastest pace today. I have noticed through the super choppy stuff I am faster, at least it feels it. The steering is excellent and i really appreciate the apprearance now. The fork is kind of dwarfs other forks, 66's just look small to me now.
This fork definately has 2 personalities. The gentle, super plush, and linear 120mm climber, and the 160mm progressive, bottomless beast.
