[mattbryant2]

I'm weighing in these days at about 220. Riding a Pike 454 coil with an extra firm spring installed. To get 25% sag while standing the compression has to be locked out and the gate knob needs to be turned at least a full clockwise rotation. With the compression open, I can bottom out the fork easily. To keep the fork from making a terrible clicking sound (which I assume is not good) while using anything more than half of the travel, I need to lock out the compression and the gate knob needs to be turned clockwise one and a half rotations. This is how I've been riding the fork. What's the deal?

 

[bullit44777]

Same here. At first I had the compression full cc and the blow off full cc with firm springs, and I'm 240....when I hit stutter chunk rock gardens, the fork sounded all clunky like the oil was being displaced or something.....anyhow I put the compression at lockout and the blow off about half way cw and the fork stands up, feels like a dh fork, and feels great down and up, truly my set it and forget it setting.

 

[keen]

Motion Control on the PIke is a low speed compression adjustment and sounds like you guys are trying to band-aid a different problem. I weigh 210lb. and have not found a closed damper single spring fork that will support my weight. I run a Dual Air Pike that I can adjust for my riding weight. Last coil forks that I could set for good small bump compliance w/o bottoming was open bath dual sprung Marzocchi's - good luck trying to get those Pike's setup for an above weight rider.

 

[mattbryant2]

Sounds like mine isn't broken, at least. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[spcarter]

I just got a new pike (426) with an x-firm spring, I weigh in at ~230 (and heading down) and I have not noticed a problem I'm getting like 30% sag but I haven't actually gone through and measured it. So far the forks been great, I don't have a solution to your problem but I figured I put it out there that I haven't noticed a problem.

Oh, and the forks got like a weeks worth of rides on it.

 

[mountainbiker24]

You could probably change the oil to a heavier weight and adjust the oil volume to prevent hard bottoming. I'm not sure what Rockshox recommends, but that might be an option.

 

[one piece crank]

I weigh 210lb. and have not found a closed damper single spring fork that will support my weight.

Rockshox Argyle will handle the weight.

Tom P.

 

[MaddSquirrel]

I am 270lbs and running a Pike with X-firm spring and think it handles my weight fine. I get about 30% sag and it does not dive or bottom very easily.

 

[keen]

You could probably change the oil to a heavier weight and adjust the oil volume to prevent hard bottoming. I'm not sure what Rockshox recommends, but that might be an option.

This isn't an open bath fork - adjusting the volume isn't an option.

 

[AL29er]

Sounds like mine isn't broken, at least. Thanks for the feedback.

Not broke, you are just fat
Pot calling the kettle black though I tried to ride a pike coil when they first came out. At the time I was about 220-225 and ran an X-firm spring kit. It felt great for trail riding, but did dive a bit on steep stuff. But get it more that 2ft in the air and it would bottom out

Nowadays I am about 235-240 and run air forks. Currently Pike or Revelation depending on the day. I recommend air to anyone over the 200lb mark. There just isn't much support from manufacturers for springs outside of the 150-190lb range. Air is mostly infinite in tunability :thumbsup:

 

[AL29er]

I am 270lbs and running a Pike with X-firm spring and think it handles my weight fine. I get about 30% sag and it does not dive or bottom very easily.

Seriously, WTF ut:
I see people who are 250-280lb who make this claim. I don't get it. One guess I have is that their oil levels are too high, so they hit a hydraulic bottom out before full travel. My revelation was overfilled and would stop about 2/3rds of the way into it's stroke. Other than that these reports pretty much have me stumped.

MaddSquirrel, have you removed the spring and checked to see if the fork actually will travel the whole 140mm?

 

[bad mechanic]

Motion Control on the PIke is a low speed compression adjustment and sounds like you guys are trying to band-aid a different problem.

Sorry, but Motion Control isn't a low speed compression adjustment. The Motion Control system emulates a shimmed compression system with a low speed and a high speed circuit. The ones with the adjustable Floodgate allow you to set the cross over point from low speed to high speed.

Unfortunately, Rock Shox does a really bad job explaining just what Motion Control is, and how it works. It's doing them a disservice since it's really quite an ingenious system which works very well.

 

[keen]

Sorry, but Motion Control isn't a low speed compression adjustment. The Motion Control system emulates a shimmed compression system with a low speed and a high speed circuit. The ones with the adjustable Floodgate allow you to set the cross over point from low speed to high speed.

Unfortunately, Rock Shox does a really bad job explaining just what Motion Control is, and how it works. It's doing them a disservice since it's really quite an ingenious system which works very well.

Well Motion control IS a low speed and a high speed then , still compression is a band-aid for an improper spring rate. The OP complaint was bottoming too easily - not enough spring.

 

[brake jack]

Sorry, but Motion Control isn't a low speed compression adjustment. The Motion Control system emulates a shimmed compression system with a low speed and a high speed circuit. The ones with the adjustable Floodgate allow you to set the cross over point from low speed to high speed.

Unfortunately, Rock Shox does a really bad job explaining just what Motion Control is, and how it works. It's doing them a disservice since it's really quite an ingenious system which works very well.

can you elaborate on that? i played with my pike a lot, and couldnt get any high speed compression damping.

 

[bad mechanic]

can you elaborate on that? i played with my pike a lot, and couldnt get any high speed compression damping.

There are several excellent threads which details how the Motion Control system works. I'd suggest reading this one:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=77062&highlight=motion+control

In a nut shell you have the normal LSC circuit adjusted by the blue knob. There are several larger ports which are kept closed by the Motion Control spring (the swiss cheese looking elastomer stack). When the oil pressure (from high shaft speeds) is high enough to overcome the spring, the high speed ports open and allow the fork to compress. The Floodgate adjust how much pressure is required before the high speed ports open.

An easy way to see it in action is to lock out the fork, turn the Floodgate to full closed, reset your travel indicator (zip tie, o-ring, etc.) and run over a curb. The fork won't move much and you'll really feel it. Now, reset the travel indicator and turn one complete turn out on the Floodgate and run over the curb again. Keep repeating until the Floodgate is full open. As you go along you hit a point where the impact from the curb is enough to open the Floodgate and the amount of travel the fork is using will jump.

 

[Techfreak]

I have EXACTLY the same problem. I weigh about 190lbs and run the Pike 409 with an X-Firm spring on my Sinister Ridge. The sag is correct (~23%) for how I ride. In order to get the fork to not not dive like crazy I have to ramp up the compression until almost lockout. It feels OK when I do that, but not like the Lyrik Air I run on my fully (still dives a lot in comparison). Honestly I still have not figured out the whole gate thing yet.

Suggestions?