I want some 160mm forks for the Heckler. So do they actually exist, and will anyone sell me some? Are they really much better than some Fox 36’s?
Thinking about some 36Vans, or maybe some coil Lyriks, but if these devilles are as good as the hype, maybe i’ll look at these. What do we think?

I waited for months and months but couldn’t source any, got 2012 floats with the gold and new cartridge instead, they are a massive improvement over my old 2008 floats. Dunno what they’re like compared to DeVilles but I’m happy with them.

I can’t see them being better than Vans to be honest, no matter what the reviews say.

I can’t see them being better than Vans to be honest, no matter what the reviews say.

They are really quite different forks to anything else on the market. By that I mean that they have a different ‘feel’ and performance characteristic.

They take more care with setting up especially balancing the air spring with the low and high speed compression damping. If you know how best to do this, then they have the potential to give you more outright performance, but they also have the potential to feel crap.

They are also very much a ‘racer’s’ fork; they tend towards feeling very firm in the way they work where other forks feel ‘plush’. Compared to how something like a Marzocchi Bomber feels, they are chalk and cheese.

They are not flexy really but they aren’t quite as super stiff as the Fox 36s are, but then they are a bit lighter.

The problems you’ve got sourcing them will only be magnified in the event you have to avail yourself of their warranty support!

Hope that helps. This is based on experience of having observed closely a mate who has them and having tried them myself.

I had a shot of a mates Turner 6 Pack fitted with Devilles and I can’t say that they felt any better than Float RC2’s that I’ve ridden. Even going back to my own bike, with lesser spec Float R’s that need an oil change, didn’t feel all that different. For a while now I’ve fancied a pair for my Nicolai Helius but I think I might stick with Fox, although another dealer mate has a BOS equipped bike that I’d like to try for a 2nd opinion.

I went from my Fox 36 Float RC FIT dogs doodars to Deviles, I much prefer the Devilles and had no problem whatsoever sourcing them.
I should also say I ran them side by side for 2 months on different bikes granted, but the difference to me was huge.

Try Dipper at Gravity sports for sourcing. Excellent service and support in my experience and very competitive pricing.

I also had zero problems setting them up, surprised you’ve picked up on that geetee, not the feedback I see from most of the Nicolai and Turner owners with them.

I would agree with the firmer ‘race’ feel compared to Fox or Marz. I couldnt get my Foxs to feel right for me, either they were ‘plush’ and divey in braking, with all the attendant problems that comes with, especially when racing, or they were too hard and only gave me 2/3 travel, I dont need a 160 fork at 2.3kg to get 140 travel when a 140 fork at 1.8kg should do that!!!

The Devilles do sit ‘high’ in their travel and work best when set up fast, I found the balance very quickly, with few setup problems.

Like other BOS kit each click of the settings has quite a big impact on response and as such you tend not to wildly change settings and screw the whole thing up.

I haven’t felt any stiffness differences but they are 34mm rather than 36mm and I am 72kg ready to ride.

I’ve ben racing mine since March and have been very happy with them compared to my previous experience with the Fox’s.

Servicing is approximately every 2 years, but is obviously dependent on use to some extent I think.

Their small bump compliance is also very good despite riding high, the initial travel is very stiction free to the point you could think the bushes are worn, I thought my headset was loose but actually it was the first 3mm of fork travel!!

However when taking big hits they appear to be very progressive, saving me once or twice when I feared the worst!

If yu can get a ride on a bike, with the forks set up for you, that is the best option.

I’m pretty sure Dipper has a demo bike with Devilles on it. Gravity Sports are based in the West of Scotland.

Coil U-Turn Lyriks get my vote (on my 2011 Heckler).

Really plush, and plenty stiff. The Bos Devilles might be tempting but are you going to get the most out of them?

The Lyriks have been superb so far but the next 3 weeks in the Alps should be an even better test! I rarely use the U-Turn adjust and have 3 clicks of Low Speed Compression applied, i havn’t touched the High Speed Compression yet…or used the Floodgate. Not the lightest but that really makes naff all difference IMO.

i’d have liked a set to try out but i couldnt get any. so lyriks for now then ti 55s later

I have had my 140mm Devilles since june and am happy so far. For me the service intervals is an important point, coming from Fox van rc2s that had to be serviced once every two weeks at least.

When newly serviced the vans were fine, but the non-kashima ones are very fragile and the uppers get worn out very quickly if service is not done religiously.

Setup has not been very tricky for me, I just went for air pressure to get the correct sag, backed off hsc a few clics, added a clic or two of lsc and reduced rebound a little.

A difference to the vans is that I can run far more lsc without loosing “plushness”, and therefore the forks ride higher in the travel and wallow less.

flow – Member

I can’t see them being better than Vans to be honest, no matter what the reviews say.

Even if no better at suspending (and I do love the top end Vans), they’re a fair bit lighter and have much longer service intervals (for normal use it’s an oil change every year and a full service every 2, vs every 30 hours/100 hours for Vans)

lightness is good, as is nice action. Now just dirt cheap and something like a u-turn rather than adjustable spring rate please Mr Bos

You’re right, 30 hours is ridiculous.

I liked them, do a search and find the back to back review I wrote. One comment from a friend who runs them is that they do not feel as good as Fox on big drops…. the drop he references is about 12ft so proper doonhall bike territory but fine with 36’s whereas he bottom outs the Bos with a loud bang.
They are last years and he has had them checked but there is nothing wrong… he still likes them but prefers the feel of his Fox… but not replacing the CSU every year due to wear which is why he bought them.

for normal use it’s an oil change every year and a full service every 2, vs every 30 hours/100 hours for Vans

That’s now 15 hours/30 hours for 2012 model Foxs’

Not a big job but it keeps you busy, that’s for sure

WRONG! 😀

http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/012/index.html

WRONG!

I believe that your the one WRONG here 😆

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/new-forksw

How are people getting on with the BOS for reliability – say after a years proper use etc?

Damn it, wrong twice today already!

uplink – Member

That’s now 15 hours/30 hours for 2012 model Foxs’

Hah, back to that? That’s awesome. Don’t go 24 hour racing! Wasn’t the new coating supposed to be tougher and longer lived? And the SKF seals better?

Don’t go 24 hour racing!

are you crazy?

there’s good drinking time wasted if you do that

ssems to me that fox are ideal for the casual 24hr racer

“ah, yes, I would ride more but fork needs a service so I had to stop. Pint please !”

I wonder if anyone makes a fork with a 6 hour service interval? Think you may have identified an important gap in the market

I took my 2012s apart after ~40hrs

The wiper seals were very clean and moist with oil and the damper oil looked pretty much new

What Chainline said +1

I’ve got some 160mm and they are by a looooooong way the best fork I’ve ever ridden. This is compared to 2009 Totems, 2007 Van RC2, 2009 Lyrics, and 2009 Boxer teams.

I’ve had mine a couple of months and other than setting sag, I have only had to increase the slow speed compression by a couple of clicks from out of the box. One pain in the ‘arris is the axle, which can’t be tightened enough by hand and doesn’t have a pop-out lever like Fox.

Coupled with my CCDB on my Nicolai, it’s an amazing setup.

Like Uplink said, I have had 3 sets of Fox forks in the past 3 years, 32’s and 36’s. Every time they have been apart the oil has been clean, and the foam rings nice and moist, with no sign of wear at all.

I think the stanchion wear is mostly to do with retards not washing there bikes after every ride in winter or muddy conditions, and not cleaning around the seals. Either that or people jet washing them and forcing crap into the seals.

To be fair, I’m a retard that jet washes bikes (sometimes), and having had my Foxes apart I’m the past, they’ve been absolutely fine too. I think far too much has been made of this fox issue. Maybe a bit of Internet based exaggeration, spin, whatever.

Really want to try a set but I’m *very* impressed with the Lyrik RC2 DH Solo air. Find them very close performance wise to the Idylle’s on my DH bike. The loud knock on heavy hits (usually big drops) used to happen on my Idylle’s too but adding 2mm to the oil height sorted that out.

Anyone ridden both the RC2 DH Lyrik and the Deville?

I’ve had mine a couple of months and other than setting sag, I have only had to increase the slow speed compression by a couple of clicks from out of the box. One pain in the ‘arris is the axle, which can’t be tightened enough by hand and doesn’t have a pop-out lever like Fox.

New Deville’s have a pop out lever like Fox – you can see it in this picture.

Link to the Bos vs Fox thread.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bos-vs-fox-there-is-only-one-way-to-find-out-fight

Agree the old axle, which I have is a pit sometimes. Mine does tighten enough, but I do have to check it and it need not be that hard. I might get the new axle at some point.

If bottoming out on big hits either more air pressure or more hsc needed me thinks! That’s not a fork issue surely.

messiah – you’ve got a buddha stuck on your tyre!

(that was a strange sentence)

Buddha smiles when I have the bikes in the garden 😀

One thing I find is that the fork really blows me away once I really start pinning it downhill. Has an almost magic carpet feel to it where it’s floating but yet providing way more grip than any other fork I’ve ridden on. It’s kind of a surreal feeling actually and I’m sure any rider would notice it to when they hit that magic velocity. Below this magic speed I think it’s less differentiating from it’s competitors. I’ve done a bit of rallying and hill climbing in my past and this feeling ive also found with really good car setups too. It’s the first time I experienced it on a bike is with a Bos fork.

It’s not a fork I’d go out ofmy way to run on a huck machine hitting 12ft drops, I’m sure it can take them given an appropriate level of rider skill but there are better tools for that job IMHO (although I’d be keen to try an idyll vs a boxxer/40 now too!)

^agree with that

It just seems to give more grip when taking corners at speed, especially corners with lots of roots/rocks. That is compared to either RS Pike or 2007 Fox 36 van rc2