I have a set of 160mm pikes on one bike. They are great and do everything I want them to do. Only thing I’ve tried which feels better is Fox 36 RC2s.

However on another bike (same bike different model) I just cannot get the 140mm pike set up correctly. I’ve tried similar LSC and rebound setting to what I have on the other bike, and it’s just very chattery. I’ve also tried slowing down rebound, increasing/changing LSC etc but cannot get it anywhere near where I need it to be.

Last time out it felt and sounded like I’d a flat tyre it was slapping the ground so much. It’s even worse since I changed my rear shock, although i think it just shows it up more.

I’m at my wits end with them. I’m a fairly light rider…60kg ish.

Any ideas?

Add a token and drop the pressure?

Sounds like something might actually be wrong. I’m assuming rebound and LSC are set the same on both forks, and you’ve got more volume tokens in the 140 fork?

Have you tried burping the seal with the cable tie trick? There’s a good chance you’ve got air in the lowers. Slide a thin cable tie down the wiper seal, and air should pop out.

If not, sounds like rebound or compression needs looked at.

As above re spacers / pressure
Need more time to bed in?
Try the comp damper in fully open (both dials fully anticlockwise) – that should be the least ‘chattery’.

Is it solo air?

If you look online I think you will find loads of posts expressing concerns over new Rockshox solo air forks not performing very well.

I’m now on a warrantied brand new Reba solo air and it is as wooden as the new one I just sent back. No matter what I do with air pressure or rebound settings, it bucks me around rather than taming the trail like it should.

I’ve ridden an OE version of the same fork on a mate’s bike and it was brilliant.

I don’t know what the problem is, but there is a problem.

Send them back.

Thanks I’ve no idea how many tokens are in the 140s – I don’t think they come with any installed though. The 160 have no tokens installed. I’ll try the air pop trick and also install some tokens. The 160s are 2014 whereas the 140s are this years latest model. Similar to Billyboy above, the 140s just feel,like they’re bucking the bike all over the place. I have nowhere near the control I have on the other bike even in fairly tame trails.

They actually feel worse than when I first got them but I think that because the rear shock wasn’t masking it before it was changed.

Thanks for all the advice.

It sounds like the rebound damping is screwed, maybe the compression damping too. Adding tokens won’t do anything to help the damping problems – I’d be sending them back to SRAM.

Update : been out with compression damping fully open and rebound 3 clicks from fastest (the hare) the seem a bit less chattery but still not as good as the 160mm. I’m going to order a flat socket and add some tokens and see how that goes.

Thanks all.

Maybe do a lower leg service as well, there’s very little in the way of oil in them, wouldn’t need to lose much for them to run dry.

Check lower legs for high pressure, very common.

Adding tokens will only increase the spring rate.

Maybe do a lower leg service as well, there’s very little in the way of oil in them, wouldn’t need to lose much for them to run dry.

Spot on. We’re seeing quite a few coming through recently with very little/no oil in the lowers & they feel dreadful. Not something you should have to do, but drop the lowers & make sure they’ve got the correct amount of the right oil in there.

Just stumbled across this post … very intriuging. I have a 160mm Pike on a Canyon Strive. Every time I read about the Pike it is praised for its small bump sensitivity (or words to that effect), well my fork doesn’t have that characteristic – the forks don’t appear to move over small bumps at all. Fine going off drops, step downs etc but riding on, say, fire road transitions between sections at a trail centre or bits of bridleway between natural terrain there is nothing going on except chatter into my arms. Have adjusted damping and pressures and lubed the stanchions, but not played with tokens or oil levels. Until now I had assumed I’d just not hit the “sweet spot” but now I’m not so sure …

Also sounds like symptoms of high pressure air trapped in the lowers, worth checking.