Following on from this thread

and this quote specifically:

Either way if you get any RockShox, give them an oil change during the first few weeks of use. Both of mine came brand new and had hardly any oil in them. They felt nice out of the box but the correct oil levels made one hell of a difference.

I was wondering if it is true that you need to top up new Rock Shox after purchasing?

I’ve just bought some 2011 Recon Golds and not sure if I should be doing this…

Surely not? My 3-mth old SIDs feel great – are we suggesting pre-cautionary service when ‘new’. Any other experiences?

Yep, sounds about right in my experience.

I have had a two pairs of boxxers, a boxxer race (2010) and boxxer r2c2 (2011) both felt very average until the oil was changed. I did the races myself and there was no oil in one of the legs and alot less than there should have been in the other. It was well worth doing.

Not sure whether this is case with the cross country forks but you might as well do it, would be a shame to be missing out on the full potential of the fork.

I opened my Revelation’s up when new and there was about a teaspoons worth in one leg and next to nothing in the other (should be 15ml), also had to take some out of the damper to get full travel.

I opened up a friends Recon forks and they were fine however.

I think Mojo check Fox forks before selling them?

Used to get similar problems with Marzocchi too, although it only affected getting full travel since they are open bath.

Possible explanation as to why some stanchions wear out and others are fine??

My Lyriks had very poor small bump compliance from new, when I opened them up to change the oil there was zero oil in either lower leg! Once I put in the requisite 15ml in they were transformed!

same sort of tale with my coil sektors.
Arrived with whats better imagined as an aerosol coating of oil.
Since servicing the lowers they feel much much better.

Fitted my 2012 Revelation RLTs last week, reducing travel with internal spacers. Very little oil in the lowers, air spring foam ring and wiper foam ring. The recommended vol of oil in the lowers is 3-8ml so not that surprising there wasn’t much in there but surprised by the virtually dry foams.

I would recommend servicing a new Rockshox fork.