I am toying with buying an EVIL SOVERIEGN but would like to know if i can use 160mm Vans on it ?.

anyone got any thoughts please

Evil's advice is no… sorry 🙁

I asked them a couple of months back as I was considering some 36 TALAS for my '08 Sov, they said advice is max fork length 140mm but 150 should be OK don't stretch it to 160. They suggested a '10 RS Revelation Uturn.

I have had pikes on mine for the last 2 years and just last week fitted 32 TALAS as I got a great deal on a pair of '10 RLCs

Either is a great fit as the frame rides fantastically between 100 and 400mm but the TALAS is 700g lighter than the pike it replaces (700g…. 😯 ) so take your choice. Thor or Revelation would be a good fit also. At 160mm, aside from potentially overloading the Head Tube, I think you'd find the handling too slow aswell. I only run my forks at full extension when pointing resolutely DOWN. The slack seat angle does not help you climbing if the fork is extended.

still, the best HT frame I've ever owned. Get one you won't regret it

I've run 160mm on my older one just fine. I run pikes now though and it is better, even in big stuff.

I'd be interested if you need to sell your Vans (for my bouncy bike).

The Sov is the greatest bike anyone has ever made, ever, full stop though. So you'd be a fool to choose your forks over it!

Why you would want anything bigger that 140mm on a hardtail is beyond me.

I was going to say exactly that. If you want so much at the front, surely you want some at the back as well!

Bumhands

Why you would want anything bigger that 140mm on a hardtail is beyond me.

Bumhands, I tend to agree. My idea was to get the stiffness of a 36mm stantion fork in the same weight as a Pike 426, but I knew if I had 160mm available I for sure would try it out and on the least appropriate trails aswell, which is why I asked them. I think that if you're riding DH courses on a HT more maybe better and certainly the slacker angles tend to help confidence and control, but at 140 the Sov is already pretty slack.

Oh and + 1 for greatest bike anyone has ever made, ever, full stop. Perfectly put IMO 😀

well, ive already got the forks and im not parting with them, so looks like i might have to build two bikes then, !!!!!!!

That'd be the most sensible option.

You can reduce V36s to 140 can't you?

Why you would want anything bigger that 140mm on a hardtail is beyond me.

Cant you drop the vans down to 130mm pretty easily at home?

I think Mojo might be able to do custom travel quite easily. Its just a case of adding/removing spacers isnt it?

I_Ache

Cant you drop the vans down to 130mm pretty easily at home?

if that's do-able than I'd suggest it. You'll get awesome stiffness to match the frame, a real Hooligan!

BoardinBob just illustrated my point.

Cant you drop the vans down to 130mm pretty easily at home?

As I recall, no you can't. The Floats are travel adjustable to 130mm with internal spacers, but shortening the VANs involves chopping the spring, which affects the spring rate and basically cocks it all up. According to TFTuned when I enquired (but that was a few years ago and my memory's poor at the best of times!).

Quick search comes up with this.

http://www.mojostore.co.uk/acatalog/Forx_Travel_Spacers.html

i have the same problem. want the evil but i only have a set of van 36s i could put on it. might give mojo a call tomorrow and see if i can reduce the travel. evil told me 150 max too but they have to draw the line at some point. is it because the headtube couldnt take it or cos the ride would be pish?????

i got this email from evil this morning:-

Joe,

It's always a hard question to answer. There so many unknown circumstances that can occur.
I am sure that if you were to run a 160mm fork with a lot of sag you would be ok.
I do know that people are running 160mm forks on the Sovereign and they love it.

The (2) things to remember are:

The intended use of the bike.
And riding the bike to the intended use.

Hope everything helps.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Gabe

spoke to mojo today. the van 36 cannot bet made shorter. the only way would to be to cut the spring and they say thats a pretty bad idea.

I had the same answer from gabe, I also had another reply from one of his oppos
he runs a 36 talas and loves it , he also sent all the new geometry measurements adjusted for
the 36 van , Knocks the headangle back to 67 degs , but I will wind
down the vans using the sag to 68 degs and check it with my digital protractor, my new sovereign in
White med shipped from crc yesterday , I brought the evil as I can't keep waiting for my bfe to arrive ,
but I will still have that when cy finally gets them over, gotta feel bad for him hope he gets his stock soon it's such a good product, I have a soul that I brought 3 yrs ago and will never part from it,
one of my mates ran a talas 36 on his stiffee and loved it right up to the point some welsh tealeaf
releived him of it, never be afraid to try things that what I say,bike wise of course not tealeafing

skiboy let me know how you get on. any chance i could se the adjusted measurements with the vans? im toying with the idea of selling the vans and getting pikes insted… hummm

You CAN (as joe states, above) lower the travel on 36 Vans – a mate did it; he cut and ground the spring to the right length.