Noticed this after getting back from France/Megavalanche. And before anyone mentions how dirty they are I do clean them before pretty much every ride and lube them with some teflon stuff. 🙂

Question is how fecked are they and how much is it likely to cost to sort out? They were the OEM Coil Pikes that came on my Pitch Pro. I'm guessing it means new crown/stanchions/steerer and possibly new seals?

Been toying with the idea of some fox 36s anyway, just trying to work out if I should run these into the ground rather than getting them serviced/repaired. Am a tad worried I will screw up the Fox's too though somehow.

Hmm…

Yep, that's bad

is it causing them to lose oil?
if the seal between lower and upper is maintained it is more aesthetic

Ok thanks – in your considered opinion roughly how long before the forks stop working? 🙂

Bit of oil comes out on the stanchion when the forks compress.

need new stanchions then.

It's bad, but are they leaking? If not they'll go on for a while yet. My fox 32 talas are worn like that but don't leak so I'll wait until they're really knackered. MOJO do new uppers for £125 not sure about Pike uppers try TF Tuned they should be able to advise you

Oh dear.

Might be worth replacing them with a less worn set. I wonder if there are any for sale on the classifieds…..

A new set of stanchions is only £250ish

Not worth fixing since they are the shit version of the pikes anyway (the one with no motion control) Actually if they are off a pitch pro they are probably the proper pikes

Get some 36's if you are prepared to look after them i.e. take the lowers of an clean and re oil afer every few rides.

Otherwise get some 2007 or earlier marzocchis since they run the open bath bath/coil system and you can leave em for years without a service

Ok thanks – in your considered opinion roughly how long before the forks stop working?

I don't think they will stop working…they just won't work as well 🙂

Although I'm only basing on my experience which is purely the Air models, thinking about any RS fork (pike, rev, reba) there is not much oil in the lowers anyway (15ml) and that's more there just to keep everything lubed. Removing the lowers and topping up is all fairly straight forward which, if a bit of oil is leaking, you may need to do more often but aside that they should keep going fine.

Another thing to bare in mind is some of the slippery coating has worn off so there is a chance the forks may not feel as plush as they once did.

Yeah I did think they weren't feeling as plush. Any chance of getting them fixed on warranty do you reckon?

Just ordered some of these now anyway 🙂

If it costs £250 to replace the stanchions then it's only another £110!

http://www.bikeoutlet.co.uk/products/Fox_36_Vanilla_R_Suspension_Forks_2009-855-0.html

Will have to make sure I take bloody good care of them though.

Ok mtfu and then change the seals if they leak then mtfu or buy new ones .mine are the same

If you tried it on warrenty I reckon they'd just tell you that you had failed to maintain them properly.

The 36's sound like they will suit that bike much better anyway, the pikes always looked a bit low and made the headangle look to steep.

Get some 36's if you are prepared to look after them i.e. take the lowers of an clean and re oil afer every few rides.

Every few rides?

My Float 32 RL's on my '06 Enduro lasted 3 years with one service and some TLC – never stripped them once.

How long did you use them for? 3 years sat in a shed doesnt count.

Although seriosuly, I think every 15 hours is recommended, thats probably every 3 to 4 rides I'd say. Maybe depends where you ride aswell.

A new set of stanchions is only £250ish

A new set of pikes is only £280 on CRC at the moment

How long did you use them for? 3 years sat in a shed doesnt count.

Although seriosuly, I think every 15 hours is recommended, thats probably every 3 to 4 rides I'd say. Maybe depends where you ride aswell.

3 years of Peak District grinding paste 1-3 times a week thanks.

Can't see any Pikes for £280 on CRC.

Anyway, I have bought the Fox 36s now – having to shell out to get new versions of the same forks is pretty galling, but when I can use it as an opportunity to upgrade… 🙂

Im sure Spech warranty suspension components for 5 years.

i'd at least try to get it on warranty

Yeah I'm gonna see if they will fix them under warranty anyway and sell them or keep as spares.

grumm – Member

Can't see any Pikes for £280 on CRC.

Well that's what I paid for mine last week, they must have sold out 🙁

£290 @ Bikeoutlet though

http://www.bikeoutlet.co.uk/products/Rockshox_Pike_426_Coil_U_Turn_140_90mm_Forks_2009-782-49.html

they are shot and need sorting quick sharp. I'm a properly qualified mechanic (not Halfords)and knoe buggered forks when I see them. Sorry to be a doom monger but those are bad. PS. if they are less than 12 months old it may be worth trying the shop you got them from, there were production problems with the OE Pikes on the Pitch comp, yours are a little far gone now but it's still worth a try.

i never understood why every one bonked on about the pitch. I read in more than one mag review, "its great to see a high end fork on a stock bike"

could no one other than me see they were not pikes??
honestly?
another fork with pike stickers on and a RS compression adjuster.

in other news, yes, its bad, theyre screwed imo, at the least, youll need new bushings, new seals and new stantions.
if it were me, ide ride them till they explode then buy some new (proper ;p ) pikes.
or better still, some new revs (air pikes)

Olly, how are they not pikes?

What fork do you actually think they are?

I feel your pain Grumm – my Pikes have done the same – noticed it after having them for about 18 months, the last few of which I had been meaning to get them serviced.

I took the lowers off for the first time the other night and they were completely dry – they only have 15ml of oil per leg, so I think with hindsight the oil could have done with fairly regular topping up. The surface of the legs is completely fecked even below the level of the seals but I haven't noticed much difference in performance TBH.

I had been putting a bit of Teflon lube round the seals after each ride but I don't think any of it gets down into the foam ring.

I'm a bit gutted now I realise how easy it is to whip the lowers off and put some fresh oil in there. I might get a new set but they've always felt pretty wooden and rubbish compared to the Vanillas they replaced.

I'm a bit gutted now I realise how easy it is to whip the lowers off and put some fresh oil in there.

Hindsight is a terrible thing: removed the lowers from my RS forks the other day and realised how absolutely piss easy it is…previously had a kind of mental block that fork servicing was some dark-art.

this reminds me, i should really service my talas's

Arghh those Fox 36s I bought were not actually in stock contrary to what the website said. 😡

this reminds me, i should really service my talas's

Ditto.

Bad luck Grumm, shame about that 36 – that was a great price.

Bet a 36 or Lyrik would be great on that bike.

RS forks often come 'under filled' with oil as new, every set I've had of their semi bath forks were underfilled from the off. This is probably why some new'ish sets die fast.

I believe there might be a set of Pikes on the classifieds…

I believe there might be a set of Pikes on the classifieds…

Yeah, but they're overpriced 😉

RS forks often come 'under filled' with oil as new,

Yes, I suspected this from personal experience – and a nice man at TF Tuned confirmed it when I rang for a chat about something else the other day.

had the same wear on my 454 dual airs… survived dozen or so rides after re lubing the sponge fingy's.

But ingress of dust, etc wore the bushings so eventually i had about 40mm of ineffective travel, pitiful compression and close to sod all rebound.

Result was, a few OTB incidents that were clearly related to lack of the front wheel tracking the ground.

In summery, they're ****.

yeah, the downside is that aswell as oil getting out, crap can get in, which will bork your bushing very quickly.

Got vanilla RC2s for £449 instead – oh well. 🙂

mine were/are worn a lot less than that, so I stripped them down and put some nail varnish on them and sanded them very gently, and they still hold pressure and don't leak oil so I am hoping I got away with it.

time will tell though. ………..

Mine are 05's though so if I have killed them that isn't too bad, and I reckon I will replace with with the 2010 RockShox Rev's or some Lyriks, but aren't yours only a few months old grumm?