What's the longest you've ever left your forks between servicing?
I currently have a pair of Marzocchi Z4 Flylight air, circa 2000. Never been touched apart from the odd squirt of air, and a bit of a washdown. Still work perfectly.
Admittedly they get little mileage, but I'm amazed at their resilience.
Not my Magura Thors. Went through the stanchion coating inside 2 years. (and 3000 miles admittedly). I have some five year old Reba SLs which are still good despite relentless abuse.
My Niner rigids have never been serviced. 😆
[i]Admittedly they get little mileage, but I'm amazed at their resilience. [/i]
Item not used but lasts shocker!
my reba 29er sls have had 2 oil changes in their 9 years of life
they need new bushes now as there is quite a bit of slop in them - if i send them off to be serviced im sure ill need all sorts. they are tatty and nicked uppers etc etc ..... ive had my moneys worth and sods law is if i plow the money into rebushing them they will snap within weeks.....
new fork time.
my mxcomps have never been serviced - they were used heavily for 4 years THEN have been bounced around various commuters of mines and the mrs and still work like new - more likely to die of crown corrosion than anything else.
I currently have a pair of Marzocchi Z4 Flylight air, circa 2000. Never been touched apart from the odd squirt of air, and a bit of a washdown. Still work perfectly.
No they don't. You'd notice a difference if you serviced them, guaranteed. 🙂
07 Marzocchi Z1 Sport RV never been serviced but still working perfectly
05 Marzocchi 66RC never been serviced but still working perfectly although they will be going in soon to have the travel increased so they will have their first service done at the same time...
+1PeterPoddy
Sid XC - bought in 1999. Never serviced. Added some air last week.
I'm sure i would see an improvement if they were serviced though!!
My old Judy SLs from around that time are now on the girlfriend's bike and the closest they've ever come to a service is me trying to work out if I had a socket that would fit and deciding that I didn't.
They not completely silky but they're easily good enough to not worry about it.
Marzocchi 2001 Z3 130mm
Serviced once by me, I've had them since 2005. Prior to that they lived on a a Kona Stinky and were used in Canada for North Shore activities, serviced once.
Maybe I'll service them again soon. Awesome set of forks, owe me nothing.
The issue, even if you don't have any oil or air leaks is the dirt getting in and causing wear and affecting performance.
and
Oil as it's worked, both for lubrication and damping duties 'goes off' the chains of molecules that make the oil 'work' get broken so the oil becomes less effective.
An oil change will pretty much always make a fork feel better, especially if you use better quality stuff than the manufacturer specs. in the first place as we do 😀
So what would you recommend Loco?
Still have the orignal Girvins on my '96 Proflex although I have fitted some new elastomers from time-to-time. More recently it would have to be my old Toras I never touched them in five years, closely followed by a pair of Revs that seem to be thriving on frequent intense neglect.
As someone said the other day the best thing to do with RS forks is run them into the ground and then just get another set from Merlin.
Coyote, service your forks, oil change and clean every 12 to 18 months minimum depending on use.
Just to keep them feeling nice and reduce the chance of wear from dirt ingress.
I meant which oil would you recommend?
😀 We use Motul factoryline and 'special mix' stuff in RS lowers.
Zocchi 66RC2X bought 2006 and still working, albeit not as well as they should be.
Rock shox physlo, circa late 2000,early 2001. Had them on my single speed, and didn't touch them. Brother in law now has it, and still hasn't touched them.
They do feel like they have loads of pro pedal though. 😀
2004 MX Comps are still in daily commute use after an active off-road life without ever being serviced.
Killed a set of TALAS and a Wotan in little over a year's very light use through stanchion wear. Basically ran them dry 😳
Two sets of 2005 Revs which now get fairly regular lowers service and an occasional damping oil change and are still going strong.
Rigid's on my swift have never been touched.
Had 2 pairs of old zocchis which needed new bushings, but they were DIY and the seals were actualy still fine!
I think new 'zocchis have a 3 year no service warrenty? Which is probably the longest official interval.
TBH it takes 10 min to do a lowers service on most forks, not worth worrying about if it's once a fortnight.