[Closed] New UK importer for BOS?

Nope think there's gonna be a theme here for a while as they seem to be near on impossible to get spares out of hence R53 just jacking it in last Friday!!! Same really nice forks but soon as mine are sorted I'm selling them up and getting something else.

Was looking at their stuff recently. This is the reason why I haven't.

I was only speaking to R53 last Thursday and they said that they were having challenges with BOS messing them around on the terms of their contract and that might make it hard for them to continue to be the dealer.

Has it already happened then; have they said specifically they've stopped being the distributor?

According to their website - yes:-(
http://www.r53sport.com/index.php/products/bos-mtb-suspension

That's a bit poor...

That's a real arse. Feel for R53 as it sounds like they have been really messed around by BOS.

I was about to suggest going to TF Tuned, but strangely they just sell and don't service.

Bos won't let anyone other than distributor be licensed service centre... This is why I'm not getting bos too. No parts, no service manual, keep pissing people off. Shame, but RS do none of that.

What I've said all along, BOS are ****ers with poor customer service, expensive services and poor parts availability.

Still, lots of gullible idiots on here bought the hype!

Shame as I quite fancied getting a Vip'R for my Mojo 🙁

Still, lots of gullible idiots on here bought the hype!

Used their products have you?

Three hours sessioning a downhill trail, so yes. Not worth the 2-3% improvement in damper performance with the bollocks that comes with them, going to try out an Avy damper instead for shits and giggles to see if it's as good as everyone says. At least it's user serviceable and craig get's back to you within a few hours.

Three hours isn't really that long though, especially when it's someone else's bike.

I've been extremely impressed with the way my Vipr and Devile work together so well; they really complement each other fantastically.

What were you trying out?

You're right about the support and shocking approach to business management.

Er well this is a bit crap, what are we supposed to do now?

Shame as I was going to build up my next bike with BOS. I tried ordering a set of Devilles last year but BOS messed Roger around for months and I ended up buying some different forks 🙁

Edit damnit why don't cane creek make forks, I would buy a double barrel fork in an instant

A Deville coupled with a Vip'R on the back - the bike was a Spicy and the correct size for me.

They were good, the bike had a balanced neutral feel to it and I did feel the fork resisted dive more than my Lyrik when the Lyrik is setup to 30 percent sag. The problem is I run my coil Lyrik harder than most and when set up to 20 percent sag I felt there was little difference. I felt the Vip'r was superior to the Monarch for aggressive riding but didn't feel as if it was any more sensitive on small bumps - perhaps a bit worse. I also felt the Deville was less precise in rock gardens.

Instead I've decided to keep the Lyrik and go with an Avy cartridge as it's meant to massively reduce stiction and offer more mid stroke - I might then try a softer spring rate for long alpine descents instead of my current setup which is for UK style riding and short gravity enduros.

My rear Monarch is going to be replaced by a custom tuned X-fusion Vector Air HLR, which is simply the best and most tunable rear air shock I've tried.

Then I'll balance the front and rear shock out myself by tweaking the adjustor's.

Looks like you got off lightly randomj

Yes a great product let down by shocking customer service 🙁

as legend says, tftuned shox are only selling left over shock springs , they used to sell / service / tune bos products , but as R53 they had issues with supply ect

Interesting thoughts Bwarp. I would pretty much make the same comments about the pairing of the Vipr and Devile. I would say the Devile is better as a fork than the Vipr is as a rear damper; you could pair the fork with most dampers but I think to get the best from the Vipr you need to run it with the Devile.

The biggest gain I found with the Vipr is that it's the first air sprung damper I've been able to run that gave the right spring rate with the right sag rate. I've a new frame coming and will need a new damper for it, so your comments on the X-Fusion are very interesting. I've been wondering what they were like. Where did you get yours from?

Havn't bought one, I tried one out on another friends Spicy - again we swapped bikes for a few hours on the same day - he was running a 55 up front and they seemed great together - altough the 55 was a little divier but plusher than the Deville. He had no/litle air in the 55 though - just the spring rate from the coil - so it was undersprung - they're a little notchy when you bump the sprng rate up with air.

They're doing push style custom tunes (shim stacks etc) straight from the factory for 50 quid extra. The new forks have a midvalve stack as well - the Vector Air is simply brilliant - I'm waiting for the 2013 Kashima (in al but name) one and then I'm going to purchase a custom tuned one for my preferences from the factory and then get on to Craig over at Avalanche to set me up with an two Avy cartridges one with an aggressive tune for racing and one with a plush tune for long alpine descents for my Lyrik.

I've always loved tinkering though, so my rather eclectic combination of parts might not be for everyone. I'm prepared to spend a long time tuning as I really loved the Vector Air rear shock and as for the fork side.... the idea of having a user-serviceable and user-tunable bombproof open bath motorcross style fork damper cartridge makes me foam at the mouth.

Just got to get the balls to do a little machining work to my lyriks to fit the cartridge though.

My neighbour was in a bike shop in leamington spa a few days ago, and he told me when he returned that this bike shop were going to start distributing/servicing BOS products. I forget (didn't even listen)to the name of bike shop.
I fkn hope this is the case as my devilles arrived today and I've just cut them to size!

Bwarp - how much machining is needed for an avy cartridge?

I nearly bought some BOS forks today for £695, fortunately I found out about the R53 siuation, the poor support from France which the retailer was pretty open about, the nail in the coffin was when I looked on the BOS site

[i]"Bos MTB is closed from august 3rd to august 27th. There will be no delivery during this period"[/i]

So basically they go wrong, they're expensive, parts are hard to get hold of and the lazy Frogs like a holiday.

I also spoke to the Horsham based UK distributor of X-fusion about the Vengeance range of forks, he was a lot more help than the child that I rang just before at Freeborn bikes (my local dealer), he didnt seem to understand an axle from an adjuster, shame Jim although grumpy is now working for Spesh.

Interested in the X-fusion forks now I know the importer/fixer is 10 miles away from me 🙂

So basically they go wrong, they're expensive, parts are hard to get hold of and the lazy Frogs like a holiday.

Dave don't think they go wrong any more than any other make - mine have been faultless so far. They are also no more expensive than Fox. But yes, parts will now be hard to get hold of.

More interestingly, who is the Horsham based importer for x-fusion?

Greg, I've so many forks that have failed either by poor design or require more fettling than I can be bothered with (Fox) that I've been doing a bit of homework before I splash the cash again, I'm sure they're great and everything, not chancing it though.

X-fusion come in via http://shop.upgradebikes.co.uk/catalogue/brand.aspx?bnd_id=d62d828c-4fe6-42a6-ad3a-9ebb00aff1d9

Only downside for me is they've inceased the 2012 coil forks to 170 (10mm more) but the C2A is 20mm more than Fox Van 36's (160mm versions)

not chancing it though.

I don't blame you. I wouldn't be buying anything BOS again until there is another distributor in place and even then I would be hesitant.

I kept my Lyriks for a reason, I hope to god I don't have to lower myself to using them again! lol 😉

Bwarp - how much machining is needed for an avy cartridge?

The hole for the rebound adjuster supposedly needs to be drilled out to 10 mm. Not a big job tbh, it may not even be true. Gonna email avy for further details, a Fox 36 cartridge is in the pipeline as well for those of you who like the Fox chassis but can't stand the damper.

Only downside for me is they've inceased the 2012 coil forks to 170 (10mm more) but the C2A is 20mm more than Fox Van 36's (160mm versions)

That's why I'm going with a Lyrik + Avy at the front and an X-fusion at the rear, although I think X-fusion are bringing out some new forks for 2013? Think they might have a lower axle to crown.

hmmm. post your findings please. Less keen on going to it if it means irrevocably changing the fork. Would you be going to Avy from MC or MC-DH?

That’s a bummer. I was considering a VipR for the back of my new 29er but I was warned off them by a mate, and also my LBS who stocks BOS stuff as they both said there were problems looming. Looks like I’ll be sticking with my CCDB, or opting for an upgrade to the DB air

Would you be going to Avy from MC or MC-DH?

Modded Mission Control.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Avalanche-Racing-Fork-Replacement-Cartridge-Kit-2012.html

Pinkbike review (compares it to the MC DH damper on the boxxer)

Dango! I thought I was only grumpy Jim in my Esher days (and had my reasons to be fair!) Far more relaxed these days 8)

Dango, I recently bought some 2011 XFusion Vengeance HLR forks for my Heckler. Initial thoughts were of how well made they appeared to be, eg the hi/lo speed compression knobs at the bottom are covered by a screw on machined metal cover to offer protection. Paint is a lot thicker than Fox forks too, similar to RS.
I was a little concerned by the extra 10mm A2C length, but the bike feels fine. Climbs just as well as with my old Revs. Small bump sensitivity is fantastic - it was the climbing over roots that I noticed this, very much ironed out the bumps. Forks are very solid and stiff and each click of adjustment is noticeable. I'm currently playing around with the comp damping to give me a plush fork without the worry of it diving too much, not that it does, its just that I have damping ability so I'll try and set it up!
Only issue I have is stiction. I'm not sure if the forks need more bedding in (they were hardly used when I bought them), but until I push them into their sag, they are sticking when you first sit on the bike. I'll give them some time and then maybe investigate more, but whilst riding you dont notice this as you are into your sag. Very pleased especially at £300 🙂

Just to add another option for current BOS owners. James from [url= http://j-techsuspension.co.uk/pages/services/prices.php ]J-Tech[/url] has just started offering servicing on most BOS stuff. I'm glad as I've just stuck a Vip'r on and the only thing putting me off the Devilles was the difficulty/expense of servicing.

James, you'll always be 'grumpy Jim' to me, my favourite experience of you was you keeping your cool when Hora was bartering with you for tyres at Esher, how you didn't just tell him f&8k off I'll never know 😀

I found out that the current X-fusion forks are about to be updated again (new slippery coating to stanchions etc, blah blah) and the paypal balance I had was burning a hole in screen, so couldn't wait.

Bought some 55 RC3 EVO T's in the end from Ze Germans (<£600) the three year warranty did it for me in the end - 8)

Bos back at work on Monday.. Hope they get a distrubutor.

Hi
everyone I would like to get serviced BOS Deville's.I googled out a shop in Dublin. They are called Mad Elk Cycles, quit nice stuff out there. Anyone dealt with them? It looks like solution for UK and IRE bikers.
They claim they are authorized service and warranty center, too.
Maybe we have new distributor 😯

Hurrah for summer holidays! All companies should shut up for a few weeks in the summer, far more useful than winter/christmas shutdown nonsense that's more usual in this country.

Pabloxxi just sent my forks back for warranty to mad elk so will see how it all goes soon I hope, mind you cost of getting them over there from the uk was bad nearly £45 and that was with poor insurance hate to think what it would cost for the full amount :x. Will check in when I hear something hopefully soon
Bats.

Pabloxxl - Are you not Stefan of Mad Elk Cycles so surprised you had to google your own work place...

^ busted!

It is only a rough guess. I was looking for someone to trust to send my lovely BOS forks to for a service and looking at Pabloxxl's threads which are only for trades of bike frames etc there is email address pabloxxl.stefan@gmail.com

On Mad Elk Cycles one of the contacts is Stefan... The english is pretty much the same on his post and their site. there is also the text:
Author
Lobo and [b]Pablo[/b], happy riders

Shame as I really want someone to trust but this is a v poor start if true. 🙁