First world Fox 38 forks dilemma

Perhaps dilemma is a little strong!

I have a new ebike coming with 160mm Fox 38 Performance forks and the basic GRIP damper.

I’ve never used a GRIP damper, having only used Rockshox for the last 10 years or so, purely by circumstance, not design.

In my spares box I have a Smashpot coil conversion that I ran on my old Zeb’s. It was great.

Do I:

1. Leave the forks alone and just run them, after a lowers service.
2. Spend £105 and get the bits required to install the smashpot on the Fox 38’s.
3. Buy some Fox 38 Factory GRIP2 forks from Merlin for £725, then sell the new Fox 38 Performance forks off the new bike and the Smashpot and see a probably cost to change of about £150-170 to run the Factory spec forks.
   https://www.merlincycles.com/fox-38-float-factory-grip2-boost-mtb-forks-29-1-303650.html

What would you do?

My preferred riding is all the steep, natural/off piste stuff at Cwmcarn/Risca, Afan Masts, Brechfa and a the occasional Dyfi etc. I love steep, techy stuff and have no interest in fast, motorway, big jumps.

Cheers

I haven’t ridden a 38, but the basic Grip damper is great on my Z1 coil fork.

So I’d do 1, followed by 2 if I felt I needed to.

Edit: You can also sell me the Smashpot for my Zeb, if you wish.

You can get (and easily fit) the bleed “nipples” to the performance forks… I did with my 36.

The bleed buttons don’t do much on my 38’s, you aren’t missing anything by not having them.

Garter spring off and cable tie under the seal does the trick.

Damn it, why is no one telling me that option 3 is the wisest and bestest…

Not fussed about the bleed buttons, it’s the damper I’m most concerned about. I don’t really want to use the forks and then decide it’s utter pants.

Although chakaping’s feedback and my best google search indicates that the Marzocchi coil with GRIP is a great fork!

No. 1 – Keep the 38’s. My mates experience with e-bike 36’s is that they are so much stiffer, the suspension works way better. He only added a TruTune carbon insert and is more than happy. His other forks are Grip2 36 with coil conversion but says he wouldn’t have bothered if they were as good as the e-bike 36’s. Granted Grip damper isn’t as tunable but chassis/suspension action is better.

Buy a higher spec eBike that comes with better quality forks?

Damn it, why is no one telling me that option 3 is the wisest and bestest…

I ride factory 38s with the grip2.  They are awesome.

If you can afford to make the swap, do it. :yes:

I have a ripmo with a set of DVO Onyx forks which I thought were the best forks I’ve ever ridden until I got an ebike with 38 performance forks and they are so good. Can’t help with which option you should choose, but they’re really good forks for a so called budget option.

Option 4. See how they ride and if you don’t like them upgrade the damper to GRIP2, then sell the Zeb Smashpot to @chakaping

very much option 2 – stick the smashpot in their straight away. will the extra cost incldue the price of a new spring as assume you would need to change that for extra weight of bike?

i’ve had both performance and factory 38’s on e-bikes and spent a lot of time tuning them and the smashpot feels better in every way and extra weight makes no difference on a e-bike

if you do go for new 38’s, make sure you get the e-bike tuned ones (lighter damping tune). i’ve ridden both them and the normal ones and preferred the lighter tune – i always think fox forks are over damped – great if your really pushing hard, but normally have to run them near / full open on the high speed damping the rest of the time