A cheap SunTour fork like this isn't worth sending off for service — but you can work on it yourself to improve its performance This step-by-step guide is applicable to any budget fork that has no oil bath lubrication in the lower legs; fork specs can be checked online, so you can see what you’re dealing with before you crack anything open. However, the procedure for stripping a budget suspension fork is virtually the same for all brands and models. We got hold of a used SunTour XCR for this article, something like you’d find on a Specialized Hardrock, for example. Frankly, it felt and looked terrible but, with a little love, it performed surprisingly well, proving that this task is worthwhile.
Well i mostly do xc riding but i have stock sr suntour xcp 75's on mine (100mm travel and no stupid boot covers) i find they work great. I suppose i'll probably upgrade them next year but i think ill still be a coil shocker then. ( im a 20ish past 200lb rider). These are supposed to be a step up from crap, so i'll have to find out what a suitable upgrade would be. In doing my own sr suntour research they seem to make a nice product. I think they get a bad rap because of all the lower end forks they produce.
And i know around here its hard to even get sr suntours that arent on bikes ( for upgrades). Well ive got those XCP60's on the V1 and like i said they work well and i havent had a prob with them, well i suspose that is because ive had them for 8 months along with the bike. Although they bottom out with a heavy rider like me when i push hard going off a gutter, i wasnt planning on doing insane 6 foot jumps. I know i said something that would've sounded like that, the good thing is that the SR Suntour Duro D have got 130mm travel and they have rebound and preload adjustment. I still in the thinking bussiness of wether to get the 2005 escape 8.1 for something to muck around on all the trails around my house or to buy a good second hand bike.
If you have a Suntour XCP-75 fork and you feel it too stif, here's the cure. If you remove the top caps on top of each leg, you'll note the spring/elastomer stack almost sticks out (arrives nearly to the border of the crown, just shy of 2-3 mm).
When you place the cap back in it will compress the spring/elastomer stack nearly 15mm. So when a less than 170 lbs rider rides the fork it is too stiff due to the over-sprung fork.
The cure to it is simple. Pull both legs stacks out and measure the threaded portion of the leg cap - some 15mm. Now cut off that measure from either one of the elastomers for each leg. Reassembly and voila! You have now a fork that. Well, kinda works like a fork now.
By doing it saturday night before sunday's ride (30 min job max) you'll get a fork that you might actually have to preload with the preload adjusters to get proper sag. I was getting 52mm (max) of travel before the mod.
After sunday's ride, I got 63mm - Almost 3/8' off a 3' fork is likely an improvement and the fork rides just better. My two cents. About to upgrade my stock Suntour fork.
That sucker weighs 5.5lbs!! I've narrowed my choices down to the 04 Marathon S 120 at $270, an 04/05 EXR Pro at $150 or an 04/05 MX Comp Air at $160. Not sure which one yet but leaning toward the MX Comp. Heard too much good things about Marzocchi to not try one.
=) Phil.Get the Marathon. I saw one of those in action and is out of belief how this thing works. You could see how the handlebar barely moves with the terrain while the fork was just working like crazy.
The Fox I've seen are plush, no doubt. But the Marathon goes beyond belief.
About to upgrade my stock Suntour fork. That sucker weighs 5.5lbs!!
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I've narrowed my choices down to the 04 Marathon S 120 at $270, an 04/05 EXR Pro at $150 or an 04/05 MX Comp Air at $160. Not sure which one yet but leaning toward the MX Comp. Heard too much good things about Marzocchi to not try one. =) Phil.As a 105 Marathon S owner, I'd say ifyou have the extra $100 it's money well spent.
The HSVC damping cartridge in the marathon is a lot better than the SSV ones in the cheaper forks. It eats up high-speed stutter bumps much better. Oh yeah and the gold anodized top caps have got to be worth an extra $50 alone! Yeah, the Marathon S is obviously the better choice when compared with the EXR and MX Comp Air. When comparing forks that are around the $270-300 range. Does it still hold up as the best value/choice for aggressive XC riding? I'm leaning now toward the $160 MX Comp now after just spending $50 on a failed smog check.
Sr Suntour Xcp 75
Knowing I'll have to spend more money to correct the issues and get a retest. There goes another $50-100. And hopefully not more. =/ Phil.Dude, that is a 500 bucks fork that happens to be out there for less than 300 for the fact that nobody understood it at its time. The Marathon S was 'heavy' and long travelled for Marathon racing.
Sr Suntour Bikes
It turned out to be the perfect weapon for the trail rider being light, pretty adjustable and long lasting. It holds fine against a 400 '05 Vanilla.
The MX Comp damping is nowhere near a Marathon's one. And the Marathon chassis is lighter and as resistant as the MX.