little play in front fork,ok? or bad?

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just bought a used marin (1999 model) and it's got a manitou answer pro. I've never had a front suspension b-4, is it normal for there to be a little bit of play between the top and bottom tubes? I hold the front brake and can see it move a little when i rock it. Thanks for any replies

Sometimes as you ride a bike, you get play in the front fork. When you find it, you should tighten it. If you have a threaded unit, you need to tighten the headset, if unthreaded I used another person to lean on it as I tighten the stem to the fork.

yeah a little play is normal, especially if the fork is from 99. if it's just a little play i'd let it fly but too much play would require some of the internals being replaced. i'd double check your headset too just to make sure.