Replacement part availability policies for front suspension forks?

[damyth]

What's the industry standard policy these days for factory replacement
parts availability for front suspension forks these days? I know Rock
Shox is 3 yrs. from product introduction. Are there any other
manufacturers that commit to parts availability longer than this
without demanding your first-born? Or are you supposed to pretty much
replace forks once the "consumables" are worn and no longer available?

 

[RonSonic]

On 22 Aug 2006 22:25:47 -0700, "damyth" <[email protected]> wrote:

>What's the industry standard policy these days for factory replacement
>parts availability for front suspension forks these days? I know Rock
>Shox is 3 yrs. from product introduction. Are there any other
>manufacturers that commit to parts availability longer than this
>without demanding your first-born? Or are you supposed to pretty much
>replace forks once the "consumables" are worn and no longer available?

I don't know, I've got a Girvin Parts are still available and I might need
them eventually.

Ron

 

[[email protected]]

damyth wrote:
> What's the industry standard policy these days for factory replacement
> parts availability for front suspension forks these days? I know Rock
> Shox is 3 yrs. from product introduction. Are there any other
> manufacturers that commit to parts availability longer than this
> without demanding your first-born? Or are you supposed to pretty much
> replace forks once the "consumables" are worn and no longer available?

Rock Shox policy borders on the outrageous. I wouldn't buy an
aftermarket shock from them because of this. The problem is exacerbated
by significant changes to each model about every other year, creating
mass confusion about which model is which that is difficult to resolve
without taking the fork apart and comparing the guts to an exploded
parts diagram. It's also possible that some newer parts can be used on
older shocks, but because they don't carry parts older than three
years, you can't tell what they are.

I guess a lot of people come by Rock Shox as OEM on their bikes. They
seem to be the Shimano of suspensions- some of their stuff works very
well but it's hardly repairable beyond renewing lubricants.

 

[damyth]

[email protected] wrote:
> damyth wrote:
> > What's the industry standard policy these days for factory replacement
> > parts availability for front suspension forks these days? I know Rock
> > Shox is 3 yrs. from product introduction. Are there any other
> > manufacturers that commit to parts availability longer than this
> > without demanding your first-born? Or are you supposed to pretty much
> > replace forks once the "consumables" are worn and no longer available?
>
> Rock Shox policy borders on the outrageous. I wouldn't buy an
> aftermarket shock from them because of this. The problem is exacerbated
> by significant changes to each model about every other year, creating
> mass confusion about which model is which that is difficult to resolve
> without taking the fork apart and comparing the guts to an exploded
> parts diagram. It's also possible that some newer parts can be used on
> older shocks, but because they don't carry parts older than three
> years, you can't tell what they are.

Correction, I think you meant Rock Shox policy *IS* outrageous.
"Borders on" is putting it to politely. 3 yrs from product
introduction mean realistically you have 2 yrs to get replacement parts
(1 yr. inventory). I mean do motorcycles shocks have the same 3 yr
parts availability policy??

>
> I guess a lot of people come by Rock Shox as OEM on their bikes. They
> seem to be the Shimano of suspensions- some of their stuff works very
> well but it's hardly repairable beyond renewing lubricants.

Exactly. OEM Rock Shox mean you get the shaft when your seals,
bushings, springs, elastomers wear out.