Survey: 2002 RockShox Duke SL 100 Suspension Fork

[Hkek]

I just disassembled my 2002 RockShox Duke SL 100 Suspension Fork for periodic servicing. This is the
first servicing and the fork has approximately 1000 miles (less than 20 hours) of use.

I was surprised to find the negative spring broken. Also, the O-Ring that is normally located in the
bushing below the spring was cut into 2 pieces. The 2 pieces were crossed into an "X" configuration
and appeared to be fused together. The yellow plastic cap on top of the damper assembly was loose,
floating freely in the stanchion.

This is very disturbing to me. Suspension forks are not cheap. Replacement parts are a substantial
expense making total replacement a better option.

Is it a common problem with suspension forks, to open them up for periodic servicing only to find
broken parts and loose pieces floating around? If there is a specific problem with this fork, I am
sure that RockShox will not share that information with me.

I would like to know, from owners and mechanics, at what frequency this sort of problem is occurring
with this fork. Meanwhile, I will hustle to get a replacement fork while I try to get the bike shop
and RockShox (SRAM) to provide some warranty service. TIA

 

[Bomba]

HKEK wrote:
> I just disassembled my 2002 RockShox Duke SL 100 Suspension Fork for periodic servicing. This is
> the first servicing and the fork has approximately 1000 miles (less than 20 hours) of use.

Holy **** you ride fast - that's an average of 50mph

--
a.m-b FAQ: http://www.t-online.de/~jharris/ambfaq.htm

b.bmx FAQ: http://www.t-online.de/~jharris/bmx_faq.htm

 

[Chris]

"HKEK" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I just disassembled my 2002 RockShox Duke SL 100 Suspension Fork for periodic servicing. This is
> the first servicing and the fork has approximately 1000 miles (less than 20 hours) of use.
>

I hope you mean 100 miles...

> I was surprised to find the negative spring broken. Also, the O-Ring that is normally located in
> the bushing below the spring was cut into 2 pieces. The 2 pieces were crossed into an "X"
> configuration and appeared to be fused together. The yellow plastic cap on top of the damper
> assembly was loose, floating freely in the stanchion.
>
> This is very disturbing to me. Suspension forks are not cheap. Replacement parts are a substantial
> expense making total replacement a better option.
>
> Is it a common problem with suspension forks, to open them up for periodic servicing only to find
> broken parts and loose pieces floating around? If there is a specific problem with this fork, I am
> sure that RockShox will not share that information with me.
>
> I would like to know, from owners and mechanics, at what frequency this sort of problem is
> occurring with this fork. Meanwhile, I will hustle to get a replacement fork while I try to get
> the bike shop and RockShox (SRAM) to provide some warranty service. TIA
>

I put an '02 Duke SL 80 on a hardtail I built - Ebay here we come - and, with about 150 road miles
on it, I can tell you the fork is limp, uneven, the seals suck, and the sliders like to stick to
the stanchions. I wish I could help with your question about internals, but I've decided this fork
isn't going to be my problem. Like I said, Ebay here we come. You mentioned replacement...without
jumping on the Zoke bandwagon (because I think mid- to high-level Manitous are nice, and Foxes are
insanely sweet) I have to say the biggest problem with this fork is the RockShox logo on it. I say
put it back together, Ebay it - 'cuz you'll get more than it's worth - and get a Manitou Black
Elite 80/100.

Chris

 

[Jon Bond]

"bomba" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> HKEK wrote:
> > I just disassembled my 2002 RockShox Duke SL 100 Suspension Fork for periodic servicing. This is
> > the first servicing and the fork has approximately 1000 miles (less than 20 hours) of use.
>
> Holy **** you ride fast - that's an average of 50mph
>
> --
> a.m-b FAQ: http://www.t-online.de/~jharris/ambfaq.htm
>
> a.bmx FAQ: http://www.t-online.de/~jharris/bmx_faq.htm

LOL, I noticed that too.

Maybe your problem is you put it on your motorcycle instead of you rmountain bike?

Jon Bond

 

[B A R R Y B U R]

On 17 Jun 2003 07:26:45 -0700, [email protected] (HKEK) wrote:

>I just disassembled my 2002 RockShox Duke SL 100 Suspension Fork for periodic servicing. This is
>the first servicing and the fork has approximately 1000 miles (less than 20 hours) of use.

You ride @ 50 MPH?

Damn! <G>

Barry

>This is very disturbing to me. Suspension forks are not cheap. Replacement parts are a substantial
>expense making total replacement a better option.

I "totally replaced" the RockShox fork on my brand new Giant VT1 with a Bomber Z1-FR before it left
the assembly stand.

>Is it a common problem with suspension forks, to open them up for periodic servicing only to find
>broken parts and loose pieces floating around?

Not in my experience as a user or an employee of an LBS. Occasionally fork internals break, but it's
not like it happens all the time.

What's the shop say that sold it to you?

Barry

 

[Superslinky]

HKEK said...

> I would like to know, from owners and mechanics, at what frequency this sort of problem is
> occurring with this fork. Meanwhile, I will hustle to get a replacement fork while I try to get
> the bike shop and RockShox (SRAM) to provide some warranty service. TIA

I had a 2003 Duke XC that had a busted damper from the factory. I took it apart and concluded that
it was amazingly under engineered, and I would be surprised if any of them really lasted long. I
worked a trade with the bike factory rep to trade up to a 2003 Duke SL U-turn. We will see if it
holds up when I put it on my old hard tail. In the mean time I bought a Fox Vanilla 125RL. I can't
vouch for its durability yet, but it immediately made the bike feel 100% better, and not just
because the suspension works properly and it is inherently more plush. It is much stiffer and this
has a huge impact on the handling of the bike.

 

[Hkek]

CORRECTION! ...less than 200 hours of use...

[email protected] (HKEK) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I just disassembled my 2002 RockShox Duke SL 100 Suspension Fork for periodic servicing. This is
> the first servicing and the fork has approximately 1000 miles (less than 20 hours) of use.
>
> I was surprised to find the negative spring broken. Also, the O-Ring that is normally located in
> the bushing below the spring was cut into 2 pieces. The 2 pieces were crossed into an "X"
> configuration and appeared to be fused together. The yellow plastic cap on top of the damper
> assembly was loose, floating freely in the stanchion.
>
> This is very disturbing to me. Suspension forks are not cheap. Replacement parts are a substantial
> expense making total replacement a better option.
>
> Is it a common problem with suspension forks, to open them up for periodic servicing only to find
> broken parts and loose pieces floating around? If there is a specific problem with this fork, I am
> sure that RockShox will not share that information with me.
>
> I would like to know, from owners and mechanics, at what frequency this sort of problem is
> occurring with this fork. Meanwhile, I will hustle to get a replacement fork while I try to get
> the bike shop and RockShox (SRAM) to provide some warranty service. TIA

 

[Jd]

[email protected] (HKEK) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I just disassembled my 2002 RockShox Duke SL 100 Suspension Fork for periodic servicing. This is
> the first servicing and the fork has approximately 1000 miles (less than 20 hours) of use.

Hmmmm...I have a 2001 Marzocchi X-Fly 100 that has been in use for 2
1/2 years and countless miles that has not needed any maintenance.

> I was surprised to find the negative spring broken. Also, the O-Ring that is normally located in
> the bushing below the spring was cut into 2 pieces. The 2 pieces were crossed into an "X"
> configuration and appeared to be fused together. The yellow plastic cap on top of the damper
> assembly was loose, floating freely in the stanchion.

Why was this surprising? It's a well known fact that rocksux shocks are ****.

> This is very disturbing to me. Suspension forks are not cheap. Replacement parts are a substantial
> expense making total replacement a better option.

Disturbing because you bought into magazine hype? A hard lsson learned, but valuale one.

> Is it a common problem with suspension forks, to open them up for periodic servicing only to find
> broken parts and loose pieces floating around? If there is a specific problem with this fork, I am
> sure that RockShox will not share that information with me.

Yeah, it's common with their crappy shocks, which is why they will not share that information.

> I would like to know, from owners and mechanics, at what frequency this sort of problem is
> occurring with this fork. Meanwhile, I will hustle to get a replacement fork while I try to get
> the bike shop and RockShox (SRAM) to provide some warranty service. TIA

Very frequent when a crappy punk company with weak designs to begin with, farms out the machining of
what are supposed to be precision parts to low-bidding asian companies who can't meet the tolerances
required to make it all work correctly.

I noticed that one poster advised you to buy a manitude fork. Don't listen to that dumbass either.
They probably read all of the ragazines as well because manitude is just another punk company.

JD

 

[Nate]

> I noticed that one poster advised you to buy a manitude fork. Don't listen to that dumbass either.
> They probably read all of the ragazines as well because manitude is just another punk company.
>
> JD

Agreed. My sub 120 lb. girlfriend has broken 2 manipoo forks. She now rides a z2 bam without
problems...

Nate

 

[Sorni]

"Nate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> My sub 120 lb. girlfriend has broken 2 manipoo forks.

Think how many she'd have broken if she were a dom.

Bill "Baker, Rimmer et. al would be all over me if I didn't say it" S.

 

[Hkek]

I just got the fork back from my Rock Shox. My LBS charged me ~$7 for shipping. It looks like the
only thing on the fork that is original are my lower tubes! Rock Shox apparently rebuilt it using
almost everything new, as far as I can tell from the outside. It obviously has a new uncut alloy
steer tube, new upper tubes and seals. I have to assume the internals are new because those were
were the parts that were broken and now everything appears to be working (rebound damping &
adjuster). They fixed it at no cost even though it was out of warranty by about 6 months.

I'm happy.

Maybe I should put a little note on my bike to remind me that this bike was designed for XC, not
hucking free ride. The frame broke shortly after the fork problems. It happened right after
installing disc brakes. Even though the mount was on the frame, I don't think the manufacturer had
really evaluated the frame with disc brakes installed. The frame fractured at the point where the
dropout was joined to the seat stay, on the disc brake side. The disc brake apparently put quite a
torque on this joint.

 

[Super Slinky]

HKEK said...

> I just got the fork back from my Rock Shox. My LBS charged me ~$7 for shipping. It looks like the
> only thing on the fork that is original are my lower tubes! Rock Shox apparently rebuilt it using
> almost everything new, as far as I can tell from the outside. It obviously has a new uncut alloy
> steer tube, new upper tubes and seals. I have to assume the internals are new because those were
> were the parts that were broken and now everything appears to be working (rebound damping &
> adjuster). They fixed it at no cost even though it was out of warranty by about 6 months.
>
> I'm happy.
>
> Maybe I should put a little note on my bike to remind me that this bike was designed for XC, not
> hucking free ride. The frame broke shortly after the fork problems. It happened right after
> installing disc brakes. Even though the mount was on the frame, I don't think the manufacturer had
> really evaluated the frame with disc brakes installed. The frame fractured at the point where the
> dropout was joined to the seat stay, on the disc brake side. The disc brake apparently put quite a
> torque on this joint.

RockShox warranty service is very good. You have to give credit where it is due. I have a 2003 Duke
SL leaning against the wall next to me now. I replaced it with a Fox Vanilla. The SL was actually
more plush than the Fox, but it makes an annoying rattle every time it rebounds. Nearly every review
on MTBR complains about the same noise. You can't argue with the U-Turn feature. It is very cool. If
it wasn't for the rattle, the Duke SL would be a home run.