Marzocchi setup help - 08' EC250

[nick790]

Just changed my cmpression valve stack from this:-

1, 22x1.0
2, 22x1.0
3, 20x1.0
4, 14x1.0
5, 17x1.0
6, 16x1.0
7, 14x1.0
8, 13x1.0
9, 12x1.0

to this:-

1, 22x1.0
2, 20x1.0
3, 12x1.0
4, 12x1.0
5, 17x1.0
6, 16x1.0
7, 14x1.0
8, 13x1.0
9, 12x1.0

This should I hope mak a large difference on slow speed damping?

I have also droped the oil hight form 120mm to 140mm to try and gain the full travel of the fork.

Your thoughts??

 

[Radbuster]

Hi,

A lot of time has gone by.

Was your last stack the holy grail?

Have you made additional progress?

I'm about to buy stuff from Marzocci UK and start fiddling. I'm 210lbs in gear, close to your stated 200lbs.

Later, Fred

 

[nick790]

Not ridden it with the latest Comp valve stack yet, silly things like work and weddings getting in the way!

As soon as I do I will write up my thoughts, and probably more questions.

 

[Zeal]

I would suggest two things to try.

1) Get some air cells, these tend to take the harshness out of the fork. (Also, make sure you bleed your forks before every ride)

2) You may want to decrease your rebound dampening. You may be feeling a hashness because your suspension does not reset between bumps. You will be able to tell by paying close attention to when you feel the harshness. Try lining up 3 closely spaced small bumps or roots. If you feel 2 jolts, your suspension is not resetting quickly enough. If you feel 3 jolts, rebound is not your issue.

I would not recommend big changes to the air column. Go with the stock height. Break in your fork and put in new oil before trying any big changes.

Good luck,

Zeal

 

[nick790]

Update.

Right here goes, since my last posts I have made some good progress.

I did a harsh Xc race and the thing tried to mug me, seriously I thought I been sparing with a Brazilian Ju-Jitzue black belt, my arms felt like I been doing press ups with a fat bird on my back. It was a hot day, and I felt worse than normal, but I had guys passing me that I knew I was faster than.

Consiquently,on my 5th lap I lost the bike and hit a tree, bending th LH rad back on it's self, race over .

After trying and failing to repair the rad, I spent £135 on a new one.
I spoke to a suspension guy, who recomended some springs to try, 0.46 were what he said but Marzocchi UK only supply 0.45 (close enough) so I odered and fitted them the morning before leaving for the next event, I also raised the oil hight to about 110mm and centred the clickers.

The next event was a 12 hour 4 man team race. The first guy in our team fell and broke his coller bone after 3 laps, wich ment more time on the bike for me. First off the bike felt allot better, I could tell what the front end was doing even if it felt not quite right. we did one hour stints, so Icould ride, come in and think about what the bike was doing and make adjustment, so I soon got the front end somewhere near where I want it. After 5 hours of riding I can say it's not plush, but not unconfertable. positive feeling I could call it, which is great because it gave me the confidence to push far harder than I have ever done before on this bike. We all know confidence in your bikes suspension is worth hell of alot of time on the track and I sure I will fine tune it now to be near perfect.

I also started on the rear suspension, the rebound I got what seemed ok, the were some small kicker jumps, which the rear was pingin up off of, a bit more rebound got that sorted, I also made it more stable down hill and braking.

Now my next question is the rear compression damping. How where and when do you guys set the fast or slow damping? I have a Sachs shock with the outer knob and inner screw. Is the a easy way to do it, or trial and error?

I'm getting there, must keep the faith.

 

[nick790]

Can anyone help with my rear damping question?

 

[Radbuster]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the good race info, let's keep this thread going.

Rear compression (low speed) I try to set so it is balanced with the front by checking landing from jumps, so that it moves about the same.

Big difference if there are slow, deep whoops or g-outs. There it is very noticeable.Too little and the rear just collapses and wallows deep in the stroke. Just crank it in untill it stays up enough.

The high speed has 6 clicks per turn and I have it on 6 clicks out. When riding it decides how high the rear of the bike rides. It is very noticeable. Try it cranked in and way out. Way out it feels like a chopper, way in it feels like you're falling over the bars. You'll immediately feel where it feels about right. I adjusted the high-speed and sag to just barely get rid of under-steering that was noticeable when going straight over something slippery and twitching the bars. Front tire skids = understeering, turning = good.

Good luck!

 

[nick790]

Thanks, that helps.

 

[darren]

Butting in.

Nick
Just been reading your thread from the start. Very interesting although most of it rebounds right off my head. (excuse the pun)

I am interested in what you have achieved. Now i will keep it short.
I got a 98 EC250 which i fitted a set of 07 shivers on. Ohlins standard rear.

Since fitting them i had been much happier (serviced cleaned and filled with 7.5w oil.)
Now i am riding faster i feel that the suspension is slowing me, front end seems to wander, not settled, and is a little bouncy. I have trouble in tight woods and deep rutted corners.

I feel that the front needs to be firmer which is where we differ.

I wonder if i post my shim stack there may be someone out there who could advise which way to turn.

 

[nick790]

Sounds like you dont have enough rebound? From what I've read a common problem with standard set up. I sure someone will come on and guid you better than I can.

Post up your shim's, what harm can it do.

I still havent got mine perfect, I did a H&H on sunday and felt it coudhave been better, still not getting full travel about 50mm left to use so i'mgonna try dropping the oil hight a bit. Saying that, I forgot to bleed the air out of forks before the race .

 

[darren]

Nick

Do you mean enough rebound as in i need to increase the rebound to slow the fork from extending?

darren

 

[nick790]

Nick

Do you mean enough rebound as in i need to increase the rebound to slow the fork from extending?

darren

Yes, I read on here a post by Pobit? he increesed the rebound damping stack, and I have done a simular thing. The effects of this will be made worse if you have heavier springs as well?

 

[darren]

Would it help to adjust the clickers?

also i have compared your shim stacks to mine they look very different I will post them tommorrow.

 

[nick790]

I wound the rebound clicker all the way in before I reshimmed it, and it would'nt make hardly any diference. But I Did have .48 springs in it! The fork would fly back with very little control. Now it's in the middle of the adjustment, give or take.

 

[moto9]

I would add some float to the mid valve, thats what I did, along with stiffening up the rebound, I did a host of other mods but my bike is dialed in for my specific riding area.
I purposelly want the fork to blow thru a portion of the stroke.
You could try a bleed shim as well
lowering the fork oil level is also good advice.

 

[nick790]

I would add some float to the mid valve, thats what I did, along with stiffening up the rebound, I did a host of other mods but my bike is dialed in for my specific riding area.
I purposelly want the fork to blow thru a portion of the stroke.
You could try a bleed shim as well
lowering the fork oil level is also good advice.

Sorry, was that advice for me or Darren?

How do you add float to the Mid valve?

How low on fork oil can you go, what's the trade off?

Thanks.

 

[GasGasser]

Hello, do you guys know if there is supposed to be some kind of preload tubes in the 2003 EC 300 Marzocchi forks? The forks feel kind of mushy and I was wondering if adding some preload would help the front end stay higher in the stroke without being too harsh?

 

[nick790]

I dont know about the 03' forks, but my 08' forks have a black nylon spacer which is about 70mm long. There underneath the spring, so you have to tip the fork up to get them out. I would assume the earlier forks are the same.

 

[GasGasser]

Yes, I have seen the spacer on pics, but when I had my fork apart for a seal change all I found underneath the spring was a metal washer about 3mm thick. No preload spacer.. I've got the standard springs in the forks so I thought I might test adding some preload to prevent the front from diving so much and stay up higher in the stroke.

 

[nick790]

I think you only need about 7mm preload on the spring. I think the compression valve has a bleed shim on it which some people remove for a mor positive feel. What oil weight/hight are you running?