fork question, '89 Wicked

BigBadConrad

New member
New to FatCogs, great forum! Here's my '89 Wicked that I ride on rocky AZ desert trails. In '95 I put this Answer Manitou fork on (2" travel). I know many say that you shouldn't put a suspension fork on this bike but it really didn't change the handling of the bike noticeably as far as I could tell, and it sure smoothed things out. The fork seems shot now, so I put the original rigid fork back on last week and I didn't realize how much the 2" of travel helped until I rode with the rigid fork for the first time in 15 years! Even though the Mainitou is shot, it still rode much better with it in the rough stuff. The plan is to get a modern dually bike in a year, in which case I will mostly restore the Wicked (and still ride it), but for now I want to put a shock fork back on the front.

Questions: Is there a shock fork that would be the best choice? I know the bike has a 1" steerer tube, which limits options. I think I want to stay with just a 2" travel fork. Should I send my Manitou to Hippie Tech for a rebuild? Buy a rebuilt fork from Hippie Tech? By a RS Mag 21 from a guy at my lbs (it might be 1-1/8", though)? Thanks for your suggestions.
 

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DC

New member
Welcome to Fat Cogs!
The Mach V forks have an open recall on them, check your fork's serial #: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml96/96114.html
If it is a recalled one, you could get a new fork(will be 1 1/8) sell it, and get a rebuilt fork from hippie tech. Or better yet use the cheese from the boinger sale to put a down payment on the full squish bike and leave the Wicked with the rigid fork.
The Mag 21 is probably shot also, and were not all that swell as far as durability and torsional rigidity goes.

That is a pretty sweet old Wicked...diggin' the splatter!
 

WVEddy

New member
That is a 96 or 97 SX TI and not part of the Mach V recall. I have 3 of them and they are great forks. What is wrong with the fork? Let me know what is broken and I can see if i have parts. You can also ebay a parts fork like i did. Just be aware that the 1 inch crown has special tubes, everything else works. I have a rebuilt SX TI for sale in the classifieds with extra parts and another complete parts fork I could let go. Otherwise, hit ebay and find another bouncy. Marzocchi's will run around $200 to $300 depending upon condition. Rock Shox are out there too, but that SX TI is better than most of those old Judy's anyway.
 
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