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Oct. 28, 2016, 12:30 a.m. -  DrewM

#!markdown Could you please quote for me where it says that "the noise was caused by [me] adding oil" to the lowers of the fork? That isn't the case so I would like to fix it if something is unclear. I see where it says adding damping (oil being forced through smaller ports in the closed system) causes the noise to increase. Other than adding the aforementioned 10cc of oil to each side of the lowers (easily accomplished by the fork owner or shop and recommended to any Suntour owner in both the teardown and this article) the teardown article is showing a full factory rebuild. There is nothing "modded" about the fork. Furthermore, I'm on record as advocating a basic lower service on any/all new forks to make sure seals and bushings are properly lubed. Even if a fork is built perfectly from the date it is manufactured to the date it is ridden lube can pool in the lowers resulting in sub-par performance from dry seals/bushings. I'm sorry that the review is useless to you and that's totally fair. I do not appreciate the tone of the original post. Hence my unjustified/unprofessional sarcastic sign-off which I have removed. … As a fair warning, you will likely want to avoid any/all of my future works. I bleed ALL brakes before I ride them. All forks I review are subject to at minimum a basic lower service. All wheels will be conditioned for my local climate (for example: bearings greased / pawls & springs lubed). This is how I ride my own equipment, it is what I recommend to anyone who wants to maximize the performance of what they ride, and in order to fairly compare products within my own experiences I feel it is necessary. I do not agree that it is "not honest" to review product in this way - and in face I think the opposite is true. I referenced the teardown a number of times in this article - and in all similar articles - which I feel is more than ample disclosure. As an aside. Mountain biking is expensive. Really expensive. And the best way to achieve the maximum value out of expensive components - like "budget" $800 forks - is service. A good service, as was demonstrated in the teardown, improves performance, improves performance longevity, and significantly increases the life of a product. Value.

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