Where are Suntour and XFusion at these days?

bluechair84

Hope you've all had a fantastic Xmas all, I'm hoping someone has had their eye on these two companies of late.
The Suntour Durolux RC2 is a 2.4kg fork, 160-180mm adustable on the fly, tapered alloy steerer, high and low speed adjustable rebound cartridge - which the new RC2 unit is a renewed version of one that already has some big followers if you find the right forum. It didn't score well here on BR, but it did most other places.
The X-Fusion Vengeance HLR is another contender for a stunning value FR fork but lacks the travel adjust of the Durolux, and it did score well on BR.

Does anyone know anything interesting about these forks / companies? Suntour have riders running the Durlox that have finished 2nd in the UCI 4X and 4th in the Megavalanche, whilst their XC rider has won the XC world cup... Seems like a positive story. X-Fusion have some very skilled riders on their forks, but don't seem to boast about their performance at events. I'm tempting one of these forks to fit on the Canyon.

Beatmaker

The brand snob in me has stopped me pushing the button on a top end Suntour fork a couple of times, and I have always been wary about the potential lack of spares / support of something goes wrong. The X Fusion forks seem to be getting good reviews, and I'm pretty sure it was a group of Ex-Fox employees that set the company up, but again they suffer from a perception of being a budget brand. That said, I do need a new fork to replace my Marzocchi 55 and may consider the X Fusion.

bluechair84

Beatmaker wrote:

Ex-Fox employees that set the company up

I'm leaning towards the Suntour, but info like this could sway me...

benpinnick

I guess they probably both need better distributors/brand ambassadors here in the UK. For me, neither is quite there yet - I hear bad things about the Suntour reliability, but then that is generally at the lower priced end, so not a fair reflection maybe, and the x-fusion line up is a little lacking, specifically in a 150mm 15mm fork which would be my preference. Im not too fussed about brand tbh, and I am happy to pay to experiment, so maybe if these forks were a little more available in the wild (e.g. at my LBS) then I could be tempted to try them out next time Im in the market for some, especially the x-fusion, which I always read good things about.

Maybe they should be considering setting up a fork demo scheme with LBSes.

cat_with_no_tail

I've got an x-fusion shock on the Edison. Bionicon use x-fusion shocks on all their bikes and IME they are very good indeed. Never tried the forks though.

The Suntour forks on the other hand, I have tried. The Epicon I was actually very impressed with. The XCM less so, but more to the fact it's a coil fork, and I'm very heavy. My mate whose bike it was said it did the job ok, if not a little "pogo-stick" like in action.

The problem with names like suntour is brand association. They make a LOT of very basic, cheap £30 forks for cheap bikes. So people assume all their forks are the same and should be avoided. Not always the case though.

bluechair84

Well, It seems my LBS is a retailer for Suntour, so an email has gone off to see i they can get one in stock to see.

Ouija

I think Suntour do a range of forks that go from utter rubbish (sub £150) to just OK (works well but doesn't blow your socks off). I think the main problem is that 90% of the Suntour forks you see are cheaper ones on just about every entry level bike you look at, so these tend to be the ones you think about when you think 'Suntour'. Then again, most of the entry level Rockshox stuff is pretty dire too.

The £200+ forks like the Epicon and Axon aren't that bad if your on a budget and don't want to spend £400+ on a decent fork. At 1.6/1.7kg they are reasonably light and don't seem to suffer problems with the seals or leaks. Again, not mind blowing forks but are simple and get the job done.

bluechair84

I certainly don't mind a simple fork, so long as it's smooth and easy to home service. Suntour reckon they've worked hard to make an easy to service fork and my LBS is a retailer so I should be able to get spares through them. I've asked them to get me a set in for a poke about

Richie63

Best Underdog Performance of 2011: X-Fusion suspension

Ask your riding buddies what fork or shock they would choose if they could pick anything and the answer likely won't be X-Fusion, which just goes to show how strong of a hold the major suspension players have on consumers. X-Fusion may not have the marketing force and rider lineup that the competition has, but their high-end products can get into the ring with more popular offerings and more than hold their own. The Vengeance fork in particular outclasses many rivals with its very effective adjustments and incredibly smooth action, all at a price that is hundreds less than many other options. X-Fusion's rear shocks have also proven to be reliable and adjustable, even if they don't get the same respect as more expensive choices. I love seeing an underdog rise up, and while their smaller lineup doesn't offer as many options as larger brands, X-Fusion is doing just that with excellent performing suspension at a reasonable price.
www.xfushionshox.com

From pinkbike

The Northern Monkey

I mentioned earlier, I think the lower scores are due to reliability and spare part sourcing. If there was a bigger importer and presence then they would get a lot more exposure.

RS do a lot of cheapo forks too yunno, and the Suntour Epicon is a superb fork!

delcol

was hearing some good reports on the xfusion vengence fork in whistler,, i heard they the same internals as fox..

dont how true it is.. they score decent reviews if you google them..

if you want a good quality low maintenance fork, look at bos... the smoothest fork you will ever ride..

bluechair84

I think a BOS fork triples my budget O_o

supersonic

As has been said, they both run the gamut from entry level to top end.

But you still can't beat RS at the minute for XC/Trail/AM forks - they are being sold so cheaply. Rebas for 212 quid at Wiggle, Sektors with maxle 15 for 250, Rev RLT for 300, you can't go wrong. SIDs are even 300 or there abouts.

With RS it ramps up in price as you move to Lyriks, an SR and XF compete: but £300 and less RockShox are cleaning up. Probably not intentially though ;-)

bluechair84

Seems the 180mm fork market is all in the £800 area which is way over my budget, it's a shame they've not reduced their longer travel forks yet. I'm watching for some cheap Floats, whilst CRC have some reduced 66RCVs, but it's still the Suntours which tick the boxes for me...

benpinnick

I was playing with some BOS devilles yesterday - they are nice forks! if only they weren't £870 Never paid more than £350 for a pair of forks, even boxxers. This is a record I hope not to break.

delcol

the devilles are so plush they really are butter smooth.. i rode 2 bike with them and was impressed.. yeah they expensive especially the tapered trc model. but they are real quality, and r53 the imprter look after you..

the bos n'dee 180 is amazing i think it's replaced by the idylle sc now,, pricey but well worth it, and long service intervals to...

i am tempted by the xfusion,, as soon as i can find a job,,

Torres

I've had a set of x-fusion velvets on my hardtail for just around a year and so far (touch wood) no problems.
I've heard the ex-fox employee story too, and it sort of makes sense if you look at a pair as they're very similar in style.

In terms of adjustment I can fettle with lockout, rebound and one air chamber (travel can be adjusted internally but i'm yet to crack them open.) They aren't as smooth as some of the dual air RS forks, however they cost me significantly less, so it's understandable.

Build quality seems good, the seals seem a bit sticky during the first 10mm or so of travel; however the dials are all nicely made, the hose guide is a nice touch (if a little flimsy) and it's all verry pretty.

The only issue I can forsee is availability of spares and support, the main reason I haven't cracked them open is because there's no-one to send them to if I make a hash of it...

Not tried the vengence, but if the build quality of the velvet is anything to go by they'll be fine. Would I have another pair of x-fusion? Yea, sure; if the price was right.

Torres

Just had a quick google, Upgrade Bikes are the UK distributor for x-fusion.

ilovedirt

Rockshox lyriks and totems can be had for between £400 and £600 if you look hard. Scored a brand new lyrik coil today for £465 from winstanleys, and that's not the rubbish one with the crap damping cartridge either, it's the MICO one. I think the reason suntour and x-fusion haven't caught on is because of rockshox and marzocchi. Both sell quality forks for fairly low prices (sometimes they're often in sales etc, but easy enough to come by), and given how easy rockshox forks are to service, how reliable they are and the availability of spares, x-fusion and suntour just don't seem like a good choice. Though next to fox, i'd certainly consider them.

sheepsteeth

both of my fs bikes have x fusion forks and shocks, i really like them.

i would certainly be tempted by a different version for a different bike. seems a shame they dont offer the fork travel adjust system from the bionicon fork, it really is good.

jay12

i've heard a hell of a lot of good things about x fusion's new line up. i personally haven't even ridden one so i couldn't say what they are like.

rock shox are awesome forks and i suggest looking for used ones as they can be found for more than half the RRP when they're only 2 years old. lyriks can be had for £300-£400 and similar for totems, but totems are pretty heavy and more big freeride/dh orientated

i would also look into some older marzocchi(07 and before) as they are very plush and very easy to service. i scored a pair of 2006 66 RC2X forks off ebay for £155, the kind of fork you'd be looking for. it's nice to have a brand new fork but i prefer buying them used as even if they need servicing the fork will be like brand new after you pay £80 or so to get them done