Marzocchi 55 r Import or not? Ahhhhh

grazo22
grazo22 Posts: 50
edited June 2008 in MTB buying advice
Hi

I am thinking about importing some marzocchi 55r's from the US and have found that I can save up to £100 by not buying them in the UK. I have talked to my LBC and they raised the issue of the warentee. They told me that if my forks go wrong it could cost up to £80 for a new set of seals and quite often people have fork troubles.

I was wondering if anyone who owns a 2008 55 series fork has had any problems with the fork.

Do you think I should import or should I save up over a hundred more and get the UK version with warentee
I wish I could afford the hope factory :(

Comments

  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    Don't forget the Customs charges too more info here: http://91.151.214.107/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=211

    Personally I'd save a little more up & get a UK supplied fork, then if you de have any issues you should be covered under warranty
    2385861000_d125abe796_m.jpg
  • rob cole
    rob cole Posts: 706
    considering that quite alot of 2008 55 fork owners are having some issues with their forks, you should support your LBS and buy locally, and then they can support you if / when the forks go wrong

    the initial saving is soon wiped out by non-warranty charges for problems
    check out my riding - www.robcole.co.uk Banshee Factory Team rider, Da Kine UK Team rider, www.freeborn.co.uk www.eshershore.com
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    What are the 55r forks? I've heard of 55 ATA, ATA2, ETA, and ETA2, but not r.
  • xtreem
    xtreem Posts: 2,965
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    What are the 55r forks? I've heard of 55 ATA, ATA2, ETA, and ETA2, but not r.
    I think it's the 55 TST2 with 140mm of travel, but I'm not so sure.
    Or there is 5 version with R valve with 140mm.
    I can't find it on the Marz web site.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    The fact that it's not on Marzocchi's website raises some questions, I reckon.
  • jammieeeee
    jammieeeee Posts: 389
    it's an oem model, thats why it isn't on the website.

    They normally put oem models on the website later for some reason??!!??
  • rob cole
    rob cole Posts: 706
    if its an OE fork model, then the bike shop has no legitimate business selling that through a retail channel to a consumer....

    OE equipment should only be supplied as part of a complete bike, on the brand and model of bike it was manufactured for, and Marzocchi can tell from the fork serial numbers which brand / model it was for...

    so you would not get a warranty on that fork, even in America
    check out my riding - www.robcole.co.uk Banshee Factory Team rider, Da Kine UK Team rider, www.freeborn.co.uk www.eshershore.com
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    You probably wouldn't get a warranty, but still, plenty of places sell OEM stuff, in all kinds of markets. There's usually some gray area in the law that kind of allows it.
  • grazo22
    grazo22 Posts: 50
    if you go onto the usa site for marzocchi they are on there. they dont do them in the uk for some reason?
    I wish I could afford the hope factory :(
  • Splasher
    Splasher Posts: 1,528
    If it helps, a friend of mine has just returned his brand new 55 because as fast as he was pumping air into it for the first time, it was escaping through the seals at the top.

    I can see a pattern emerging here:

    Manitou shift production to taiwan, Manitou reliability turns to sh!te, Manitou almost go broke, Maniotou brings production back to try to save the business.

    Marzocchi shift production to Taiwan, Marzocchi......
    "Internet Forums - an amazing world where outright falsehoods become cyber-facts with a few witty key taps and a carefully placed emoticon."
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Splasher, to be fair, if you look around, you'll find people having problems with any brand of fork. People moan louder than they compliment, so the horror stories are more prevalent.
  • Splasher
    Splasher Posts: 1,528
    Splasher, to be fair, if you look around, you'll find people having problems with any brand of fork. People moan louder than they compliment, so the horror stories are more prevalent.

    You're right about people complaining more readily but I don't agree that's the issue with the 55. The 55 is a new fork and most magazine samples have been returned and replaced with air leaks, the forums have people with problems and now my mate didn't even get his muddy before it needed replacing. This against the backdrop of moving production from Italy to Taiwan for the aftermarket forks.

    Sure there have been other stinkers - Lyrik 2-step for example, but I don't remember a spate of failures when the 36 Float was released for example so it's not true that this is just one of those things.

    It's up to the OP whether he wants one or not, but if he buys an OE fork he will get a 1 year warranty through the supplier. If that supplier is in the States, the cost of shipping it back and forth will soon cost more than the saving. If he buys a UK aftermarket fork, not only will it be a better spec but it comes with a manufacturer's 3 year warranty. The choice, as they say, is your's.
    "Internet Forums - an amazing world where outright falsehoods become cyber-facts with a few witty key taps and a carefully placed emoticon."
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Hmm, fair enough splasher. I hadn't considered the warranty issues.
  • ESHER SHORE
    ESHER SHORE Posts: 818
    It's up to the OP whether he wants one or not, but if he buys an OE fork he will get a 1 year warranty through the supplier

    that is why most retailers won't sell OE forks, because they get no backup from the distributor if a warranty claim arises, and the retailer has to bear the cost of replacing the faulty goods, as under the sales of good act there is a 12 month warranty for goods sold

    larger outfits like chain reaction can afford to bear these costs, hence OE forks popping up on their site from time to time
    Call 01372 476 969 for more information on UK\'s leading freeride park - Esher Shore www.eshershore.com