2013 250 racing 48mm fork set up

[nifty nick]

hi, can anyone help. I am a good clubman rider aged 50 and ride mainly woods, fields. I find my 48mm marzocchi cc forks too firm. Yet the preload was set on zero when i collected the bike. Also the forks feel harsh over small bumps. I am based in the uk but would appreciate any feed backl as i know nothing about these forks. cheers

[hamilton]

I feel the same way about my 12 200. I suggest you read the users manual, there is a link to it in the suspension section its very good. first the forks take some time to break in, I use a o-ring on the lower fork leg to see how much travel is being used on small bumps and large. You need to be sure you have the correct springs for your weight. Try adjusting the compression and rebound settings, one adjustment at a time. That didn't help me much, everyone says to run the pfp setting all the way out, but I feel it works much better at 1.75-2 turns in. I had mine revalved for enduro but they still feel harsh to me, I am about one race away from mounting my husky 50mm forks on it. Best of luck, let me know if you find a good setting.

[rxmx]

I felt the same way about mine, until now I just put SKF seals and .40 springs and 5wt oil in inner and outer chambers. Mine feel great now, very happy. (I weigh 157# in street clothes)

[hamilton]

Yeah, the SKF seals do help and I have the 40 springs, that's my next step were about the same weight.

[GMP]

First, don't judge until broken in. Put some seal grease under the wipers before riding the bike and get a few hrs on it. We did this today with my buddy's new '12 leftover. You have to remember that the PFP system starts out at 7mm preload, which is additive to the main spring preload of 5mm(stock). I personally like the feel of the fork better with a lot less main spring preload (1mm) and a stiffer spring. I 'm running .46kg/mm KYB springs and the fork feels firm but controlled and not abusive at all. I'm 176 lbs. Sounds stiff but it works, the light preload allows the fork to respond to the small stuff and the stiffer rate keeps the bike stable.

That said, the fork needs stiffer rebound valving, even with the stock springs. Sometimes inadequate rebound control can be misinterpreted as a compression problem.

This is an excellent fork when setup, in fact the best I have ridden yet.


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[nifty nick]

thanks guys, will get a few more hours on them. Didnt realise preload wound in still had some preload active. Someone at practise track had heard that the high speed valving is too slow in these forks. Niether of us know what this means.

[GMP]

I don't think thats true. The compression and midvalve valving is tame IMO. I would not be surprised if you are going deeper into the stroke than you should from a soft spring, and then the lack of rebound damping causes a vey fast initial return spike that feels like a compression spike. I ride a lot of rocks, all square edges and various speeds. I have no compression/deflection issues.

Assuming no one has been in the fork before I would:

Stiffer spring with 1-2mm preload
Remove bleed shims from compression, mid, and rebound stacks
Build a stiffer rebound stack
Proper cartridge fill and bleed

[nifty nick]

cheers Glen, the more i think about these cc the more i get confused. Spoke to an Ohlins technician who works near me . He has offered at a reasonable rate to try and set forks for me. But has no information on cartridge oil levels or how the cartridge works. I will mention your ideas. thanks

[Jakobi]

Originally Posted by nifty nick

cheers Glen, the more i think about these cc the more i get confused. Spoke to an Ohlins technician who works near me . He has offered at a reasonable rate to try and set forks for me. But has no information on cartridge oil levels or how the cartridge works. I will mention your ideas. thanks

Its very similar to a KYB SSS internally + the PFP. There are links to the service manual on the site. Have a search in the suspension subsection.