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Confused about low end Suntour suspension forks

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Most bikes in my budget come with low end suspension forks. Mostly they are Suntour. Does anyone know the difference and what series of suntour forks are better? I have seen the following: XCM V2 XCM V3 XCT V2 XCR They all seem low end but what makes one different than the other besides travel?  

Here you go Doug from SR Suntour here. The hierarchy from low to high would be XCT, XCM, XCR. V2, V3 has to do with the 'version'. higher number is newer generation. Forks specified by different bicycle brands can be configured in a number of different ways, so its hard for me to understand exactly what you are looking at, that being said; Our XCM and XCR models come with 30mm stanchions. ( the upper tubes) if you compare this to other forks in the price range, many of our competitors will often use 28mm stanchions. Larger diameter = improved stiffness and strength. Also, the pitch, or width of these two forks is 130mm. You will find that to be a bit wider than many of our competitors. Generally speaking, wider is better. Second, our XCM and XCR models are what we call QSP, or quick service products. That means if your fork's internals ever wear out our suffer a problem, the fork can be fixed easily by replacing the entire cartridge. Finally, if you are shopping for a bike that is less than $1,000 I'm sure you have seen that many of those bikes are equipped with SR Suntour forks. The primary reasons for this are based on the fact that the bicycle brands have come to trust SR Suntour to supply them with a reliable product that performs well. (that may seem simple, but its a big deal) Additionally, we operate service centers in North America, Asia and Europe to back up our product. I hope this helps and good luck in purchasing a new bike. Ride it alot! Doug  

freshw00d said: Doug from SR Suntour here. The hierarchy from low to high would be XCT, XCM, XCR. V2, V3 has to do with the 'version'. higher number is newer generation. Forks specified by different bicycle brands can be configured in a number of different ways, so its hard for me to understand exactly what you are looking at, that being said; Our XCM and XCR models come with 30mm stanchions. ( the upper tubes) if you compare this to other forks in the price range, many of our competitors will often use 28mm stanchions. Larger diameter = improved stiffness and strength. Also, the pitch, or width of these two forks is 130mm. You will find that to be a bit wider than many of our competitors. Generally speaking, wider is better. Second, our XCM and XCR models are what we call QSP, or quick service products. That means if your fork's internals ever wear out our suffer a problem, the fork can be fixed easily by replacing the entire cartridge. Finally, if you are shopping for a bike that is less than $1,000 I'm sure you have seen that many of those bikes are equipped with SR Suntour forks. The primary reasons for this are based on the fact that the bicycle brands have come to trust SR Suntour to supply them with a reliable product that performs well. (that may seem simple, but its a big deal) Additionally, we operate service centers in North America, Asia and Europe to back up our product. I hope this helps and good luck in purchasing a new bike. Ride it alot! Doug Click to expand...

For that price range - I know you probably have a budget of course and $150. sounds and is alot of money but....; you are better simply "saving" a bit more for something better that will last longer, grow with your new skills set as well as your trail range. I think alot of mistakes are made with trying to buy with a limited budget and finding out sooner that the product is generally not that good. The you end up trying to buy something better later on. That money could have been used for a slightly better product and fork that has the means to the end. Just saying, because I have been there. Best not to go there, lost of $$$ can be waisted with wrong "upgrad-itis" choices.  

Here ya go... XCT XCR XCM  

rockyuphill said: Here ya go... XCT XCR XCM Click to expand...

I wonder what "momocoque" construction means. Don't worry about it. I've heard that Suntour's forks are better than RST's forks, which is nice. But think of it as more of a placeholder. Sooner or later, you'll break it or it'll freeze, and then you can replace it with either a rigid or a "real" fork. Just ride some bikes and buy your favorite. I bet you won't be able to feel the difference between different Suntour forks.  

My '05 Fuji came with a higher-end Suntour and it was no good from the start--no rebound dampening, no adjustments except for air pressure. When you weight 230, like me, plush isn't an option. If you are looking to upgrade, save your dough for something better. You will get what you pay for.  

Wow - I'd have thought that someone from Suntour could have shed a little more light than that on what is a VERY confusing product lineup. I have the Dart 3 29er 100mm fork (28mm stanchions) on my bike and my son has the Suntour XCR-LO 100mm on his 2009 Avalanche 2.0. Adjustable rebound and a blow-off valve on the lockout with the Dart 3 are pluses. On the other hand, the 30mm stanchions, better compression dampening and VERY slick progressive lockout lever on the XCR-LO make it a better fork in my opinion. I know, I know - everyone slams the Dart so saying "better than a Dart" seems like damning with faint praise. However, all Tora forks except the Tora 318's (Motion Control) have an unsophisticated TurnKey dampener, steel stanchions and non-serviceable bushings - just like a Dart fork . Most coil versions of the Tora lack adjustable preload which the Dart 3 has and several Tora models are missing a lockout feature which, again, the Dart 3 has. The major thing that separates all Tora forks from all Dart forks is 32mm-diameter stanchion tubes vs 28mm. Not that I think a Dart 3 is all that great, it's just that I think most Tora forks aren't that great either and that a Suntour XCR can be a pretty good fork - especially given it's low price. Perhaps the best way to get a handle on the features available in various SR Suntour forks is via this link: SR Suntour Tuning Base Bike manufacturers and Suntour themselves are often less than clear about what you're buying. My guess is that many consumers - after sampling the horrible Suntour M2025 pogo fork that comes on nearly every entry-level bike these days - write off the entire Suntour brand as junk but that's hardly the case. You can look through the exploded views of Suntour forks using the above site to get a better idea of what each model's properties are. It doesn't help that Suntour makes many dozens of forks all with cryptic codes: SF10 = Suntour Fork and the "10" is the model year then comes the fork family (XCM, XCT, XCR, Epicon, NCX, etc) then comes the fork's feature codes: ...P = Post-mount brakes ...D = Disc brake mounts ...D-P = Disc mount and Post-mount brakes ...E = ???? ...DS = ???? ...MLO = Mechanical Lock Out ...HLO = Hydraulic Lock Out ...RLO = Remote Lock Out ...LOD = yet another type of lock out unit? sometimes there is a size (20, 24 or 26-inch wheel) then usually comes a travel or travel range sometimes there is an axle spec 15QLC or 20QLC (15mm or 20mm thru axle) Not easy to figure out what you're spending your money on. Curiously, I haven't found that Suntour lists a range of springs for different rider weights. Unless you're of average weight, it would be nice to know before you buy any bike with a coil fork that a lighter/heavier spring is, or is not, available, no? Perhaps Doug from Suntour can elaborate on what all those cryptic product codes mean and explain what the situation is with obtaining alternative-rate springs? What separates the NCX, Axom, Radion and Eipcon forks from other Suntour forks?  

Clones123 said: Wow - I'd have thought that someone from Suntour could have shed a little more light than that on what is a VERY confusing product lineup. I have the Dart 3 29er 100mm fork (28mm stanchions) on my bike and my son has the Suntour XCR-LO 100mm on his 2009 Avalanche 2.0. Adjustable rebound and a blow-off valve on the lockout with the Dart 3 are pluses. On the other hand, the 30mm stanchions, better compression dampening and VERY slick progressive lockout lever on the XCR-LO make it a better fork in my opinion. I know, I know - everyone slams the Dart so saying "better than a Dart" seems like damning with faint praise. However, all Tora forks except the Tora 318's (Motion Control) have an unsophisticated TurnKey dampener, steel stanchions and non-serviceable bushings - just like a Dart fork . Most coil versions of the Tora lack adjustable preload which the Dart 3 has and several Tora models are missing a lockout feature which, again, the Dart 3 has. The major thing that separates all Tora forks from all Dart forks is 32mm-diameter stanchion tubes vs 28mm. Not that I think a Dart 3 is all that great, it's just that I think most Tora forks aren't that great either and that a Suntour XCR can be a pretty good fork - especially given it's low price. Perhaps the best way to get a handle on the features available in various SR Suntour forks is via this link: SR Suntour Tuning Base Bike manufacturers and Suntour themselves are often less than clear about what you're buying. My guess is that many consumers - after sampling the horrible Suntour M2025 pogo fork that comes on nearly every entry-level bike these days - write off the entire Suntour brand as junk but that's hardly the case. You can look through the exploded views of Suntour forks using the above site to get a better idea of what each model's properties are. It doesn't help that Suntour makes many dozens of forks all with cryptic codes: SF10 = Suntour Fork and the "10" is the model year then comes the fork family (XCM, XCT, XCR, Epicon, NCX, etc) then comes the fork's feature codes: ...P = Post-mount brakes ...D = Disc brake mounts ...D-P = Disc mount and Post-mount brakes ...E = ???? ...DS = ???? ...MLO = Mechanical Lock Out ...HLO = Hydraulic Lock Out ...RLO = Remote Lock Out ...LOD = yet another type of lock out unit? sometimes there is a size (20, 24 or 26-inch wheel) then usually comes a travel or travel range sometimes there is an axle spec 15QLC or 20QLC (15mm or 20mm thru axle) Not easy to figure out what you're spending your money on. Curiously, I haven't found that Suntour lists a range of springs for different rider weights. Unless you're of average weight, it would be nice to know before you buy any bike with a coil fork that a lighter/heavier spring is, or is not, available, no? Perhaps Doug from Suntour can elaborate on what all those cryptic product codes mean and explain what the situation is with obtaining alternative-rate springs? What separates the NCX, Axom, Radion and Eipcon forks from other Suntour forks? Click to expand...

Does Suntour make the Rockshox brand? Seems like I read that somewhere recently, but I can't put my finger on where.  

JonathanGennick said: Does Suntour make the Rockshox brand? Click to expand...

JonathanGennick said: Does Suntour make the Rockshox brand? Seems like I read that somewhere recently, but I can't put my finger on where. Click to expand...

Clones123 said: RockShox is owned by SRAM: http://www.sram.com/rockshox Click to expand...

mullen119 said: Suntour and Marzochhi are together I believe. Spinner made some of The RS stuff untill 2006ish. Now Spinner is on its own and that is why you pretty much dont see spinner in america anymore. Click to expand...

For me, a good fork is something with relatively stiff stanchions, tunable spring rate and sag, and a rebound damper. I really like having a compression damper, but I don't think it's necessary to make the experience of riding with suspension better than the experience of riding rigid. I think the other stuff is. Finally, a fork should be sturdy enough to take anything wheels-on-the-ground riding throws at it, and the occasional largish jump onto a good transition or drop of a foot or two. It's shockingly easy to rule out quite a lot of what's on the market just with those few conditions - a lot of the low end forks don't have spring kits available, which means that spring rate's not tunable. Rebound dampers are a bit trickier, since most forks sold now claim to have them - you really have to read reviews and see if they work. And they may work for lighter riders but not heavier ones. If I was looking for a fork for a loaner or tight-budget bike, I might be open to something from Suntour, Spinner or even RST. But I'd need to know I could get the spring kit to make it work for my weight, and I'd need to be able to read reviews and not find a lot of people saying "I couldn't tell if the rebound damper did anything" or "I landed a small jump and shoved the compression rod right through the stanchion. Little metal things went everywhere!" Actually, plastic caps on the crown might kill the deal for me too.  

I've ridden a few Cannondales with RST Deuce's and those forks felt pretty good. Air adjustable, 32mm stanchions, and aesthetically appealing. What is your budget for a bike? I might be able to help you out.  

I ran across this post by a guy who found different springs for his Suntour fork: http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15991688 Hunting around some, I found that the XCM forks appear to have 30mm stanchions (28mm on older versions and with a clunky On/off lockout) and aluminum lowers while the XCR forks are 30mm with magnesium lowers. Other than that they seem pretty much the same.  

freshw00d said: Hi, Doug from SR Suntour here again. Here are some answers to your questions: ...E = ???? - versus D - Typically E is chromoly stanchions and steerer versus D which is STKM stanchions and steerer ...DS = ???? - Don't know at the moment. LOD - this means Lock-out with Rebound Damping In our 'system; R typically stands for Remote and D stands for Damping, but is really rebound damping. NCX = 700c city bike fork Axon = short travel XC Race fork Radon = short to mid-travel general purpose fork Epicon = mid-travel Trail to All-Mountain fork Finally, I am hopeful that in the coming months/years you will see improved consumer based communications from our company so that it is easier to understand the features and performance of our products. Thanks.................Doug Click to expand...

JonathanGennick said: So who makes Rockshox now? If older Rockshox is really Spinner, then maybe a Spinner fork wouldn't be such a bad thing. Click to expand...

joepa150 said: Are either of these forks Hydraulic? SF11-XCR MLO 29' SF11-XCM V3 MLO 26' Click to expand...

Dan, I have a SR Mag 32 on my GT Force. It has been fantastic and really plush. Honestly I have broken every thing on this bike but the fork has been perfect. I don't know if you can tell me this but is it the OEM Epicon? which model ? I am trying to do some service on it(off your website and want to know which model it is). Also a really dumb question but the rebound adjust. Do I need a special nob? It didn't come with one. How do I make it rebound quicker? Thanks, Mike  

Any new insights on the Suntour forks? I just got a catalog and the newest XCR forks don't look too bad for the price.  

HELLo-: Just bought SR Raidon 29" air RLO QR15... will be on the bike by the weekend so will post the ride update. Seems to be good quality straight from the box, interesting QR though! Doug: I've found some info on Greyville(UK distributor) that you can extend the travel to 120mm. Can that be done at LBS or does it need to be sent out to Service Centre and some new parts has to be fitted?  

HELLo-: Sr Raidon 29er fitted to my DiamondBack Mojito, ridden it a few times in different terrain and all I can say about the fork: I'm impressed! It's not too heavy, works well, adjustments DO make the difference(unlike some other cheaper Suntours or RSTs) it doesn't flex when cornering or under heavy braking...the only thing I'm not 100% sure about is the QR. Bottom line: if you're on a budget or need suspension forks for your "second" bike, ride with Raidon... Regards!  

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The XCR 32 LO R AIR is SR SUNTOUR's first offering of an air sprung fork in our XC/MTB category of suspension forks. It features externally adjustable rebound, a fully adjustable air spring for a more precise set up and a hydraulic lockout that can be used on the fly. The 32mm chassis is robust enough to handle XC single track and it utilizes our proven sealed cartridge design that requires minimal service work. 

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