# Rock Shox Coil Totem Review.



## mtb_biker (Jan 27, 2004)

*Click the picture to see the rest of the review*

So I got some time in on the coil totem now and it was quite nice with only a few setbacks about it

Anyone else have any time on one?


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## ianjenn (Aug 1, 2004)

Good write up! I may have to go hag on Truvativ soon and check 1 out if anyone has 1 over there.


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## mtb_biker (Jan 27, 2004)

Yea outside of the price, its a sweet fork


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## ianjenn (Aug 1, 2004)

I am gonna need a 5-7" adj single crown soon so I am looking at options!


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## TheProphet (May 31, 2005)

Wow that thing is massive. I hope I get on one of those next season. That makes my Pike look tiny.


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2006)

Still super pleased with my decision to get a totem. Did they say when the heavier springs would be availalbe to consumers?


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## mtb_biker (Jan 27, 2004)

It should be pretty soon I think (you can give them a ring if you want). How much do you weigh? The stock spring i think should be good for most riders between 165- 185 ish.


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## be350ka (Dec 17, 2004)

supermachete said:


> Still super pleased with my decision to get a totem. Did they say when the heavier springs would be availalbe to consumers?


I know that the Lyrik springs are out NOW, so I would imagine that the Totems are as well.


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## 545cu4ch (Aug 11, 2005)

Those stanchions are soo sexy :crazy:


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## D-line (Dec 5, 2005)

I have about 2 months on my coil Totem, I really like the fork I finally got my x-firm spring and It did help alot. I would like a little more bottom out resistance though. And the seal on the left leg(spring side) is pissing already. They say to send it in for a new fork but I cannot be without the bike for that long so that blows, so I'm waiting for seals to be avail. so I can fix it myself. (i'm a srevice manager at a shop) Other than that I am impressed, super stiff, good adjustability, got it cheap. It does rock:band:


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## Zonk0u (Jun 3, 2004)

I wish we could get a review of the domain. the totem seems to be completely overshadowing this fork... which for all resonable purposes, is probably going to be alot more widely used than the 1k sticker price totem.


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## 545cu4ch (Aug 11, 2005)

Zonk0u said:


> I wish we could get a review of the domain. the totem seems to be completely overshadowing this fork... which for all resonable purposes, is probably going to be alot more widely used than the 1k sticker price totem.


Heres a short review by scrublover: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=233180


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## Acadian (Jan 1, 2004)

D-line said:


> I have about 2 months on my coil Totem, I really like the fork I finally got my x-firm spring and It did help alot. I would like a little more bottom out resistance though. And the seal on the left leg(spring side) is pissing already. They say to send it in for a new fork but I cannot be without the bike for that long so that blows, so I'm waiting for seals to be avail. so I can fix it myself. (i'm a srevice manager at a shop) Other than that I am impressed, super stiff, good adjustability, got it cheap. It does rock:band:


just curious...how much do you weigh?


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## airwreck (Dec 31, 2003)

I've been on a oversprung totem for a bit now, I'm 145lbs. They had the springs in last week and ran out right away, I missed out. Thinking I'll sell the fork if I can't get the right spring soon. I will hold off on a review with that in mind.


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## 545cu4ch (Aug 11, 2005)

airwreck said:


> I've been on a oversprung totem for a bit now, I'm 145lbs. They had the springs in last week and ran out right away, I missed out. Thinking I'll sell the fork if I can't get the right spring soon. I will hold off on a review with that in mind.


You kinda having bad luck with your forks, right? :skep:


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## airwreck (Dec 31, 2003)

545cu4ch said:


> You kinda having bad luck with your forks, right? :skep:


:lol: , I figured it was lack of skill....I've trashed the stanchions on a van 36, trashed my 66SL, paranoid now that I'll destroy the totem too, I can't afford this sport...
actually my coil totem is on shaheebs bike now since his two step totem is back at RSHQ. He says the coil blows doors on the air. I'm back on my recently serviced 66SL which no longer has low speed compression adjustability, but feels pretty good. Since I got it back I havn't checked any of the air pressures, figured the marz techs sent it back set up. Afraid to put a pump on there since that's when it's gushed oil before.

:madman:

p.s. I've got some cool slow mo footage of shaheeb and you can really see the totem in action, I'll get it posted here soon.


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## scrublover (Dec 30, 2003)

545cu4ch said:


> Heres a short review by scrublover: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=233180


The Domain is a rocking fork. It's not up to the Lyrik/Totem in terms of performance, but for the much reduced price, it's a kickass fork.

Seems like the fork for someone on a budget who wants a big burly single crown. I had the 160mm U-turn coil version. If the 180mm coil forks came with a U-turnm option, I'd have gone that route. Considering they were able to make a U-turn Boxxer with only 2mm less travel, I'm not sure why they didn't do that with the new SC forks.

Caveat: came into some extra money and sold the Domain off. Now on a Lyrik, which is even nicer. If it weren't for that, I'd still be on the Domain; it really is a very good fork. Should be easily found for half the price of the Totem.

I *really* like the Lyrik. (160mm coil version here - I'm not doing huge moves with it, but have every faith in it being fully capable for everything I do on my bike. Still using a two year old Pike Team on my hardtail; it's taken a lot of abuse, and is still doing just fine too.


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2006)

I weigh 165 and have been going all (within a mm or 2 from the crown) the way through the travel on small stuff (under 6'). I know that if set up properly I should be using all of the travel, but it maks me nervous to see the dust lines all the way up on the stanchions after a trail ride. No loud bottom -out clank yet, so there is decent resistance in the last 1" or so of travel, but I've been hesitant to push it(10'+) until I get the next one up.


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## mtb_biker (Jan 27, 2004)

Zonk0u said:


> I wish we could get a review of the domain. the totem seems to be completely overshadowing this fork... which for all resonable purposes, is probably going to be alot more widely used than the 1k sticker price totem.


Send me one and i'll be more than happy to look at it :thumbsup:


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## D-line (Dec 5, 2005)

Acadian said:


> just curious...how much do you weigh?


Im about 200-210 on average


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## airwreck (Dec 31, 2003)

okay, been working with some footage and thought this looked pretty cool.
slow motion followed by the same line at regular speed.
right click and save as....
 windows media wmv 
or
 quicktime mp4


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## Dusty Bottoms (Jan 14, 2004)

I've been on a Coil Totem for about a month now and I'm really enjoying it. I weigh about 220 with gear and surprisingly the stock blue spring with 4 preload spacers(RS allows 8) gives me proper sag, I'm blowing thru travel a little quickly but not really bottoming. I got hold of the x-heavy spring which I could BARLEY compress. I can't imagine the size of the dude that needs that spring. BTW, The x-heavy spring is RED not black as suggested on the RS website. I'm looking forward to trying the yellow "firm" spring with no preload spacers in hopes of getting a little better feel off the top and a little more resistance throughout travel.


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## 545cu4ch (Aug 11, 2005)

airwreck said:


> okay, been working with some footage and thought this looked pretty cool.
> slow motion followed by the same line at regular speed.
> right click and save as....
> windows media wmv
> ...


The slo-mo is very cool. 
I had not seen a totem on action. It definitely looks burly!


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## D-line (Dec 5, 2005)

Dusty Bottoms said:


> I've been on a Coil Totem for about a month now and I'm really enjoying it. I weigh about 220 with gear and surprisingly the stock blue spring with 4 preload spacers(RS allows 8) gives me proper sag, I'm blowing thru travel a little quickly but not really bottoming. I got hold of the x-heavy spring which I could BARLEY compress. I can't imagine the size of the dude that needs that spring. BTW, The x-heavy spring is RED not black as suggested on the RS website. I'm looking forward to trying the yellow "firm" spring with no preload spacers in hopes of getting a little better feel off the top and a little more resistance throughout travel.


It's not the size of me, but the size that I throw myself. The Stock is good for regular riding, but throw it large and thats a diffrent story...


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## DHS (Jan 14, 2004)

D-line said:


> It's not the size of me, but the size that I throw myself. The Stock is good for regular riding, but throw it large and thats a diffrent story...


what the hell are you talking about, the correct spring weight/correct sag. will handle trail riding and drops


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## Huck Banzai (May 8, 2005)

D-line said:


> It's not the size of me, but the size that I throw myself. The Stock is good for regular riding, but throw it large and thats a diffrent story...


Oversprung forks are not a good thing - nothing to do with 'throwing it large' - correct setup is correct setup.


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## xKREDx (Aug 8, 2006)

looks pretty nice........i'd like to try one of those out


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## D-line (Dec 5, 2005)

If I ride trail I throw in the stock spring and if I go to a place like Virgin I will definatily throw in the x-firm. The fork does have a harsh bottom out with the stock spring on anything over 12 feet. So I like my wrists and don't like to bottom out. I know all about proper setup, I am the service manager of a shop, but bike setup is quite individual. It's all diffrent.


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## Huck Banzai (May 8, 2005)

D-line said:


> If I ride trail I throw in the stock spring and if I go to a place like Virgin I will definatily throw in the x-firm. The fork does have a harsh bottom out with the stock spring on anything over 12 feet. So I like my wrists and don't like to bottom out. I know all about proper setup, I am the service manager of a shop, but bike setup is quite individual. It's all diffrent.


.....


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## D-line (Dec 5, 2005)

!!!!!!


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## DHS (Jan 14, 2004)

Huck Banzai said:


> .....


i'm with ya there..


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## Huck Banzai (May 8, 2005)

DHS said:


> i'm with ya there..


Shhh!

:thumbsup:


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## Datalogger (Jul 5, 2008)

Since it's been so long, anyone still rocking the Totem? How is it holding up?

Any tuning advice for the Totem coil for a large (~265lbs) rider? The blue medium spring (no preload spacers) was definitely not stiff enough, bottomed it often, and blew through the majority of the travel just flying down rough trails. Swapped the red (X-firm) spring in and that thing feels way to stiff for me and the little (5ft) drops I hit, even with the compression opened up all of the way.

I have a yellow spring (firm) on order. I need to locate some preload spacers, my bike did not come with any.


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## spxoo (Apr 26, 2007)

I got a totem coil last year. I wasnt to psyched on it at first. The seals went within a couple days. after I jammed some enduro seals and the preload spacers in there its been very good to me.


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## Prettym1k3 (Oct 11, 2005)

Rode a 2-Step until a sinking problem. Rode a Solo-Air for over a year.

Fantastic fork, very stiff (almost as stiff as my Boxxer) and great for freeriding.


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## AndyBroke (Nov 20, 2007)

I had the 2step version a couple of months, and then it started sinking. After I converted it to coil I really loved it. The damping was really easy to dial in and worked perfectly. The only thing holding it back from being the ultimate single crown dh/fr fork are the dust seals. They start leaking way to fast after they are changed!
If I didn't sell the bike it was sitting on I would have tried enduro seals.
If they can fix the dust seal problem I will gladly go back to the totem when I buy a new FR rig!


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## Datalogger (Jul 5, 2008)

Thanks for the info guys. So far mine seems to be holding up great.


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## 606cyn (May 2, 2009)

I have a solo air 09 three weeks and lost the air spring it is now getting warranty work done.I have not heard of this before on the solo , just my bad luck. The 8 days I had it in downievill it was great. Hope to get it back soon.


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## NorcoRider (Dec 30, 2004)

I owned last years totem coil as well as this years. Last years' blew up within about 2 hours of riding ( the mission control) but worked perfectly fine after i got that replaced. I have not had any trouble on this years and I have ridden it hard. Totem's are super plush if you have the proper coil and the mission control adjustment rules. If RockShox keeps the reliability of them up I think they are the best freeride fork made for sure.


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## 8664 (Oct 17, 2005)

i have 10 totem very light and this for works!


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