# Boxxer WC, 380 R2c2, Fox 40, DVO Emerald



## metalMTB (Sep 15, 2005)

How do these forks compare? What are the pros/cons of each fork? I'm considering either a 380 or dvo at this point. I'd like to hear about what people think that have actually ridden all of these.


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## ianjenn (Aug 1, 2004)

I have ridden the Fox and DVO. Here are the Pro/Con I have found below.

Fox
+Stiff
+Light
+"cheaper"
-Hard To Tune

DVO
+Easy To Adjust
+Very Active
+More Customizable
-Heavy
-More cash


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## Gemini2k05 (Apr 19, 2005)

How about the Dorado expert? One of the best dampers and chassis and cheaper than all the above mentioned.


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## metalMTB (Sep 15, 2005)

i'm getting a jedi through canfield and they offer the 380 c2r2 or the dvo emerald with the frame. I think i'm going with the dvo...


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## pinkrobe (Jan 30, 2004)

I've had similar time on the DVO and the R2C2. These are my impressions. 
The Boxxer blows through its travel way too easily if it's tuned to not be harsh. 
The DVO base tune is fairly harsh to start with, but is very adjustable - you can make it do whatever you want. Once it's set up correctly, you'll wonder why you bothered with anything else.
I couldn't tell a difference between the two in weight or stiffness on the bike - I notice way more difference from the weight of wheels and tires.


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## metalMTB (Sep 15, 2005)

i feel like reduced arm pump from superior damping would offset the high weight of the dvo fork. I would be willing to sacrafice having a heavier front end if it reduced my arm pump. After all, I'm sure a light fork isn't going to FEEL light when all your hand muscles are cramped up...


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## Rob-Bob (Jun 11, 2004)

+ 1 for the Dorado.. Best bang for the buck going.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

3 riders Whistler.... One on DVO, one on an 888 and another on a boxxer

Me on a DVO ride 6 days strait...hands hurt at end of day but feel good after one run next day

other friend on boxxer had to quit early on 2 days because of bruising in his hands

2nd friend (888 ti) took a day off because of bruising in hands 

For me....I don't feel the weight difference in the front but I do notice my hands hurting way less then the year before at Whistler....

DVO is worth it to me


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## meSSican (Aug 8, 2010)

The only time I complain about the weight of my DVO is when I am loading it up. I don't notice it on the trail. I found the base tunes way to stiff for my liking and knocked down 15 psi and a few clicks of compression from fully open. Way better but still working on it, I am not a knob turner so it is a bit more of a pain for me but overall I am liking it. I came off a Boxxer with Avy cart which I loved and had no issue with once the Avy cart went in. Honestly if I could go back I think I would have stuck with the Boxxer with Avy. Although I am coming off a catastrophic wrist fracture so it is really hard to say which is better since I am a fair bit weaker and slower coming off the injury. I have never ridden a Marz so can't compare but I think the DVO would be a very good choice.


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## delirian (Jan 1, 2009)

in my opinion there would only be 2 choices when it comes to fork,,, bos or dvo. at the moment all my bikes are running bos, i love the damping characteristics of the bos forks, but i would be very very tempted to try a dvo,


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## 8664 (Oct 17, 2005)

DVO
+ OTT
+no brake or berms diving
+degressive suspension
+ for a soft first 2inch you do not have to change the LSC only turn on the OTT.

i ride boxxer 2015, dorado expert, bos and dvo, but all time i ride the dvo, i coming back without fatigue in the shoulder and arms.

i ride the DVO in Les Gets "PDS" with the most brake bumps track ever, the dvo eat this stuff like no other fork i have before.


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## ftbjoe (Oct 21, 2004)

Anyone have any experience on a boxxer with a charger damper?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## metalMTB (Sep 15, 2005)

has anyone ridden the new 380 c2r2 and the dvo emerald? I'm finding some reviews on both, but none from anyone who has ridden both. They both seem like great forks but I'd really like to hear from someone who has ridden both. Not sure if the dvo's damping is better than the c2r2...at least enough to make the extra weight worth it. Please someone help me decide! :???:


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## TheRage43 (Jul 19, 2012)

metalMTB said:


> has anyone ridden the new 380 c2r2 and the dvo emerald? I'm finding some reviews on both, but none from anyone who has ridden both. They both seem like great forks but I'd really like to hear from someone who has ridden both. Not sure if the dvo's damping is better than the c2r2...at least enough to make the extra weight worth it. Please someone help me decide! :???:


I had a hard time with this decision as well. I went with Marz because of how well I have liked the products I have had before. I realize some of the US crew is now DVO, but I honestly never had to deal with any of them. None of the forks or shocks of Marz that I've owned ever had a problem that required assistance more than basic service. The DVO guys surely have made a great product, but the newness of the company vs. the longevity of Marz and their new lineup, I decided to stick with the familiar. Got the 380 and Moto for the rear, couldn't be happier.

I just got back from Whistler as well, 9 days straight. Hands certainly took a toll, but it's definitely the best feeling fork I've ever ridden.


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## Pau11y (Oct 15, 2004)

metalMTB said:


> has anyone ridden the new 380 c2r2 and the dvo emerald? I'm finding some reviews on both, but none from anyone who has ridden both. They both seem like great forks but I'd really like to hear from someone who has ridden both. Not sure if the dvo's damping is better than the c2r2...at least enough to make the extra weight worth it. Please someone help me decide! :???:


I was on an 888 w/ an Avy cart, and now on the Emerald. 
The Avy cart is a PITA to get into, but infinitely tuneable. I'm not sure how the 380 has arranged access to their shims, but if arranged like the Emerald, it would be a win over the Avy cart. Performance, I can't imagine the 380 and the Avy cart being too different. The only thing that differentiates the two Marz forks is the HSC, where you have to "hardwire" it into the Avy cart while IIRC, the 380 uses rim-loading to add HSC. Emerald also uses rim-loading of shims to add HSC. Twisty-ness, the old 888 and the Emerald are indistinguishable when high-speeding thru chunks. And, the weight of the two are close...this means the 380 will feel lighter. I don't know how this will translate to performance, but there is a full pound of weight diff between the Eemrald and the 380.

The only thing I had an issue with the Emerald was the base tune...way over damped...ran the fork pretty much in wide open mode until I changed the shims and 7.5wt (125/150) oil to 5wt (85/150).

This isn't quite what you're looking for, but hopefully it helps a bit :/


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## metalMTB (Sep 15, 2005)

have you ridden the emerald?


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## kan3 (Nov 11, 2009)

At the very least if you're going to compare the forks do a fair comparison. If you're budget really is $2000 then some of those forks listed should be compared with a revalve. You could pickup a 380 for $1500 and get a new damper/revalve and be at the same price as a dvo. The dvo may still be better but at least you're comparison makes a bit more sense now.


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## Pau11y (Oct 15, 2004)

metalMTB said:


> have you ridden the emerald?


Who me? This is my bike...

in Golden, Colorado, United States - photo by pau11y - Pinkbike

Follow the link and click on the bike and you'll see the mod I did to my Emerald.


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## metalMTB (Sep 15, 2005)

what mod did you do pau11y? remove the decals? i like that look btw. i think i'm going to get rid of the green decals as I'm going for an all black look.


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## Pau11y (Oct 15, 2004)

metalMTB said:


> what mod did you do pau11y? remove the decals? i like that look btw. i think i'm going to get rid of the green decals as I'm going for an all black look.


Yeah, debadged the fork of the green bits. I had some black Canfield Bros stickers that fit the carbon CTA, and then I covered it w/ some heli-tape.

Besides the cosmetics, I mod'd the shim stacking on the rebound piston and the LSC portion of the base valve. Also changed the oil from 125/150 (7.5wt) to 85/150 (5wt) to open up the fork a bit...I'm not a Cup'er so the stock tune is entirely too aggressive for me.

I'm trying to find out from DVO what I need to mod my 26 Emerald to a 27.5 one, in anticipation of the '15 Jedi...just the CTA or do I need the fork guts mod'd too. No reply yet.


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## metalMTB (Sep 15, 2005)

yes, i asked dvo the same question pau11y. Here is their response:

"You can swap the fork to fit the larger wheel size with a new CTA and a new crown set. we have the parts in stock and ready to ship."

I keep asking how much that would cost. I've emailed them three different times and contacted them on facebook but they keep avoiding the price question for some odd reason. Maybe I should just act like I want to buy those parts and see what they say...

How hard is it to modify the shim stacks? I looked at a guide online but it looks easy to pull out the damper but I could not see where the shims are from the pictures. Maybe it will make sense after I tear into it but I like to be confident before I tackle stuff.

I read somewhere that they were modifying the base tune for the 2015 model DVOs so maybe I will not even need to tear into it. What style trails do you ride? The trails around here can get very steep and technical and VERY rocky.

I still think the jedi can outperform the new 650bs due to the unique suspension design. I wonder how running 650b will change the geometry of the jedi. One thing I don't like about 650b is how the wheels are going to be flexier. I like stiff wheels. Anyways, I preordered a '15 jedi with the canfield wheelset. They do have a 650b all mountain wheelset but I imagine that is going to be too weak for my needs.


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## Gemini2k05 (Apr 19, 2005)

metalMTB said:


> "You can swap the fork to fit the larger wheel size with a new CTA and a new crown set. we have the parts in stock and ready to ship."
> 
> I keep asking how much that would cost. I've emailed them three different times and contacted them on facebook but they keep avoiding the price question for some odd reason. Maybe I should just act like I want to buy those parts and see what they say...


It would probably be a really bad financial decision to go that route, which is why they are evading the question, or they just haven't decided on pricing for individual structural parts like that yet. My guess is new crowns+CTA would be in the $600-1000 range. Crowns take a lot of machining. Typically those are $200 no matter what dual crown mfg you buy from. The CTA is probably another $500+ retail. AT that point you'd be better off just selling your fork and buying a new one.


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## 8664 (Oct 17, 2005)

@Pau11y 
sale your jedi dvo 26" combo and buy at CB a 2015 jedi dvo 27.5" combo!


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