# Are there ANY good rst forks?



## Guest (Oct 25, 2010)

Maybe there are some good ones? Maybe the bad ones are only used for bad bikes, and used a LOT, and there are some high end ones? Because I have a RST Mozo, and it seems to be a decent fork.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

No.
Sorry, they're pretty much all junk.

about the 'Tora' line (rockshox) is where you start getting acceptable forks...even then, the 'Tora-snob' in me says nothing below a 318 is worth a pigeon's squirt.

Mo-Co damper level is where you want to drop any $$ IMO

'Zocchi has some cheapish DJ forks that are 'OK' - tho, I have no experience w/ them and at what level they are 'OK'; I don't know...


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## Kaizer (Jul 19, 2010)

Tried a friend's RST First 100mm fork once. It's pretty light at 1.6kg, but it's kinda sticky. If you get the First Platinum, it will weight approx 1.5kg, but I think the stickiness is still there.


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2010)

Whaddya mean by sticky?


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

RST has made one or two decent forks, however, their customer service is nonexistent, and forget about getting any replacement parts.


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## Clones123 (Apr 29, 2010)

At $200 shipped for a 29er air fork, you could do a lot worse than a M-29. That's a pretty special case though. RST's similar First Air 26er fork also gets generally good reviews but I'm not aware of any special deals that make the First Air as attractive over other options.

Seal stiction when new is a minor issue but it's mentioned in the owner's manual that the fork will take 20-hours or so to break-in and that seems to match owner's experiences.

*RST M-29 Air Fork*
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=333016


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## Kaizer (Jul 19, 2010)

icalebkim, the travel is like gritty, not smooth.


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## schwinnguy74 (Aug 19, 2009)

I use to have a tora 318 then changed to a First Platinum Air and I would never use a tora again it's like night and day just my experience tho.


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

rst will serve a beginner fine but there is no reason to ever "upgrade" to a rst.


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## assas1n (Sep 28, 2009)

I own an RST F1RST fork.

I myself ride about twice a week, XC style. I find it fulfills all of my real needs!


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

highdelll said:


> about the 'Tora' line (rockshox) is where you start getting acceptable forks...even then, the 'Tora-snob' in me says nothing below a 318 is worth a pigeon's squirt.
> 
> Mo-Co damper level is where you want to drop any $$ IMO


Even Toras kind of suck now. It's getting harder to find a Rock Shox fork with Motion Control.


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2010)

Thx guys, I've learned heaps.


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## 2QWK4U (Feb 19, 2010)

Is the RST Gila good?


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

2QWK4U said:


> Is the RST Gila good?


no


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

2QWK4U said:


> Is the RST Gila good?


Borrowing a friend's rigid is an improvement. Really.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Borrowing a friend's rigid is an improvement. Really.


my sis's gila is damn near rigid!


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## assas1n (Sep 28, 2009)

No , Gilas are really bad, and very heavy


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## Mike Gager (Jul 30, 2010)

Clones123 said:


> At $200 shipped for a 29er air fork, you could do a lot worse than a M-29. That's a pretty special case though. RST's similar First Air 26er fork also gets generally good reviews but I'm not aware of any special deals that make the First Air as attractive over other options.
> 
> Seal stiction when new is a minor issue but it's mentioned in the owner's manual that the fork will take 20-hours or so to break-in and that seems to match owner's experiences.
> 
> ...


i havent seen them at that price for awhile $288 is cheapest ive found


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## trailville (Jul 24, 2006)

Kaizer said:


> Tried a friend's RST First 100mm fork once. It's pretty light at 1.6kg, but it's kinda sticky. If you get the First Platinum, it will weight approx 1.5kg, but I think the stickiness is still there.


You can't trust RSTs posted weights. I got a RST F1RST a few years back it actually weighed 1932 grams. Not terrible, but far from the claimed weight.

The stickiness on the F1rst (at least on mine) is mainly at the top of the travel and is mainly noticeable when you first get on the bike, but not a big deal once riding.

Overrall performance isn't bad, but not up to the level of mid-range forks from the main fork manufacturers. It would be an upgrade from an entry-level fork though.


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

s0ckeyeus said:


> Even Toras kind of suck now. It's getting harder to find a Rock Shox fork with Motion Control.


 the number system has changed but aside from that i think they are the same forks....


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

b-kul said:


> the number system has changed but aside from that i think they are the same forks....


The 318 has been dropped and replaced by the Tora TK that does not have Motion Control and is coil only (not necessarily bad, but the weight jumped by 1/4 lb). If you want MoCo you have to step up to the highest level Recon now (Recon Gold RL). However that model doesn't even exist for 29ers, so if you want a MoCo 29er fork you need a Reba. Or just buy a MoCo upgrade cartridge for any of these forks


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