# Fork upgrade options for 06 Kona Stinky?



## Rob_Lav (Sep 11, 2008)

For Christmas my mom surprised me with a used 06 Kona Stinky.










I'm absolutely in love with the bike (as is everyone who ones one) but I'm a little disappointed with the fork. It's way to soft and when I try and hit jumps, the fork just takes the jump and doesn't allow and pre-loading.

Are there any good options for a fork upgrade? I know Mazarochi sell wonderful forks but I'm just not sure which one to get.

Another quick thing; the shock in the rear needs to be smoothed out. How do I go about fixing that?


----------



## bxxer rider (Jun 7, 2008)

if you have a large budget, 2010 boxxers (when they come available) lowerd to 178, would be great.


----------



## rollertoaster (Jun 11, 2007)

Not to spam you too much, but I have an 08 66rc3 for sale. pm me if u are interested. 

in all seriousness, I wouldn't put a dual crown on a stinky, just get a long travel single crown. 

What rear shock do you have it looks like a dhx4 but i'm not sure


----------



## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

You can add air preload/assist to the fork you have with a shock pump.

The Stinky takes a DC just fine. Though I'm partial to SC.

The rear shock is probably a Van R.

Why would he want to lower it to 178mm? Do you know the A2C height of the stock fork? Do you know the geometry?


----------



## C S (Sep 26, 2007)

XSL_WiLL said:


> You can add air preload/assist to the fork you have with a shock pump.
> 
> The Stinky takes a DC just fine. Though I'm partial to SC.
> 
> ...


The rear shock is a DHX 3.0. You should check the pressure in the boost valve as well as make sure that your spring is the correct rate for your weight. Tuning instructions: http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/06_RearShock_en.pdf

As far as the fork, as Will said, add some preload to stiffen it up a bit. If that doesn't do the trick, you can try putting stronger springs in. If you want to upgrade, a Domain would be a good choice on a budget. You can find 08 forks on closeout now if you look around enough :thumbsup: If you want a Marzocchi, you can get an 08 66 or 888 RC3 for less than $600 here: https://www.transitionbikes.com/Store/Store.cfm

FYI, my 66 has been treating me well, but quite a few people have had problems with the 08 Zokes.


----------



## bullcrew (Jan 2, 2005)

66 rc3s are like 400 of 500 on ebay!
Congrats on the Kona, I just got my kid the more fr version "coiler" 07 frame only and building it up from there. I think we are putting a 66 RC3 on it or rc2x 66 and build it light. Hes only 100lbs and 13, does drops nad stuff but at his weight he can drop a matchstick and be OK! 
Any of these forks - 66 RC2, 66 RC3, totem, domain, fox 36 rc! ANy of these at a good price are a good fork! Id do a single crown as well. I had several triple clamps last year and was deciding on what I liked and of the 40rc2 07, 888 wcata, totem, and a 888 rc2x wc 07 I chose the 66 RC3. Raced it, huck it, fr it and they are great.

Do not stress the fork thing, any of the ones I listed are bomb proof forks and all are super strong.
\Go ride what you have do any adjustments you can first to save money right off the bat and when your ready forks from 06+ are good!


----------



## brillantesdv (Oct 24, 2007)

XSL_WiLL said:


> Why would he want to lower it to 178mm? Do you know the A2C height of the stock fork? Do you know the geometry?


cause thats what that kid wants to do to his bike...so it is automatically a good idea. duh.


----------



## StinkyFTW (Jun 29, 2008)

brillantesdv said:


> cause thats what that kid wants to do to his bike...so it is automatically a good idea. duh.


 But why 178?! Why not 170 or 185? To be different?


----------



## Hangtime (Jan 25, 2006)

My first FR bike was an 05' Stinky Dee-Lux. They are great bikes. I had the 888 VF (?) I think, it was the basic 888. Anyway it was sweet. I wanted to switch out to a 66 just to save weight and give the bike a better turning radius. There are plenty of 888 and 66 out there on this site as well as Pink Bike, you should be able to find something in your price range. Also what do you mean by smoothed out for the rear shock. Try taking a bit of air out of it or slackining off the spring a bit, that may work


----------



## Raptordude (Mar 30, 2004)

bxxer rider said:


> if you have a large budget, 2010 boxxers (when they come available) lowerd to 178, would be great.


A 2010 Boxxer would out-value that entire bike...as well as yours.

I suggest a used 66 RC2X. I would suggest a 66 RC3 but those have problems galore. A Rock Shox Totem would be a good choice as well.


----------



## rmb_mike (Jun 12, 2007)

C S said:


> If you want to upgrade, a Domain would be a good choice on a budget.[/B] You can find 08 forks on closeout now if you look around enough :thumbsup:


Yep, I'm getting one of these in a couple of weeks...
http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=48602&page=ROCKSHOX+DOMAIN+318+COIL+SUSPENSION+FORK+2007
That's a hell of a deal.


----------



## rabidweasel999 (Oct 22, 2006)

StinkyFTW said:


> But why 178?! Why not 170 or 185? To be different?


bxxer thought about doing that himself. Therefore, it is the best upgrade idea ever.

EVER.


----------



## bxxer rider (Jun 7, 2008)

rabidweasel999 said:


> bxxer thought about doing that himself. Therefore, it is the best upgrade idea ever.
> 
> EVER.


okay it was an idea what is wrong with that??????????????


----------



## brillantesdv (Oct 24, 2007)

bxxer rider said:


> okay it was an idea what is wrong with that??????????????


1. it has no value. why should 178mm be a good number? you just saying so doesnt make it a good idea.
2. lowering a $1600 fork to the travel of $800 fork(totem for example) is retarded. esp if your going for that amount of travel, the totem will be just as strong.

and yes, when you do it to your bike, you will get ridiculed

to the OP, Stinky can accept any dual crown fork. single crown forks will work just as good as well. so that opens up a lot of choices to you. someting with 160-180mm travel would fit fine. any Fox 36 fork, Marz 66 or an older 888, RS Domain or Totem, Manitou Travis. all good choices.


----------



## schneidie (Aug 30, 2008)

I've got an 07 stinky, and I've got a 178mm travel 888 on it, and I use the bike for EVERYTHING. Dual crowns aren't bad, you just have to be a little creative sometimes. I find this fork a little plush for everything but DH, but that's something i've learned to deal with. I'd say keep the Drop off's until you mess them up, and see what your budget is then.


----------



## Duckiller (Jan 23, 2008)

For what it's worth I have a Domain on my 07 and love it. Get the spring changed to match your weight (cost me $40 total) and forget about it. For the price I cannot recommend it enough. I wanted to go with a 66 but reading all of the problems with Zooch last year I did not want to spend that kind of dough for something I did not have much faith in. 

Just my $0.02 from someone who has one. I am sure I will get flamed for my comments on Marz but thats why I made my choice and am glad I did.


----------



## bxxer rider (Jun 7, 2008)

brillantesdv said:


> 1. it has no value. why should 178mm be a good number? you just saying so doesnt make it a good idea.
> 2. lowering a $1600 fork to the travel of $800 fork(totem for example) is retarded. esp if your going for that amount of travel, the totem will be just as strong.
> 
> and yes, when you do it to your bike, you will get ridiculed
> ...


the totem has a COMPLETELY different dampening cartridge, mission control is highy superior to motion control.

i said 178mm as its the 7" mark and as a gess it was the max travel the stinky could take, with out looking that the geo specs. but as some has said it could take a 8" fork, so don't lower it.

what is the axel to crown of the fork you have, as there are 2 versions of it, 150 and 170 drop off dc. so if you want to keep the same geo lower it by how ever you need.

besides the totem under preforms compared to the 2010 boxxer mission control DH damper cartridge.


----------



## DiRt DeViL (Dec 24, 2003)

I have a friend who owns one and uses a 888 and a 36 depending on where he's riding, the bike works really well with both.

Keep the Drop Off, tune it to your liking and save for a new fork; when you have the money then worry about what to get.

On the Drop Off just keep in mind that Marz air settings are way off, just a little air is all you need.


----------



## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

The Totem uses Mission Control... Not Motion Control. Have you ridden either? Mission Control allows a bit more tuning. It's basically Motion Control plus an additional circuit to handle high speed compression.

Just because two forks have the same travel does not mean they have the same axle to crown height.


----------



## brillantesdv (Oct 24, 2007)

bxxer rider said:


> the totem has a COMPLETELY different dampening cartridge, mission control is highy superior to motion control.


Totem has Mission Control. this is how we know you dont know your stuff. you probably assumed motion control, because you took a quick look at the website...which is mislabeled. 


bxxer rider said:


> i said 178mm as its the 7" mark and as a gess it was the max travel the stinky could take, with out looking that the geo specs. but as some has said it could take a 8" fork, so don't lower it.


in the MTB suspension world 180mm is "7 inches". 160mm = "6 inches", 203mm = "8 inches". but youll learn that when you get out of your grom phase.


bxxer rider said:


> what is the axel to crown of the fork you have, as there are 2 versions of it, 150 and 170 drop off dc. so if you want to keep the same geo lower it by how ever you need.


axle to crown and amount of travel are not related.


bxxer rider said:


> besides the totem under preforms compared to the 2010 boxxer mission control DH damper cartridge.


was not aware you were a Blackbox rider who got to ride one of the new forks. please elaborate.


----------



## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

get a Super Monster...Marz has 12 left


----------



## supervokes (Apr 21, 2007)

Get a nice used fork off some bike sites .... there are a lot of good deals in the buy and sell.

I personally would never run a single crown fork on a DH/FR bike, but its always a personal preference thing. 

Check the buy and sell sections of bike sites and go from there .... first decide what you want though :thumbsup:


----------



## Raptordude (Mar 30, 2004)

bxxer rider said:


> besides the totem under preforms compared to the 2010 boxxer mission control DH damper cartridge.


For sure dude.

I completely agree.

The fact that neither fork is on the market (2010 Totem, 2010 Boxxer) makes your logic 110% correct.

Since I don't expect you to pick up on sarcasm, here you go:


----------



## Rob_Lav (Sep 11, 2008)

Thanks for all the help everyone! 

I've decided to save up as much money as I can and buy a Marzocchi 66.


----------



## bxxer rider (Jun 7, 2008)

brillantesdv said:


> Totem has Mission Control. this is how we know you dont know your stuff. you probably assumed motion control, because you took a quick look at the website...which is mislabeled.
> 
> in the MTB suspension world 180mm is "7 inches". 160mm = "6 inches", 203mm = "8 inches". but youll learn that when you get out of your grom phase.
> 
> ...


okay after a further look at the sram website, yes you are right, the totem has mission control.

180mm may be regarded as 7", but if you look at the lengths the boxxer, 888 (dependent on modal) and 40 can be lowed to, this list include 178 as it as close to a full inch they could get.

i don't know any specifics on the drop off dc. so i don't know whether axle to crown is affected.

the mission control cartridge had been very successful in other forks, take the lyrik for example.

i am not a black box rider, i struggle to keep riding as i fun my riding my self and i do not have any source of regular income.

care to explain the grom phrase?


----------



## Hirvi (Oct 8, 2007)

bxxer rider said:


> okay after a further look at the sram website, yes you are right, the totem has mission control.
> 
> 180mm may be regarded as 7", but if you look at the lengths the boxxer, 888 (dependent on modal) and 40 can be lowed to, this list include 178 as it as close to a full inch they could get.
> 
> ...


And you missed a earlier point too, that when you put a high-end dh fork from the future, you pretty much go way over the top looking at the other components. Other parts don't necessarily mind, but atleast a DHX 3 and a 2010 Boxxer WC don't pair too well.


----------



## bxxer rider (Jun 7, 2008)

Hirvi said:


> And you missed a earlier point too, that when you put a high-end dh fork from the future, you pretty much go way over the top looking at the other components. Other parts don't necessarily mind, but atleast a DHX 3 and a 2010 Boxxer WC don't pair too well.


well DHX and boxxer could work well depends on how you have it set up.


----------



## StinkyFTW (Jun 29, 2008)

Yeah, an entry level shock and a WC level fork would be frickin soul mates, actually, they would, but only if you lower the fork to 178mm, the golden level, according to our prophet, The Bickser.


----------



## blackprophet19 (Apr 18, 2008)

get a Totem........stay away from a 66


----------



## brillantesdv (Oct 24, 2007)

some one take this kid's computer away.

and dude, learn to read the sarcasm. can you not tell we're making fun of you? 
gahhh! so frustrating!


----------



## rabidweasel999 (Oct 22, 2006)

Eleven.


----------



## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

rmb_mike said:


> Yep, I'm getting one of these in a couple of weeks...
> http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=48602&page=ROCKSHOX+DOMAIN+318+COIL+SUSPENSION+FORK+2007
> That's a hell of a deal.


santa cruz webstore has 180mm domains for $185


----------



## bxxer rider (Jun 7, 2008)

brillantesdv said:


> some one take this kid's computer away.
> 
> and dude, learn to read the sarcasm. can you not tell we're making fun of you?
> gahhh! so frustrating!


am i the kids computer you want to take away?

if the sarcasm bit amided at me then, you really are not that bright are you? have you hit too many trees? but any way, the way to deal with bullies is not to give then any thing to work on, there for frustrating them as they are not able to work out why they are not being responded to. got it?


----------



## brillantesdv (Oct 24, 2007)

i should just keep quite. i dont need to make fun of you. just letting you post proves your stupidity every time.


----------



## bxxer rider (Jun 7, 2008)

brillantesdv said:


> i should just keep quite. i dont need to make fun of you. just letting you post proves your stupidity every time.


right that's it final time im going to let it pass.


----------



## StinkyFTW (Jun 29, 2008)

bxxer rider said:


> right that's it final time im going to let it pass.


So what now? (This is my 178th time questioning you)


----------



## rabidweasel999 (Oct 22, 2006)

bxxer rider said:


> am i the kids computer you want to take away?


No, sport, you're not a computer.


----------

