# Marzocchi Bomber



## pint (Oct 6, 2008)

Trying to figure out what year this fork was built? It's a Marzocchi Bomber Atom Bomb Z.2. It has a 1" threadless steerer. There is a yellow sticker on the back of the left leg that says Made in Italy, and then has "Z2 484041." Does that mean anything? I've had the fork for quite a few years and it really rides nice. Any info would be greatly appreciated.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

picture.


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## pint (Oct 6, 2008)

Oops, I forgot to attach!

Here you go:


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

Can't remember if it was a 98 or 99. Was the 99 that gold-yellow one?

Hell, could even be a 97, for all I know!


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

I'd guess 97-98 but it should have a year on the casting maybe near the dropout. The model year will be one year newer than the date on the casting typically.

It still has the canti option on the brace.


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

in 99 they were disc ready, longer travel and the crown would have no replacebale steerer. i bet 96/97.
the silver color is really nice.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

I'm not sure about that. I remember in 99 they had two models in the Z2 line that had disc mounts and a model that might have been the Atom without them.


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## pint (Oct 6, 2008)

Fillet-brazed said:


> I'd guess 97-98 but it should have a year on the casting maybe near the dropout. The model year will be one year newer than the date on the casting typically.
> 
> It still has the canti option on the brace.


It says 97 inside a circle on the right dropout. I was hoping it was a couple years older...


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

It's a 98.


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## richieb (Oct 21, 2004)

There should be a date of manufacture cast into one of the legs and on the back of the brake arch. It's a circle logo with a number in the middle (like a 97 or 98) and a series of 12 boxes in the circle around it. each of these bokes represents a month. That should give you an idea.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

He found it already.


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## Tassie Devil (Feb 7, 2005)

Its a MY99 fork which means it was probably cast in 98 sometime or sometime earlier as the legs didn't change after mid/late 97. What gives it away is the polished legs and the decals. The triple clamp crown was also available in 99 to allow the fitment of the 1" steerer however it could be from an earlier fork - they were the same anyway.

For the record the easiest ways to tell the differences are as follows:

MY97: Introduced in late 96 and has red preload knobs which are round. The preload top caps also sit noticable above the crown where the stancions bolt on. These high top caps caused clearance issues on many frames and sometimes a Z1 crown was fitted to fix the problem. The Z1 crown being taller between the top on the top cap and the crown. The Z1 crown also has a large area where the stanchion bolt up and is easy to spot due to the wider bolt spacing for the stancions.
Decals have Z1/Z2/Z3 on the side of the fork down low near the hub.

MY98: revised top caps to remove the above clearance issue. Preload knobs chnaged from round ones to smaller ones with a squared off edge. Preload knobs are also blue on all forks except for red ones where they are red to match.
Decals have the Z1/Z2/Z3 script on the front on the leg just below the brace bolts.

MY99: Pretty much the same but an expanded range with air sprung Z2 Superfly with valves on the front which were next to impossible to get a pump on without removing the V brakes.
Decals have multiple lines at an angle for the length on the bomber script (just like the one in this case).

MY00: complete changes to the arch on the Z2 range except for a few bolted Z2 superflys etc.
Decals have there larger angled lines behind the bomber text on the lower part of the leg.

I can do photos and more detailed changes between the years if anyones really interested, but should keep you out of trouble for now


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## pint (Oct 6, 2008)

Tassie Devil said:


> Its a MY99 fork which means it was probably cast in 98 sometime or sometime earlier as the legs didn't change after mid/late 97. What gives it away is the polished legs and the decals. The triple clamp crown was also available in 99 to allow the fitment of the 1" steerer however it could be from an earlier fork - they were the same anyway.
> 
> For the record the easiest ways to tell the differences are as follows:
> 
> ...


Great info! Thank you very much! I guess I'm gonna run the fork on my Bontrager for now until I can find a nice Bontrager rigid fork.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

pint said:


> I was hoping it was a couple years older...


If ti were a couple of year older it would not have been a Bomber, and would not have worked nearly as well.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

laffeaux said:


> If ti were a couple of year older it would not have been a Bomber, and would not have worked nearly as well.


yeah, must have been Mammoth in 95 or 96 when I first saw a Bomber in action on Giovanni Bonazzi's bike. Everyone else had Judys and Manitous. I realized then that a proper fork had finally come to fruition. It didn't need any up close inspection; it only took me seeing it go by with its relative stoutness and soaking up the chatter unlike anything else I had seen on a bike.


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## Tassie Devil (Feb 7, 2005)

pint said:


> Great info! Thank you very much! I guess I'm gonna run the fork on my Bontrager for now until I can find a nice Bontrager rigid fork.


I'll take some photos tonight (my time) for completeness, that way if people seacrh for it later on the information is there.


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## Tubedriver (Sep 19, 2008)

My wife's old bike has a MY98 Bomber fork (1" threadless). Still works great although it has very limited travel range. Nice and Plush. I was surprised to find anodized gold legs underneath the dust boots.


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## Roostalee (Jun 27, 2004)

I agree, prolly a '98 Z2 Atom Bomb. I have one too, but mine is the funky yellow/green model. There was a regular Z2 fork that also had the disc brake mount and the brace was a tad less machined. I debated on getting that one (they were on sale at Supergo...RIP), but I went with the Atom Bomb instead. Best decision I ever made, it was the smoothest fork ever (in 1998). I sold my old Judy XC to the shop (I was going to throw it away, it was that bad) and rode the Bomb for about four years. To this day, I prefer a coil fork. I can cut weight elsewhere. 

Oh, if you decide to sell it, you can get decent cash for it.


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## haaki (Sep 15, 2008)

*I have the same fork*

in 1.125". If I remember correctly it was 80ish mm (82??) and 1998 was the year.
I had my tweaked to 90mm and with springs to handle my Clydesdale size.
I love this fork.
Oh, I took all stickers off cause the shiny is so lovely


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## Roostalee (Jun 27, 2004)

They were more like 63 or 65mm travel. I too had to opt for heavy springs in all of mine. 

I really wish Marzocchi had stayed committed to the coil-sprung XC fork, but as the years went by it seems air forks have mostly taken over. Guess I'm getting old, but I've never liked air forks (Marzocchi, Fox or any others).


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## alexk (Sep 30, 2005)

Roostalee said:


> I agree, prolly a '98 Z2 Atom Bomb. I have one too, but mine is the funky yellow/green model. There was a regular Z2 fork that also had the disc brake mount and the brace was a tad less machined. I debated on getting that one (they were on sale at Supergo...RIP), but I went with the Atom Bomb instead. Best decision I ever made, it was the smoothest fork ever (in 1998). I sold my old Judy XC to the shop (I was going to throw it away, it was that bad) and rode the Bomb for about four years. To this day, I prefer a coil fork. I can cut weight elsewhere.
> 
> Oh, if you decide to sell it, you can get decent cash for it.


I think he has decided to sell it because something remarkably similar is listed on _that_ auction site.


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## Tassie Devil (Feb 7, 2005)

Guys, it is definitely a MY 99 fork and not a 98. Remember that the first MY99 forks came onto the market around October 98. This is why it has the 97 casting dates.


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## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

Thanks for the info! :thumbsup:


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## logbiter (Dec 30, 2003)

Atom bomb models never had more than 70mm travel, the BAM had 80 (unless they were modified {mrp speedbomb kit} or tweaked otherwise ... cambriabike might still have some of these kits).

you could also make the later models back to just coil sprung through around the '04 marathon.


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## Tubedriver (Sep 19, 2008)

Here is the identical fork on wifey's bike. It is on "like new" condition.


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## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

I got a red Z2 like that on a '96 GT Karakoram I started building in 1999 and STILL haven finished building yet. Crazy huh? Shows how run down life can make someone. Now I'm GLAD though I DIDN'T finish it, because I knew nothing about frame/ fork clearance issues back then. So it's all good. :thumbsup:


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## haaki (Sep 15, 2008)

*you are correct*



Roostalee said:


> They were more like 63 or 65mm travel. I too had to opt for heavy springs in all of mine.
> 
> I really wish Marzocchi had stayed committed to the coil-sprung XC fork, but as the years went by it seems air forks have mostly taken over. Guess I'm getting old, but I've never liked air forks (Marzocchi, Fox or any others).


that is a Z-2. Mine looked the same but was the BAM 80.

as a Clyde I agree about springs, I'll take the weight hit for the quality of ride.
I'm getting old as well, guess that is why I maintain my 9 year old fork.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

haaki said:


> that is a Z-2. Mine looked the same but was the BAM 80.
> 
> as a Clyde I agree about springs, I'll take the weight hit for the quality of ride.
> I'm getting old as well, guess that is why I maintain my 9 year old fork.


Speaking of old forks and clydes, I've got a late 90s Bomber with a cracked crown. Keep an eye on them.


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## haaki (Sep 15, 2008)

*will do*



Fillet-brazed said:


> Speaking of old forks and clydes, I've got a late 90s Bomber with a cracked crown. Keep an eye on them.


and thx for the heads up


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## IF52 (Jan 10, 2004)

wow, were did it crack?

Speaking of which, I connacted Marz a while back about pressing a 1 inch steerer into the crown on my Superfly. They told me they would prefer to use a new crown for safety and that they still have them in stock. I need to follow up on that to find out the price.


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## anthonyinhove (Nov 3, 2007)

Here's where this one cracked. 

Luckily I sourced a replacement also in Hove for £5 = $8. The replacement was black, but it didn't take long to make it silver!


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## IF52 (Jan 10, 2004)

Yikes, I'll have to check my forks out to make sure none are showing signs of cracking.


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## gm1230126 (Nov 4, 2005)

Throw it to "Marzocchi Tech Dept" aka Tom Rogers. He has posts in the suspension thead...he can tell you.


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## Roostalee (Jun 27, 2004)

Hmm, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you could convert a 1.125" Marzocchi fork with a new crown (from Marzocchi tech dept.) that has the 1" steerer tube, rather than hunt down a totally different fork that will fit older bikes (such as Bontragers).


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## IF52 (Jan 10, 2004)

Roostalee said:


> Hmm, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you could convert a 1.125" Marzocchi fork with a new crown (from Marzocchi tech dept.) that has the 1" steerer tube, rather than hunt down a totally different fork that will fit older bikes (such as Bontragers).


Yeah, that was the point of me posting that comment earlier.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

IF52 said:


> wow, were did it crack?


Mine is cracked exactly opposite of the one pictured.


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## themanmonkey (Nov 1, 2005)

Roostalee said:


> Hmm, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you could convert a 1.125" Marzocchi fork with a new crown (from Marzocchi tech dept.) that has the 1" steerer tube, rather than hunt down a totally different fork that will fit older bikes (such as Bontragers).


If it's actually for a Bontrager that had a different offset than the standard Marz crowns, so just pressing in the new steerer on a standard fork could mess up the ride.. They did make different crowns back in the day, but I doubt there are any left.


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## Eastcoaster (Feb 13, 2004)

I have a 97 Z-2. Buttery smooth, coil sprung, goodness. Red top caps and whatnot.
I ran it up until last year on my EWR. It was previously on my Smorgasbord. The ONLY reason that I took it off was for some of the reasons mentioned...just worried me hitting the trails "aggressive XC", "cross stuntry", whatever "that style of riding" is labeled by the kids these days on a fork that old. Could've probably lasted years more, but didn't want to faceplant by it having a catastrophic failure.
White or blue lowers in 1997 on the regular Z-2's. 70mm correct? (Judys were only68mm back then I think...) That extra 2mm sure made a diff.! ha,ha,ha!
But, yes, 1998 on the fork in this post, indeed!

I'm old too. I'll take the weight penalty of coil anytime over air.

The BAM 80 (Bomber Aerospace Material) was still coil, right? Just with the slimmer, lowers (can be seen in the photo) and more machined brace.and then the Atom 80 was the air fork? Then, (I think) the regular lowers like I had on my 97 Z-2 were banished to being "lower end" and later were the Z-3 and the Z-4? (OEM only I think?) Only dif. being that the z4 had no adj. rebound? Only compr.?

Anyway...no photos to post so just a link....
http://www.ewrbikes.com/owners_bikes

and just scroll WAAAAY down. No closeups of the lowers on my 97 but, good shot of the red top caps, arch, etc. Under "Eric's Woods Bike". Lots of other Vintage EWR eye candy on there anyway!

BTW, the red caps did hit on my Smorgasbord's downtube. I had a piece of an old Serfas Connector grip in the clear/sparkle color (Anyone remember those!?) zip tied to the tube to protect it! (Reynolds 853 mainframe)


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## haaki (Sep 15, 2008)

*yes*



Eastcoaster said:


> The BAM 80 (Bomber Aerospace Material) was still coil, right? Just with the slimmer, lowers (can be seen in the photo) and more machined brace.and then the Atom 80 was the air fork? Then, (I think) the regular lowers like I had on my 97 Z-2 were banished to being "lower end" and later were the Z-3 and the Z-4? (OEM only I think?) Only dif. being that the z4 had no adj. rebound? Only compr.?
> 
> Anyway...no photos to post so just a link....
> http://www.ewrbikes.com/owners_bikes


BAM 80 was coil and oil. Chrome w/ Blue Caps and Blue and Yellow Graphics


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## wv_bob (Sep 12, 2005)

FWIW, I noticed a crack in my Bomber crown a week or two ago, left side, away from the steerer tube. I got a replacement from Marzocchi and it was back in service before the next weekend.


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