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dropmnster
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I am thinking about getting an stratos S8 what are the pros of the fork and what are the cons.
I've never ridden an S8 but from what I hear they are one of the best feeling forks you can buy when they are working right, lots of people have had problems getting them working right though. It seems like even stratos is in the dark about how to get them to work right and they aren't notorious for great customer service. If you're a really good mechanic and actually enjoy having to fool around with your brand new fork just to be able to ride it then go for it, if you are like me and you only enjoy occasional mantinance you might consider looking elsewhere.
You were think about the S7, out of the box the S8 is a nice fork.
I have a s-8 and the thing has been great maintenance wise and last time I called Stratos which was after RM's fallout of the company but still like 2 years ago they were very helpful.
The only con with the fork in my opinion is it is tall, which I combat with a 1 inch riser bar now that Truvative makes one in 31.8
The only con with the fork in my opinion is it is tall, which I combat with a 1 inch riser bar now that Truvative makes one in 31.8
maybe you right, I think about the S7, is the S7 still available or were it replaced by S8? Nobody have mentioned Stratos for several months so I does not remember well about which model.Brian HCM#1 said:
I have shipping agent in your area who will pick up (red car) He will collects the differance of the amount in western union money order.
The S8 is still available the S7 is like the 607 or something now, but I think was originally the MX6.Kornphlake said:
I rode the sh!t out of an s8 for a year and a half, it took much more abuse than I thought it would when I first got it. It was tall, which I was looking for at the time, suprisingly stiff with a good front wheel, and the travel felt endless. I was very pleased with the fork, and I would reccomend it for any larger rider(I'm 6'3, 190lbs), who spends more time jumping and hucking than racing. As for their customer service, I called them up a few times for general tuning info, and oil levels etc., they gave me solid answers everytime, and sent me a rebound knob and a couple bolts for free. It is a bit heavy, 9.8lbs or something around there, but for me it was worth it. The only reason I stopped riding it was that I switched back to a 5" dual bike. I still have the fork, it happens to be for sale! 250american bucks
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I ran an S8 for a year and loved the fork. It only had two problems. 1) Mega tall, as tall as an 8" 888 with crowns as low as possible, and 2) 11.5 pounds with the right springs, oil height, and our fork guards on it. As far as performance goes it's a champ, if Stratos would just buy Marzocchi main seals that fork would still be a contenda.
Thats funny you say that, I never replaced the seals in the 2 years I've owned mine.James | Go-Ride said:
It wasn't that they went bad, Stratos seals just aren't as effective at keeping dirt out of the fork as the Marzo guys are. I didn't feel like it was a big deal, basically I'd clean the internals and replace the ATF fluid in my S8 every month during heavy riding season and I only had to do it with the Shiver three times in the year that I owned it. Not a big deal but it would be nice to cut down on some maintanance.
True, its too bad as a company the F'ed up.James | Go-Ride said:
Their newer seals are good at keeping cack out of the fork. After riding in a lot of water and mud this season, when I opened up my S7 everything was pretty much clean except just inside the dust seal (nothing went near the main seal). I can only imagine the S8 being cleaner since it's inverted.James | Go-Ride said:
I ran one for about a year.
It was a pretty good fork, but if you are considering one I'd say buy a Shiver instead. The shiver is better in every way. It's lighter, the stratos damping is "almost" as good as marzocchi, but the key is "almost", it's not quite there. They feel a little overdamped. They use a very similer setup, big cartridge damper, but it doesn't feel like more travel than the shiver (even though my S8 had about 205mm). 35mm stanchions on both. The axle to crown on the S8 is pretty outrageous though. You can run it with somewhere like 11" of clearance between the tire and crown. Even with it adjusted with the minimum axle to crown, it's still around 9" in there. It's simply a monstrous fork.
The bottom line is that my Shiver does everything as good or better, and in the long run, it's better to deal with a big company like Marzocchi, whom you know will be around for a few years and will be making parts for a while.
My S8 was a good fork. I also had an MX6 and it was nowhere near as good. I had to fix a broken damper glide ring, it was like 8lbs for a 6" travel fork, flexy even though it was huge (due to a very outdated design).
It was a pretty good fork, but if you are considering one I'd say buy a Shiver instead. The shiver is better in every way. It's lighter, the stratos damping is "almost" as good as marzocchi, but the key is "almost", it's not quite there. They feel a little overdamped. They use a very similer setup, big cartridge damper, but it doesn't feel like more travel than the shiver (even though my S8 had about 205mm). 35mm stanchions on both. The axle to crown on the S8 is pretty outrageous though. You can run it with somewhere like 11" of clearance between the tire and crown. Even with it adjusted with the minimum axle to crown, it's still around 9" in there. It's simply a monstrous fork.
The bottom line is that my Shiver does everything as good or better, and in the long run, it's better to deal with a big company like Marzocchi, whom you know will be around for a few years and will be making parts for a while.
My S8 was a good fork. I also had an MX6 and it was nowhere near as good. I had to fix a broken damper glide ring, it was like 8lbs for a 6" travel fork, flexy even though it was huge (due to a very outdated design).
haha, I have a S6 (yea, it was converted from an LR1), it is heavy with full oil and heavy springs. With the 20mm axle and only 6" travel it is pretty stiff. Makes my superT feel a little wiggly.Jm_ said:
Solid, Low maintenance fork overall though.
The stratos is flexier due to a weaker design. Unfortunatly, it doesn't matter how big the stanchions are, the "wrap-around arch" is not as rigid as a good one-piece fork, not even as good as a fork with a bolt-on arch (which the MX6 is not, it's a "wrap-around"). It's simply old technology, looks good, works (when the glide ring is not broken), but a 6" super T is a better fork, a 7" super T is better in every way.Bacardi said:
Then again, it's kind of like a "mini-monster T" in terms of damping, which is very good. If they had a decent chassi they could have sold forks like mad. I think they sold a bunch of S7s for a while, but since they used the same technology as the MX6, no one wanted them after a while...
I love the S8, if it was not so heavy I would have one now. I've had a couple of Risse Champs (8" and 9"), currently ride a Shiver, and have ridden the S7, S8 and 888. The Champs come closest to the smoothness of the ride though the Champ has some other issues I don't care for.
My friend has the same frame and has had his S8 for 3 years. He recently got a 888 which he rode for a while and switched back. His only complaint is also weight, but once you get used to the rediculously smooth ride you get out of it, it's hard to switch...even to a Marzocchi.
My friend has the same frame and has had his S8 for 3 years. He recently got a 888 which he rode for a while and switched back. His only complaint is also weight, but once you get used to the rediculously smooth ride you get out of it, it's hard to switch...even to a Marzocchi.