2010 Sachs fork factory compression stack specs(ec300)
 

ok, now I have investigated the factory settings of the fork. I was surprised to find 140mm oil level, and a light 2-stage compression stack.

Stack:
24x.15
12x.15
20x.15
16x.15
14x.15
12x.15
10x.30
10x.30

comp piston has two large channels for the compression flow, with two 1 mm-bleed holes.

So what does that tell you about the forks action?
I have the 2010 450 and have only ridden it once
so the forks need more running in.
I found them not to bad,a little bit firm in the mid stroke.

Forks feel terrible on small stuff. Harsh on roots and the like. However I have identified a misalignment/sticktion problem, but have not had the opportunity to test it with problem solved.

It should perform very good for the type of rocky riding i mostly do. We'll know by this evening.

Sounds good please let us know how you went.

It must be the moon rocks in Sweden, because the stock EC (250/300) forks feel pretty decent on small stuff in Michigan. Not so much on the slap downs, but overall really good for out of the box legs.

HOWEVER - check the forks carefully and take action on this - I found the 1.0mm thick spring spacer ring on the top of the spring cracked and coned. The springs have very little pre-load to begin with so my plan was to replace the original with a 3.0mm spacer, but if this had completely broken it would have been catastrophic.

The forks look good as far as construction goes, but with some odd-dimensioned components, but the work to modify the compression tap and valve stack for increased tuneability continues.

The base valve is only part of the problem.
The mid- valve, spring rates and rebound come into play in making the Sachs and Marz for work.
I finally got my forks working great after a re-spring and several valving adjustments to all three areas.
Just a note I am using 3w oil with 130mm oil level

One thing I don't like about the Sachs fork is the rod stopper is peened into position.
The Marz fork has a removable one, that allows removal and thus the rod can be removed to access the rebound and mid-valve piston/stack.
Looks like on the Sachs you have to remove the cart head which requires a special cart body holding tool and some heat to split the two apart.
Anyone who has had one apart care to comment on that ??

Prints are in the shop to have the tool made - you're right that that is the only way it comes apart.

Ok, suspension is getting better.

Here's my setup: (115kg in gear)

Front:
Spring: 4.5 N/mm, std preload(next to nothing)
Oil level: 140mm, stock oil. (what weight is it?)
rebound clicks: 11 out
comp clicks: 8 out

rear:
Spring: 60 N/mm, 8 mm preload
Rebound clicks: 4 out
low comp(center adjuster): 3 out
high comp(big knob): 6 out

With this setup it has got a really stable and planted feel going fast over choppy ground. However, as testing progressed in the heavy rain, the bike again got that harsh fork action. My thinking is that I am coming down too far in the stroke, a soaking wet rider does tend to weigh a little more than a dry one, and also the mud buildup added to this?

Any thoughts on this? Stiffer springs or more preload?

Another thought, is a reduction in speed...as you slow the ride gets rougher.

Here's what I found:
The fork is over damped on the BV and MV for trail riding, it's under damped on the rebound side and IMHO it's under sprung.
I went to stiffer springs because the fork and shock was riding too low in the stroke, and heavier springs meant I needed to stiffen up the rebound side...more so in the HS portion of the stack.
on the BV I did use a bleed shim, but very slight bleed. The MV I had to re-adjust several times until I was happy with how deep the fork dipped into the stroke.
MY first attempt was way too much float...it worked great every where except in fast down hills that had holes, large roots, and G-outs then it became a scary as the fork would dive too deep into the stroke too quickly.
By the 3rd attempt I found an arrangement that gave me the best ride yet,....super plush yet compliant and I now can attack down hills without fear of going over the bars.
I think there's a lot of magic to be found in the MV...of course it all has to work together.