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[NEW2elec]

So my 2013 DS forks are on their last leg at about 16K miles.  They are leaking at the foot and after briefly talking to Harlan he said well they have to go.
Now on the Zero web page for my bikes specs it says they are 38mm inverted forks with 7 inches of travel. The 2014's seem to be 43mm.
So my question is what are my options?  It looks like Fastace may have dropped these forks completely which is not a good sign.  Older threads talk about this issue and that people felt these forks were way under sized for this bike.
Does anyone know of any replacement forks at that size that could handle a 400lb DS bike?
Has anyone upgraded to larger forks with a new clamp setup?

[odedmaz]

I'd start with a suspension specialist. If the forks are not damaged, most probably, he'll be able to upgrade them by re-valving and adjusting them.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Ndm]

I'd be interested in any upgrade to the front forks as well

[NEW2elec]

Basically it's just the left fork where the brake caliper puts so much force on that small thin tube it just can't take it.

It isn't this bad yet:
! No longer available

But I don't want to get there either.  Now to my knowledge this bike never went off road in any true DS style so it may be how it has lasted this long. So a suspension guy may not be able to fix it if it just can't handle the forces.

[rayivers]

Have you tried tightening the setscrew that keeps the lower fork tube from turning in the axle foot?  On the '14 FastAce forks it's on the in side of each foot, hopefully the '13 forks have them in the same place.  I'd loosen it a bit, tighten the tube as much as possible by hand, then tighten the setscrew; I'd also check the other side while you're at it.  This isn't what I'd call a repair, but it should reduce the leakage and make the forks tighter-feeling and safe for now.

+1 on the suspension guy for this situation; with the forks on the bench he can find out their condition, specs, and dimensions, and if the tubes need replacing there are aftermarket tube makers like TNK that might have something that fits and is stronger than stock.

The audio from that YouTube clip would make an excellent ring tone.

Ray

[Harlan]

We have an upgrade we've prototyped but developing it further hasn't been at the top of our priority list. I figured I'd post some pics and see if there's interest. If we get enough pre-orders I could quickly finish it up and do a production run.

This conversion would allow you to convert to a 2014 Fast Ace fork or even the newer Showa fork. If you convert to a 2014 fork, you get to use the existing front wheel and brakes which makes it quite a bit more affordable than converting to the Showa fork.

Attached are a few pics of a 2013 DS converted to a 2014 front end. Cost of this setup would run about $1500. I haven't priced out the Showa front end but I estimate it would be closer to $2500 and you'd have a cast wheel, not a spoked wheel.

If this is something you are interested in, email me the details of what you would be looking for at harlan at hollywoodelectrics.com

[NEW2elec]

Thanks Harlan.  To be clear does Zero have any replacement forks for a 2013?  I couldn't find them on the Fast Ace site.  But Zero may have some in a parts bin somewhere.  When we spoke you knew what and where the problem was without even seeing the bike so it must be a common issue.  Also your saying converting to a 2015+ fork setup that would include the front wheel (and new front brake, rotor?) would be around $2500.

[Harlan]

Yes, Zero does have 2013 forks. Yes, the 2015+ fork setup would cost about $2500.

The problem that we've seen with the 2013 forks is that the left fork foot starts to leak at the base. I spoke with a suspension specialist and he was familiar with this problem, (it is not unique to Zeros), and he explained that the fork foot starts to stretch under braking and effectively turns into an oval such that the fork fluid starts to leak. Your fork foot appears to be loose, and you could try to have it rebuilt but if it is too far gone, you might just be wasting your money.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Yes, Zero does have 2013 forks. Yes, the 2015+ fork setup would cost about $2500.

The problem that we've seen with the 2013 forks is that the left fork foot starts to leak at the base. I spoke with a suspension specialist and he was familiar with this problem, (it is not unique to Zeros), and he explained that the fork foot starts to stretch under braking and effectively turns into an oval such that the fork fluid starts to leak. Your fork foot appears to be loose, and you could try to have it rebuilt but if it is too far gone, you might just be wasting your money.

After nearly 4 years of ownership, my 13DS just developed this problem, surprisingly on a new set of forks installed to replace the originals damaged by a car while parked. The original set were operating fine after 3 years, and the new set is only a few months old.

So, I certainly appreciate this effort and will see when I can commit.

[NEW2elec]

Harlan I'll get with you next week with some options.  I saw on Facebook where you sold the 16 SR so I'll have to think a bit harder about what I want to do with my bike.  Thanks for all the help.
Keep the Skunk Works going.