Are older Pikes sti...
 

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[Closed] Are older Pikes still worth the dough?

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I've never owned a Pike before or even ridden one but I want something 34mm/35mm and half decent.

I've been offered a mint 2016 Pike but am planning on fitting to a 2021 frame.

Will i die?


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 1:33 pm
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I'd say so, depends how much you are planning to pay I guess.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 1:36 pm
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What do you reckon would be the right price for a mint example (unmarked, low use)?


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 1:40 pm
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Whatever they are, I'd factor in the cost of a service.

Until recently I had old coil Pikes, I've also got 2016/17 air ones and they were great.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 1:42 pm
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Why wouldn’t they be any good? All comes down to maintenance and how much you’re paying - if they’re in good condition and around £300 or less then I’d go for it. In actual fact I did a couple of years ago - think I paid £275 for a Pike RC in decent used condition. Other than do a lowers service and change the airshaft as I wanted different travel (it came 130mm but I wanted 140mm) they just did what they should. Will be a charger 1 damper I believe - it’s more solid than the charger 2 that followed it - but won’t be quite as slick as the newest charger 2.1.

I believe the chassis is still broadly the same so should you ever want to you could retrofit the latest damper / seals / airshaft etc.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 1:45 pm
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I've got 2016 ones with the newer air spring. Had them at 150 and 130 on a 901 and Aeris 120. They've been faultless, just dropped the lowers and given them a quick service with SKF seals, and they feel great. See no reason to change other than they're non boost on a boost frame.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 1:49 pm
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And my 2016's were lighter than the 2018 that replaced them.

Crack in the crown, cable rub...


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 2:13 pm
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If it's Solo Air I would say no, as someone who upgraded to Debonair. Solo Air is absolute garbage in comparison, I can't believe I put up with it for so long.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 2:37 pm
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You can cheaply upgrade the air springs to (or near to) the newer spec. Not sure what's really changed with the dampers in practice


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 3:09 pm
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Mine are going on eBay tomorrow evening, to finish on Sunday. Straight forward auction, no reserve and £1 start bid. Even if you are not interested then you can see what they fetch as a guide.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 4:48 pm
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Still very good with the newer air spring fitted.

But the lighter damping on the newer RS forks can be more comfy.

Not twice-the-price better though.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 4:55 pm
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Yeah, the new air springs can be had for < £30 (or, at least, they were a few months ago, I haven't checked).

To be honest, even the older air spring is fine, it's just a different feel. They'll be creaky.

Check if they are Boost or not.

I'm not gonna hazard a guess at second hand value, but all the bits are replaceable and the original charger dampers are pretty dependable. If they are in good condition cosmetically, the worst case scenario you can make them good as new with a lowers oil change and new seals (+/- new air spring).


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 5:02 pm
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Had my 2016 Pikes serviced just before Chrimbo and the workshop guy was full of praise for them. They still serve me very well, don't lose a lot of air. It never occurred to me that they might be regarded as old.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 5:08 pm
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As everyone has said above.. What sort of money is he asking?


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 6:02 pm
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£350. Non-boost (suits my wheels, but yeah)


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 6:07 pm
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Got some 2015 Pikes and think they are fantastic. Best forks I've ever owned.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 6:14 pm
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I'm still on a 2014 Pike and they fine. Don't really notice a significant improvement over newer and theoretically better forks on bikes I've rented or tested. I've converted it to coil spring which was an upgrade as far as I'm concerned. Probably not quite as stiff as the later versions and for me I'd take stiffness over fancy pants dampers and air springs any day so the main reason to make me replace them. In fact I think a good move when I come to replace them will be to buy some nice forks a few years old and maybe a bit tatty and in need of a good service/overhaul and do a coil spring conversion. They're easy to service and the chances are the damper wont need it...when I serviced the damper on mine after about 3 or 4 years of zero maintenance use the damper was as clean as the day it was born and the oil inside was perfect. Not sure I can bring myself to spend the thick end of a grand for brand new forks. Prices are getting silly now.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 7:18 pm
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I think that's a bit high, but used prices have gone mental this last year.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 7:48 pm
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Got 2016 non-Boost Pikes on my RocketMax and they’re great. Upgraded to a newer Debonair shaft and also got an MRP Ramp Control in them too. Never felt the need for anything more given my riding so long as I keep them well serviced.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 7:58 pm
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I run a 2014 Pike and my friends always comment on how smooth they are after a run on my bike.

Learning how to service them yourself is the key.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 9:53 pm
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Yes 2016 pikes here and pretty happy. Performance does fall off with time but is good with a lowers service that I do myself. I have to run them with no or just 1 click of LSC to get small bumps dialled out. I think I read that various after market and now RS upgrades could recalibrate that.

So plan is funds allowing to send them to tft this year and get that done along with a full service.


 
Posted : 24/02/2021 10:12 pm
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I'd agree with much of the above, it comes down to how much they are going to cost. I'd imagine at around £300/350 they are going to be better than anything you can buy new.

I had some 2014 (I think) Pikes and they were a huge improvement over everything I'd had before and happily switched them between a few bikes over 4 or 5 years. I then picked up some 2018 Fox 36 in the epic CRC sale a few years back and they made the Pike feel rough. Tech moves on I guess but the 2016 forks will still be very good, just not as good as they current offerings.


 
Posted : 25/02/2021 9:45 am
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Not the latest fork and non boost is a slight disadvantage but weighing up price and availability....put it this way, if you don’t want them I may be interested.


 
Posted : 25/02/2021 10:04 am
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2016 Pike RCT3's here. Originally 160mm soloair, then 140mm on another bike, and for past 2 years with a 130mm DebonAir shaft fitted. Still happy with how they feel, much plusher than the basic 2018 Yari with MoCo damper I had on my other bike until I fitted a Charger 2.1 damper to that.


 
Posted : 25/02/2021 10:09 am
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TBH any well serviced pike from the rct3 generation, maybe with a small investment in upgrades like the newer airspring, is going to work better than most forks just by being looked after. And getting the settings halfway right is the same. We're so much in control of how our suspension works and most people don't make use of that even now.

And none of them will work as well as an ancient mission control DH lyrik 😉 And for hard use none of them will work as well as a Pike with a coil in it.


 
Posted : 25/02/2021 1:46 pm
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I have a 2015 Pike and a much more recent Lyrik ('19?) and the Lyrik is definitely stiffer but the damping/grip/feel is pretty close.


 
Posted : 25/02/2021 8:41 pm
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I have a set of older pikes with a 120 travel(changed) and vorsprung piston ,serviced and returned from mojo (receipt provided) in summer but never refitted ,non-boost,would take sensible offers before fleabay .Anthony


 
Posted : 25/02/2021 9:41 pm
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Am I safe to assume that Pike to be pre Boost gen?
Cheap post Boost Pikes, Lyriks and Yaris are great as RS is still using the same chassis (not sure on the Pike tho) and they're easily and relatively cheaply upgraded to current spec


 
Posted : 25/02/2021 11:20 pm

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