[Closed] RS Totems - Opinions?

Perhaps they didn't have them in stock?...

When they first came out there were some issues. But they were sorted and can be sorted. Buttery smooth in my experience.

Thanks ChunkyMTB - I was a bit concerned as I 'd heard the Domains were a bit basic but hadn't heard anything bad about the Totems.

Maybe I shouldn't have uttered the words "online bargain" during the conversation! 🙂

whole lot of fork. load of issues with the airs at the start but coils were some of the best forks ever.

depends what you want them for though, lyriks are a better choice for an AM bike. Boxxers for a DH bike.

In my experience they are a pretty bombproof fork. No issues reliability wise, nor has anyone I know who owns a pair of the coils. There were issues with the original airs though.

They are a fantastically damped fork, better performance than a lyrik imo and they are stiff as a bastard, insanely so. However, they are overkill for most riding short of a dh track where a triple clamp will give better leverage. They are the perfect compliment to a short travel/ mini dh play bike.

Domains are basic, but that's no bad thing in my experience, they go up and down very nicely, have rebound (and compression on some models), are nice and stiff and very reliable.

They also have steel uppers which adds a little extra weight but makes them a lot more scratch and chip resistant and easier to polish out if you do scratch them.

If you are racing or a ride a LOT of DH I would recommend a better damped fork like the Lyrick or Totem, or a Boxxer if you want twin crown, but I happen to think the Domain is a bit of an unsung budget hero fork.

I've had two sets of totems, both coils, 2010. It is a brilliant fork, stiff, smooth, bomb proof, seemingly bottomless, excellent adjustment (4-4-2). One set failed me where the head seal went, this is the seal that keeps the oil in the damper, when it goes the oil leaks into the lower leg, you lose all damping and it eventually hyraulic locks. I fixed it twice by just emptying out and rebuilidng (no seals to hand just rebuilt) the third time I got a new seal set and rebuilt properly. Then for about 6 months I carried a spare seal set around just in case, and of course I never experienced any more problems.

I found the lock out to be a bit crap, so I removed this as per lots of interwebs instructions.

Fully recommended fork. 🙂

I got one on a bike I bought second hand - the rebound damper went on it and had to be replaced c£90 I think but apart from that they have been flawless and work superbly. Noticeably smoother than my Lyrik on the other bike but they are overkill for most of my riding...

First dual airs had issues.

Had some solo airs since the end of 07, never missed a beat. One new pair of seals in that time, and the usual servicing of course.

Dead easy to work on, cos everything is comedy oversize compared to most forks.

Thanks everyone - good stuff there. Totems it is then....

Or maybe I should bin Mountainbiking and do this instead........

[url= http://pinterest.com/pin/18858892159573740/ ]Gravity fed tricycle slidey fun[/url]

I meant 2-step, not dual air. Friday afternoon brain-fail.

They are superb if a little OTT for most riding.
Had no problems at all, and there seems to be endless adjustment.

I have air totems on my Gravity Assist Biased Bicycle. I like them very much, bought em 2nd hand, used em for 18 months then had blown seals which have been replaced and no other issues, they are very tunable and pretty easy to fix / maintain.

Good fork when they work, but mine have ****ed up in some way at least once a year. I'd put the complete list, not I'm not typing it out on the phone!

Just got some solo airs (wanted the galvanised finish) for my VP-Free, only one ride on them so far but was very impressed with them. Check the oil in the lowers before you use them, easy to do with the speed lube ports. Mine had half the correct amount in one leg and none in the other. Got mine from Winstanleys and arrived the next day 🙂

My problem with Totems is that although they were stiff laterally and torsionally, the fact that they were almost as tall as boxxers, coupled with wide bars and a non-integrated stem meant that they felt noodly at the stem/fork interface. I could actually feel the whole bars/steerer flexing from side to side on fast rocky downhill descents. I've never had that with 160mm forks or dual crowns.

They're great for hucking and doing tricks if you are into that kind of thing but for a mini-downhill bike I'd rather have some Boxxer world cups or something similar running at 180mm. Same weight, integrated steerer and for 200mm of travel the axle to crown is only about 3mm higher.

My 2009 models also pissed oil and the compression adjustments never did anything. If you REALLY have to get some 180mm forks, I'd recommend some 66s. My mates 2011 models blew my Totems out the water, although I'm in love with the Lyriks I'm currently running.

bwaarp

My problem with Totems is that although they were stiff laterally and torsionally, the fact that they were almost as tall as boxxers, coupled with wide bars and a non-integrated stem meant that they felt noodly at the stem/fork interface.

To be fair though that's just the stiffness of the fork showing up the lack of stiffness in your cockpit. It's not something I've had a problem with running renthal fatbars and various stems.

I'd take your point about a totem vs boxxer, 888 or 40 though. It's hard to justify them though I'd say they contribute to a more playful feel. Would disagree about the 66s. I've owned both and would rate the totems highly over 66s

jam bo - Member

whole lot of fork. load of issues with the airs at the start but coils were some of the best forks ever.

depends what you want them for though, lyriks are a better choice for an AM bike. Boxxers for a DH bike.

I've seen what happens when you hoon downhill on Totems! 😀

Now I'm at a proper computer, here's the run down of issues I've had.

Loads of stiction.
Compression dial seal went, leading to oil getting dumped out the top/water sucked in when wet.
Garter spring fell of one of the inner seals, which I only discovered when I stripped them to see why a big scratch had appeared in the stanchion.
And just when I thought they were running sweet, they suddenly went from buttery smooth, to locking up mid stroke in the space of 100yds.

They are nice when they work, but I'm fed up with them not, but I can't really justify replacing them, so I now just accept that they'll **** up at least once whenever I take that bike on holiday.

Got some totems on the glory. When new, the seals failed, replaced in Whistler under warranty and have been great since. A whole lotta fork...

I often see folks with loads of headset spacers under their stems, I'd suggest you ride them low.