I recently purchased and installed custom built to my specs Bitubo preload and rebound adjustable shocks. They were a tremendous value, significantly less than all the others, and they ride fantastic.

That said, I strongly considered JRI, Ohlins, and Pro Action (Revo shocks while seemingly awesome were just not reasonably priced for my consideration), and had I been willing to spend that kind of money, I probably would have gone with Pro Action because of their lifetime warranty, made in America, and their overall rider reviews for ride quality and customer service.

Good luck to all in their suspension quest.

A few points of clarification.....

- It really seems to me that “hattitude” and “tj316” are feeling the “need to be right”.....
- When Howard responded, he posted pictures, to which I questioned for clarity sake, whether those were from an OEM spring fork setup, OR, a fork cartridge setup.....the question was ignored, and no answer or clarity was given....
- I merely made a statement which I believed was accurate, and which I provided video corroboration from Progressive Suspensions....I didn’t make this up folks, nor did I take credit for it. I provided information, which I was given, which my local mechanic / a recognized bike builder also corroborated, no more, no less.....ultimately the fact is there are in fact reputable “experts” out there who apparently disagree with the resident self appointed or anointed experts here on this forum, with regard to this particular subject, and nobody (so far) in this discussion has offered anything more than their opinion (with the because they say so attitude).......everyone would benefit from being open and considerate of differing perspectives......

- I am NOT the one claiming to be right - hattitude, tc316, Howard, and a few others are holding that role down exceptionally well.....I offered information for the OP and or anyone to consider and do with as they choose.....

- The question remains to be answered with reputable reference, when replacing oem fork internal parts with replacement cartridge inserts, how much different are the remaining wear surfaces, bushings, and seals enduring stress and or wear?......notice I am NOT opposed to the notion, I am simply asking or offering that there may just be significant difference in the stresses and wear in the oem configuration versus the replacement cartridge configuration - this is the point that has been either overlooked or outright dismissed as a possibility.......

In the end, we all have choices, and each of us gets to live with the choices we make. Some of us look for a wide array of reputable information when attempting to make educated decisions......

So, to the original poster, good luck, there is just a bunch of information available to help you make the best choice for you, with regard to suspension options/upgrades, and this holds true for everyone else “invested” in this or any other topic.....

Ride on......

Tim,

to to be clear, I shared information, but along with that, I asked questions. I have not attempted to claim or explain anything, other than additional information for all to consider.

So, to that end, with fork internals which have added dampening forces and pressures forcefully put upon them, is there the possibility that replacing those internals with fork cartridges, results in reduced pressures, wear, and maintenance on the remaining parts (upper and lower bushings, seals, and lubricating oil?

That is really the core of my questions, and again, being open to the idea in either direction, my intent was to consider all perspectives offered here. I can see the merits of all perspectives, but I can’t offer any conclusive data or information, as I have had my fork cartridges for less than 200 miles....


this is is great information. Forgive me, but I can’t tell from the pictures how much wear is indicated from the old upper and lower your pictures are showing. So, if I am understanding you correctly, now, you have new bushings on the right installed with the new cartridges? It will be interesting to see what the bushings look like in 18-20k miles, with the cartridges, based on the recommended fork rebuild maintenance schedule for forks.

Great discussion points, and I appreciate you posting the pictures.