improve forks

[zakisbak]

Hi
I have a new e bike with front suspension.
The bike is great,the suspension less so.
it doesn't bottom out on compression,it bangs back on rebound,like no rebound damping,or very weak.
There is no visible adjustment.
Mechanic says allen bolt at bottom may be adjustment,I'm not convinced.
So:
Can it be improved (by a mechanic? rough cost?)
And/or
Best to replace?(Budget @£100max)
They are Zoom make.
Thanks!

[9494arnold]

Don't know much about Suspension forks but I did have to replace the forks on a neighbours bike , his son did something with the Allen bolts just above the fork ends , what he did actually broke the plastic/nylon inserts in the forks , which attached the metal outers to the internal suspension spring via the nylon / plastic bits. Not the most technical description, in summary ,
If you aren't sure , don't mess. It could cost you dear.

[mattsccm]

Zoom forks. Very much the budget end. Sorry. You won't even buy a new set of them for a hundred quid though let alone anything better.
Maybe work some internet search to see if anyone has done anything to help. I would think that any decent fork service company would want more than a hundred to do anything to a set of forks and doubt they would do much with these anyway.
Your mechanic may well be right though. Is there a manual for them online?

[simonhill]

You say new bike. If you think there is a fault with the forks then your first call should be to the retailer.

Fiddling could invalidate the warranty.

[zakisbak]

Thanks to all.
Bike was £1,000.
Didn't expect top end,didn't expect forks banging on rebound.
I don't think they're faulty.
Will contact retailer as tbh I don't think it's acceptable.
Almost impossible to identify exact model of zoom fork,let alone manual.

Would there be oil in there?
Thicker oil a la motorbike forks?

[oldtimer99]

New bike?? Really?
So it's still under warranty??

You have a right to repair or reject/refund.
Don't mess about. If it's bad now, ut's not going to get better.
Don't wait...take it back and quote your consumer rights.

[gregoryoftours]

A Zoom fork is the most bargain basement fork. There will be no damping of any kind, I doubt that the clunking top out is a fault, it's what I'd expect on anything much under £200. £100 as a maximum budget is going to be marginally better if at all. What is your bike brand and model?

[ElCani]

Assuming the forks are not faulty and are just...bad, there’s nothing you can do to improve them. They will have a spring (no oil) and possibly no damping.

Replacing with a suitable rigid fork (or better suspension fork) can be done, but won’t be cheap, definitely more than £100, more like £200-300 including labour at a bike shop.

[chris_suffolk]

I put my old MTB back into service earlier this year after serveral years in the garage. In it's day it was a top end bike, at over £1000 and had forks not much better than you are describing - bear in mind 20 years ago £1000 got more than it does today.

I replaced the forks, and they are much better, but even doing the work myself (which you may or may not be comfortable with) it still cost me £300. If you google and read a few reviews, you will soon see that any fork worth having with start at £250+ and then fitting on top if needed. A 'good' fork, depending what you want to use the bike for, will be upwards of £500, and quite likely more.

[Jupestar]

This is an e-bike? Is that correct?.

If it’s new I’d be reluctant to change anything or the warranty and service could disappear. Can you lock out the suspension?