SR Suntour - Poor product, poor service even with higher end forks

[chrisaz82]

Update: October 2nd. SR Suntour contacted me and apologized for the delay and asked whether or not I would like to send them the fork for diagnosis. I've taken them on their offer and will update accordingly as soon as I hear more!

UPDATE: October 21st

My Duro fork is back on the bike and performing well. SR Suntour rebuilt the fork and refilled with oil under warranty.

My communication with Nick at Suntour was very prompt throughout the entire process. The fork was sent back to me VERY well packaged. To my suprise, it also came with an owners manual CD that contains all the owners manuals for Suntour products in electronic format. Fantastic! There was also a few stickers thrown in the box which, while it may not seem like a huge deal, I do love having extra stickers to plaster on things.

The guys at Suntour also informed me my fork was able to be upgraded with their newer RC2 damper cartridge which I will no doubt be ordering in the next few weeks.

Overall once SR Suntour was able to get ahold of me the entire process was very smooth and I'm VERY happy with the service they provide. They are one of the few companies in the industry that will respond directly to consumers without having to use an authorized retailer. Combined with the electronic manuals, fast response to emails and a website that actually provides useful information I would have to say SR Suntour is taking the biking industry in the right direction.

I have left my original complaint below for reference. I will finally be posting a full review of the fork in the next few days after I hit some trails.

Just thought I'd share my experience I had with SR Suntour.

I purchased a new bike that came with Suntour's Duro fork on the front.. this is a 150mm travel 36mm stanchion fork they are trying to market to the mid-high level market. All the specs seemed right so I pulled the trigger on the bike because it was just a fantastic deal.

I was excited to get a bike with plush, long travel (6" front and rear) so I pulled it out of the box and put it together. I notice the nut to secure the 20mm axle is missing. CRAP. Hardly Suntour's fault, I understand.

So I look up Suntour's U.S. web site and find there's a number for the support center. I call in and explain my issue that I need to purchase the nut or a replacement axle set. The gentleman on the phone was less than helpful as he directed me to go back to the website and use a form to "open a claim". So you call to order a part and get told to email them instead? Aggrevating, but whatever. So I did, exactly as I was told. A few days later, no response still. So I give up and go to a LBS who finds me an axle set from a Marzocchi that fits perfectly.

With that in hand, I rush home to finally put the front wheel on. I'm excited to get out on the road and I make it about 40 feet before I hit the first small bump and....


CLUNK.


No big deal I think, I turn around and go back home to make sure it tightened the headset enough. Tension is fine, still clunks. Frustrated, I decide to make sure it's the fork before I start ranting. I take the fork back off the bike and do some quick compressions by hand. Sure enough, clunk every time you compress the fork fast. Brand new fork and it has a nasty clunk coming from the side with the rebound cartridge. I play with the rebound setting and notice changing the setting changes the tone of the clunk. Sounds like a broken damper to me.

Now, being that I got this bike heavily discounted because of a deep scratch on the fork I wasn't going to bother to fight Suntour to warranty it since I knew I could just buy a new rebound damper for <$50 and throw it in providing Suntour agreed it was the issue. So again I opened a support ticket on their website and 5 days later still had not heard from them.

At this point I just decided to throw in the towel and bought a Rockshox Sektor RLC to replace it, I'll throw this piece of junk on eBay. My original support ticket was created around 2 weeks ago and still has recieved no response.

It is my opinion that my overall total experience with Suntour products was piss poor and would highly advise against anyone buying Suntour products or bikes that come with Suntour products including this Duro and Durolux line which they can't seem to provide support for.

[Pisgah]

Just thought I'd share my experience I had with SR Suntour.

I purchased a new bike that came with Suntour's Duro fork on the front.. this is a 150mm travel 36mm stanchion fork they are trying to market to the mid-high level market. All the specs seemed right so I pulled the trigger on the bike because it was just a fantastic deal.

I was excited to get a bike with plush, long travel (6" front and rear) so I pulled it out of the box and put it together. I notice the nut to secure the 20mm axle is missing. CRAP. Hardly Suntour's fault, I understand.

So I look up Suntour's U.S. web site and find there's a number for the support center. I call in and explain my issue that I need to purchase the nut or a replacement axle set. The gentleman on the phone was less than helpful as he directed me to go back to the website and use a form to "open a claim". So you call to order a part and get told to email them instead? Aggrevating, but whatever. So I did, exactly as I was told. A few days later, no response still. So I give up and go to a LBS who finds me an axle set from a Marzocchi that fits perfectly.

With that in hand, I rush home to finally put the front wheel on. I'm excited to get out on the road and I make it about 40 feet before I hit the first small bump and....


CLUNK.


No big deal I think, I turn around and go back home to make sure it tightened the headset enough. Tension is fine, still clunks. Frustrated, I decide to make sure it's the fork before I start ranting. I take the fork back off the bike and do some quick compressions by hand. Sure enough, clunk every time you compress the fork fast. Brand new fork and it has a nasty clunk coming from the side with the rebound cartridge. I play with the rebound setting and notice changing the setting changes the tone of the clunk. Sounds like a broken damper to me.

Now, being that I got this bike heavily discounted because of a deep scratch on the fork I wasn't going to bother to fight Suntour to warranty it since I knew I could just buy a new rebound damper for <$50 and throw it in providing Suntour agreed it was the issue. So again I opened a support ticket on their website and 5 days later still had not heard from them.

At this point I just decided to throw in the towel and bought a Rockshox Sektor RLC to replace it, I'll throw this piece of junk on eBay. My original support ticket was created around 2 weeks ago and still has recieved no response.

It is my opinion that my overall total experience with Suntour products was piss poor and would highly advise against anyone buying Suntour products or bikes that come with Suntour products including this Duro and Durolux line which they can't seem to provide support for.

It sounds like you have lots of patience, maye too much. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets oiled first. Push them nicely by phone.



edit: Maybe next time try pushing nicely by phone before you post such broad statements about the company.

[chrisaz82]

It sounds like you have lots of patience, maye too much. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets oiled first. Push them nicely by phone.

Normally I would agree, but I just don't think I can deal with a company who doesn't seem interested in even SELLING service products to customers. I didn't even want any of it repaired under warranty, I was willing to pay and still got the run around. I'd hate to see what it's like for people who are holding their breath for warranty claims!

[keen]

Where was the bike purchased ? They should have been the first in line for customer support. Try and deal w/ Rockshox for a warranty issue - you are instructed to go through you LBS. Manitou will direct you to your LBS as well for replacement parts.

[chrisaz82]

It was purchased through an online retailer, who generously offered to give me a full refund and pay for return shipping for the bike. Not really an option.

Lack of warranty doesn't bother me, I don't really care about warranty as the parts to fix forks is cheap, I can repair these things with my eyes closed the problem is just the complete lack of any kind of support, parts sales or response. I'll avoid Manitou if they pull this same crap as well.

I've had great experience with Rockshox especially since virtually every part is available from online retailers shipped to your door in just a few days, and that's why I continue to use their products. I gave Suntour a chance, they failed. If I can't service the fork because I have to wait weeks to even get a part, then it's just trash to me.

[SRvancouver13]

Hi Chris,

I'm sorry to read your about your experience with SR Suntour North America and apologize for making it difficult to find a new axle assembly as I believe we asked you call in via this forum.

I see that you did indeed send us a claims form (Dated 9-25-12) and we unfortunately did not have time to answer it in our normal time frame as we had been playing catch up from Interbike. I am not trying to make excuses here just telling it the way it is unfortunately.

I personally sent you an email this morning (before I had even read this) about your claim and hope that you take us up on sending the fork in for diagnostic work so that we can fix your new fork.

Best,

Nick

[keen]

It was purchased through an online retailer, who generously offered to give me a full refund and pay for return shipping for the bike. Not really an option.

Lack of warranty doesn't bother me, I don't really care about warranty as the parts to fix forks is cheap, I can repair these things with my eyes closed the problem is just the complete lack of any kind of support, parts sales or response. I'll avoid Manitou if they pull this same crap as well.

I've had great experience with Rockshox especially since virtually every part is available from online retailers shipped to your door in just a few days, and that's why I continue to use their products. I gave Suntour a chance, they failed. If I can't service the fork because I have to wait weeks to even get a part, then it's just trash to me.

I wouldn't discount a warranty so quickly. Even if you can do 100% of your own repairs would you really want to spend $200 on a creaking crown, $100 on a defective damper, $180 on misaligned lowers etc. on a new fork. I have owned quite a few different brands and none have a perfect warranty or parts system in place. As far as I know you can pick up the phone and order directly from Fox, not sure about Marzocchi anymore.

[patrick2cents]

hmmmm.... so a deep discounted fork you bought online was bad? I could kind of see that happening. I don't know that I would blame Suntour for it either. I understand being frustrated by a little wait, but it sounds like it wasn't THAT bad.

I would get a new damper in there and ride it prior to evaluating it as junk as well (I have never ridden one, but have heard good things).

[chrisaz82]

Suntour did in fact get ahold of me and offer to service the fork. I will update this thread with my experience as soon as repairs get under way.

[chrisaz82]

hmmmm.... so a deep discounted fork you bought online was bad? I could kind of see that happening. I don't know that I would blame Suntour for it either. I understand being frustrated by a little wait, but it sounds like it wasn't THAT bad.

I would get a new damper in there and ride it prior to evaluating it as junk as well (I have never ridden one, but have heard good things).

The fork is actually a pretty good performer for what it is. Travel is pretty plush and damping is fairly good so far, although I haven't had a chance to test it fully on the trails on account of the noise. It has this unnerving clunk every time it hits any object more than 1/2 inch tall (rocks, cracks in the sidewalk, etc).... it just doesn't feel safe to ride with as much noise as it makes.

I'd love nothing more than to be able to sing the praises of a fork that performs as well as the established brands out there if I'm able to get the clunk sorted and try it out, but I have to get the support for the product that I need before I can test it to that extent.

Suntour has reached out to me and I'm more than happy to give them a chance to fix it so we will see!

[keen]

"Now, being that I got this bike heavily discounted because of a deep scratch on the fork I wasn't going to bother to fight Suntour to warranty it since I knew I could just buy a new rebound damper for <$50 and throw it in providing Suntour agreed it was the issue. So again I opened a support ticket on their website and 5 days later still had not heard from them."

I don't quit understand what you actually want out of the situation. You wanted to buy parts for the fork but really have not determined what is the actual problem , you also want Suntour to evaluate the problem over the phone ??? If you were having issues w/ your new Rockshox fork a call to RS would send you directly to your LBS for product evaluation and warranty. Quite a few suspension company's want LBS involvement so their products are properly evaluated by trained technicians...ok that last statement can be argued but the point is still there.

[chrisaz82]

I don't quit understand what you actually want out of the situation. You wanted to buy parts for the fork but really have not determined what is the actual problem , you also want Suntour to evaluate the problem over the phone ??? If you were having issues w/ your new Rockshox fork a call to RS would send you directly to your LBS for product evaluation and warranty. Quite a few suspension company's want LBS involvement so their products are properly evaluated by trained technicians...ok that last statement can be argued but the point is still there.

What I want out of the situation is for it to be fixed, regardless of whether I pay for the parts or SR Suntour warranties it.

I don't disagree that customer service across the board in the bicycle industry for the most part sucks. That doesn't mean I or anyone else should accept the mediocre 1995-era level of service that has come to be the standard.

I give SR Suntour credit for attempting to "break the mold" as it were, and open their services to customers directly. It's 2012... it's about time someone did.
.

[ghettocop]

Remind me to never buy anything from you on E-Bay, OP.

[chrisaz82]

remind me to never buy anything from you on e-bay, op.

lol

[patrick2cents]

The fork is actually a pretty good performer for what it is. Travel is pretty plush and damping is fairly good so far, although I haven't had a chance to test it fully on the trails on account of the noise. It has this unnerving clunk every time it hits any object more than 1/2 inch tall (rocks, cracks in the sidewalk, etc).... it just doesn't feel safe to ride with as much noise as it makes.

I'd love nothing more than to be able to sing the praises of a fork that performs as well as the established brands out there if I'm able to get the clunk sorted and try it out, but I have to get the support for the product that I need before I can test it to that extent.

Suntour has reached out to me and I'm more than happy to give them a chance to fix it so we will see!

Let us know how the experience turns out for you! I'm curious what the new suntour is like. (And I'm looking for a new fork and that one was on my list to learn about)

[chrisaz82]

Fork is back on the bike and is performing well. Suntour rebuilt the fork under warranty and even replaced my rebound knob with a new, much nicer one! The clunk seems to have been resolved and I will be getting out to give it a full test to review it here on MTBR in the next few days.

Thanks again SR Suntour!