I have a 2007 Enduro SL. I have read a bunch of posts of people complaining about some of the suspension problems and I wanted to give my good opinion. I have been riding on the 2007 for about a year now and never experienced any suspension failure. Most suspension problems are usually do to improper setup. The new Specialized brand suspension has a lot of adjustment and a lot to get wrong. I gave my bike good maintenance and kept the pressure up so I did not bottom it out very often and have had no problems.
This year I met a Specialized Factory Rep. at my LBS and was talking to him about my setup. I told him about a few things I wished were better such as:
A more plush feel in the 1st half of the suspension stroke to soak up little bumps. I felt like I was getting beaten up with the little stuff but on large bumps or drops it worked well. I was also not getting much of a different feel out of adjusting the rebound and compression damping settings to their extremes.
I had tried lowering the air spring pressure to make it more supple, which worked but then it would bottom our to easily.
He simply suggested I have the 2008 upgrade installed and watch the new setup video on the website.
I just got the 2008 upgrade finished and have been on a few rides and I love it. The new setup video is great and very thorough. I almost just did what the 2007 video said but I am glad I watched the new one. I actually ended up with lower air pressure than I was running with the 07 to get to the proper sag setup. I am from a motocross background and sag is how we have always setup motorcycle suspension. It is a far more consistent than just relying on air pressure.
While riding it the 1st half of the stroke is nice and soft and reactive the way I always thought it should be. I was worried about it being too soft when I got to the top and headed downhill but it was not. It stayed supple when you needed and absorbed big hits well while avoiding bottoming. Also with my worry about it being too soft I cranked the compression all the way stiff and it was too stiff! That is great! I don't have a ton of experience but I have not seen an all mountain bicycle suspension have both extremes with 1 air setup of being borderline too soft but have a way to make it as stiff as you want easily and quickly on the fly. The rebound adjusters also give me all the options I can ask for by being able to slow the rebound down far slower than you would ever want it or make it so fast you could jump from a pre-load. Get it somewhere in the middle and it is nice and controlled.
This is basically a reminder to anyone who owns an Enduro SL of any type or is considering buying one, that Specalized has a 5 year warranty on their suspension and has great service if you do have any problems. More people should post their positive experiences with them so if you ever go to sell it anyone who does research will find out what a great rig it is.
This year I met a Specialized Factory Rep. at my LBS and was talking to him about my setup. I told him about a few things I wished were better such as:
A more plush feel in the 1st half of the suspension stroke to soak up little bumps. I felt like I was getting beaten up with the little stuff but on large bumps or drops it worked well. I was also not getting much of a different feel out of adjusting the rebound and compression damping settings to their extremes.
I had tried lowering the air spring pressure to make it more supple, which worked but then it would bottom our to easily.
He simply suggested I have the 2008 upgrade installed and watch the new setup video on the website.
I just got the 2008 upgrade finished and have been on a few rides and I love it. The new setup video is great and very thorough. I almost just did what the 2007 video said but I am glad I watched the new one. I actually ended up with lower air pressure than I was running with the 07 to get to the proper sag setup. I am from a motocross background and sag is how we have always setup motorcycle suspension. It is a far more consistent than just relying on air pressure.
While riding it the 1st half of the stroke is nice and soft and reactive the way I always thought it should be. I was worried about it being too soft when I got to the top and headed downhill but it was not. It stayed supple when you needed and absorbed big hits well while avoiding bottoming. Also with my worry about it being too soft I cranked the compression all the way stiff and it was too stiff! That is great! I don't have a ton of experience but I have not seen an all mountain bicycle suspension have both extremes with 1 air setup of being borderline too soft but have a way to make it as stiff as you want easily and quickly on the fly. The rebound adjusters also give me all the options I can ask for by being able to slow the rebound down far slower than you would ever want it or make it so fast you could jump from a pre-load. Get it somewhere in the middle and it is nice and controlled.
This is basically a reminder to anyone who owns an Enduro SL of any type or is considering buying one, that Specalized has a 5 year warranty on their suspension and has great service if you do have any problems. More people should post their positive experiences with them so if you ever go to sell it anyone who does research will find out what a great rig it is.