For 2014, Marzocchi’s completely revamped their naming scheme along with their DH fork, updated the cross country forks and introduced a bruiser of a new long travel enduro fork.
Each fork gets named based on the stanchion diameter, which gives a clue as to its intended purpose, and letters mainly indicate the key external adjustment features. The 38mm stanchion dual crown downhill fork is the 380, the XC models are the 320 (32mm) and the new 350 enduro bouncers have 35mm stanchions…and we’ll start with that one.
New top of the line 350NCR enduro fork is technically a 2015 product and will come available next spring. It gets a modified lockout damper that doesn’t actually fully lockout, it just creates more of a platform. They felt this was more appropriate for that type of rider.
It also features are external compression and rebound dials. Now, let’s learn what’s on the inside…
It does away with their usual open bath system, instead getting a new Dynamic Bleed Cartridge (DBC) semi sealed system that lets the oil circulate out of the top of the cartridge to cool and go back into the circuit as needed.
Next down the line is the 350CR without lockout lever but gets a new bronze-hued “Gold Race Coating” on the stanchions.
Both of those use an air main spring with coil negative spring. On the other leg you have the damper cartridge with various external adjustments based on model. Marzocchi wanted to make their forks even more tunable, so you can easily pull the cartridge and change the compression shim stack to customize it, all without having to completely disassemble the lowers.
Travel options will be 140, 150 and 160 millimeters, internally adjustable with spacers. A third model (not shown) will be a coil spring version with only rebound adjustment. Final weights are TBD, but they should be very competitive.
Those and the XC forks will get a new lockout remote lever as an option. Push the lever down to lock (or turn on the platform for the 350’s), then just tap the button to release. Easy peasy.
Both the 350 and 380 fork get high end SFK seals.
The new 380 downhill fork gets external high and low speed compression and rebound damping knobs, giving you a lot of control over the feel. Plus, it also has the easy change shim stack.
The top model gets a titanium coil spring (it’s not an air fork) and comes in at a claimed 2.79kg. Helping keep the weight low is an all-new lowers casting…
…and a new taper wall thru axle.
The 38mm stanchions use their nickel coating and taper externally between the clamps.
The Moto shocks also get updated, with two versions of the Moto C2R. The one shown here is the stock item and has hi/low speed external compression adjustments at the top. Pull them out and you can quickly change the shim stacks on these, too.
One of the big structural changes is that the shaft and lower eyelet are now one piece, making a stronger, lighter unit. The rebound adjustment knob is built into it.
The upgraded version uses Progression Booster adjustment (black knob on the bottom of the piggy back chamber on left) that opens up more chambers inside the nitrogen compensator chamber, creating more volume. There are three chambers, and it’s more linear during compression with all three open, more progressive with one. They did this to avoid putting sliding pistons in it like with a threaded volume adjust knob.
Quick tech explanation: The nitrogen compensator chamber is essentially a small, compressible chamber that’s separated from the oil reservoir by an IFP (Internal Floating Piston). As the shock compresses, more oil is pushed into the reservoir, which compresses the nitrogen chamber. During rebound, the nitrogen pushes back, helping force the oil back through the circuit, which is generally routed through the rebound circuit at that point.
For Cross Country, the new 320 series of XC forks gets 32mm stanchions and is headlined by the 320LCR Carbon (left), which has a one-piece carbon fiber crown and steerer. It uses a new LCR damping cartridge with ext high speed compression and rebound adjustment and a lockout lever.
Across the board, the new design saves about 40g over the 2013 models and come with 80/100/120 travel, internally adjustable. The fork in the middle is the alloy crowned 320LCR. On the far right is the 320LR base level with lockout and rebound only. It gets an improved gold coating on the stanchions, but it’s not as smooth as the nickel coating on the other two.
