Rock Shox Coil Totem
Analysis:
Weight:
The fork with 9.4″ steerer tube, FSA Pig DH crown race, and starnut came in at 2982 grams or 6.57 pounds.
Adjustability and Tuning:
The adjustability on this fork is quite good. Everything on it can be adjusted easily and it’s not a hard fork to tune for varying riding styles. Depending on the rider’s weight, the stock spring might need to be changed. This isn’t a big issue as the swap is very easy to do. The fork can also be dialed in to varying travel lengths with spacers which is nice.
Feel:
This fork feels very smooth. It doesn’t have any chatter or harshness in its initial travel and the overall feel of the fork can be tuned impeccably depending on if a firm or plush feel is desired. The Totem uses its travel quite effectively and it is easy to dial in providing the correct spring is installed. The overall feel of this new Rock Shox Totem is very impressive. Throughout its entire travel, there wasn’t any sticking and the fork was very easy to dial in to a variety of feels. The fork does have a linear feel about it. Setting up the Totem correctly is key.
All the dials worked and each click whether it was the rebound, compression, or flood gate, could be felt. The fork is very stiff and feels just as strong as a dual crown fork. It is very resiliant to any form of flexing in the stanchions and it adds stability and confidence when the terrain turns challenging.
Build Quality:
This fork has a lot of beef to go around. Its stance is similar to dual crown forks of similar travel. The massive 40mm stanchions help direct the Totem to go where the rider points the Totem. The build quality on this shock is stellar and reinforced in all the right places.
Meaty arch for stiffness and strength
Large dropouts to increase strength and support big hits
Money Value:
This fork, while excellent, tops the charts quite high on price. At roughly $1000, there are a lot of options such as a Fox, Marzocchi, or a dual crown fork at a cheaper price. What you need to ask yourself is if the benefits of the Totem are worth the extra money to you. Depending on how you envision using this fork could sway you either way. As an example, the Marzocchi 66 SL 1 ATA comes in at a slightly lower weight, easier travel adjustment, and slightly cheaper but doesn’t have all the features of the Totem.
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