Small size Proflex 957 project stalled

[gtRTSdh]

So I bought this beauty, mainly for the frame and forks, as everything else was rubbish.

Having bought wheels/tyres/brakes groupset/seat/post/bar/stem/grips I rode the bike and realised both shocks needed a rebuild. Already in for over £1K, he £200 rebuild for the pair was a lot to swallow, but they had to be done so I sent them away, only to be told both shafts are corroded inside the bodies and need replacing.

No repsonse to wanted adds, left me looking for alternatives, none can be found, each shock is virtually unique. Nothing s/hand on here/pinkbike/ebay.

XP8 adaptor won't work as the shock mounts differently on the small frame.

Risse do replacements for $400 + shpping + import tax.
Noleen J6 do replacement noleens for $450 + shpping + import tax.

Anyone have any ideas what the tax hit is likely to be? Customs website is full of S**T so that you can't actually work anything out, lots of references to method 1-4 but nothing refers to what these methods actually are!!!!

I just can't face spending well over £1,500 on this, especiallly as I don't know how the thing even rides, it bobbed like crazy with the dead rear shock.

Has anyone got any inspration or ideas?

To add injury to insult, a 27.2mm dropper post is the only option other than standing the whole ride with a short post or carrying an alternative seat/saddle in a rucksack, this will be another £200, I think I might hang the frame and forks on the wall and use everything else on the Xizang.

 

[marc two tone]

proflex

hi mate. Im doing a proflex build myself but, knowingly sourced some more 'regular' forks as i remember vectors as a service libility and, despite their cult and popularity... A ropey design! Too many pivot points to absorb the contact and feel the rider needs. Essentially a design not with us now?! Stick with the 'find others' option as this may save you some servicing grief. And im sure less costly. The odd pair of girvin forks pops up on here occasionally. Ive gone for rockshox but i dont blame you wanting to stick with these as they look pretty good.

 

[TDIfurby]

Interesting to see you have a different shocker on yours to mine. I assumed mine was the correct type of shock that came on a 957. Mine's got a damper reservoir on it.

This is a 957 stats picture I have referred to a few times.

 

[gtRTSdh]

Re: proflex

hi mate. Im doing a proflex build myself but, knowingly sourced some more 'regular' forks as i remember vectors as a service libility and, despite their cult and popularity... A ropey design! Too many pivot points to absorb the contact and feel the rider needs. Essentially a design not with us now?! Stick with the 'find others' option as this may save you some servicing grief. And im sure less costly. The odd pair of girvin forks pops up on here occasionally. Ive gone for rockshox but i dont blame you wanting to stick with these as they look pretty good.

Thanks for the advice, the forks are fine pivot wise, just the shock is dead. I guess in reality the money on a new shock is probably not much different than a normal fork will cost me, I'm just frustrated as I've gone 200 over budget (£1K) already and now have another 500 to spend. . . it's a lot money tied up in something I'm never going to use that often!!! As I've now got three bikes, I'm not likely to wear the crossinks out, and they were the main reason for buying the bike!!!

 

[gtRTSdh]

TDI, you can see that due to the rear shock bolting through the top tube on the small size frame, the remote reservoir shock wouldn't fit. It has compression damping adjustment over the non piggy back style.

 

[TDIfurby]

Aha fair enough. I never realised they use different ones for other frame sizes, but that makes sense.

 

[gtRTSdh]

How did yours ride, is there much 'bob' when pedalling, is it stiff at the back end when lent over?

 

[jimo746]

is the shock on it a Noleen NR2? I have no experience of the Small sized frames so don't know if there are any differences in the Noleen shocks between Small frames and other sized frames, but from looking at the pic it looks the same as my NR2 shock???
The Noleen shocks come up for sale on here, idriders forum, or ebay failry frequently, may be worth tracking a good/used shock down?

 

[gtRTSdh]

is the shock on it a Noleen NR2? I have no experience of the Small sized frames so don't know if there are any differences in the Noleen shocks between Small frames and other sized frames, but from looking at the pic it looks the same as my NR2 shock???
The Noleen shocks come up for sale on here, idriders forum, or ebay failry frequently, may be worth tracking a good/used shock down?

The shock on the small is the same nr2, as the larger sizes, just the piggy back version doesn't fit. Also the small size restricts the use of an aftermarket shock as well. i've searched everrywhere for s/hand nr2 for over a week now and just can't find anything.

I could probably get something to work in the crosslinks but it's such an unusual eye to eye Vs stroke it would never be perfect.

 

[TDIfurby]

How did yours ride, is there much 'bob' when pedalling, is it stiff at the back end when lent over?

It was bad but then I just got it refurbed at a motoX type of garage after being recommended on here (cost approx £90) and its got a nice action now. Generally it feels stiff being leant on but then most rear sus is I think. I also have a little knob I can turn to adjust the damping which is a nice touch.