X-Fusion O2 Pro RL / RLR Rear Shocks

When I bought my Marin Rift Zone ('18) last year, I heard that the X-Fusion tune was pretty good for this bike and I did not think about my friend's warranty stories with their products. I even liked the idea to try this brand's shock to see how it would fare compared to the more mainstream Fox or Rock Shox options.

Let's start with reliablilty

After 2 rides (about 15 miles), the shock didn't have any compression/rebound damping and had to be sent for warranty. This is a pretty frustrating situation when you just got your new bike and want to ride it while the weather is great. After a few weeks I got it back, and I was lucky to be able to finish the season on the new rebuild (awesome service by the canadian service center though, kudos to S4 suspension in St-Jerome,QC).

Starting this new season, I was crossing my fingers for the shock to work well. It did for a while, but then after a few rides I started to feel and hear a "knock" in the first 5-10mm of stroke. The shock didn't work properly either and damping was inconsistent. My rebound dial didn't click anymore much so I had to guess when I was in my settings. Not ideal. Thankfully, S4 were at a race nearby and were able to fix my shock on the spot since it was still under warranty (thanks to X-Fusion for the 2-year warranty though!). I am really careful and meticulous with my bike's maintenance and never pressure wash my bike so I think that I did all I could to keep it working in good condition.

How does it ride though ?

The bike's reviews were right though, the tune is not too bad for this particular frame. Adjusting the rebound dial 1 click from fully open (gives you an idea of the tune) still gets you good recovery from the small shock, but don't expect to have much options if you like slower rebound speeds. I like fast rebound settings so the shock doesn't pack up, but my friends who like slower rebound wouldn't like it. I'd be better with a reservoir shock because I can feel it after long descents, but given the bike's trail riding intentions, it's still a good choice for this frame. When it works, it works fine.

Conclusion

So if you happen to buy a bike with an X-Fusion O2 Pro R bolted to it, I'd say use it until it needs to be warrantied/rebuilt, then decide if you buy another shock or keep getting it rebuilt. Maybe I got a lemon, but I am ready to buy another shock if I need to send it again to get warrantied. I gave it only 2.5 stars because the reliability is too bad to compensate for the "good" overall performance.