A bit Special - my M4 S Works FSR

Frustration reigned in the building up of this bike, but at the end of the day, when I committed myself to it I've got it done easily in just a few hours and a quick test run and it really is an absolute dream. I don't like the stem, and one of the crank bolts is rusty, but apart from that....

See here viewtopic.php?f=1&t=331840 and here viewtopic.php?f=41&t=331157 for some of the issues I faced :facepalm: but at the end of it, the shock now moves and seems quite plush, although ultimately it will get replaced after the winter and some muddy rides (no point before) and the BB problem was solved by whacking a square taper UN54 in there and fitting the Race Face cranks I wanted to use on the Explosif build.... :roll:

Single ring specific chainring bolts got nicked off karma Kona so they now need replacing (but not with the new gold ones that turned up this morning for the Explosif!)

Is it a '99 or a year 2000, anyone know? Bikepedia seems to indicate 1999....

It could be lighter, the D521 on LX wheels don't help, but it's not a lump, that's for sure. Certain that over time I'll upgrade it, but these wheels were given to me and they are pretty much unridden, so it's not like there's any issues with them, gift horses, mouths, etc....

Are these rarer than the ordinary FSR's, or were they only made for a short run? Only other ones I've found have been black with red?

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Nice tyres!

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kipperthedog":v7upiyrr said:

Nice tyres!

Click to expand...

Yeah, can't remember where I got them.....

nice bike is that a narrow/wide chainring on the front? i fancy myself a bit of 1x9 action on my 99 FSR Elite - 2 x 9 is proving a bit iffy with the chain staying on up front.....would be good to know how tats working out for you???

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This has only been put together from a frameset today, and run up and down the drive and round a paddock a bit (just recovering from a bad back so didn't want to overdo it.... :facepalm: )

Have no idea about these narrow/wide chainrings, this one came off the karma Kona and I've run it on there with no problems at all over several hundred, mostly road to be fair, miles....and it's never shipped the chain or owt. I think I was sold it as a Middleburn, though it doesn't say that on it, and it's unramped and one thickness all round as far as I can see.

I've run this type of set up before without issue, what's the advantage of wide/narrow? I've just always used unramped rings! And tried to keep the chain 'tight' around the ring by using a short cage rear mech, if that makes sense...

makes sense, i've only really just come across the narrow/wide chain ring set up myself. its supposed to mitigate the need for a chain device - buy having narrow/wide chain ring, it means at high and low gears, the chain line doesnt chase the chain off the chain ring - i think....
my mate with his orange sub5 has this plus a clutched rear mech - he didnt have any chain issues during his laps at Brighton Big Dog this year - and the route mainly consists of roots, roots and errrrr, roots....so i can testify to its performance.
whereas i had about 10 stops for chain drop issues.....that my own fault though for changing to 2x9 the night before and not actually tightening my inner chain ring up properly....

the design of this looks similar to FSR XCs (with the slimmer looing shock lingake). the look pretty nimble - whats the weight like?

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I actually think it looks a bit 'spindly' on the back end if you know what I mean....

There's no play though as far as I can tell, I don't think this had a lot of use, rather than misuse, hence everything being a bit gummed up. The shock lock out/compression lever thingie worked well though on the test run.

Weight wise, I'll do my OCD thing tomorrow and try and weigh it - it's certainly not at all lumpy considering the wheels aren't the lightest. I would imagine the chainset/XTR rear mech/single ring set up will help the weight a lot.

I see what you mean about the chainring and shipping the chain, if there are any issues with this set up I'll update here. I'm tempted to take it out properly tomorrow down my 'test track' at the end of the lane; a short bit of RUPP that's actually pretty much all big lumpy bits of rubble, sure used to be fun on the rigid Kona so will be a test of this and the chain line, etc

What's this 'max back bone' thing mean then, BTW?

BLIMEY that's a bit nice. I'm gonna go and read the thread now. ( and I'm an old man, I never keep up. )

Lovely work, Kaz. Really nice. You've done a great job How much de gumming did you have to do? Gonna give it a blingier stem, or just a different one?

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It was the rear shock really, everything was seized up but a bit of GT85, and eventually the rebound adjuster worked and I finally managed to get the shock pump screwed on enough to get it to register! Am playing about with pressures at the mo, but a pound pressure for every pound of my weight seems to work perfectly (hence the colour coordinated zip tie on the shock :facepalm: )

Stem is growing on me, it was all that was in the parts bin and it's heavy, but the length at 80mm seems spot on, so if something else came along, in carbon, or yellow....or red.....and 80mm, well....