Monarch+ RC3 Debonair - Air leak

[Rock Guy]

While riding over the weekend, I noticed my shock lost a lot of pressure very abruptly. It's a Rock Shox Monarch Plus RC3 Debonair. It started out fine, was nice on the trail and even over some rocky sections. Then after a flat bit once I was on the trail again I noticed that I was bottoming out over roots at low speed going uphill.

 

I stopped and saw that my sag was way low and that there was very little pressure in the shock. I used my buddies shock pump to pump it back up again and it seemed to keep the pressure for the last 10km of the ride. 

 

Is this something normal to happen to this particular shock?

 

The reason I ask is because the shock (and bike) is still quite new, only 2.5 months. I phoned the shop I bought the bike from and they told me that it is normal for these shocks to do this. Apparently it has two air chambers and sometimes it seems like it lost all pressure but really the air is just in the other chamber. To me that sounds like a load of manure. I struggle to believe that Rock Shox would built a shock that will from time to time lose function.

 

Some insight from the shock specialists would be quite useful. Should I insist on a warranty claim or could there be a simple solution? I have not taken the bike out for a ride again, but it looks like the pressure is still fine after two days. I'm afraid if I go riding I might cause further damage though.

[droo]

The Debonair can does seem to lose pressure during the initial setup, but it's just air making its way into the negative spring during the first compression after being inflated.

 

Once it's set up it shouldn't lose pressure. Send it back.

[458Exp]

Have the same problem on a brand new Debonair RT3.

[Cruz Addict]

While riding over the weekend, I noticed my shock lost a lot of pressure very abruptly. It's a Rock Shox Monarch Plus RC3 Debonair. It started out fine, was nice on the trail and even over some rocky sections. Then after a flat bit once I was on the trail again I noticed that I was bottoming out over roots at low speed going uphill.

 

I stopped and saw that my sag was way low and that there was very little pressure in the shock. I used my buddies shock pump to pump it back up again and it seemed to keep the pressure for the last 10km of the ride. 

 

Is this something normal to happen to this particular shock?

 

The reason I ask is because the shock (and bike) is still quite new, only 2.5 months. I phoned the shop I bought the bike from and they told me that it is normal for these shocks to do this. Apparently it has two air chambers and sometimes it seems like it lost all pressure but really the air is just in the other chamber. To me that sounds like a load of manure. I struggle to believe that Rock Shox would built a shock that will from time to time lose function.

 

Some insight from the shock specialists would be quite useful. Should I insist on a warranty claim or could there be a simple solution? I have not taken the bike out for a ride again, but it looks like the pressure is still fine after two days. I'm afraid if I go riding I might cause further damage though.

your right its bullsh** its should never do that, sounds like one of the air seals failed. take it to a decent LBS and ask the to check and warranty for you if need be.

also it is almost physically impossible for the air to move from one chamber to the other if the shock is setup correctly, the chambers are not equally sized, in order for this to happen the air would need to be highly compressed( i.e. a big hit, which from your description you didnt do) and the chamber would need to free from oil etc to allow for the air to take up the space, also the design of the IFP chamber would facilitate the air moving back to the larger air chamber due to the negative air pressure being created, the flip side to this of coarse is that the IFP chamber would now have a positive air balance and would naturally want to push air back to the main chamber.

 

bit difficult to diagnose based on the information on hand and not seeing the problem first hand but i would definitely have it checked by a reliable suspension expert, perhaps try get hold of the guys at stoke?

 

just for a comparative i have been riding mine frikken hard for almost a year and have never had that happen, i regularly take bit hits with it and it functions like new every time.

[Rock Guy]

The Debonair can does seem to lose pressure during the initial setup, but it's just air making its way into the negative spring during the first compression after being inflated.

 

Once it's set up it shouldn't lose pressure. Send it back.

 

Thanks for for the advice Droo. I'll do that.