Scalpel-Si shock lockout

[ChrisF]

A friend's Scalpel is having ongoing issues with the shock lockout.

 

It keeps on getting locked in the open position.  After a re-bleed a works for a short time, then acts up again ....

 

How difficult ($$?) is it to replace this with a normal cable lockout ?

 

Any advise will be greatly appreciated.  We need a reliable solution for W2W ...

 

@Prince Albert Cycles

@MORNE

@NotSoBigBen

@DieselnDust

@BuffsVintageBikes

[michaelbiker]

If I remember correctly, my Si2 had a remote hydraulic lockout and there was no way to change it to a cable. I’d recommend he go with the manual lockouts if he can’t get it fixed. The lefty button thingy works very well.

It’s possible it just needs a good service. Mine got very difficult to actuate and a service sorted it out. 

[ChrisF]

1 minute ago, michaelbiker said:

If I remember correctly, my Si2 had a remote hydraulic lockout and there was no way to change it to a cable. I’d recommend he go with the manual lockouts if he can’t get it fixed. The lefty button thingy works very well.

It’s possible it just needs a good service. Mine got very difficult to actuate and a service sorted it out. 

 

The front seems fine, this time round.

 

The rear lockout decided todays ride will be a hardtail ride ....

[RobynE 🚵‍♀️]

@ChrisF worth a shot, even if it’s a long shot, but could it be that the barrel adjuster on the remote is acting up? I have no idea if it even has one, but I just had the same issue with my fork and it turned out to be the issue (in my case Rockshox X-Loc).  

Edit: to clarify, the barrel adjuster was in the wrong position so it was locking and unlocking the fork with the switch, but only making a marginal difference to the stiffness between locked and unlocked. In essence the fork felt extremely unforgiving and I was getting headaches etc and being bounced off the bars with zero small bump compliance. A Judy Silver was more compliant than my SiD.
 

LBS turned the adjuster to the correct position, reset what I’d changed on the rebound to compensate, and I have my mountain goat back (and it’s been flawless since). 

Edited September 28, 2025 by RobynE 🚵‍♀️

[MORNE]

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

A friend's Scalpel is having ongoing issues with the shock lockout.

 

It keeps on getting locked in the open position.  After a re-bleed a works for a short time, then acts up again ....

 

How difficult ($$?) is it to replace this with a normal cable lockout ?

 

Any advise will be greatly appreciated.  We need a reliable solution for W2W ...

 

@Prince Albert Cycles

@MORNE

@NotSoBigBen

@DieselnDust

@BuffsVintageBikes

Ask the suspension guys. @droo

i’m ignorant towards anything hydraulic lockout. The only thing i know is that i dont want one😅 

[DieselnDust]

I’m assuming the bike is equipped with a RockShox Monarch XX with XLR full sprint remote where both lefty and rear shock are locked and unlocked simultaneously via the hydraulic poploc?

if yes then one of two things has gone wrong

1) the plastic plunger in the rear lockout circuit in the remote unit is broken and if this is the case then the rider would need to buy a two single poploc remote units somewhere and recording the hydraulics to the separated remotes to lock the lefty and rear shock independently.

2) the plunger in the Monsrxh XX rear shock is getting g stuck likely due to the seal breaking. This can be serviced and repaired.

If neither of these options is available then it’s a new rear shock. 

[DieselnDust]

56 minutes ago, RobynE 🚵‍♀️ said:

@ChrisF worth a shot, even if it’s a long shot, but could it be that the barrel adjuster on the remote is acting up? I have no idea if it even has one, but I just had the same issue with my fork and it turned out to be the issue (in my case Rockshox X-Loc).  

Edit: to clarify, the barrel adjuster was in the wrong position so it was locking and unlocking the fork with the switch, but only making a marginal difference to the stiffness between locked and unlocked. In essence the fork felt extremely unforgiving and I was getting headaches etc and being bounced off the bars with zero small bump compliance. A Judy Silver was more compliant than my SiD.
 

LBS turned the adjuster to the correct position, reset what I’d changed on the rebound to compensate, and I have my mountain goat back (and it’s been flawless since). 

The barrel adjuster could not cause the problems you describe. Likely it just crea enough volume or removed volume from the remote which allowed it to work. Means the remote should be bled but more than likely it’s about to fail soon

[ChrisF]

6 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

I’m assuming the bike is equipped with a RockShox Monarch XX with XLR full sprint remote where both lefty and rear shock are locked and unlocked simultaneously via the hydraulic poploc?

if yes then one of two things has gone wrong

1) the plastic plunger in the rear lockout circuit in the remote unit is broken and if this is the case then the rider would need to buy a two single poploc remote units somewhere and recording the hydraulics to the separated remotes to lock the lefty and rear shock independently.

2) the plunger in the Monsrxh XX rear shock is getting g stuck likely due to the seal breaking. This can be serviced and repaired.

If neither of these options is available then it’s a new rear shock. 

 

There are two remote lock.out "buttons".

 

Right thumb operates the front lockout. One press off the thumb, the button stays in.  Second press, the button pops out and the fork is open.

 

The left thumb operates the rear lockout.  Except it wont "pop out" .... so the shock remains locked, thus no rear travel. The way the hydraulic housing connects to the shock under the top tube did not help trailside diagnostics ....

 

Almost looks like the left unit is a right side unit mounted upside down ...

[DieselnDust]

15 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

There are two remote lock.out "buttons".

 

Right thumb operates the front lockout. One press off the thumb, the button stays in.  Second press, the button pops out and the fork is open.

 

The left thumb operates the rear lockout.  Except it wont "pop out" .... so the shock remains locked, thus no rear travel. The way the hydraulic housing connects to the shock under the top tube did not help trailside diagnostics ....

 

Almost looks like the left unit is a right side unit mounted upside down ...

Ah ok so the units have already been split.

so it’s either the remote poploc that’s got a sticky plunge but more likely it’s on the shock side. Cape cycles or droo can sort it out. The single poploc units are at least serviceable to an extent 

[droo]

Those remotes are push to unlock, so if the lever is in the compressed position and it's still locked there's not enough fluid in the system. If it's been bled recently then you've got a leak - find out where the oil is coming out and you have your answer.

[RobynE 🚵‍♀️]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

The barrel adjuster could not cause the problems you describe. Likely it just crea enough volume or removed volume from the remote which allowed it to work. Means the remote should be bled but more than likely it’s about to fail soon

It’s been flawless since and he did it right in front of me. Took like 45 seconds for him to sort out the issue I’d had for a year 😂 Not to say there isn’t a problem with the remote or anything else, but that fix, fixed my issue, and it hasn’t reoccurred as yet. So worth a mention I think. 

[ChrisF]

16 minutes ago, droo said:

Those remotes are push to unlock, so if the lever is in the compressed position and it's still locked there's not enough fluid in the system. If it's been bled recently then you've got a leak - find out where the oil is coming out and you have your answer.

 

Much appreciated 👍

[ChrisF]

16 minutes ago, droo said:

Those remotes are push to unlock, so if the lever is in the compressed position and it's still locked there's not enough fluid in the system. If it's been bled recently then you've got a leak - find out where the oil is coming out and you have your answer.

 

Is it possible to swop out the hydraulics for a cable system ?

 

My limited knowledge of these systems suggest that it would not be easy to replace the actuation unit on the shock ....

[DieselnDust]

4 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

Is it possible to swop out the hydraulics for a cable system ?

 

My limited knowledge of these systems suggest that it would not be easy to replace the actuation unit on the shock ....

No 

[DieselnDust]

28 minutes ago, droo said:

Those remotes are push to unlock, so if the lever is in the compressed position and it's still locked there's not enough fluid in the system. If it's been bled recently then you've got a leak - find out where the oil is coming out and you have your answer.

That leak is often inside the shock 

[droo]

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

 

Is it possible to swop out the hydraulics for a cable system ?

 

My limited knowledge of these systems suggest that it would not be easy to replace the actuation unit on the shock ....

You could swap it out for a small fire, a large hammer, or a standard lever.