Manitou Circus Dirt Jump Fork - Sea Otter 2010

Apr 23, 2010
by Mike Levy  
Hot on the heels of the new Dorado is Manitou's Circus dirt jump fork. The beefy new DJ fork comes in at three different travel options and two price points. Inside you'll find all the specs, photos, and a great video running you through the new Circus fork.

Read on...
Watch the video to learn more about Manitou's new dirt jump fork, the Circus:

Manitou Circus at The Sea Otter Classic

by spoiledgoods
Views: 10,997    Faves: 29    Comments: 11



photo
Manitou Circus Expert

Manitou Circus Expert details

• Uses new beefier lower casting with added material
• Solid beam crown design (most Manitou forks use hollow crowns)
• Steel or aluminum steerer tube options (1 1/8th only)
• Uses Manitou's HexLock 20 mm thru-axle
• Coil sprung (ships with firm spring)
• JumpStack: Absolute+ with firmer compression valving
• Adjustments include: Air preload, rebound, compression
• Lockout thresh hold blowoff
• Dual bottom out bumpers
• 32 mm aluminum stanchion tubes
• Ships with custom decal kit
• Travel options: 80/100 mm (internally adjustable), 130 mm
• White or black color options
• 4.7 lbs
• MSRP $449 USD

photo
Reverse arch on the new Circus fork

photo
Circus Expert damping adjustments on the left, air preload on the right

photo
The Circus uses Manitou's HexLock thru-axle



photo
The Circus Comp

Manitou Circus Comp details

• Uses new beefier lower casting with added material
• Solid beam crown design (most Manitou forks use hollow crowns)
• Steel or aluminum steerer tube options (1 1/8th only)
• Uses Manitou's HexLock 20 mm thru-axle
• Coil sprung (ships with firm spring)
• JumpStack: Absolute+ with firmer compression valving (same internals as Expert)
• Adjustments include: Mechanical preload (versus air preload on Expert), rebound, compression
• Lockout thresh hold blowoff
• Dual bottom out bumpers
• 32 mm 4130 steel stanchion tubes (versus aluminum stanchions on Expert)
• Ships with custom decal kit
• White and black color options
• MSRP $399 USD


Editors note: All of the above pictures of the new Circus fork show it with Manitou's Minute casting due to the new Circus lowers still being in prototype form. All press samples, sponsored riders and select test riders are riding proper Circus internals with Minute castings in order to fully test the inner workings of the fork. We were able to attain some images highlighting the differences between the two castings. We'll have actual photos as soon as they become available, but for now have a look below to see how the new Circus casting differs.

photo
Manitou Circus casting detail - Circus in red, Minute in green

photo
Manitou Circus casting detail - Circus in red, Minute in green


Visit Manitou's homepage to get more info!

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech First Looks Manitou Sea Otter


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86 Comments
  • 10 0
 not super pumped on the look of the crown, but other than that, it looks the part, and it's cheap enough to be a contender..... especially with the fox 831 being fucking ridiculously priced.
  • 16 5
 Me like, sounds like a great fork.
  • 5 6
 Hell yes
  • 32 13
 I've always hated the look of how the crowns are behind the stanchions (here come the neg props).
But the weight and performance of this fork have made up for it.
Great job.
  • 6 4
 looks promising, but will need bit more convincing

im hoping they have another look at their shocks, still not quite getting with my swinger, even since getting it shim stacked (with extra ramp due to easy bottom out)
  • 10 16
flag kovaldesign (Apr 23, 2010 at 15:20) (Below Threshold)
 why am I not convinced? why I can not really see any innovation? why the same lowers with shit arch, why exle without QR....
I'm getting very tired with Manitou
  • 5 4
 uh...crowns are always on the stanchions at the top...you mean arch? i'd like to see manitou make the evolver isx-6 in the same configuration as the 'zoke and fox shocks so it's user serviceable (and so it would fit on my bike).
  • 5 4
 who told you that? Clearly you know something that the designers don't- because that is a completely different design. It might look similar, but it is not the same.
Next time, try getting the facts straight.
  • 5 2
 fork is very promising, i promise. been on a prototype for a while and i cant tell you enough good things about the Circus. the lock out is amazing, as well as the absolute dampener.
  • 8 1
 okay guys, time to put past feelings aside about manitou. obviously they are trying their best to put top of the line products out there and this fork is just one example. its reasonably light, affordable, has a good look, and both models offer a load of adjustments. you can't do much better than that.
  • 10 2
 I like it, it's half a pound lighter than 409 for half the price...
  • 6 17
flag bansheeripper (Apr 23, 2010 at 19:53) (Below Threshold)
 Once a manipoo always a manipoo! I can't wait to see the fail pics of these!
  • 4 3
 wtf is a manipoo and they look like they are strong fork
i think if more people rode the new(er) manitou forks i think they would like them

and for the arch it just makes footjams easier
  • 4 9
flag TheBigEarl (Apr 23, 2010 at 20:54) (Below Threshold)
 And half the quality of the 409. As banshee-ripper said "Once a manipoo, always a manipoo".
  • 4 1
 no correct at all. i have a gold lable and it kills it at the dirtjumps.
  • 3 1
 just realised that manitou are doing the exact same thing as Saracen

Manitou: new products, new designers, new riders, hopfully new Manitou
Saracen: new products, new designers, new riders, new owners, new importers, new factory, same Saracen badge brand new company

give them both a change Smile
  • 5 3
 I'm afraid manipoos are still gonna be the same P.O.S. they allways have been. How's a fork company gonna be better when it's taken over by a brake company that don't know squat about forks??? Sorry but I have no faith in these all time loser fork makers, and would never put my well being in their hands! I'll take a Fox 831!
  • 2 1
 Ive ridden most of the 2008-2009 line of Manitou forks, and I can definitely say that they still bring a smile on my face every time I ride them. But now no more sad faces when they brake. They are a lot more reliable. But why only white? That is the only thing that stops me from buying one when they come out.
  • 4 2
 i for one am "jazzed" for the new fork...
  • 6 1
 banshee-ripper: do you think the investors of any company knows the complete in and out of that company. just because a parent company isn't in the same industry doesn't mean they can't employ some of the top minds in that industry that know their shit. Obviously manitou is trying to re-brand and push out a decent product at a competitive price. some people have placed a stigma on the brand, and they can't see past it to the technology and improvements they have made. It's just narrow mindedness on your part, stop getting stuck on a logo. I've never been a fan of them either but it sounds like they have taken steps to make a better product.
  • 2 4
 maybe they are better, but I am not gonna be the first inline to spend my hard earned doh, and findout the hard way if they're not, with a face plant! Other's wanna step up to the line and trust them, go ahead, it's your face!
  • 2 0
 Benefit of working in a shop... I get them cheap or free. I'll let you know how they hold up.
  • 3 0
 banshee don't worry thoes people are called early adopters, you're a trend follower. did you even read the article or did you just make post bashing them? you might have noticed this:
• Uses new beefier lower casting with added material
• Solid beam crown design (most Manitou forks use hollow crowns)
but wait you know better then the engineers at manitou....
  • 2 0
 it's not like the brake engineers are gonna be making forks...rockshox was bought by a derailleur company. I don't think sram knew anything about making forks. didn't matter, because rockshox has the suspension engineers. same as manitou hiring suspension engineers.
  • 2 2
 the thing im seeing that i don't like is theyre same shitty axle system. They are pain to set up and they always loosen up on you when you don't want them too. then if you tighten them to tight you strip the shitty bolts. as said above, "once a manipoo, always a manipoo". looks like manitou isn't on the way up to the top.
  • 3 0
 Manitou gets it rough because they had an awkward stage that lasted so long. They hadn't made anything really new or good for quite a few years so at least I don't want to trust them. They just kept trying to polish that turd and finally lost most of their market share. Honestly, to me this just looks like a lightly polished gold label.

Have to keep in mind though that rockshox had its share of troubles before the sram buyout, zoke had lots of problems with the 55's back in '08 and their service made me swear off the brand I'd been on since I started, and the seals always blow on fox forks. Perhaps, there is hope, but I won't bet $400 on it.

I never had any trouble with the hex-lock axles and the one thing sweet about them is that you can tap the drive side and put on a peg.
  • 3 2
 i absolutely hate the hex axles. that may just be me though. I also hate the fact that the dorodo or however you spell it is still in production. who wants to buy a 3000 dollar fork that has a design thats proven to either not last long or have problems from day one. why not buy the absolute nicest fox 40 and have it pushed or something for half the price. to trust manitou i need to see some HUGE design changes on their part. not polished versions of they're old forks as you said.
  • 11 4
 rich rocks, the circus rocks ... manitou is on their way back up
  • 2 0
 Manitou seems to be really stepping their game up lately. I think the Circus looks like a great fork, it seems to be at a price point many people can afford and still offers some nice features. The only thing I don't understand is why did Manitou stop making the Travis and Sherman forks? From what I could see they both got pretty good reviews.
  • 3 0
 nice too see manitou gettin back in there--if i had the money, i would probably buy this. looks like it can compete against the dj1, argyle 409, 831, and so on
  • 1 0
 I read a comment about not liking the rear arch of the manitou design. I love that design, it sets it apart from other forks and makes is look eloquent. I think the big arch in the front, especially (here comes the criticism my way...lol) on the Fox forks look too beefy and brutish.

I'm riding the Manitou Minute Elite and it is absolutely awesome. The only issue I have with it is a bit of a fork dive at slow speeds. But that can be solved by going fast, the faster you go the better it feels..plush, plush, plush.

Manitou is coming back strong, keep it up boys!
  • 1 0
 Personally, I hope Manitou does make a comeback. Not being a DJ'r, I can't comment specifically on this fork, but I will say that my old (06)Minute Super was way ahead of it's time in weight and ease of use. The SPV worked great (unfortunately, when it worked) and no one else had a sub 4lb 140mm fork. As for the reverse arch, it steers so much better than a standard front arch, especially in a QR model. To those who bag on it, I can tell you haven't ridden one. I purchased an '06 TALAS and the Minute handling was head and shoulders above the Fox. But the Fox was full of cool tuning options though.
What I can't understand is their reliance on the Dorado. Wassup with a $2K fork and where is the market??? Not in my demographic! And I hear the Drake line was a flop, but they're taking the guts and sticking them in Minute legs... for what? a better price point? More weight?
Well, all I can say is I wish them luck. (And I wish they'd come up with a better thru-axle design. Repeat after me Hayes "15mmQR, 15mmQR" Wink
  • 1 0
 externally there is no difference between my '08, 20mm manitou Drake, I'm glad that he mentioned the bottom out bumpers because as far my Manitou Drake is concern I miss top out bumpers not bottom out. That is the only issue besides that works very smooth indeed.
  • 1 0
 if its an improved gold label then it will be sik. i owned a couple of pairs of gl's and i liked them a lot. Internally they were completely reliable. Only problem i had was with the weak arch. I snapped both forks there. Sounds like they beefed that area up though. So if its stronger and lighter than the gl, just as reliable internally and with the plush - lockout range then its a winner.
  • 1 0
 manitou has had some problems with durability but so has everyone, since marz stop production in italy there stuff has been subpar, my 08 dj1 blew its seals in two weeks, but my 05 dj3 (dj3 being lower grade) held up on 20ft drops massive dirt jumps, street and me slowly learning to be smooth, foxes seals are known to blow out, and for people talking about the buy out of the company, everyone gets bought out, rock shox is owned by the avid sram truvtive group. engineers that went to school for years and have been riding since the invention of travel forks know beter than you, there tested by pros before they get to you, and when they fail its mostly your fault for being an unsmoot rider at least 80% of the time.
  • 7 2
 just what im looking for
  • 6 3
 Wow, looks really sick. Manitous really stepping it up, looking forward to some long travel single crowns next : )
  • 4 5
 Yeah, they've really let the ball slip in that department for a while, forcing the factory riders to race super D, 4x and AM stuff on 140 mm travel QRs...Scary.
  • 1 0
 Looks an interesting fork. They do have the stigma attached but I have a feeling people that don't follow the fashion's will bring these up and highlight the capability to the market.
  • 5 3
 i want one just to see if it will be like the old shermans, bloody reliable
  • 2 0
 Ive been riding one for the past few weeks. nothing special. nice fork though
  • 2 0
 They have good past with DJ forks (gold label) so maybe this will be just as good!
  • 1 0
 quote..
Ausmith (3 hours ago)
markbowers - Manitou is now owned by Hayes Group - they make forks in their own factory.


why they use RST adjusters then??
  • 1 0
 maybe rst is using manitou adjusters..
  • 1 0
 well the only thing i dont like is they dont come in black, other then that it looks like a reliable setup
  • 1 0
 Agreed, looks like a proper DJ fork. Question is that is it any good?
  • 1 0
 well im pre tired of people bitchen, manitou is a pre decent fork, i guess its one of those you shouldnt make bs up kinda thing ive heard so many complaints and so many stories bout every thing, i think half of you should grow up really , just cuz you dont like a manitou fork ,doesnt mean us who like them really care.... and seems how this is a manitou thread my nest question is if you dont like them...why the hell are you looking at em... cheers!
  • 1 0
 too bad the production circus expert has a plastic rebound adjustment knoob Frown
but it is awesome Big Grin
  • 1 0
 This is definately competition for other dj forks out there, i say give it a chance, seems really good.
  • 1 1
 I ride a Manitou Sherman firefly and its a good reliable fork I dont like having to undo all the bolts though when putting the bike in my car though.
  • 1 0
 is the fork made by RST in taiwan then, as the top cap cnc adjuster is the same as on my RST storm 09 fork???
  • 1 0
 markbowers - Manitou is now owned by Hayes Group - they make forks in their own factory.
  • 1 0
 sick lookin fork but why is the arch reversed?
  • 4 0
 because it's Manitou.
  • 3 0
 its just the signature thing Manitou does on all their forks. They said its something to do with making the fork stiffer but its doesn't do anything really besides make the fork stand out against the others.
  • 2 0
 If you think about it an a physic's way, You'll find that the rotational movement of the wheel will attack the fork from behind. Having the brace that side your actually reinforcing the weakest point of the fork.
  • 1 0
 at last a fork that you ride even in lockout
  • 2 1
 to little to late manitou!.
  • 3 2
 looks sick! man, thats awesome!
  • 3 2
 Looks nice!! And a great fork!
  • 1 1
 im happy to see new dj forks made by manitouBig Grin
  • 1 1
 i am not a fan of the whole inverted fork look
  • 1 0
 that guys pretty jazzed
  • 1 1
 rode this months ago Smile ...sick fork
  • 4 6
 manitou= give up now, never had a good one in my life, never been able to work on easily.
  • 2 2
 Fork loooks..... Sollid.
  • 1 2
 Sounds Great! seems the good days ate back!
  • 3 4
 Lockout on a dirt jump fork? Eek
  • 4 2
 handy for street i suppose, i wouldnt use it though. unless its got a blowoff that makes the fork move when lots of pressure is put on the lockout mechanism, like the 831. that would be nice
  • 9 0
 It does have a threshold blowoff for the lockout.
  • 4 1
 well that could be usefel for 4x or ds where the terrain isnt that technical, but you want some impact absorption
  • 1 3
 i like it, but the crown need some changing...
  • 2 5
 Hmmm, seems vaguely familiar to a Feb. 2nd post ...
  • 1 3
 will they fit 24"
  • 2 0
 durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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