Long Beach, California, is better known as the hometown of legendary musicians like Sublime and Snoop Dogg rather than for its influence in the bike industry. But just over a year ago, Long Beach also became home to the US office and warehouse of Italian suspension manufacturer Marzocchi. The move, which transitioned the brand from Valencia, CA, was the result of a change in US distribution. Their new location promises to help bring Marzocchi back to where they once were - at the top level of suspension in the mountain bike industry. With a rich history in suspension, Marzocchi began developing mountain bike suspension in the late 1980s, a natural transition from their beginning in motorcycle suspension. In 1989, Marzocchi introduced its first prototype MTB suspension fork. As the market continued to grow, Marzocchi kept development a priority, and in 1995 they introduced the Bomber.
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw significant success from the brand as mountain biking continued to grow in popularity. As suspension competitors improved efficiency and price point products, Marzocchi’s development and innovation was put to the test. After so much success early on, the brand faded into a lull in development during the mid 2000’s, but Marzocchi is excited about their new cartridge system and the implementation of their new dealer service program. For 2014, the Italians are focused on educating distributors and shop mechanics on service and maintenance protocols. The end result of these improvements will directly affect Marzocchi customers with less turnaround time on service and maintenance, which should go a long way towards getting riders back out on the trail as soon as possible.
Service leads the Charge For 2014, Marzocchi is not only focused on continuing to develop quality suspension products, but they have prepared for a new level of dealer implemented service. The process of this new service structure begins with the brand’s US distributors and dealers. A very detailed and hands-on educational procedure allows these key contact points to be highly knowledgeable on service and replacement parts of all current and past Marzocchi products. When we visited Marzocchi in Long Beach, Service Tech, Alex Wolkin, was leading a clinic with some of the brand’s distributors. Technical reps were learning the ins and outs of all new Marzocchi products as well as warranty protocol. "Our goal is to provide distributors and dealers with the tools to diagnose and service our products in-house with little to no guidance from us," explains Sales Manager Simone Bassi. "This allows our dealers to provide a high level of service and keeps riders trusting our products and keeps them riding. Keeping riders on their bikes is always our end goal."
 | While other high-end suspension manufacturers are currently offering some level of this service, Marzocchi hopes to lead the charge in innovating user tuning options and consumer understanding of suspension. In the motorcycle world, most riders service their suspension and understand the benefits of custom tuning. We hope to help develop this in mountain bikes. Marzocchi is focused on streamlining the process to allow dealers to quickly access spare parts through a new website. This website gives dealers and distributors access to parts for almost all Marzocchi products from the past and present while also providing useful fit information for tuning and retrofitting. We understand how critical accessing spare parts can be with service, ordering the correct part can be difficult without the proper diagrams and descriptions. This site allows dealers to choose spare parts by selecting the specific fork and year or the parts needed, and it then gives the mechanic a good understanding of which parts work with specific forks and makes ordering spare parts easier with less likelihood that the wrong part will be ordered. - SIMONE BASSI, Sales/Marketing Manager |
Continuing to make headway in the aftermarket segment though requires substantial financial commitments from OEM customers. Currently, Marzocchi has no OE spec but are planning hope to begin a big push to ramp up OEM offerings once their products are more available and easily serviceable. These OEM specs have become increasingly difficult to gain with bigger players like FOX and RockShox offering a wide range of price points and fork options. But with a commitment to high-end quality and innovation, Marzocchi is able to create well-designed suspension, with innovations like their DBC cartridge system, offering the benefits of both an open bath and sealed cartridge system. Relying on one-way seal to keep air and oil separate, it is said to provide more tunability and a longer life cartridge than other systems.
Driven By Quality
With deep roots in mountain bike history, Marzocchi has an even deeper history in high-end motorcycle suspension, explaining their commitment to quality and innovation. Founded in 1949, Marzocchi is one of Italy’s oldest suspension brands. Since the beginning, Marzocchi has utilized the race scene to develop and improve its suspension products. In the early 1950s, top-tier motorcycle companies such as Mondial, Ducati, and Maserati all used Marzocchi suspension components. In 1989, Marzocchi entered the mountain bike business and quickly focused on developing high-end suspension forks and rear shocks to compliment the growing industry. As the industry flourished, so did Marzocchi, sponsoring top-tier athletes and producing innovative products. In 2008, Marzocchi became part of Tenneco Inc., a U.S.-based company specializing in the production and distribution of automotive ride and emission components. This acquisition allowed Marzocchi to overhaul its operations, making the company stronger, more efficient while also improving quality. Today, all Marzocchi forks and rear shocks are developed in-house by a team of engineers, while manufacturing is done overseas with extremely stringent quality control both in Taiwan then again once the products reach their distribution country.
Since the 2008 acquisition, Tenneco has continued to implement new standards in design, engineering and manufacturing to bring continual improvements in quality, productivity and distribution at Marzocchi. These improvements are helping to revamp the reputation of the brand and increase the confidence of bike manufacturers in Marzocchi’s products for OEM applications. Under Marzocchi Italy's close guidance, Italian managers have spent significant time in California meticulously overseeing procedures assuring they were up to their stringent quality standards. Sales and Marketing Director, Andrea Pierantoni, spent two weeks every other month working at the California facility, giving it an extensive infusion of Italian influence. This acquisition also positioned the brand right next to Tenneco's automotive brands, allowing for more efficient space, shipping and resource usage. In Long Beach, Marzocchi shares a facility with automotive suspension manufacturer Rancho, with some their production taking place right across the floor from Marzocchi's warehouse and warranty department.
With an assortment of top-level mountain bike offerings, Marzocchi has momentum with their new technologies, a new facility, and an experienced team. Their commitment to service will not only help to continue Marzocchi's growth, it will also continue to instill customers with trust in the brands products. Being able to walk into your local shop knowing they will be able to solve your problem in-house, goes a long way in the mountain bike enthusiast market, because we all hate waiting for service.
 | With their deep history in suspension, we are excited to see Marzocchi on the upswing. A diverse range of high-end mountain bike suspension keeps them at the top of the aftermarket game and will help redevelop their reputation as a driving force in mountain bike suspension. Pairing this commitment to quality and progression with a devotion to their customers is what makes Marzocchi unique in an industry driven by a disposable mindset. After walking their facility and experiencing the passion that resonates through the expansive space, we are excited to see the brand moving forward with a judicious drive. - J. Carr |
The 1995 Bomber was a hit in the booming mountain bike market.
Member since Aug 7, 2013
Metal and Marzocchi that's all we want for DH/FR video edits \m/
And yes, Marzocchi and metal, it would be nice of them to go back to this www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GNUfNpqmhY !
I will never buy Marzo product again. They are a total rip off and don't stand behind their product. I will probably just pull that POS off and put a new fork on from either Fox or Rocks
I don't know about different lower colors, I know we do black and white now but perhaps different decal kits that would wrap the whole leg? less cost to install also! just a thought
Very cool that they will be stocking/selling rebuild kits & parts for their older forks as well.
Here's a few thoughts, do the following we will see a TON of older Marz forks with 20mm axles being reborn.
1. Make Rebuild Kits & Parts For Older Forks INEXPENSIVE
2. Have All Kits Come With Easy To Follow Instructions
3. Post a Factory/OEM YouTube Video Of A Detailed Rebuild For ALL Older Forks
4. Include Factory Decals Specific For Each Fork With The Rebuild Kits, Or At LEAST A Decal To Wrap Around the Lower to Notate the Rebuild.
5. = Loyal & Happy Marz Customers
Love the direction Marz is heading with this article.
I just don't want to see any real riders get sucked into something that isn't true.
Yeah, I'm a bit bitter since they just left me sitting at a desk for over 6 months when all I wanted to do was help the brand... only to find out they were trying to get me and everyone else to just give up and quit so they didn't have to pay us severance packages. Guess what, after 6 months of sitting waiting for a reply about the situation, I did! Now I'm here to make sure you marketing BS'r's (Simone, Andrea) don't try to pull the wool over the publics eye with false promises.
Tell you what David, I'll leave if you can give all these people here that aren't in the loop a list of your techs, all your distributors that are authorized to service M products, as well as all the shops that are factory authorized to work on your stuff (not just sell your stuff) actual factory authorized service centers. Show everyone here a list. Shit it would be in your benefit to post it and call me out. Frankly I don't think that list is very big.
Now you are hear saying MUSA tech support is important. Where are the US techs /customer service guys? Show me, heck show everyone here on PB a US tech other than John H., the last one left from the old office!!!! Prove me wrong and I'll leave you alone. Nothing I'm saying here is slanderous it is fact and truth! I don't like to be mislead nor does anybody else. I call Marzocchi's bluff!
FYI, I'm an engineer, I don't give away anything. I design product I want to ride! You are the marketing guy that's what you do!
Bollocks to that
Glad to see them starting to return to the top now though. Their 2013/14 stuff looks really good
So glad you guys are making a public announcement of becoming a better customer service company, but honestly if I cant confidently work on it myself I wont purchase another Marz fork.
Marzocchi will be out there in 3 weeks
@PBrider.. I am really sorry to hear of your misfortunes. I won't defend or deny any actions but I know we are making strides here to offer better customer service.
The first year they were made, they were advertised to have "full range of springrates available upon release" on an Italian press release! My dealer has tried over and over again to get them from you guys over the years as I've owned a couple, and I've called and asked about them only to be told there is only one single springrate available for that fork, and that Italy refused to make additional ones.
What the crap is this?? This is 2014, not 1994. Your competitors either provide alternate springs with the fork, or have them immediately available. They have for over a decade. Your product still costs more, and can't be set up right. Do you hate selling product to people with money? Do you like generating sales for your competitor? Don't try to blame it on the Valencia guys either, because they weren't happy about it and had their hands tied from Italy at the time. It's painfully clear how negligently managed the company was/is by the Italians.
Start by getting your product line completed and current, and get your product pricing/wear item pricing in line with the rest of the industry, and make sourcing easy for the customer, and then I'll start listening to this marketing camel-excrement about "service".
Some of real people describe their bad experience with the Marzocchi products in the backstage and no one with real credits appears to solve anything or pointing how to solve them out of here.
Instead they create false people (nicks)to saying stupid words like M rulles,bring back M girls and other retarded things like that.
The reality is systematically avoided,igored and all of us are keeping misleading.The money is spended in publicity and no in real product/customer support.
The deception and the bill comes afterwards and is treated with arrogance,ignorance and the worst competence.
Not a single real world problem was answered here and nor will it be .Only crap .
Competition is good for all of us, though, it helps insure that we as the end users get the best product and the best value, and so I hope that this all of these pictures and words in this article turn out to be something great. Good luck, you guys!!
But I'm very impressed with you guys getting up here and answering the tough questions. Companies have marketing guys and I'll bet they all have pinkbike accounts. Why don't we see this level of customer involvement more often?
Thanks Oneghost.. we do make sure everything is tested and compliant before we bring them to market. at least one newer company out there lets the public be its test subject
But MARZOCCHI Italy / USA /planet don´t will answer neather you or me or anyone .I ask some help also in some technical matter and ZERO .They dont care in those customers.
What they want is new clients (the more stupid in believing their bullshit about customer service,user friendly blablablabla..the better)for new product.New blood ,new fresh money.
In most of countries they delivered the product support/assistance to some firms that do not provide the best service.
Who will benefict indeed from their effort in supporting their products ???Top level and supported racers and a few customers near some good shop/distributor that have quality service/qualified technicians.
The majority of customers will be defrauded when they need some important support and will be spendind real money with other brand products who have big NAME but litle /few/close to zero reliability vs durability.
I see that you've responded to many of the comments here, so I figured that I'd ask you publicly:
What can you do for me?
Why has it taken so long for this article to be released? I believe the DVO team left over 2 years ago. Hope it doesn't take that long to fix issues like on my old 55.
this article makes me vomit.... rockshocks for me, nothing else.