Marzocchi is probably very happy that 2015 is behind them. Rumors of their troubles had been whispered for months beforehand, but when the announcement that the legendary Italian suspension company
would be closing its doors came in late July, pretty much everyone was shocked. After all, they've been around in one form or another since 1949 and have been involved in everything from Grand Prix motorcycle racing, the Dakar Rally, and even Formula One, all endeavors that sound much more ambitious than suspension for mountain bikes.
The news of the so-called closure raised all sorts of questions, and conflicting reports from different sources didn't exactly help matters. Marzocchi is done, we heard, and the employees have been let go to find new work; production has ceased; warranty claims on older products would be hard to resolve if they could be at all. That was all a bit pessimistic, though, as Tenneco, Marzocchi's parent company, was working to find a buyer for the mountain bike division of Marzocchi. And that's exactly what happened. In October of last year,
Fox Racing Shox made the somewhat ambiguous announcement that they had acquired ''
certain specified assets of Marzocchi's mountain bike product lines," which sounded a lot like the lifeline that Marzocchi was looking for. Neither Fox or Marzocchi have explained exactly what was acquired, but it's now clear that the Marzocchi brand will continue to exist for the foreseeable future.
Marzocchi's continued survival, in whatever form it might be, and tie-up with FOX, brings up even more questions than the company's would-be demise did. Chiefly, what does this mean for Marzocchi's product range, and how will the relationship with Fox affect both suspension brands?
I chatted with Andrea Pierantoni, Director of Marzocchi Brand Management, about those very topics, and while he was certainly coy with his answers, there are some positive updates to be taken from his replies.
Interviewed: Marzocchi's Andrea Pierantoni Mike Levy: Where will Marzocchi be positioned in the marketplace? With Fox as its owner, will Marzocchi's focus be on a certain price point? Andrea Pierantoni: By acquiring Marzocchi, Fox plans to offer riders a broader range of options while staying ahead of our competition. The product lines are complementary, and both brands will maintain their own images and products.
Levy: The last few years have been very tumultuous for Marzocchi. What steps are being taken to ensure that things go more smoothly this time? Pierantoni: Fox plans to leverage its marketing, engineering, distribution, and supply chain resources to help rejuvenate and reinvigorate the Marzocchi brand.
| We are excited to announce the agreement to acquire certain assets of the Marzocchi mountain bike product lines, which we believe is a significant opportunity for Fox to further expand the penetration of our bike suspension products across more price points. The Marzocchi team has a long history of performance suspension experience, and we believe that this highly complementary transaction will allow for the increased growth of the Marzocchi brand worldwide. We expect this transaction will bring together and strengthen two highly complementary product lines and allow for Fox to leverage its marketing, engineering, distribution, and supply chain resources to drive increased top-line growth and profitability. - Larry L. Enterline, Chief Executive Officer, FOX |
Levy: When will we see the new product hit the marketplace? Will 2016 be considered an 'off year' while things are geared back up? Pierantoni: Actually, production never stopped. We’ll plan to continue producing our model year 2016 product line through model year 2017, with the potential of additional shocks and seat posts [
production of the Espresso dropper post has been ''put on hold'' since this interview took place] being added. To support this, we are currently augmenting our aftermarket and OEM sales programs.
Levy: Will there be any major staffing changes? Were employees that were laid off be re-hired? Pierantoni: I'm heading up the brand as the Director of Marzocchi Brand Management for FOX. One of my first priorities is to build an organization to support the brand.
Levy: With access to all the facts and figures, what were the biggest factors behind Marzocchi's decline in the marketplace, and how do you intend to address them and take the brand forward? Pierantoni: Now that Marzocchi is a Fox brand, I am focused on its future. We believe that with the full support of Fox and its resources, we will be able to take the brand forward.
Levy: Will you look to launch a similar range of products under the Marzocchi umbrella as before, with a concise line or focus on key areas of the market where perhaps the Marzocchi brand - for consumers at least - is more synonymous than FOX? Pierantoni: We plan to keep our current line the same through model year 2017. The Marzocchi product line, to a large degree, complements FOX's product line, allowing for a wider range of product offerings that stack up more effectively against our competitors. In future model years, we plan to continue to offer the features and qualities that riders appreciate from Marzocchi: a plush ride, durable products, and awesome downhill forks.
Levy: Looking ahead, where will we see the Marzocchi brand in five-years time? Pierantoni: We believe that over time the lines will continue to evolve and coexist more holistically, allowing us to offer more products and enhanced customer service.
Levy: Fox already has a strong presence in all forms of mountain bike competition: its research and development resources are vast, and it is successful in every enthusiast-level segment of the market. What can Marzocchi bring to mountain bike riders that Fox cannot? Pierantoni: The Marzocchi mountain bike product line expands and enhances the Fox portfolio, which opens up new sales opportunities. In addition, we are now working to streamline distribution and service worldwide for both brands by integrating the best service/distributors from each of Fox and Marzocchi as a part of the FOX/Marzocchi distributor and service network.
Levy: Will R&D departments of Fox and Marzocchi be separate? And what about manufacturing? Pierantoni: Our plan is that Marzocchi R&D will have some of its own dedicated resources and will be able to leverage FOX’s expertise. Manufacturing of Marzocchi products is planned to continue at its current Taiwan location as it has been.
Levy: Where will Marzocchi's headquarters be located? Pierantoni: Marzocchi is a now a brand of FOX, which is headquartered in Scotts Valley, CA, USA.
Levy: Do you foresee Marzocchi taking advantage of any Fox technology? Pierantoni: We see opportunities for synergies between Marzocchi and Fox patented technologies.
Images from Marzocchi's 2016 product range.
Levy: Will the distribution and service networks be shared? Pierantoni: We are currently working on that, and it is a priority along with getting the organization set up. While details are still being worked out, we plan to keep some of the Marzocchi distributors and also use Fox distributors to support Marzocchi. In areas where Fox was not active, the Marzocchi distributors may support FOX.
Levy: Looking in from the outside, it appears as though one of the big challenges for Marzocchi in recent years was moving away from production by Suntour. Will production continue where it is now, or will it be consolidated with FOX's facilities? Pierantoni: Yes, our plan is to continue Marzocchi production where it is now.
Levy: In the last few years, Marzocchi lost most, if not all, of its OE clients. Will you be working to re-start this side of the business or will you be focused on aftermarket products? Pierantoni: The Marzocchi mountain bike product line expands the Fox portfolio, which opens up new sales opportunities. We intend to leverage these opportunities in both the aftermarket and by supplying to OEMs. The mountain bike market is still developing fast, and with riding styles continuing to evolve, customers are demanding new generations of capable products. It’s a great time to be part of that thriving industry and to work to give the riders the ability to take their riding to the next level.
Levy: Marzocchi has been on life support at least three times now, and each recovery has produced a similar product range - a number of mediocre OEM products, punctuated by a few outstanding forks. Where is the heart transplant operation going to come from that will put Marzocchi back in the game instead of limping along for another three years while being fueled by optimistic fans? Pierantoni: While we plan to continue with our current product lineup through model year 2017, development for new products is also planned, taking advantage of FOX's resources along with getting our distribution and service dialed in worldwide. If you recall, we had the 380 two years ago, last year was the 350, and this year we plan to launch the 320. Additionally, we have developed the Enduro 053 shock. So, you can see that we were ready to satisfy our fans, and we want to keep them and attract new ones!
So what does all that mean? It's clear that Pierantoni is being fairly guarded with his words, but there are a few salient points to be taken from his answers regardless. When asked where Fox would position the Marzocchi brand in the marketplace, Pierantoni says that, ''
By acquiring Marzocchi, Fox plans to offer riders a broader range of options while staying ahead of our competition,'' which is a pretty solid clue that at least some of Marzocchi's next generation suspension will be priced lower than FOX's entry-level products. After all, Fox already offers some fairly high-end suspension, not to mention
the new Live Valve electronic system, and it makes zero sense for them to price Marzocchi's products even higher. So, when Pierantoni says ''
broader range of options,'' he is surely talking about less expensive alternatives. This is a very good move, especially if they can bring Marzocchi's quality control up to FOX's own standards.
Fox will also ensure that Marzocchi eventually receives considerably more original equipment spec than what they've had over the last handful of years, something that will grow the brand further by getting more riders on Marzocchi than would have otherwise ever ridden their products.
That growth will likely be backed up by many new hirings, and Fox just posted up a
number of job opportunities on their website, some of which look like what would be required to run an entirely new division. The list includes machine operators, aftermarket sales staff, customer service staff, patent managers, and more. Many of these positions are located at FOX's Scotts Valley, CA, headquarters, the same location their cycling division is based out of.
The final thing to keep in mind is that Fox and Marzocchi have always had very different products. Sure, they may be designed for the same application and have the same amount of travel, but they perform very differently. I don't see Fox doing much to change this fact as it makes far more sense business-wise for a single company to offer two different types of products that both compete with their competition. Fox will stay FOX, and Marzocchi will stay Marzocchi.
MENTIONS: @foxracingshox /
@MarzocchiMTB
Toss in the Marz hero images...
Very much a press release. Answered exactly nothing that wasn't already known to anyone with a brain.
I would always be like - "Can you answer the fvcking question or not?"
Guess it is my pet peeve. When asked a question either answer it directly or issue a no comment. It just makes it worse when the answer dances around and over the question, but never actually addresses it.
Shame I fondly remember the original 4" Bombers from back in the day
And...
No one buy this interview as legit.
..
....Drops mic and walks.
Yeah, that.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=GyV_UG60dD4
And of course the Espresso dropper is on hold. Fox clearly has 9point8 in their sights. If the technology proves to be durable, then Fox is going to be on 9point8 like white on rice. They are not going to pay licensing royalties long-term. And the 9point8 boys are already positioning themselves for acquisition by increasing the price of the Fall Line. Bad for consumers; great for profit statements and valuations.
Interesting factoid... I'm still riding a jr. t on my azonic ds-1. Strait repping 2001 baby!
I'm sure the increase is a combination of things... weak canadian dollar, increases in manufacturing costs, etc. I think you're right... it's probably not to "make a buck" but to maintain the bucks they're already making. Companies have to make money. It's how it is. LOL!
I'm not sure whether Mike was aware that Pieranthony wasn't going to tell much, otherwise I feel it has been a bit rude to let the media come over only to regurgitate the same few statements and not really answer the questions.
@fecalmaster I thought Iron Horse and B1 were pretty serious in mtb racing until business went ugly. Both brands still exist but well, they seem nearly dead compared to what they once were. Maybe they will resurrect like Saracen did but as they're owned by companies who already have higher end bikes in their lineup, I doubt they will.
Does. He. Look. Like. A. Bitch??!!
Does anyone have a pen? A magic marker?! A f*ckin black felt pen!!!?
But Fox and Marzocchi live on!
Up? Lol
"This email is no longer being monitored. For any Marzocchi related questions please contact RideFox.Com Mountain Bike Division."
So I sent my Marzocchi e-mail chain to Fox customer service, just to see how or if they will respond. Place your bets.
Quote:
"Fox does plan to take over the support of Marzocchi products, it will most likely commence in about 6 weeks. We are in the process of organizing inventory and getting the tools and training that will be needed to be successful.
We did not hire any of the Long Beach Technicians, but feel very confident that we will be able to exceed everyone’s expectations, once we open the doors."
-create synergies
-leverage this, leverage that
-utilize distribution channels
-Holisitic approach
But who cares, stoked to see marzocchi is back!!
How bout marz makes solid free ride forks and fox can continue to dazzle us with marketing jargon.
When they actually ride/ feel/ weigh my forks they are always impressed.
So theres obviously an image issue.
I dont mind Rockshox or Fox and the bikes Ive got that have those forks on them are fine. Marzocchi is the only one that actually impresses me though.
What I read is that some of the key marzocchi forks will continue, it sure as hell better include the 380! And the 350 actually.
Im pleased theyre still around too, the more competition the better
So far as this mergers concerned, I'm not sure if I want to laugh or cry. Marzocchi have always been very low maintenance, while Fox have always been relatively high maintenance. Fox seals are notoriously shit, while Marzocchi seals last basically for the life of the fork, ie. 5+ years. Fox forks require constant, on-going attention, tuning, and maintenance, spare parts being another source of revenue for Fox. Bombers have always been a set and forget item, drain the oil every season and they're good to go. I'm hoping and praying that Marzocchi get to keep that honest reliability, or Fox step up to the Big M's bar.
That said, I purchased my first Marzocchi fork in like 8 years last year. A new 350ncr, and it's been fantastic.
So, not a lot of experience then.
Fox seals are sh!t. In general, Fox products require continuous, ongoing servicing, with regular strip downs and rebuilds. If you don't believe me, read the manual. Marzocchi forks do not require anything like the same level of maintenance, not even close. They never have, and hopefully never will. Marzocchi had a bad patch in 08/09 when they got bought out by Tenneco, and production moved from Italy to Taiwan. Prior to that, their was no competition between Fox and Marzocchi for performance, servicing, or reliability, the Big M remained supreme. Since then, they're back to being awesome for reliablity and performance. Don't know about the latest Fox products for reliability, but they were never very good.
Having owned an RLC 130, brown (05?) 36 Talas, DHX 5.0, and RP23 from Fox, and Z1 BAM's, '01 Monster T's, '08 55 ETA's, '11 Roco TST-R Air & '11 66 RC3 Evo Ti's from Marzocchi, I personally would buy a Marzocchi over a Fox. In fact, I wouldn't touch Fox, I think they're sh!t, don't believe the hype.
Id classify Fox as the least reliable of them all in my experience - havent tried any 2014+ models though which Ive heard are better.
Never had a single issue with a marzocchi but i never ran them in 08/09 - only 2011 and since
Rockshox has been mostly very reliable, but a couple of forks were lemons, just never worked well and always leaked no matter me or the service agents did.
Im slowly converting any bike I can over to marz. Just bought a bargain pair of 55s to put on my freeride/ enduro bike which will take me to 3 bikes with marz forks. Woot!
Keep on hatin.
I have had some issues with Marzocchi however I have remained a big fan of their products because it seems that no matter the issue, I can fix it myself in minutes. That is something that no other fork i've encountered can boast. I just put a 350ncr on my AM bike last season and it's been fantastic so far. I'm confident that I can expect the same user-friendliness that used to keep me a dedicated Marzocchi fan.
Rockshox has been, in my experience, the worst. That's not to say they are terrible, especially the newer stuff, but in my younger years (the era of the Judy, Psylo, Duke...etc) when I didn't have the money for Fox or Marzocchi, I was stuck with RS and always fixing something. Once I could afford Marz and Fox, I stopped using RS products completely. Fast forward to today, I have now owned four modern RS forks (2012 and newer) and EVERY ONE has had a significant issue. My 2014 Pike has already been back for warranty work once. So I won't say they are THE WORST, but I have not had the same quality of experience with RS that I have had with Marz and Fox.
"On my XL SC 5010 V2? Oh, I got that new 'zocchi 350 RC3 Evo V2 AER up front and their 053 S3C2R R2D2 edition out back!"
1) brand new z1 ie take the 350, tweak the shit of out of it and cap the travel at 150 and keep the price below the pike/yari if it has the classic marzo feel with some climbing ability its be a winner. 350 should not be a £600+ for when the likes of a mattoc can be picked up for £350.
2) bring back the 66, 35/38mm single crown long travel (160-180) with air and coil options again below the price of a 36 or lyrik. it needs to be what the original 66 was ie a beast
Bomb proof, long service intervals, easy to service when required, an acceptable price and not too far off the mark when it comes to weight and they'll sell like hot cakes.
Sadly this is everything fox is not, id love to see marzo make a come back but i think we'll see history repeat unless they really move back to the drawing board and remember why people bought marzo in the first place. i.e forks that can take serious abuse and not bat an eyelid
P.S. I ain't ever sellin' my 05 66RC! Never!
Ain't that the truth! Absolutely spot on comment my brother, glad I'm not the only one concerned about where the Big M's headed. Marzocchi have always been the quiet achiever, with great performance, awesome reliability and longevity, at a reasonable price. Fox are all about marketing, the big sell, pushing the latest whiz bang tech to rich kids who must have the latest sh!t. There's no reason why Fox can't make their products equally robust, but forks which self implode require a steady stream if spare parts, and regular replacement. Fox aren't stupid, just greedy corporate types.
Listen up Fox; I don't wanna have to service my forks every couple of months! I don't wanna have to change my seals every season! I don't wanna have to constantly f%&k around with the settings of my suspension to get it feeling good!
I've owned an RLC 130, brown (05?) 36 Talas, DHX 5.0, and RP23, and they were all extremely high maintenance. They need constant attention and tuning to perform at the level expected. I remember buying the RLC's, taking them home they were laying in the floor pan of my Kingswood, and leaked oil all over the floor, like ALL the oil. Great seals, WTF?
Unreservedly LOVED my original Z1 BAM's back in the day, loved my '01 Monster T's, loved my '08 55 ETA's (did required replacement internals in order to get full travel), still loving my '11 Roco TST-R Air & '11 66 RC3 Evo Ti's! I'm happy to add a little weight if it means greater reliability. Change the oil every season or two, depending on usage, and you're ready to rock. Spend your first couple of rides dialling them while they break in, and you're set for life.
They will take what ever high-end patents they can for the Fox name. And probably as @rivercitycycles speculates, coming to a Wal Mart near you....for the actual Marzocchi name
Seems to me that this would be the most likely scenario given what we (don't) know.
I can see where this is headed, and I don't like it. Traditionally, Marzocchi have always been the superior product, not Fox. That's just a fact mate, you can believe all the marketing you like. Also, I don't think Fox products are up to competing with like of the CCDB, DVO, or Ohlins, they currently don't have what it takes. These super premium products perform in a way Fox could only dream of, at a price point where rugged reliability is expected. Historically, and currently, these aren't attributes commonly associated with Fox products, they're just not, say what ya like.
@m0ngy while I respect your opinion on Fox products, it is simply your opinion an not "just a fact mate". My EXPERIENCE has nothing to do with marketing. It has to do with 16 years of building and riding countless bikes using every manner of suspension out there. Fox has a long proven reputation that goes back almost certainly much further than your experience (which sounds from your comments like roughly 5 years). Remember the newer suspension brands like Cane Creek, Bos, Ohlins, DVO, etc are here BECAUSE of companies like Fox and Marzocchi (hell Marz is DIRECTLY responsible for the creation of DVO) so there is NO question Fox has what it takes to compete with any of them. You forget, like many, that quality is just as important as performance when it comes to suspension. Fox has been building quality components for decades, while DVO and Ohlins are just getting started in MTB suspension and Cane Creek leaves alot to be desired in the quality department (and i'm the proud owner of a CCDB air).
Opinions are opinions, but trying to say that Fox cannot compete with the best is just plan incorrect. They can and will.
That, quite simply, is my point. Many people have had problems with Fox products, many more have not. Same with all three brands.
YES PLEASE !
And I personally prefer MARZOCCHI.
That's why there are so many sayings about what you read on the internet.
Give them a year and a half and they'll fold Marz, taking all their customers, beautiful Italian technology, and calendar girls.
Long live marzo
A decent amount of fork oil.
Which you can tell is true, while it's gushing out of your blown out shock!
It can be expensive and perform well, or perform as well as a bluto but be cheaper. Hell, make both.
its save to say bomber-girls are a thing of the past.
don't believe me? ask the guys at 661...
totalwomenscycling.com/news/news-661s-knee-pad-gate-63448/#QSGJJBWsS4AQMTT0.97
I have two experiences with marzocchi product. First was the 2007 AM2 SL 120-160mm fork that came on my 07 norco six. It was OK but orifice damped so spiked like crazy on high speed descents, a long way from the shim damped lovely plush forks Marzocchi was known for. Of course when it had issues, there was no parts and everyone was incredibly unhelpful even though it was pretty clear Marzocchi USA was basically custom fitting RC2 units into the AM chassis, the AU distributor didn't want a bar of it and basically told me i should buy a new fork. That really put me off. It was only just over 3 years since i'd purchased it and already no parts? Either they'd used them all up getting warranty jobs out the door, or they just mismanaged their spares inventory and then with the switch to non-italian production didn't bother tooling up for creating some spares inventory. Or a bit of both.
However my 07 66 RC2X was the bomb. Heavy but bulletproof, plush and one of the best damped forks i've ridden on to this day.
Now run rockshox and x-fusion as the service information is easy to find, parts are easy and it's not marzocchi or fox ( I dont like fox after running CTD O/C stuff which just really didn't cut it for me...)
The Marzocchi mountain bike product line expands the Fox portfolio, which opens up new sales opportunities.
OK... How is Marzo?
The Marzocchi mountain bike product line expands the Fox portfolio, which opens up new sales opportunities
You can call it the super foxocchi monster 36cr float rct ctd fit. or maybe just the cr36
It can feature the adjustability, quality and smoothness of a fox with the timeless reliability, bombproofness and price of a marzocchi.
Oh and can it have a 20mm axle and purple kashpresso stanchions?
Anyone else laugh when they read this? Fox isn't known for there great quality control.
Fox did not buy whole Marzocchi. Not even investing into the whole line MTB products line up. Marzocchi did not loose its OEM market - it was Fox (they tried to push Marzocchi out and at that point paid big time, as they could not provide reliable product in comparison to Marzocchi, not to mention the price of the bike builds). That is why they went to purchase some Marzocchi.
Manufacturing of frames went to push fox as more "premium brand" (as they get more money by selling it - that has completely failed - due to fox products failing at premium price and people selling off new forks at bargain prices as they wanted to do nothing with fox).
So what does this all mean to you as a rider? - You will see less competitive market and higher prices, its a fact.
Just look forward to BOS, X-Fusion - these brads stamped fox into the ground with better product and price.
I respect Marzocchi and not fox as fox does not stand behind their product. ( I only had fox components fail to the point of complete factory rebuild ( an nope no warranty from fox - pay pay pay) - although they were serviced properly by pro shop and not abused.
Who do you believe as it is all made in Taiwan in similar or same factories. Pay for hype or solid low maintenance performance - IS UP TO YOU!
Fox is more like SR Suntour products that captioned the market high volume but not high quality. Although SR Suntour is making great progress in comparison to fox. In future I can see fox selling off their MTB market to SR Suntour. I can bet $500 on it, as it will happen in next 10 years.
Fox was awesome, then I had 2 problem child forks, so when I went over to a complete new bike (Bronson w/ a Pike) -- and now having done nothing other than ride it for a year, seems like RockShox is like a Honda Civic attached to my headset, it just works!
Fox - make some bolt-in ears so we can have Boost/non-Boost or whatever hub size we like on 1 fork, you need to do something Rockshox isn't because they seem to have you beat most other catagories, so break out a new useful feature.
love marzocchi, love fox
forkin' wonderful
ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb744411/p4pb744411.jpg
www.pinkbike.com/photo/12187290
I've tried calling and emailing......all is quiet
Do dealers out there still have added to marzocchi service department?
Guys...you spelled it wrong too....it's NOT Ashville.
Seems to work pretty well for VW and Audi.
I'm not gonna be able to get this out of my head
"What"
I had him rebuild and prep a fork before a big trip last year and he made it better than new as well clued me in to some random info about it, and recently I bought a '15 350NCR at a bargain price from him(lightly used) but knowing it was fully looked over and up to snuff.
Nope, I'm not affiliated with this guy but the fact that he has spent time on the phone with me about the forks and he spends time to discuss repairs, etc., plus does great work...I put out the word of passionate people, plus I dig Marz products!