Magura TS8 R120

Price: £649.99
Specification: Weight: 1,740g / Contact: zyro.co.uk

With its Dual Arch Design the Magura TS8 R120 is easily the stiffest fork on test. It’s also the only one to have a 180mm post mount brake boss, which means that it won’t work with any disc rotor smaller than 180mm. This is slightly limiting for riders who don’t need the stopping power of the big rotor, and it also means you’ll have to find some 2.5mm spacers if you’re running a 185mm. This is probably because Magura doesn’t have a dedicated 120mm chassis, and actually uses the lowers from the longer travel 150mm TS8 R.

On previous forks Magura used the older, heavier 20mm Maxle but plugged into the dropouts on the TS8 R120 is a lightweight 15mm variant. Like its longer-travel brother, the TS8 is air sprung and has adjustable rebound damping. For this test we ran around 70psi and midway on the rebound, which means there’s plenty of scope to tune the fork for heavier riders. We liked the fact that the rebound adjuster and the black plastic footnut cover also act as scuff guards when you remove the wheel and lower the fork onto the ground. A remote lockout is included but not fitted to the fork. This can be positioned on various sides, above or below the handlebar, but it lacks a split clamp so you have to remove all the controls first. The unit gets a simple on/off lever, with a push- button release. It’s easy to get seduced by the steering precision and stiffness of the Magura; it feels bomber-solid and very capable. Pushing hard on rocky descents it holds its line well, but the damping can be inconsistent.

It’s hard to quantify, but the Magura TS8 R120 sometimes feels smooth and controlled, while at other times it’s overly harsh. It’s not that sensitive to small bumps and also feels slightly linear, so when you do ride down anything steep it sinks down in its stroke. Using the 150mm TS8 chassis means the 120mm TS8 is definitely a solid, burly piece of kit, but the inconsistent ride quality also means it has failed to deliver on its early promise. The foundation is certainly sound, but there are just a few issues that arise when at speed and close to its limit.

MBR rating: 7

Remote lockout lacks a split clamp for easy installation

Larger 180mm post mount means you can’t run a 160mm rotor

This test appeared in the July 2013 issue of MBR, alongside the DT Swiss XMM 120 TS, Fox 32 FLoat 26 120 Fit FTC, RockShox SID RCT3 and the X-Fusion Velvet RL2.