Travel 120-160mm / Axle to crown height: 510-555mm / 32mm stanchions / Triple air spring / Damping adjustment rebound, five-position compression / Weight: 5.1lb
Contact: www.windwave.co.uk

Marzocchi doesn’t produce a dedicated 140mm travel fork so we chose the adjustable-travel AM SL1, where travel can be set between 120mm and 160mm in 1.1mm increments.
A new magnesium lower casting has 6in post mounts, so any post-mount brake caliper will bolt directly to the fork and mate perfectly with a 6in rotor. Hop-up adapters are used to fit larger rotor sizes, but if your current brake has a dedicated 6in IS caliper, you’ll have to buy an adapter and 180mm rotor to get it to work with the new post mount configuration.
Marzocchi’s 20mm QR axle bears more than a slight resemblance to the original Maxle — it even has a fixed position for the QR lever.
The design works, but the threaded portion of the skewer protrudes from the opposite end of the axle and will need trimming with a hacksaw.
To adjust the travel you just twist the ATA adjuster, easy enough to do while riding, but even set to 140mm the Marzocchi is noticeably taller then the other forks on test and had the most pronounced effect on geometry.
We couldn’t work out how to remove the dust cover/ATA adjuster to uncover the upper valve but you just have to yank it off. With both Schrader valves exposed (you no longer need those crappy adapters) you start by pressurising the bottom valve to control how progressive the spring is. Then you add typically 30psi less in the top valve to charge the positive and negative springs. Basically you should always have more air pressure in the bottom than the top.
While setting the spring rate is complicated, adjusting the damping on the AM SL1 couldn’t be easier. The red TST adjuster offers five fixed compression settings, from light to lock-out (with a blow-off) and the rebound dial has a good range of adjustment without being stupidly slow. We opted for the second lightest compression setting.
Comfort on the Marzocchi is first rate, as very little trail buzz makes it to the handlebar, but the AM SL1 didn’t offer as much grip as the Fox or Pace. If you’re looking for a solid, reliable, mid-weight, long-travel fork then the Marzocchi AMSL won’t disappoint. Just be prepared to invest plenty of time in fine-tuning the spring rates.

MBR RATING: 8/10