Who has heard of Epic arms

[krt400ex]

i was wondering who has heard of these, and if they r any good, 'cause i can get a kit with +2 Epic arms elka triple rates and extended brake lines for like $800 new

thanks, Kurt

[400exrider707]

Yeah they're supposed to be pretty good. I think they're just albas arms. Kory Ellis ran them last year I believe as well as some other big riders.

[SANDFANATIC]

I know of them. They are decent. Epic makes Alba's arms also but, they are thier own company. Alba just worked a deal with them. The only bad thing I have heard about them is the lack of customer service. I guess they really don't care about the customer, the just care about selling thier stuff.

[mx1791]

i was looking into them too, but just a arms, $350 seems too good to be true, but if there good im deff goin to get them

[exrider008]

In dirt wheels they had them on an outlander 800 and they loved them. they seem to be pritty good, i would go for it.

[bcg717]

Do you think this would be good for starting out MX racing, or is there a better kit? I was at the track yesterday and i realized suspension has to be my next investment. Thanks

[rob-u/21]

They are not that low priced for nothing. Do a search, there has been plenty of people in these forums that are very unhappy with epic products. Their quality is not that good, if you have a problem with those arms you will be stuck with it. I know of people that were forced to buy a whole new set of arms cause they could not get epic to fix whatever problem they had. I would stay away from those arms.

To the above people looking at Epic A-arms, put this into perspective....out of all the manufacturers that are out there, there is only one that uses a particular suspension builder, and that is Can-Am, and they only use Epic....Read the article in DW...Bilstein has tapped Epic to help them develop their ATV shocks, Maxxis is using Epic to test their new Razr 4-Speed tires...but according to rob here, they aren't all that good.

Just for Rob's edification, here was the recent thread he is referring to.
http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=242123&highlight=epic

Now I post this only because there are some serious problems with these 2 complaints.
#1 The guy with the KFX, did send them back, and I witnessed them test fit the same arms he sent, on a brand new KFX frame...they fit perfectly. His complaint about the ball joints was a Golden West issue. They had the specs that called for the proper ball joints, the wrong ones were sent.

#2 There has never been a set of Raptor arms that were returned and found to be defective. Again, if a product does not fit, and is sent back, they do not check it against their jig....they check it against a chassis they keep on hand to ensure fit, that is the true litmus test...

Here's the problem with any afrermarket part, espically a a-arm setup...Who knows what condition the frame is in. There may be stress related deformaties the owner is unaware of. So if it fit on a new frame, either their frame is tweaked, they aren't real mechanically proficent, or they just have a need to complain.

That is the reason Epic, and I would guess all other companies, keep a sample chassis around to be sure if they make a mistake, it is corrected.

rob-u/21
Senior Member

Registered: Feb 2002
Location: san diego california
Posts: 578
Online

You might want to consider EPIC Long Travels. They are making some great stuff right now. Jeremy Schell is using those arms and I think Kory Ellis will also be racing whith them next season.

[rob-u/21]

Just for Rob's edification, here was the recent thread he is referring to.

I can think of a lot more threads that had nothing but bad things to say about epic products and their customer service.


mrbluehair

I am just saying what I have read, heard, and seen. That is my opinion. That is what these forum are for. I think he got that price from golden west, and that is because they are trying to get rid of all of their epic products cause they dont want anything to do with them. If krt400ex wants to go and spend $800 on something that in opinion is not really worth it that is his problem. But in reality that money can be better spent on something else.

[krt400ex]

Originally posted by rob-u/21




I am just saying what I have read, heard, and seen. That is my opinion. That is what these forum are for. I think he got that price from golden west, and that is because they are trying to get rid of all of their epic products cause they dont want anything to do with them. If krt400ex wants to go and spend $800 on something that in opinion is not really worth it that is his problem. But in reality that money can be better spent on something else.


i agree with u, majority rules. i think i am going with laeger or houser

[rob-u/21]

You have made a very wise choice. You will be much better off with either Laeger or Houser they are both top quality a arms with excellent customer service.

[calds650]

From a very unhappy EPIC customer. I have had nothing but bad luck with there customer support and product quality. I had too take my swing arm back twice because it did not fit. There A-arm fell apart on me for a lack of a castle nut and all they told me was too using more loctite.

I'm sorry, but now I have to call real BS on behalf of BillDS650, or Cal or whatever he want's to call himself.

Let's see, your swingarm did not fit because you did not install it correctly first, then did not let anyone know that the spring on your shock was a larger diameter leading to clearence problems. You even took it in and they got it fixed for you. I believe it was at Precision where you apologized to Ryan for posting this erroneous crap.

Now your a-arm...hmm, let's see. They had no problems with the hardware used and you had not only run that setup for over 3 years, and like the Yamaha Raptor 700's 2 piece frame suggests, if you remove the delron bolt that holds the spindle in place, you should replace that $1.50 item as the delron will break down and not hold as tight!!! You knew this and ignored it, and you want to talk trash?? LOL they had you bring your quad in, and you admitted that you didn't install things correctly and they fixed it. Funny how time changes things.

Be that as it may, the choice made by our firend above should serve him well. Both are great products and whatever he choses should make him quite happy.

[calds650]

Mrbluehair Let’s see swing arm first trip back had too remove the powder coating to lower shock mount. You could not get a socket in to tighten the bolt. The next trip was for bearing housing was too wide and too tight. I got bearing carrier in but housing was 1/16 of a inch too wide only on the top left side. When taken too EPIC they grind down the edge with disk grinder. I had too replace the bearing because all the grease is full metal particles. Did I say that bearing carrier fit is tight? So tight to make any chain adjustment I have to pry open the end and jam in some lug nuts. On the A-arms a 40 cent castle nut and I would not have to replace it every year. But I did learn some thing new about nylock nuts thank you

[rob-u/21]

what happened to the love mrbluehair?

mrbluehair
Senior Member

Registered: Apr 2002
Location: San Diego
Posts: 346

You might want to consider someone else for long travels.

[TBD]

Just so you guys know Mrbluehairs dad is part owner of Epic. How about this Mrbluehair. Why has Epic moved four times in four years? I feel sorry for Jeff who was leasing part of the last shop. Ryan didn't even let him know that they were moving out and that came straight from the guy in the shop next to them. Why is it that they still can't get ball joints so know they are using hiems on the uppers. The B.S. about Bilstien using them to help develope there shocks is partly true but as for anyone there that has any knowledge how to valve, spring or even know what to do with a shock is pure B.S. If there is someone who knows who would that be? Not Ryan or Charley. Maybe Kevin Avina, yeah right. As for the Dirtwheels article, the magazines are just feeling space so the info in the article isn't always the facts. It stated that Epic had many Baja wins on the DS 650 and I for some reason can't find even one win by Epic on a DS. If they are such good suspension designers why is it that Josh Fredricks said in the article that on the Outlander in the whoops you are pretty much just along for the ride. I know that wasn't an exact qoute but that is the just of what he said. How come they still can't get the Outlander on the podium. How come I have sold three sets of arms to people that needed an Epic arm replaced and could not get ahold of Epic. They contacted Golden West to be told good luck getting a arm. How come they redisgned the DS a-arms and swingarm so that in order to use all the wheel travel you would have to bottom out over a three inch rut? How come there TRX450 arms are the same way (I have them right here in my shop and can easilly post a picture if you don't believe me).

Mrbluehair I'm sure will say that because they took me in a terrible business deal that is the only reason I'm posting this. Totally untrue. I did get into a bad business deal with them but I'm just tired of there lack of concern for there customers.

One more thing. I have personally seen the a-arms that are sitting in the back room of Albas parts department that have either been returned by customers or just not sold because they were so far off.

I think tomorrow I will put Calsds650's Epic arms back on his quad so I can take a picture of the quad bottomed to the frame before the shocks bottom.